From County Stadium to the World Series: My decades long journey as a Brewers fan
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ALPENA - After more than four decades away from the Fall Classic, the Milwaukee Brewers played Game 1 of the World Series on Friday night against the Tampa Bay Rays.
For fans who have stayed with the team through every stretch of good, bad and ugly, the night carried the weight of a long wait.
I was born about 20 minutes from Milwaukee in Port Washington, Wisconsin, and graduated from Oostburg High School in 2003, roughly a half-hour north of the city on Highway 43. I have rooted for the Brewers my entire life. I watched Friday's game from Alpena, the same way I have followed so many others -- closely, and with the hope that this run ends with the franchise's first championship.
My first Brewers game came in 1994 at County Stadium. The team lost 12-1. The score has faded; the memory of my mom taking me has not. That is the quiet bargain of fandom, the day itself often outlasts the final tally.
A few years later I got my first job working a concession stand at Miller Park the year the ballpark opened. I was part of a church group. My station was hot dogs and brats, and the brats disappeared quickly - it is Wisconsin, after all. The work let me see parts of the stadium most fans never reach. I stepped onto the field, walked restricted areas and slipped away now and then to check the score.
After every home game the retractable roof opened and closed to the strains of "Also Sprach Zarathustra," the theme best known from the film "2001: A Space Odyssey."
First-time visitors lingered to watch. After seeing it night after night the spectacle lost some of its magic for me, but I understood the awe. Getting the stadium built had required taxpayer approval, and the roof became one of its signature features.
Growing up, my favorite player was Greg Vaughn. He supplied power in lean years, including a 30-home-run season in 1993 that earned him All-Star recognition and the club's MVP award. My favorite alum remains Robin Yount. My grandfather told me stories of how good he was. The 1982 team that reached the World Series is still celebrated even though it lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games.
Yount has said that season was the greatest of his career and also the worst because it ended one victory short of a title. "I'm not going to lie: I'll never get over it until the Brewers win one," he said recently. He has also described Wisconsin fans as passionate and "starving" for this moment after 44 years.
The 1990s tested that patience. The Brewers finished the decade 742-811 and managed only two winning seasons -- 83-79 in 1991 and 92-70 in 1992. The early 2000s brought more of the same. From 2000 through 2010 the club posted far more losses than wins and recorded just two winning seasons plus an 81-81 finish in 2005. I was taught to root for the home team, and if they do not win, you know the rest. It was a hard lesson for a young fan of the Brewers and the Bucks. Still, anticipation returned every spring as training camp neared. Late in the 2000s came glimmers, including the 2008 club that ended a 26-year postseason drought before losing in the National League Division Series.
Mark Attanasio reached an agreement to buy the team in September 2004; Major League Baseball approved the sale in January 2005. Since he took over as principal owner the organization has been more competitive. The farm system strengthened through drafts and development, and occasional bold moves - such as the midseason addition of CC Sabathia in 2008 - signaled a different approach. Attanasio has called the Brewers an easy team to like and spoke of the energy that comes when fans root hard. He has also acknowledged the difficulty of staying competitive in a smaller market without constant rebuilding.
Milwaukee fans have watched talented players enjoy their years with the Brewers only to leave in free agency for larger markets. That pattern makes this run feel rarer. The club reached the World Series by playing small ball, stressing fundamentals and relying on a strong bullpen. Jacob Misiorowski, the young right-hander who dominated the regular season and is widely viewed as the National League Cy Young favorite, has called the journey a "dream come true."
Brandon Woodruff, drafted by the organization in 2014 and a longtime Brewer, has been in the dugout supporting the team; a championship ring would include him. Ironically, Freddy Peralta, drafted by Milwaukee in 2015 and a mainstay until he departed this past offseason, is starting the series for the Rays.
Christian Yelich, acquired by trade in 2018 and the 2018 National League MVP, was recently named the first captain in franchise history. Before accepting the honor he asked for Robin Yount's blessing. Manager Pat Murphy has said teammates already regarded Yelich as the captain long before the "C" appeared on his jersey.
The Rays play a similar style. Both clubs emphasize athleticism, fundamentals and maximizing their resources. Reaching the World Series is an achievement; winning it would be better.
The 1990s and 2000s tested every ounce of our patience, but we survived the dark years, rode the slow resurgence, and earned Friday night's opening battle. The good, the bad, the unbearable, it's all forged into this moment. The series has begun. Watching from Alpena, I won’t miss a second, holding out hope that this long, winding road finally leads to a championship and parade in Milwaukee.