Illustration by Melissa Lee Johnson
There have been several “bad days for baseball in Milwaukee” (and the weather seldom helps)
April 22, 1972: Detroit 8, Milwaukee 3
The novelty of baseball’s return to Milwaukee had mostly worn off by 1972, leaving local baseball fans with a pair of 90-plus loss teams and a future that didn’t promise much better. When the open of the ’72 season was delayed a week and a half by the first labor-related work stoppage in the sport’s history, any excitement that still existed in the fan base was sapped. Fewer than 9,000 people showed up for home opener versus the Detroit Tigers.
Delayed for a day by cold and rain, the dreary weather matched the action on the field for the local nine. The Tigers hung seven runs on Brewers starter Bill Parson, who lasted only an inning and a third. Detroit’s Joe Coleman took a no-hitter in the seventh inning and the Brewers finished with twice as many errors (4) as hits (2).
April 15, 1988: New York 7, Milwaukee 1
Coming off a 91-win season in 1987 and a 12-0 shellacking of the Orioles in the season opener, the ’88 campaign got off to a great start. But a 2-0 start was followed by a six-game losing streak to lead into the home opener. Despite the dreary conditions—damp with temps in the high 30s—the game drew what was then the biggest regular-season crowd in County Stadium history (55,887).
The mood, however, was deflated before more fans even made to their seats as the Brewers allowed five runs in the top of the first. The Yankee rally occurred without a hard hit ball with the Brewers giving up two bases on balls, two balks (the first of four called on them that day), and three trips from the dugout by manager Tom Treblehorn to argue bad calls. Things would not get better from then on out, as the Crew was stifled by the 44-year-old Tommy John for their seventh straight loss.
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April 12, 1993: California 12, Milwaukee 5
Despite a 90-win season in 1992, the Brewers opened the 1993 campaign with only the most optimistic fans hopeful for a title run. Despite wanting to return to Milwaukee, the Brewers insistence on a pay cut had driven franchise legend Paul Molitor to Toronto and also-ran veterans like Dickie Thon and Tom Brunansky filled out the roster. The team was also dealing with a spate of injuries, despite the season only being five games old: John Jaha was out with tonsillitis, Greg Vaughn had a pair of aching hamstrings, and Pat Listach has nursing a strained groin. Indeed, the whole city seemed to be on the mend, as local tap water had just been approved for consumption after the massive cryptosporidium outbreak that sickened over 400,000.
Things on the field didn’t help matters much. The Brewers weathered a poor start by Cal Eldred (3.1 innings, 6 earned runs), to keep the game 6-5 heading into the ninth inning. But closer Doug Henry imploded in the final frame, walking three and allowing six runs. It was the Brewers sixth straight opening day loss.
April 7, 1997: Milwaukee 5, Texas 3
While the Brewers were able to keep the Rangers under control, the same could not be said for the 42,000-plus in the seats— each of whom had had a free souvenir baseball dropped into their beer-sticky hands upon entry. As should have been expected, hundreds of the free balls were turned into missiles and the game endured multiple delays after fans hurled them onto the field. After a ball buzzed the head of Rangers outfielder Rusty Greer, the umpires pulled the teams off the field for their own safety. Brewers manager Phil Garner even pleaded with the fans over the stadium PA to stop throwing the baseballs, warning that further delays would force a Brewers forfeit.
“This is a bad day in baseball for Milwaukee, I’ll guarantee you that,” Bob Uecker said during his broadcast. “This has been a friendly ballpark, but that is not true today.” The game was eventually continued without incident—although the Sausage Race was called off—and the Brewers announced that any baseball giveaways would now be handed out as fans left the stadium.
