The House That Otto Built: The Story of Milwaukee’s Beloved Borchert Field

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Photo by Milwaukee Commercial Photographers, Inc. via Wisconsin Historical Society

Borchert Field (1930)

Borchert Field during an evening game (1930).

In February 1888, a group of investors built Athletic Park, a modern ballpark block at Seventh and Eighth Streets between Burleigh and Chambers for the city’s minor league Milwaukee Brewers baseball team. A 4,100-seat covered grandstand and two sets of 1,500-seat bleachers plus standing room areas accommodated about 18,000 spectators. By spent spending the equivalent of $2.5 million in today’s currency to create a stadium, the owners demonstrated a firm commitment to professional baseball games in a city where the sport stumbled like a drunken sailor as far back as 1879.

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Photo courtesy of borchertfield.com

Otto Borchert

Otto Borchert, president of Milwaukee Baseball Club (1922)

While Athletic Park served as the home for the American Association Brewers for decades, its ascent into legend began when businessman Otto Borchert entered the picture. Born in Milwaukee in 1874, Borchert understood that financial success wasn't just about runs, hits, and errors—it was caring about people who attended the games.

Born in Milwaukee in 1874, Borchert came from the city’s brewing tradition. The Frederick Borchert & Sons Brewery was established in the late 19th century and eventually became part of the Pabst Brewing Company. Working for his father taught him the importance of loyalty, public goodwill, and personal relationships—qualities that were as valuable in running a brewery as they were in managing a professional ball club. When Borchert acquired an interest in the Milwaukee Brewers and Athletic Park in 1919, he wasn’t content to be a silent partner. He gradually increased his control, buying his partners’ shares by early 1922. By then, Borchert had already established himself as the principal force behind both the team and its home field.

A Team for Fans

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Public Domain

Borchert Field

Borchert Field in the early twentieth century featured on a Milwaukee post card.

His business sense was closely tied to his understanding of people. Borchert knew that Milwaukee baseball depended on more than wins and losses. Fans had to feel that the team belonged to them. Rather than distance himself from the crowd, he walked the rickety, all-wood grandstand shaking hands, talking, joking, and taking a genuine interest in fans’ experience at the park. His outgoing personality built a bond with them that advertising alone could never buy. The afternoon games were usually attended by men who enjoyed cold beer and the company of friends. Evening games were special events for the whole family. Men dressed as they would for church—suits, ties and fedora-style hats. Boys dressed less formally, often in shorts, but they too wore hats. Before and after games, local bands performed popular songs of the day.

The park's location in a dense, bustling neighborhood meant that the sounds of the game—and the pre-game music—were deeply integrated into the daily life of the surrounding community. Dozens of people sat on second-floor porches watching the game from home. More often not an evening at Athletic Field was on kitchen calendars well in advance. Borchert’s willingness to make the park a family-friendly venue reflected his business acumen and a deep appreciation for happy customers.

On April 27, 1927, Otto was speaking at an Elks Club banquet, passionately rallying support for the upcoming season, when he suddenly collapsed and died at age 52. His passing was a heavy blow to the city. To baseball fans, he wasn't just an owner; he was the human face of Milwaukee baseball. Borchert’s passing led to changes in ownership and management, which influenced the direction of the team and the ballpark's operations. To honor his memory and his immense contribution to the venue, Athletic Park was officially renamed Borchert Field in 1928. The ballpark served as a venue for the Milwaukee Bears of the Negro National League and the Milwaukee Chicks of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, further embedding its significance in baseball history.

Following Otto’s death, his estate sold the Borchert Field organization to a group led by Henry J. Killilea. Despite the Great Depression and the challenges of the ensuing decades, remained a resilient institution. The field was also famous for the carnival-like atmosphere that the management cultivated to keep ticket sales high. In an era before stadium-wide digital jumbotrons, teams relied on creative, physical, and often bizarre "stunt" promotions to turn a ballgame into a full night of entertainment.

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Baseball on Donkeys at Borchert Field

An advertisement for baseball played on donkeys at Borchert Field.

Donkey Baseball was an absurd, barnstorming promotion of the early-to-mid 20th century. It involved vaudeville performers or a local community group riding donkeys around the base paths to score. Roars of laughter came when the donkeys refused to move, or would stop suddenly, throwing the rider to the ground. This guaranteed crowd-pleaser that was always advertised well in advance. The Green Bay Packers’ 1933 season was played at Borchert Field. Boxing matches, local high school championships, and large-scale community gatherings were also held there. The various promotions were essential to the survival of independent and minor league baseball. In an era where fans had fewer entertainment options than they do today, these offbeat, community-focused events turned a standard evening game into an affordable and memorable night out.

Legendary Players

Over the years, Borchert Field played host to celebrities from all walks of life. Legendary baseball figures Babe Ruth, Satchel Paige, Ty Cobb, Joe DiMaggio, Jackie Robinson, Eddie Mathews, Lew Burdette and Wille Mays played there. Sports figures Jim Thorpe, Babe Didrikson, Jesse Owens and Knute Rockne. Harry Truman delivered a 1948 campaign speech that attracted more than 11,000 people. Blues singer Cab Calloway performed a show at Borchert Field and Curly Lambeau’s Green Bay Packers took the field 10 times in 1933. 

Through the post-World War II era, the stadium continued to thrive. It was a place where generations of Milwaukee families grew up, creating memories that transcended the sport. However, the world of baseball was changing. As the 1950s began, the dream of bringing Major League Baseball (MLB) to Milwaukee became a reality, and it quickly became clear that the charming, wooden, neighborhood-friendly Borchert Field could not keep up with the demands of the modern major league era.

The arrival of the Boston Braves, who were moving to Milwaukee for the 1953 season, was the final catalyst for the stadium's retirement. Milwaukee County had already built a modern, concrete-and-steel venue—Milwaukee County Stadium—to meet the requirements of major league baseball.

Major League City

Borchert Field’s final years would transform Milwaukee baseball forever. By the early 1950s, the aging wooden park could no longer meet the expectations of a city preparing to join the major-league era. The Braves’ arrival brought major-league baseball to the city—but it also marked the end of Borchert Field, the neighborhood ballpark that had sustained Milwaukee’s professional baseball tradition for more than six decades.

The stadium was closed after the 1952 season and demolished in 1953. For a decade afterward, the site served as a neighborhood playground, keeping a piece of the park's community spirit alive. Finally, in 1963, the land was repurposed for the construction of Interstate 43 which runs directly through the park’s footprint. It’s where Otto Borchert once mingled with fans and the American Association minor league Brewers played ball from 1902 to 1952.

Borchert was a leader in the American Association and well-liked by his fellow owners. League President Thomas Hickey said, “I have yet to find another owner who would attend the games of his club and root like the fellow who pays his admission at the gate.”