In Matches 1 and 2 of the National League Division Series at Miller Park last week, Doug Melvin did something that he had never considered doing during his 13 years as General Manager Milwaukee Brewers.

Melvin was sitting in the bleachers and playing the role of a fan. And he enjoyed every minute.

"It was very fun," said Melvin, 66, who played an advisory role when David Stearns was appointed general manager at the end of the 2015 season. "It was nice to see the fans have fun so much and get into the games.

"I sat about 10 rows behind the marble. When you're a general manager, you do not really interact with fans that way. I have to talk to a lot of them. I liked that.

"I'm sure some fans are happy that I'm sitting in the stands now, not the GM office."

Melvin burst out laughing when he heard this last comment, well aware of the criticisms coming from the outside when you run a baseball club. More than anything, gambling is a business "what have you done for me lately?"

But even though Stearns and his staff deserve the credit of accelerating the team's rebuilding until playing the NL Championship Series against Los Angeles starting Friday night at Miller Park, Melvin has started the process before retiring.

It is Melvin who has acquired Corey Knebel, closer, in the trade between Yovani Gallardo and Texas. It is Melvin who has gained the helming sensation Josh Hader as part of a huge contract with Houston. It was Melvin who brought back the reliever Jeremy Jeffress after selling it to Kansas City as part of the successful operation Zack Greinke in December 2010.

With a team built around a deep and dominant compound, where would the Brewers without Knebel, Hader and Jeffress (who was later traded and bought)? Certainly not in the Final Four of baseball.

Fans should also remember that it is Melvin who asked Craig Counsell to replace Ron Roenicke as manager when the 2015 team got into the panel in April. In the end, this decision was a stroke of genius: Counsell quickly earned the reputation of being one of the best managers of the game while overseeing the process of reconstruction on the ground.

"It's very exciting," said Melvin, who deliberately left the group behind as the club headed for the NL center crown with an impressive end-of-season wave. "They played well at the right time. They have a lot of momentum; the mojo works.

"Craig made a lot of good decisions. Players know their roles. It starts with the initial message from the manager and front office about what might happen. Everyone bought in it. Now, we would like to continue. "

Originally, Melvin had acquired Counsell as one of six Arizona players in the monster Richie Sexson on December 1, 2003, and then signed it four times as a 39, free agent to finish his career with the Brewers. Counsell's last year as a player took place in 2011, when the Brewers managed to break through for the first time in central NL after Melvin acquired Greinke and Shaun Marcum.

Melvin then invited Counsell to join his front-office staff in what has become a mutually beneficial initiative.

"I had the opportunity to find out more about Craig when he went upstairs," Melvin said. "As a player, I did not have a close relationship with him. But when he arrived at the reception, I had the opportunity to visit him more often and see how he had studied the game and commented on the game.

"He's one of the few players on the field to absolutely follow the game, not just from his team's point of view. He knew players in other organizations, prospects in other organizations, managers, coaches. He is well connected to the sector and respected by other people. People have always said that Trevor Hoffman was one of the best teammates they saw, and Craig received the same praise. He was an excellent teammate.

"He knew how the game was going to change. It was important. He knew the game was going into an analytical mode and was looking for new ways of doing things. He was on board with that. The transition from the director's office to the director's office was much easier. "

After the 2014 team has collapsed over the past six weeks, losing 22 of the last 31 games, Melvin and his lead owner, Mark Attanasio, were planning to make big changes this winter. Instead, they chose to give this group another chance, a decision that went against them.

"We were in first place for 150 days (in 2014), then we had a bad series of games in the end," said Melvin. "We talked about changing and having a makeover, but I think there were some talented players on the list. We just did not get the most out of it now that you think about it. This has been postponed until next year.

"If you look at Jean Segura, Khris Davis, Gennett Scooter, Will Smith, a lot of the players who were here were obviously talented. They are doing well with the other teams (after being traded or canceled). The connection and chemistry between all, for whatever reason, just did not work with Ron. I did not get any answers.

"When we got off to a bad start, I had to make a change."

Counsell had no way of knowing that he would be the manager of the Brewers only a month after the start of the 2015 season. But having grown up in Whitefish Bay, he saw a unique opportunity. And Counsell said that his time working with Melvin prepared him better for this job.

"Doug was such an open book with me," Counsell said. "For someone who has just entered the office, he has included me in everything that has accelerated my learning and my ability to take points of view." Provided was extremely valuable.

"I saw every day what the CEO needs to do, and a lot of it is invisible.I have learned so much about how an organization is run and how to give each department the feeling of being in charge. to be valued, important and meaningful Doug was so good He started using many of the decision-making tools we still use, which has led to a forward thinking process.

"The other thing I get out of Doug is his experience of the game." I mean, he worked for George Steinbrenner (at the reception desk in New York) and hearing about this experience is so valuable. He taught by telling stories and I learned a lot about how all this is put in place. "

Once Counsell was appointed director, Melvin and Attanasio decided to start trading veterans against prospects. Aramis Ramirez was traded against young pitcher Yhonathan Barrios, who then ran out of his shoulder. Private Gerardo Parra was traded to Baltimore against starter Zach Davies, winner of 17 games last year and injured with injuries in 2018.

Melvin's big move was to send center-forward Carlos Gomez and right-handed Mike Fiers to the Astros for Hader, pitcher Adrian Houser, as well as domineers Domingo Santana and Brett Phillips, who are used to third-half Mike. Kansas City Moustakas in July.

Attanasio and Melvin then put together a plan in which Melvin would retire at the end of season 15. The search for a new general manager was launched. Stearns, then deputy general manager in Houston, was replaced by Melvin, who was given a four-year contract to advise.

Melvin was not convinced of the need for a complete overhaul of the player, but Stearns nevertheless embarked on that momentum by unveiling half of the list of 40 players of the season. The moves slowed down a bit later, but one by one all regular players other than Ryan Braun moved on – and attempts were made to give it up to the Dodgers.

"We did not have a lot of bad deals, which helped," said Melvin. "We had one year left to Matt Garza (a $ 50 million four-year contract that did not work). Braun was still a few years old, but he always played. It was easier not to have bad contracts to manage to succeed as soon as possible.

"I did not think a complete rebuild was necessary. This is the case when teams lose between 90 and 100 games for three or four years in a row. But that's what happened and David did a great job rebuilding the team. We are in the last four and this is a credit to the local population. I think this is a real asset for the departments of Scouting, Development and Analysis. "

Although Melvin has been in the background, many people hired at his desk are still in the position, with some in different roles. To his credit, Stearns saw that they were good baseball players and avoided the incentive of some new general managers to dismiss the staff. Ray Montgomery, Vice President of Player Personnel, Karl Mueller, Farm Manager Tom Flanagan, Director of Amateur Scouting, Tod Johnson, and Baseball Operations Director Matt Kleine.

"These are all talented people," Melvin said. "David did recognize that and set it up where he is today. I think the organization has a lot of good baseball players. They all helped change the culture and become a rival team. The challenge is to maintain it. "

Melvin will still be recognized as the general manager who ended the losing years by bringing the Brewers back to the playoffs in 2008 with the brilliant acquisition of CC Sabathia at mid-season. We were back in the playoffs in 2011, a run stopped in the NLCS by the Cardinals of St. Louis.

Melvin did not think October baseball would take another seven years to return to Milwaukee, but think the Brewers are now well positioned for the years to come.

And it might not be done as a major MJ. He was interviewed during the opening ceremony of the New York Mets, but would not comment on the announcement of this opportunity.

"Every year the goal is to play baseball in October and win everything," Melvin said. "This team has a chance to do that. They are close to the World Series. It was fun to watch.

"I stay out of my role as counselor. I'm here when they need me. But they work very well right now. I want to let them enjoy it. "