From the Minor Leagues in Appleton to the big stage

Rich Palzewic

Staff

January 26, 2026

APPLETON – After a career that’s taken him from Fox Cities Stadium to Wrigley Field, Matt Erickson is back in the big leagues – this time directing traffic at third base for the Brewers.

The Appleton West graduate and former Wisconsin Timber Rattlers manager was recently named the new third base coach of the Milwaukee Brewers, replacing Jason Lane.

Erickson, who joined the Brewers’ major league coaching staff in 2022 as infield instructor and assistant hitting coach, was named the team’s new third base coach earlier this month.

In addition to his third base coaching duties, Erickson said he will still be in charge of the Brewers’ infield instruction and positioning.

“I’m extremely honored, excited and humbled to be the Brewers’ new third base coach,” he said. “From attending Appleton West High School, to managing the Timber Rattlers and now being with the Brewers on the field on gamedays is something I don’t take for granted.”

The 50-year-old said while managing the Timber Rattlers from 2011 through 2021, aside from his managerial duties, one of his main responsibilities was coaching third base.

“Coaching third base is something I’m used to and enjoy,” he said. “When I thought about impacting the Brewers for the first time, I thought it might be as a third base coach someday.”

Since joining the Brewers’ coaching staff several years ago, Erickson said he learned a lot from Lane.

“Jason is a guy on the staff I spend a lot of time with away from the field – we’re pickleball partners,” he said. “We’ve talked a lot about in-game decisions. I’m excited about the opportunity at third base. It’s something I did for 10 years with the Timber Rattlers and now looking forward to doing it with the Brewers.”

While all MLB coaching roles come with pressure, Erickson said the third base coach spot can be particularly demanding.

“It’s a lot like umpiring – you do a good job when you’re not noticed,” he laughed. “I’ll probably have a much better relationship with umpires as we talk during the season. There are going to be situations where maybe I’m not liked too much [by the fans] for making a mistake on the basepaths, but you can’t pay attention to what people say on social media.”

Erickson said the club is a good baserunning team, so that will help his approach.

“We’ve got some team speed, and we’re going to play aggressively,” he said. “We’re going to force people to make plays on the field defensively, and sometimes that means getting thrown out.”

If a few baserunners aren’t getting thrown out, Erickson said that likely means opportunities are being missed.

“I’ll know right away whether it was a good time to send the runner or if I made a mistake,” he said. “You live and learn with each situation.”

As for still being in charge of the Brewers’ infield instruction and positioning, Erickson said he also enjoys that part of his job.

“That’s something I’ve really enjoyed over the last several years,” he said. “First, while managing the Timber Rattlers and then getting the opportunity in Milwaukee starting in 2022. That comes from working with our front office and our analytical people and trying to come up with the best possible infield preparation and plan for positioning. I think we keep getting better every season, and it’s something we have continuous conversations about.”

Moving up through the coaching ranks

Erickson said his late father, Bruce, spent 20 years coaching baseball at Appleton West before another decade at Appleton North.

“My dad won four [WIAA] state titles [in 1982, ’88, ’91 and ’95] with Appleton West,” he said. “Obviously, I was around coaching my whole life. With my dad, the funny thing is, when he won those four state titles with Appleton West, the state tournament was held in Wausau. [In 1998], the state tournament was moved to Appleton at Fox Cities Stadium, and he never won a state title again.”

Erickson said he was named hitting coach for the Timber Rattlers in 2008 and was promoted to manager in 2011.

Because the Rattlers are a MiLB affiliate of the Brewers, he said he attended Spring Training in Arizona each year as manager, assisting the major league infield coaches.

“That was all before COVID-19,” he said. “During our COVID season, we had spring training, came home and then we had a summer camp basically in the middle of the year in Milwaukee – I was a part of that.”

Eventually, Erickson said Craig Counsell – who was the Brewers manager at the time – wanted more time and effort put into the infield positions.

“I was thrilled when Counsell wanted to add me as a coach – that was in 2022,” he said. “I became the infield coach and an assistant hitting coach. My responsibilities that year were basically infield prep and development, and then during the games, I would go in the cage [under the stadium] and work with the guys who weren’t playing for any potential pinch-hit situations.”

Erickson said in 2022, he traveled full-time with the Brewers and attended every game.

“The next season, 2023, was another very unique year for me because our infield coordinator, who was with the organization for a long time, retired,” he said. “During the first month of that season, I was with the team the entire time.”

During the summer months of the 2023 season, Erickson said he attended all home games, but when the Brewers traveled, he went to Nashville or Biloxi, Mississippi, to the club’s other MiLB affiliates.

“We tried to incorporate all of the same terminology, positioning, spacing and signals we give in the dugout in Milwaukee through all of our minor league system,” he said. “That way, when the guys came up [to the Brewers], it was very similar in terminology and communication everywhere throughout our organization.”

After doing that for one season, Erickson said new Brewers Manager Pat Murphy put an end to his traveling during the season.

“I was really glad we did that [in 2023], because I think it had a lot of value and made our infielders more comfortable as they moved through the organization,” he said. “In 2024, Murph wanted me with the big club full-time to work with the infielders and everything infield-related.”

Erickson said Murphy – a two-time National Manager of the Year with the Brewers in 2024-25 – is about as authentic as they come.

“He lets you know about things he’s not really proud of – that includes what he’s done in his life and what he has learned,” he said. “He’ll also let you know a lot of good things – he’s honest, fair and straightforward. He’ll tell you some things you might not necessarily want to hear, but he’s the kind of coach I tried to be.”

Erickson said he sees similarities between Murphy and his late father.

“I believe that was the kind of coach my father was, and I really appreciated that part of him,” he said. “I see a lot of things my dad did that Murph does – good communication, authenticity and sticking to what he believes in.”

Despite only recently being officially named the Brewers’ new third base coach, Erickson said he and the club had been talking about it since the season ended last October.

“We’ve been in constant communication as a staff, trying to figure out where we fit best and how we can put our team in the best situation possible,” he said.

An MLB hit to remember

Aside from a solid coaching resume, Erickson – who played collegiate baseball for the University of Arkansas – said he was drafted by the Florida Marlins in the seventh round of the 1997 MLB Draft and later signed with the Brewers in 2003 as a minor league free agent.

From there, he said he was called up to the Brewers in 2004, where he played in four games.

During his short MLB stint, Erickson said he garnered one hit in six at-bats.

Though he managed only one MLB base knock, Erickson said it was a memorable one.

“My only hit came off Hall of Fame Pitcher Greg Maddux,” he said. “We played the [Chicago] Cubs at Wrigley Field for that series, and I can still tell you the location of every pitch and what type of pitch it was. It’s one of those things you don’t really forget, and it’s etched in my brain forever – even though it’s been more than 20 years.”

Erickson said the day before he got his only MLB hit, he was inserted into the lineup because Counsell, a former Brewers player and current Cubs manager, got hit in the knee and came out of the game.

“When Counsell got hurt, I came in at shortstop,” he said. “That was the first time I touched the field defensively, as I was called up the week before, right before the All-Star break. We won that game, so it was enjoyable shaking hands on Wrigley Field for the first time.”

The next day, July 17, 2004, Erickson said he was inserted into the starting lineup and played second base.

“I had three at-bats against Maddux, and I think I saw five pitches total,” he laughed. “The first two times up, I grounded out to second base.”

Between innings, Erickson said he struck up a conversation with the umpire.

“I asked him, ‘How do you hit [off] this guy?’” he laughed. “He giggled a little bit and said [Maddux] has been pitching for a long time and is one of the best. Then, he said to me, ‘If I see players get him, they usually do it early in the count.’ In my third at-bat, he threw a first-pitch changeup that he left up [in the zone], and I hit it into right field for a base hit. [Right fielder] Sammy Sosa threw it back into second base.”

The umpire, whose name Erickson said he can’t remember, grabbed the ball from the middle infielder, showed it to him and threw it out of play into the Brewers’ dugout.

“Derek Lee, whom I spent some time with when I was with the Florida Marlins and was playing first base that day, asked me if that was my first hit,” he said.

The fun and memories of his only MLB hit, Erickson said, didn’t stop there.

He said it was customary for the Cubs’ staff to make opposing players’ first MLB hits into something special.

“They wanted to doctor up the ball and had a guy who did really nice calligraphy, mock up the scoreboard and then ask Maddux to sign it,” he said. “What a keepsake for this memory.”

The next day, Erickson said he and former Brewers player Lyle Overbay came to the field early after the previous day’s game.

“There was a brand-new ball in my locker, so I walked over, picked it up, looked at it and it had something written on it we can’t put in the paper,” he laughed. “I was a little shocked, but as I turned around, the Cubs’ staff was standing there all smiling. They flipped me the actual game ball and did exactly what they said they would – dated it, put the scoreboard on there and had Maddux sign it.”

Making that final push

With the Brewers coming off a franchise-record 97 wins in 2025, Erickson said he’s looking forward to some exciting baseball this season and trying to help the club win its first World Series title – all with an up-close look from the third-base coaching box.

Milwaukee’s only appearance in the “Fall Classic” came in 1982 when they lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games.

“Just remember – I’m bound to make a few mistakes and send runners when I shouldn’t have,” he laughed. “Like I said, if a few runners of mine don’t get thrown out, I’m probably missing out on some possibilities. I’m excited for a great season of baseball.”