The Milwaukee Post

16 • Milwaukee Post • July 19, 2013 The Rock to celebrate transformation this weekend By KIRSTEN KLAHN Special to The Post FRANKLIN – What was once an eyesore in Franklin has been transformed into an outdoor enthusiast's dream. The Crystal Ridge ski slope has been renamed The Rock Sports Complex. It includes a snow park, bike park, baseball and softball fields and an umbrella bar and covers 144 acres west of South 76th Street and north of West Loomis Road in Franklin. Each of the parks represents the best of the best, said Alison Graettinger, marketing director for The Rock. "We consulted with experts in each of the fields, and used their expertise to form specialized, unique parks," she said. The baseball fields, which total 12 at The Rock, include two that have synthetic turf, meaning games can still be played even if it has rained. The bike course has managed to set itself apart from any other course in the Midwest, Graettinger said. It will be the only gravity bike course in the Midwest, and is expected to have a wide following, she said. Furthermore, it is only one of four gravity bike courses in the U.S. Gravity biking involves riding a bike down a winding trail built into part of the ski hill, and then using the chair lift to reach the summit for another run. Bikers on the downhill course wear helmets and pads, and rent specially equipped bikes provided by The Rock. The umbrella bar has both outdoor patio seating and indoor seating within an umbrella-shaped structure and sliding glass doors that can be opened on warm summer days. It will be open year-round, Graettinger said, thanks to the use of heat lamps. The Rock is owned by Mike Zimmerman, a Franklin resident who operates Zimmerman & Associates, a Submitted photos The Rock Sports Complex in Franklin features 12 baseball fields, including two synthetic fields, and includes a bike course that uses a chair lift to reach its starting point. health care industry firm. The project is expected to cost Zimmerman's business about $3 million to build, with annual maintenance costs in the range of $1 million to $1.5 million, according to a report filed with the Milwaukee County Board. The Rock is up and running, Graettinger said, and to celebrate the grand opening of the complex, it will host a celebration this weekend. "We really want people to venture out and enjoy it," Graettinger said. "This is for people of all ages, and we want them to come visit and see what we've built." On Friday, the opening will kick off with a Jimmy Buffett Margaritaville-style cookout at The Rock's Umbrella Bar beginning at 5:30 p.m. There also will be an opportunity for kids to play catch on the youth fields, while adults play baseball on some of the other fields. The last event of the evening is a showing of the movie "The Sandlot" at 8:30 p.m. Saturday's events include a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Pirates Field beginning at noon. The rest of the day includes an assortment of kids and adult softball and baseball games, followed by live music at the Umbrella Bar at 9 p.m. Sunday consists of baseball games throughout the day beginning at 9 a.m., as well as grilling out. The Rock brings something unique to the area that has something everyone can enjoy, Graettinger said. This weekend is an opportunity for everyone to participate and come help The Rock celebrate, she said. "Everything here has custom features," Graettinger said. "There's something for everyone." Brewers to mark 20th anniversary of Robin Yount's retirement as a player Post Staff MILWAUKEE – The 1993 season marked the final campaign in the Hall-ofFame career of Robin Yount, and the Milwaukee Brewers will commemorate the 20th anniversary of his retirement as a player next month. On Aug. 2, Yount will participate in a pregame ceremony on the field before the Brewers face the Washington Nationals. He will be joined by former teammate and fellow Hall-of-Famer Rollie Fingers. Yount's 20-year Major League career was spent entirely in Milwaukee, and he retired following the conclusion of the 1993 season. His No. 19 was retired in a ceremony on May 29, 1994, at Milwaukee County Stadium. The celebration will include a presentation of an original painting commissioned to remember the occasion. The first 30,000 fans through the gates for the game that day will receive a poster of the painting that will be presented to Yount during the ceremony. Yount will also toss the ceremonial first pitch. The Brewers Community Foundation also will make a $10,000 donation on behalf of Yount to the MACC Fund (Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer). "Robin's contributions to the Brewers are far too numerous to list, and we're looking forward to welcoming him back for this special occasion," Brewers CEO Rick Schlesinger said. "His time in Milwaukee was marked by great personal and team success, and it's an era that will forever be remembered as a magical time for baseball in Wisconsin." Yount finished his career with 3,142 career hits and was the first player to enter the National Baseball Hall of Fame as a Brewer after being inducted on July 25, 1999. Yount broke into the big leagues at age 18. He won the American League Most Valuable Player awards in 1982 (shortstop) and 1989 (outfield), becoming the third player in Major League history to win that award at two different positions.

• Cover