<span>Fireworks explode! The crowd cheers! It's outta here! These are the sounds following a homerun by the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park. </span>For fans, this is a time to celebrate and have fun. For Bernie Brewer— the official mascot of the Milwaukee Brewers—this is a time to get to work.<span><br /><br />Located in the left field bleachers, Bernie can be seen cheering, dancing or waving a Brewer flag from the porch of Bernie's Dugout. When the Brewers hit a homerun, Bernie takes off down a huge yellow slide as the fans go wild.</span><span><br /><br />Bernie Brewer became a Milwaukee tradition in 1970. Milt Mason, at age 69, was the first Bernie on the scene, emerging to draw more fans to the games. He notoriously sat atop the scoreboard in a trailer, vowing not to come down until attendance reached 40,000 at the ballpark. On Aug. 16 of that year, 44,387 fans attended the game and Bernie Brewer came down from his perch. After that day, Bernie became a regular fixture at home games.<br /><br /></span><span>A home was eventually constructed for the Milwaukee mascot—Bernie's Chalet. During games, he would travel down a slide into an oversized beer stein to celebrate home runs and wins. In 1984, the Chalet was taken down during renovations (a sound tower was built in its place) and the mascot retired. Bernie's Chalet found a new home at Lakefront Brewery in Milwaukee. Lakefront proudly displays the Chalet and allows visitors to enter and take photos of Bernie's former home.</span><span><br /><br />Eventually, fans demanded the return of Bernie. The Milwaukee Brewers brought back their beloved mascot in 1993. The cheering and dancing Brewer has been a staple at home games ever since. When the Brewers opened a new stadium—Miller Park—in 2001, they created a permanent home for Bernie, called Bernie's Dugout.</span><span><br /><br />It's safe to say that this Milwaukee favorite is here to stay.</span><span><br /><br />Get up! Get up! Get Outta Here! Gone! </span>
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