27 minute read

Milwaukee Brewers Baseball Club Business Information, Profile, and History

201 South 46th Street
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53214
U.S.A.

Company Perspectives:

Commitment--That one word captures the essence of the Milwaukee Brewers' mission on and off the field. The Miller Park era is beginning soon, and with it a renewed vitality for Major League Baseball in Wisconsin. Accordingly, we are committed to bringing a championship to Wisconsin. Our fans will enjoy a world class ballpark, and also deserve a rewarding game experience. We are fortunate to live and work in a giving, caring community. Our region is recognized for its philanthropic spirit, and it is the Brewers' privilege to be a component of this regional partnership. We are proud of our community accomplishments, and are committed to the club's tradition of proving positive impact for young people and those less fortunate. The Greater Milwaukee area and the state of Wisconsin have supported and encouraged the Brewers for thirty years. We take pride in that special relationship, which serves to grow the Brewers' resolve in sharing our unique resources to make Wisconsin a better place.

History of Milwaukee Brewers Baseball Club

The Milwaukee Brewers Baseball Club oversees the operations of the Milwaukee Brewers, a Major League baseball team competing in the National League's Central Division. The Brewers have been searching for the right combination of players and coaching to field a consistently winning squad, but have only once made it to the World Series, which they narrowly lost in 1982. The privately held team is headed by President and CEO Wendy Selig-Prieb, the only woman to hold such a position in the majors. Her father, team founder Bud Selig, stepped down from those roles in 1998 to become Commissioner of Baseball. The team is scheduled to move into newly built Miller Park in 2001, which will offer a domed roof to protect against the chilly Wisconsin weather, as well as luxury skyboxes for use by corporations.

Roots

The Milwaukee Brewers' beginnings can be traced to 1964, when the Milwaukee Braves announced that they would be moving to Atlanta. Attempts to prevent the move failed, and in 1965 four prominent Milwaukeeans founded Teams, Inc. to bring Major League Baseball back to their city. Among the four were one-time Braves director Edmund Fitzgerald and car dealer Allen 'Bud' Selig, who was named president of the company. Attempts over the next several years to purchase expansion teams in both the National and American leagues, and even to entice the Chicago White Sox to move to Milwaukee, failed. Teams, Inc. did secure 21 regular season White Sox games and several exhibition games for Milwaukee's County Stadium, the former home of the Braves.

In 1969 the American League announced that it was sanctioning new franchises for Seattle and Kansas City, leaving Milwaukee in the lurch yet again. The newly formed Seattle Pilots' 1969 season was a disappointing one, however, hampered by a weak team, a 25,000-seat stadium (about half the average size), and a disinterested fan base, which never once sold out the stands during the year. At the end of the season a group of 15 Milwaukee businessmen, led by Selig and Fitzgerald, made a $10.8 million offer to buy the franchise. As had happened with the Braves, a number of measures were taken to stop the team from moving.

In the spring of 1970 the Pilots declared bankruptcy, which enabled the purchase to finally go through. Just one week before the regular season was to start, the players were told that they would be moving to Milwaukee. The season was so close to starting that there was not even time for new uniforms--they simply had the word 'Pilots' removed and 'Brewers' sewn on. The new name was chosen as a tribute to the city's long association with beer production. Although the first season in Milwaukee was only slightly more successful than the one in Seattle had been, attendance improved by 38 percent, and the fans showed great enthusiasm for their new team.

Following another lackluster season in 1971, newly appointed General Manager Frank Lane made a major trade with Boston, getting six new players in exchange for four Brewers. The team also shifted divisions, moving from the Western to the more competitive Eastern. The move was occasioned by the relocation of the Washington Senators to Texas, but Brewers management also felt that ticket sales would be boosted by the increased number of games against that division's powerhouse teams. These included the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, and Baltimore Orioles.

Personnel changes continued in 1972, when original manager Dave Bristol was fired and replaced by Del Crandall. G.M. Lane himself was subsequently replaced by Jim Wilson. By this time, only one of the original Brewers players was left. The year 1973 saw a slight improvement, with a final tally of 74 wins and 88 losses, culminating in fifth place in the division. Attendance went back up, topping a million. After another losing season the following year, the struggling team hired baseball legend Hank Aaron as a designated hitter, a move that brought out more fans but did not produce a significant improvement in the standings. Aaron, who had started with the Braves in 1954, finished his playing career in Milwaukee after two seasons.

In 1976, following a loss of player confidence in his leadership, the team replaced Del Crandall with Alex Grammas, assistant coach of the Cincinnati Reds. Grammas imposed strict rules that limited hair length and banned beards, mustaches, and other 'facial adornments.' His tenure was also to be short. In November of 1977 Selig fired Grammas, new General Manager Jim Baumer, and several other members of the coaching staff. Grammas was replaced by Baltimore pitching coach George Bamberger and Baumer by Harry Dalton from the California Angels. Dalton immediately secured several new players, including free agent Larry Hisle for a six-year, $3 million deal.

Success at Last in the Late 1970s

The changes brought about a turnaround in fortunes. The 1978 season saw the Brewers, now sporting new uniforms and a new logo, finish above .500 for the first time. They led the American League in home runs and six other offensive categories, and one of the team's key players, infielder Paul Molitor, was named Rookie of the Year. The final tally of 93 wins and 69 losses was only good for third place in the tough division, however. A record 1.6 million tickets were sold for the year.

The next season was even better, with 1.9 million in attendance, and a second place finish to the Baltimore Orioles. Gorman Thomas's 45 home runs led the league, and the team racked up more multiple base hits of every type than the previous year. These statistics improved again in 1980, although the season was hampered by injuries to several key players as well as by Manager Bamberger's mid-season heart attack. The team installed a new, high-tech scoreboard during the year and also completed a postseason trade that brought in much-needed pitching strength, including famed Oakland A's reliever Rollie Fingers. He delivered the goods in his first season, leading the majors in saves and being named both the Cy Young award winner and Most Valuable Player.

In 1981 came the first Major League Baseball players' strike, which occurred in the middle of the season and resulted in the year being divided into two halves. The Brewers won the second half-season, but lost the division title to New York in the playoffs. Despite new coach Buck Rodgers's winning ways, he lacked the support of many of his players. In early 1982, with the team off to a lackluster start, Dalton replaced him with batting coach Harvey Kuenn. The Brewers quickly caught fire, finishing the season on top of their division and then taking the pennant. Although they lost the World Series in the seventh game, they were greeted as heroes upon their return to Milwaukee. The following season saw the team's best attendance ever, with nearly 2.4 million tickets sold.

Unfortunately, the Brewers' fortunes began to slip after their pennant win, with a fifth place finish the following year, then 67 wins against 94 losses in 1984, last place in the division. Kuenn had been fired before that season, and his successor Rene Lachemann was replaced by George Bamberger within a year. Rebuilding with a number of new, younger players, the team's record slowly improved, reaching 91 wins for 1987, and third place. By this time Bamberger, too, was gone, having given way to Tom Trebelhorn.

For once the Brewers stuck with a manager; Trebelhorn stayed at the helm for the next four seasons. The team's performance was still only fair, however, with final rankings during those years between third and sixth place. Trebelhorn ultimately was dismissed in October of 1991 and replaced by Phil Garner. The next season was the best since 1983, with the team taking second place in the division. The next year, however, the Brewers dropped to last place once again.

At this time the Brewers were one of only four teams in the majors with no cable broadcasting contract, and one of only three without corporate 'skyboxes' in their stadiums. An attempt to form a sports cablecasting venture with the Milwaukee Bucks basketball team in the mid-1980s had gone under after only one year. The Brewers' ticket sales and broadcast revenues were now both second worst in the majors. A primary reason for the Brewers' lowly status was the team's inability to compete in terms of player salaries, which had been rising steadily since the early 1970s. The team's $15 million payroll was the lowest in the major leagues. The biggest problem for the team was the limited size of its market area, which had a population base of only 1.3 million.

In 1994 the Brewers were moved into the newly created American League Central Division. The strike-shortened season served to lessen the team's misery, as it found itself in the cellar once again. A fourth place finish in 1995 gave way to a third place result in 1996, but the team was back in fifth the following year.

New Leagues and Stadiums in the Late 1990s

At the end of the 1997 season, the Brewers made an historic move from the American League to the National, a switch necessitated by the uneven number of teams in the two leagues. Research by the team showed fan preference for the move, as the Braves played in that league and Milwaukeeans still had fond memories of their years in the city. The Brewers' first game after the switch was in fact played against them in Atlanta. The team's new division was the N.L. Central, home to the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs. These teams fielded top sluggers Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa, respectively. The sizable number of games the Brewers would play against them was expected to boost ticket sales.

Since the team's founding, Bud Selig had gradually acquired majority ownership. In 1992, following the forced departure of Fay Vincent, he started to work part-time as interim commissioner of baseball. When he was officially appointed to serve in that role six years later, he handed ownership duties to his daughter Wendy, putting his own shares of the club in a trust. The well-respected Selig was able to help the Brewers and other struggling teams by creating a revenue-sharing plan that required the more successful teams to share their broadcasting income with the rest of the league. Thirty-seven-year-old Wendy Selig-Prieb, who was married to the Brewers' vice-president of corporate affairs, had grown up with the team and had gone to law school before hiring on as the Brewers' general counsel in 1990. Her work on the negotiating team during the 1994 players' strike had earned her the respect of her peers, and her move to the role of owner was a natural one.

During the mid-1990s the team began seeking municipal assistance in building a new domed stadium that would keep the cold Wisconsin weather from hampering attendance. The new park would also feature luxury skyboxes in which corporations could entertain. The $250 million project was set to receive $90 million in funding from the Brewers and Miller Brewing, whose name would be given to the facility in exchange for a $41.2 million investment. The remainder was to come from taxpayers. After a number of hurdles were overcome, including a close vote in the state senate, public funding was approved. Ground was broken in November of 1996, with a projected completion date of spring 2000. A 1999 crane accident killed three workers, however, raising the stadium's cost and delaying its completion by a year.

The months following the accident saw several major personnel changes. Selig-Prieb fired Manager Phil Garner near the end of his seventh losing season with the club, replacing him with Davey Lopes. G.M. Sal Bando also was given a different assignment within the organization and replaced by Dean Taylor. Once again, new uniforms were designed, this time in preparation for the move to Miller Park.

As the Brewers completed their last season in County Stadium, they were still searching for the right combination of elements to field a championship team. The new domed stadium was expected to give a sizable boost to ticket sales, and the anticipated upward spike in revenues would facilitate increasing player salaries to a competitive level. This, along with Bud Selig's inter-team revenue sharing agreement, was the team's best hope to date for a return to winning form.

Principal Competitors: Chicago National League Ball Club, Inc.; Chicago White Sox Ltd.; Cincinnati Reds; Houston Astros Baseball Club; Minnesota Twins; Pittsburgh Baseball Club; St. Louis Cardinals, L.P.

Related information about Milwaukee Brewers

Major League baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. After the Milwaukee Braves team disbanded, the 'Seattle Pilots' franchise was acquired in 1970 and the new team was renamed the Brewers. Former players include Hank Aaron.

The Milwaukee Brewers are a Major League Baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Brewers were part of the American League from their creation as an expansion club in 1969 through the 1997 season, after which they switched to the National League.

Franchise history

No longer "Home of the Braves"

In an effort to prevent the relocation of the Milwaukee Braves to a larger television market, Braves minority owner Bud Selig, a Milwaukee-area car dealer, formed an organization named "Teams Inc." devoted to local control of the club. turned its focus to returning Major League Baseball to Milwaukee.

and intended his new franchise to follow in that tradition.

To demonstrate there still was support for big-league ball in Milwaukee, Selig's group contracted with Chicago White Sox owner Arthur Allyn to host nine White Sox home games at Milwaukee County Stadium in 1968. A 1967 exhibition game between the White Sox and Minnesota Twins had attracted more than 51,000 spectators, and Selig was convinced the strong Milwaukee fan base would demonstrate the city would provide a good home for a new club.

The experiment was staggeringly successful - those nine games drew 264,297 fans. Selig felt this fan support lent legitimacy to his quest for a Milwaukee franchise, and he went into the 1968 owners meetings with high hopes.

Those hopes were dashed when National League franchises were awarded to San Diego (the Padres) and Montreal (the Expos), and American League franchises were awarded to Kansas City (the Royals) and Seattle (the Pilots). The American League, unwilling to surrender Chicago to the National League, vetoed the sale, and Allyn sold the franchise to his brother John.

Frustrated in these efforts, Selig shifted his focus to another American League team, the expansion Seattle Pilots. Seattle had long been a hotbed for minor league baseball and was home to the Seattle Rainiers, one of the pillars of the Pacific Coast League. The Cleveland Indians had almost moved to Seattle in 1965. Seattle was the third-biggest metropolitan area on the West Coast (behind Los Angeles and the Bay Area). While Seattle had just landed the NBA's SuperSonics, the NBA was not in the same class as baseball was in terms of popularity at the time.

The front man for the franchise was Dewey Soriano, a former Rainiers pitcher and general manager and former president of the PCL. But the date was moved up to 1969 under pressure from Sen. Stuart Symington of Missouri. Professional baseball had been played in Kansas City in one form or another from the 1880s until the A's left for Oakland after the 1967 season, and the prospect of having Kansas City wait three years for its return was not acceptable to Symington. After King County voters approved a bond for a domed stadium (what would become the Kingdome) in 1968, the Seattle Pilots were officially born. California Angels executive Marvin Milkes was hired as general manager, and St. Louis Cardinals coach Joe Schultz became manager.

To the surprise of no one outside Seattle (Schultz and Milkes actually thought they could finish third in the newly formed AL West), the Pilots were terrible. The longtime home of the Pacific Coast League Seattle Rainiers, it had been considered one of the best ballparks in minor league baseball. The team's new stadium was slated to be built at the Seattle Center, but a petition by stadium opponents ground the project to a halt.

During the offseason, Soriano crossed paths with Selig. They met in secret for over a month after the end of the season, and during Game 1 of the World Series, Soriano agreed to sell the Pilots to Selig for $10 million to $13 million (depending on the source). However, the owners turned it down in the face of pressure from Washington's two senators, Warren Magnuson and Scoop Jackson, as well as state attorney general Slade Gorton. A more traditional deal came one vote short of approval.

with the drivers awaiting word on whether to drive toward Seattle or Milwaukee.

Much of the story of the Seattle Pilots' only year in existence is told in Jim Bouton's classic baseball book, Ball Four. They would not have a winning season until 1978.

Selig brought back former Milwaukee Braves catcher (and fan favorite) Del Crandall in 1972 to manage the club.

It was during this period that Milwaukee County Stadium gained its reputation for fun as well as baseball. Then-team vice president Dick Hackett hired Frank Charles to play the Wurlitzer organ during the games, and Hackett introduced team mascots Bernie and Bonnie Brewer.

On November 2, 1974, the Brewers orchestrated a trade that brought one of the most beloved Braves back to Milwaukee, sending outfielder Dave May and a player to be named later (minor league pitcher Roger Alexander) to Atlanta for Hank Aaron. In 1981, the Brewers won the second half of the season (divided due to a players' strike) and played the New York Yankees in a playoff mini-series they ultimately lost. In 1982, the Brewers won the American League pennant. The team's prolific offensive production that season (they lead the league in runs and home runs) earned them the nickname Harvey's Wallbangers (a play on the drink Harvey Wallbanger and the team's manager Harvey Kuenn). In the 1982 American League Championship Series the Brewers defeated the California Angels 3 games to 2 and become the first team to win a playoff series after trailing 2 games to 0. The Brewers then played the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series. Unfortunately, Hall-of-Famer Rollie Fingers had been injured prior to the postseason, and relief pitching became a problem for the Brewers. St. Louis eventually triumphed in the series, winning 4 games to 3.

During the 1980s the Brewers produced three league MVPs (Rollie Fingers in 1981 and Robin Yount in 1982 and 1989) and two Cy Young Award winners (Rollie Fingers in 1981 and Pete Vuckovich in 1982). Yount is one of only three players in the history of the game to win the MVP award at two positions (shortstop, then center field).

Following their two playoff years, the club quickly retreated to the bottom of the standings, never finishing higher than fifth (out of seven) in their division from 1983 to 1986. Hope was restored in 1987 when, guided by rookie manager Tom Trebelhorn, the team began the year with a 13-game winning streak. Highlights of the year including Paul Molitor's 39-game hitting streak and the only no-hitter in team history, pitched by Juan Nieves on April 15.

On that day, Nieves became the first (and so far, only) Brewer and first Puerto Rican-born Major Leaguer to pitch a no-hitter, defeating the Baltimore Orioles 7-0 at Memorial Stadium. The game also was the first time the Orioles were no-hit at Memorial Stadium.

In 1988 the team had another strong season, finishing only two games out of first (albeit with a lesser record than the previous year) in a close playoff race with four other clubs. In 1992, reminiscent of the resurgence which greeted Trebelhorn's arrival in 1987, the Brewers rallied behind the leadership of rookie manager Phil Garner and posted their best record since their World Series year in 1982, finishing the season 92-70 and in second place, four games behind that year's eventual World Champion Toronto Blue Jays.

Hope of additional pennant races was quickly dashed, however, as the club plummeted to the bottom of the standings the following year, finishing an abysmal 26 games out of first. This restructuring entailed changing the composition of each league from two divisions to three, the result being that the Brewers were transferred from the old AL East division to the newly created Central.

The team was transferred from the American League to the National League in 1998 during baseball's expansion and realignment. With the addition of two franchises (Arizona and Tampa Bay), one each in the NL and AL, each league would have had 15 teams. The choice was offered to the Kansas City Royals, who ultimately decided to stay in the American League.www.cincypost.com/sports/1997/brew110697.html The choice then fell to the Brewers, who, on November 6, 1997 elected to move to the National League. www.roadsidephotos.com/baseball/97-4news.htm

Building Miller Park

Miller Park was opened in 2001, built to replace Milwaukee County Stadium.

Attanasio era

On January 16, 2004, Selig announced that his ownership group was putting the team up for sale, to the great relief of many fans who were unhappy with the team's lackluster performance and perceived poor management by his daughter, Wendy Selig-Preib, over the previous decade. In September 2004, the Brewers announced they had reached a verbal agreement with Los Angeles investment banker Mark Attanasio to purchase the team for $180 million. The sale to Attanasio was completed on January 13, 2005, at Major League Baseball's quarterly owners meeting. With a solid base of young talent assembled over the past five years, including Prince Fielder, Rickie Weeks, J.J. Further encouraging this sentiment, the Brewers have hired former stars Yount (bench coach) and Dale Sveum (third base coach), both very popular players for the Brewers in the '80s.

On April 22 2006, the Brewers set an MLB record with five home runs in one inning, the fourth frame of an 11-0 defeat of the Cincinnati Reds (home runs hit by Bill Hall, Damian Miller, Brady Clark, J.J. They then set a new club mark with six home runs in one game on April 29, including two by Fielder, in a 16-2 defeat of the Chicago Cubs.

With doubts that all-star leftfielder Carlos Lee would re-sign with the club, the Brewers traded Lee on July 28th along with minor league prospect Nelson Cruz to the Texas Rangers in exchange for outfielders Kevin Mench, Laynce Nix, reliever Francisco Cordero, and minor league pitching prospect Julian Cordero.

In 2006, the Brewers play has disappointed fans, players, and management. After losing starters JJ Hardy, Rickie Weeks, and Corey Koskie, the Brewers were forced to trade for veteran infielders David Bell and Tony Graffanino. They also suffered setbacks when losing starting pitchers Ben Sheets and Tomo Ohka for a substantial amount of time, forcing Triple A starters Ben Hendrickson, Dana Eveland, Carlos Villanueva, and Zach Jackson into starting roles at different points in the year. This is the uniform that Hank Aaron would wear with the club in his final seasons, and that Robin Yount would wear in his first.

During this period, the logo of the club was the Beer Barrel Man, which had been used by the American Association Milwaukee Brewers since at least the 1940s. The uniform trim was thickened and made more pronounced, and the lettering across the chest was made uniform in size.

For the 1997 and 1998 season, insignia commemorating the sesquicentennial of Wisconsin's statehood appeared on the sleeve.

Season-by-Season Records

Seattle Pilots (AL)
1969 64-98 .395 6th in AL West
Milwaukee Brewers
1970 65-97 .401 4th in AL West
1971 69-92 .429 6th in AL West
1972 65-91 .417 6th in AL East
1973 74-88 .457 5th in AL East
1974 76-86 .469 5th in AL East
1975 68-94 .420 5th in AL East
1976 66-95 .410 6th in AL East
1977 67-95 .414 6th in AL East
1978 93-69 .574 3rd in AL East
1979 95-66 .590 2nd in AL East
1980 86-76 .531 3rd in AL East
1981 62-47 .569 1st in AL East Lost Division Series to New York Yankees, 2-3.
1982 95-67 .586 1st in AL East Won ALCS vs California Angels, 3-2. Lost World Series to St. Louis Cardinals, 3-4.
1983 87-75 .537 5th in AL East
1984 67-94 .416 7th in AL East
1985 71-90 .441 6th in AL East
1986 77-84 .478 6th in AL East
1987 91-71 .562 3rd in AL East
1988 87-75 .537 3rd in AL East
1989 81-81 .500 4th in AL East
1990 74-88 .457 6th in AL East
1991 83-79 .512 4th in AL East
1992 92-70 .568 2nd in AL East
1993 69-93 .426 7th in AL East
1994 53-62 .461 5th in AL Central
1995 65-79 .451 4th in AL Central
1996 80-82 .494 3rd in AL Central
1997 79-83 .484 3rd in AL Central
Milwaukee Brewers (NL)
1998 74-88 .457 5th in NL Central
1999 74-87 .460 5th in NL Central
2000 73-89 .451 3rd in NL Central
2001 68-94 .420 4th in NL Central
2002 56-106 .346 6th in NL Central
2003 68-94 .420 6th in NL Central
2004 67-94 .416 6th in NL Central
2005 81-81 .500 3rd in NL Central
Totals 2762-3110 .470 (Not Including 2006)
Playoffs 8-9 .471 (1-2, .333 in Postseason Series')

Television and Radio

Radio broadcasts are aired by the Brewers Radio Network, which has WTMJ (620) as its flagship station. The announcers are Jim Powell and Hall of Fame broadcaster Bob Uecker, who has 50 years in the big leagues as both a player and broadcaster.

Television coverage is handled by FSN North, with Daron Sutton and Bill Schroeder. Sutton, who was at one time a batboy for the Brewers, is the son of Hall of Fame pitcher (and former Brewer) Don Sutton. The Brewers later moved to then-independent WVTV (Channel 18) for nine seasons, between 1980 and 1988. Since then, WVTV and WCGV (Channel 24) alternated as the broadcasters of the team in various years, with WISN (Channel 12) airing some Sunday games before the team became FSN-exclusive in 2004. Since 2003, Milwaukee's Telemundo affiliate, WYTU (Channel 63) has televised a small number of Brewers games each season for the area's Spanish-speaking fans. Television broadcaster Bill Schroeder and MLB.com reporter Adam McCalvy frequently call-in and add their opinions about the team.

Quick facts

Founded: 1969 (American League expansion)

Formerly known as: Seattle Pilots (Sick's Stadium) (1969). capacity 42,500), Milwaukee County Stadium (1970~2000)

Uniform colors: Midnight Blue, Gold and White

Uniform colors (Sunday alternate): Royal Blue, Athletic Gold and White

Logo design: The word "Brewers" in script superimposed over a baseball which itself is inside a circle with the word "MILWAUKEE" above and a pair of crossed barley stalks below

Logo design (alternate): The letters "M" and "B" stylized into the shape of a baseball glove

Official Team Mascot: Bernie Brewer

Team Nickname(s): The Brew Crew

All-Time Record(at the end of the 2005 season): 2,761 wins, 3,100 losses (.471 winning percentage)

Spring Training Facility: Maryvale Baseball Park, Phoenix, AZ

Baseball Hall of Famers

Robin Yount, SS-OF, 1973-93
Henry Aaron, OF-DH, 1975-76
Paul Molitor, 3B-DH, 1978-92
Rollie Fingers, P, 1981-85
Don Sutton, P, 1982-84
Bob Uecker, Broadcaster, 1970-present (Broadcast Wing)

Yount and Molitor are the only two players to have Brewers caps on their Hall of Fame plaques.

Retired Numbers

4 Paul Molitor, DH, 1978-92
19 Robin Yount, SS-OF, 1973-93
34 Rollie Fingers, P, 1981-85
42 Jackie Robinson, retired throughout all Major League Baseball
44 Hank Aaron, OF, 1975-76

Though Aaron spent all of his career with the Braves, except for the two seasons with the Brewers, he played in Milwaukee from 1954-65, while the Braves franchise was based out of there.

Current roster

Trivia

Much of the 1989 film Major League was filmed at County Stadium, including the movie's final game (which was filmed between innings of a Brewer game). Former Brewer Pete Vuckovich appeared in the film as Clu Haywood, slugging first baseman for the Yankees, and Brewers announcer Bob Uecker played the Indians announcer Harry Doyle. Logos for local TV stations WTMJ-TV (Channel 4) and then-TV flagship WCGV (Channel 24) on the scoreboard and in the grandstands appeared in the film unaltered, and a Channel 4 reporter appeared in the film with the station being changed in the film to be local to Cleveland.

One of the most memorable events of the 2003 season occurred at Miller Park on July 9. During the Brewers' "Sausage Race", in which four contestants wearing sausage costumes have a foot race on the field at the bottom of the sixth inning, Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Randall Simon leaned over the dugout railing and bopped college student/sausage Mandy Block with a bat, unintentionally knocking her to the ground.
The Brewers are featured prominently in the 2004 film Mr. 3000. Most of the baseball game scenes were actually filmed at Miller Park.
Daniel Okrent's book "Nine Innings" explores the game of baseball in the 1980s through an inning-by-inning examination of a game at Milwaukee County Stadium between the Brewers and the Baltimore Orioles.
The Seattle Pilots, who became the Milwaukee Brewers in 1970, were one of only two teams in the 20th century to play a single year in a city before relocating. The other was the 1901 Milwaukee Brewers, who would become the St. Louis Browns (and fifty years later would move again and become the current incarnation of the Baltimore Orioles).
In the film Reservoir Dogs, Harvey Keitel's character Mr. White is revealed as being from Milwaukee. "So if this fruit's a Brewers fan, his ass gotta be from Wisconsin."
During the seventh inning stretch, in addition to Take Me Out to the Ballgame, fans at Miller Park also sing the polka standard Beer Barrel Polka.
In the early 1980s, the Brewers used the marketing slogan "Brewer Fever: catch it!". The team's fight song, Brewer Fever was released as a single.
The Brewers are the only major league team to have played a season in four different divisions - AL West (1969-1971), AL East (1972-1993), AL Central (1994-1997), and NL Central (1998-present).

Minor league affiliations

AAA: Nashville Sounds, Pacific Coast League
AA: Huntsville Stars, Southern League
Advanced A: Brevard County Manatees, Florida State League
A: West Virginia Power, South Atlantic League
Rookie: Arizona Brewers, Arizona League
Rookie: Helena Brewers, Pioneer League
Rookie: VSL Brewers, Venezuelan Summer League

Chronology

Key Dates:
1965: Teams, Inc. is founded to bring a new Major League Baseball team to Milwaukee.
1970: The Brewers are born when the Seattle Pilots franchise is purchased.
1972: Brewers change from Western to Eastern Division in the American League.
1979: First season with more wins than losses.
1982: The Brewers win their first pennant, but lose the World Series in the final game.
1983: Attendance reaches an all-time high of nearly 2.4 million.
1994: Brewers move to the newly created A.L. Central Division.
1996: Ground is broken on a new $250 million stadium.
1998: Brewers switch from A.L. to the National League; Wendy Selig-Prieb is named CEO.
1999: An accident kills three workers at the new stadium, delaying its opening until 2001.

Additional topics

Company HistorySports Organizations & Sports Teams

This web site and associated pages are not associated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Milwaukee Brewers Baseball Club and has no official or unofficial affiliation with Milwaukee Brewers Baseball Club.