APPLETON, Wis. — Matt Erickson will still have a major role with the Milwaukee Brewers’ coaching staff this year, with a minor twist.

“We’re having a job that’s kind of rotating in player development and with the major league club,” said Brewers manager Craig Counsell at the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers’ Hot Stove banquet. “So Matt is going to help us with the Major League club, and he’s going to also help in player development."

“In spring training, he’ll solely be with the Major League club. It’s really just a function of us trying to develop talent throughout the minor leagues, both in coaching and in players.”

Erickson, an Appleton native and the former manager of the Timber Rattlers, spent last season as the Brewers’ infield coach and was also a hitting coach. It was his first year as a coach with the big league club.

“It was fun,” Erickson said of last season. “In the player development world, you pretty much teach. And there’s a lot of young players, a lot of talented young players, that are trying to develop a daily routine and the professional life.

“You get to the big leagues and these guys have a better understanding of what their strengths and weaknesses are, and what their routines are. You get to have conversations; obviously they’re a big part of their own development as they mature in the game as big leaguers. So that aspect, from going from a manager’s role back into working with a specific aspect, or a specific player on part of their craft, was a lot of fun for me and that relationship building.”

The most noticeable difference between the majors and minors, he said, was the meaning of the final score.

“Again, player development. It’s a process, right?” he said. “You’re always growing. You expect mistakes. You don’t always expect consistent play.

“At the big league level, every day, wins and losses matter, and you feel it. So, it’s very much results oriented at the big league level, and it’s hard to win a baseball game. And when you have everybody doing their job and you get to shake hands at the end of the day, it’s a really good feeling, and you feel that in the clubhouse after the game.”

Erickson’s new title will be roving infield instructor for the Brewers.

“It’s not really a new position,” said Counsell. “He’s essentially doing the same job. I’d say what he’s doing is adding his infield expertise to player development as well. So, last year was strictly focused on the major league team. This year, we’ll also have a piece of player development involved in his responsibilities.”

A function of that responsibility is making defense a bigger part of the Brewers’ analytics.

“I think you look at all the analytics in the game, and it’s heavy in the hitting,” Erickson said. “It’s heavy into pitching. I think some of the details get lost in the art of team defense.

“And, I think, Craig has shared some of that responsibility, or put some of that responsibility on me and some of the infield people in our organization to make sure that doesn’t get lost in the shuffle. And, right now, I’m really embracing that part of it.”

Erickson’s first full year in the big leagues made for a lot of memories. But it’s the last one that stuck with him.

“The taste at the end of the season was not great,” he said. “But to get out of the gate; we had the best record in the franchise history in the first 50 games (32-18) of the season. It was great to get off to a good start. And so, that felt good and then trying to ride that obviously was something that was a little bit disappointing (finishing 54-58 the rest of the season).

“But I guess the best part of it is when you fall a little bit short, you’re eager to get back to spring training; get back to and try to get back to the postseason.”

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