How did you become a Brewers fan

[UndraftedFA]

I grew up with baseball as my favorite sport, and I would watch games on TV as well as listen on the radio. So I always had the fan in me. As I grew older my interest expanded, and I didn't follow as close. In 2003 I lost my cousin that I was close with. I sat in my apartment alone and depressed a lot. I started watching games more often, enjoying the comfort of something that was always there. I could never get people to go to games with me though.

 

I dragged my sister to the first bucket head game in 2004. I found out my cousin went to the 2nd one. I said we should go to more, and we ended up going to 20-30 games a year until I moved to AZ.

 

Each year that I have been here, my family has come to visit during spring training including my cousin who lost his brother. He gave up all his X-mas presents this year so he could come again this spring.

 

I am definitely a hardcore fan. I love all the nuts and bolts of baseball, but it is the only sport that has the deeper comfort and joy. It is what got me past all the sadness of losing my cousin, and it was, and still is shared by that whole side of my family. I remember when a bunch of us went bowling once in the winter. I would always cross my arms and make an X for a strike, or make a slash for a spare. Another cousin asked, "What do you do for an open frame?" I responded, "I don't know." She then did the "O" for Overbay. I just remember being so happy, because I brought the family together in a different way.

[Houlie24x]

I first started becoming a fan when I got some cards from a police officer. They were the older kind when they were bigger than normal baseball cards. It was probably around 1989 or 1990. The only players I knew were the players on those 3 or 4 cards I got. I probably would have become a Brewer fan regardless, but that's probably where it started. I remember asking my dad how baseball is played and pretending to play games out with the cards. Paul Molitor and Jim Gantner were on two of the cards, and Molitor eventually became my favorite player.

 

In my second year in little league (two years later) with my dad managing the team, I got to be on the Brewers. I was so excited and of course I had first pick at jerseys numbers so I took 4. Only problem was that the jerseys were smallest starting with #1 and largest at #15 or whatever it cut off at. I was above average size for my age so that jersey was skin tight on me. I wore it anyways.

[cwolf2012]

My love for the Brewers was sparked by my increased knowledge of the statistical side of baseball. As a kid I played baseball, but I never really enjoyed it. I was always a hockey fan. I stopped playing in 7th grade and I didn't even think about the sport until a couple years into college. I had a couple roommates who were big into baseball, and they loved to argue. I also enjoyed arguing, and I found that my mathematical mind applied very well to the sport of baseball. I didn't really have a team at that point, but Milwaukee was the obvious choice since I was born and raised in Wisconsin (plus I hate every Chicago team and pretty much every Minnesota team in every sport). Since then, I've followed everything the Brewers do and pretty much everything happening in the league.

 

Hockey is still #1, but baseball is a very close 2nd, and it's definitely my favorite sport to talk about.

[in the navy]

July of 1994. A 7 year old went to a brewers-royals game in which jose valentine hit a grand slam and ricky bones shut them down. Brewers won 11-1 and a new fan was born.

[brewers4eric]

I grew up in the professional sports black hole of northeast Iowa. Like most kids in 2nd grade, I latched on to whatever team was winning, so I was a Reds fan in 1976, partly because I found a book about Johnny Bench on my classroom book shelf and they had just swept the Yankees. I read the box scores religiously each night to the point where the ink from the newspaper would rub off on to my elbows.

My family never drove anywhere, partly because I lived on a dairy farm. In 1978 my dad signed us up for a bus trip to Milwaukee to see the Brewers take on the Tigers. It was a four hour ride for a 10 year old kid that had never been more than 50 miles from home. The atmosphere in the parking lot was great, I can still smell the brats on the grill and see the tailgaiters throwing the football around before the game.

Mike Caldwell pitched a gem and the Brewers beat the Tigers 2 to 1. Don Money was a fan favorite. Paul Molitor got on base constantly and tried to steal home unsuccessfully. Robin Yount was a light hitting shortstop at the bottom of the lineup. I can remember that some guy named Johnny Wokenfuss played for the Tigers because I taught myself to keep score in my game program.

I started the trip as a Reds fan and got off of the bus as a Brewers fan. Shortly after the trip, my brother informed me that Brewers radio broadcasts were carried locally and we started listening to games in the barn each night during milking. The 4 in my avatar is for Paul Molitor.

I now only live 3.5 hours from Miller Park. I'm proud to say that my kids are catching on. My three year old daughter has already made the trip. On her first trip when she was six months old, she did a power vomit in the parking lot after eating two many peaches during a lunch stop in Oconomowoc. My 18 month old son admires the signed baseball cards that I have on display in a frame above our changing table. His favorite seems to be Gorman Thomas, although he was named after Ben Sheets.

Put as much Brewer information in your kids hands as possible. We live in an age where information is much more accessible. Who knows, I might have become a Twin fan if the bus was headed to Minneapolis that summer. Turn on the radio broadcast and introduce the kids to Bob Uecker. Instruct them on the finer points of preparing a tailgate. Buy a print of the first game at Miller Park for the spot above your mantle and get them a yuku account for brewerfan.net as soon as possible.

[Thurston Fluff]

1982 I was 18 and working second shift in a factory. The guy I worked next to was a huge Brewer fan and always had the game on while working. I'd like to say I would have been as hooked as I am without the team going to the series but honestly I don't know. I do know I looked forward to the games before the team really started to look like contenders. If that was because I was getting interested in the team or because of the mind numbing boredom of putting a nut on a bolt for 8 straight hours made any distraction a welcome diversion I couldn't tell you.

[Invader3K]

As a little kid, I started collecting baseball cards, and being born and raised in Wisconsin, I was a Brewers fan by default. My dad was already a big fan. He took me to my first game in 1988, when I was 8 years old...actually, I think I went to one game earlier that summer, but to be honest I was so overwhelmed by the stadium and all the stuff to do, I didn't pay much attention. The game my dad took me to was a September game in '88. A young rookie named Gary Sheffield hit a home run and scored another run later to win against the Mariners. I was a huge Sheffield fan after that, up until when he left the Brewers. I even had a Sheff poster in my room.

[sgtcluels]

Back in the days of semi 80s relevance I remember taking my coveted Ball and Glove logo picture off the wall and place it in front of the radio. I seriously thought it would bring good luck, with the pepsi fan club and Ameritech allowing my family to go to cheap games. I was a pretty big fan, I still have the Nolan Ryan 300th win with ticket stub! I didn't get to go, but my parents at least gave me a copy of theirs! A year after that, I went to high school. Grew my hair out, joined a death metal band. This made sports irrelevant.

 

Around 1998, when the Brewers switched leagues to the NL. I started getting into baseball again. I had really high hopes that Grissom would some how not play like an old guy and do well. We remember how that all turned out. Around 2000 or 2001 I really started getting into baseball again, and became nothing short of obsessed with the game since around 2002 or 2003 when my buddies and I got really into Brewers baseball again. And here I am, obsessed with Baseball and more importantly keep a running tally of how many days till opening day.

[Invader3K]

Yeah...while I always followed the team at least casually, I kind of soured on them during my high school days, when they were really bad in the mid '90s. I started really following them closely again towards the end of 2002. I think being done with school gave me more time to catch games in the evenings. Been following them every day pretty much since then.

[joepepsi]

I grew up in a small town in Iowa as an Orioles fan. Everybody was a Twins or Cubs fan. I was the little kid in the neighborhood so I picked the Orioles because they were always good. I got to see them play the White Sox and Twins a few times growing up. Fast forward to 1982. I worked at a TV station with a guy from Milwaukee. He and I used to "spar" over our favorite teams. He went nuts when they won the pennant and went to the World Series. I remember him saying, "I don't even care if they win, just to know they are finally in the playoffs is enough for me." I thought about those words a lot this past September. Ever since then I kind of liked the Brewers. In '85 a buddy and I did an overnight road trip, first to Wrigley to see his Mets play, then to Milwaukee to see the Orioles and Brewers play. The Wrigley fans were rude jerks. The Brewer fans were great, knew a lot about the Orioles, and we had a wonderful time. A year later I went to another game at County Stadium with my girlfriend (later, wife!) and we had a great time.

 

In 1990 we moved to Wisconsin. I was thrilled to finally be able to get a baseball game on the radio every night in the summer. I grew up listening to late night AM radio trying to pull in any game that would come over a clear channel. But to have a local radio station carry every Brewer game, and a local TV station carry 1 or 2 games a week, that was incredible. Listening to Pat and Ueck, then later Jim and Ueck, really made me a Brewer fan. My birthday is in April, right about Opening Day every year. About 5 years ago my wife gave me a Brewers cap as one of my presents. I said thanks, and looked at her a little puzzled. She said, "I think you're more a Brewer fan than Oriole fan anymore. It's time to embrace that."

[giffted1]

As long as I can remember I've liked playing/watching baseball. I came from a family of Brewers fans, so I was destined to cheer for the crew. My interest in the Brewers started around 1996 when I was 8 years old. As a result my favorite player was and still is #8, Mark Loretta. I would watch the occasional game that aired on channel 32 in Green Bay and listen to Uecker every now and then. Somewhere I still have an old APBA baseball game and set of score sheets that I received from my uncle around that time. Since then my interest only grew, and now I am here, checking a Brewers message board daily in the middle of winter.

[chuckiehacks]

As a kid in North Carolina, I was a huge baseball fand and cheered for the Braves. If I was lucky, we'd make it to Atlanta once a summer for a weekend series. Mostly we went to South Atlantic League games.

 

I was 10 when my father got transferred to Milwaukee. He chose to break the news by asking if I'd like to move to a city with a major league team. I guessed Milwaukee on about the 22nd guess.

 

We moved right before the Braves ripped off 14 straight playoff years.

[EdgarDiazRocks]

I did a report on Wisconsin in the 4th Grade . . . oh yeah and this . . .

[splitterpfj]

Baseball caught my eye when Hank Aaron passed Babe Ruth. There was a lot of fuss in WI about it, because Aaron had played for so many years in Milwaukee.

 

I wondered what all the commotion was about, and I lived in Richland Center, which just happened to have a Brewers' radio affiliate, so the games were always available to me.

 

I started listening to the games, then I was falling asleep at night listening to the games, and the next year I got into baseball cards....and here I am.

[Mike2k33]

My dad grew up following the Braves, his favorite player was big Joe Adcock. He told me a lot of cool stories about the game. I spent countless Sundays in summer listening to the Brewers on the radio in the back yard while I'd hit baseballs into the field next to our house.

 

I was hooked at a young age. I have photos of myself when I was maybe 4 years old, full Brewers uniform, posing like it was a baseball card photo. Started going to games around that time. I thought County Stadium was a palace. The largest green grass field I had ever seen in my life, Bob Betts the old PA announcer with the greatest voice I'd never be able to put a face to.

 

I was part of the kids fan club for years, got the What's Brewing magazine(I still look through my old copies every once in a blue moon). Billy Spiers became my favorite player after I recieved a What's Brewing with him on the cover making a full out diving stab of a ball.

 

The strike couldn't stop a 9 year old from loving the game, the horrible Brewers teams from the 90s and early 00s couldn't stop me from following this team.

[whizkid]

Became a Brewers fan late one night when I heard on the radio news that a bankruptcy judge had awarded the Pilots to Bud. Went to the 1st 2 games. Had been a Braves fan before that and was devastated by their move. The feeling that the AL was a second class substitute for the NL mostly faded over time but my dreams came true in 1998.

[Principessa21]

I started "dating" a Brewers fan. I grew up a Yankees fan, but my parents weren't baseball fans and none of my friends liked baseball, so it wasn't until I met my boyfriend that I was a exposed to a world outside the Yankees. It also helped that he is as much, probably more, of a baseball geek than me. I remember when we first started seeing each other, I asked to put the game on, and he said it wasn't on TV. I was so confused because I couldn't understand why the game wasn't on, and I realized how different the organizations were and just became interested. I actually sought out a Brewers fan message board (bf.net came recommended) to learn more about the team. I'd like to think if we ever break up (which would never happen because I have my claws in him) I would still follow and care about the team as much as I do now.

[hawing]

Billy Spiers became my favorite player after I recieved a What's Brewing with him on the cover making a full out diving stab of a ball.

That picture made me a Billy Spiers fan too! though I was in college by then. Circle of life.

 

And principessa, that guy you're dating sounds like the kind of guy who should be posting around here. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

[Menotti80]

even though i grew up in wauwatosa, my parents were not baseball fans so i wasn't one either growing up. i dont think i have one brewer memory before the age of 15 or 16. i started watching bits and pieces of brewer games later in my high school years (early 2000s), but they were horrible. This really didn't effect me at all, because I still had the packers and duke basketball to follow. plus, the bucks were getting really good and i didn't have time to watch much baseball in the summers because i was so busy.

 

but i kept watching games when i could, and i would start getting excited when the brewers would get off to a hot start just about every year (only to end up sucking big time). i will also note that my favorite brewer at this time was wes helms. also note that i cannot remember ever going to 1 brewer game at this point in my life.

 

by the time i was starting college at marquette, i was actually a true brewer fan. i watched games when i could and checked the internet each day to see how they did when i couldnt follow the game. if i had to pick 1 memory that kick-started me going from a brewer fan to a psychotic brewer fanatic, it was the big comeback against the reds where they were down like 8 or 9 to 0 and they came back and won.

 

since then, the amount of dedication to being a brewer fan has grown exponentially each year. i have been going to a lot of games the last 3 years or so, and i only expect the craze to get worse. once i found this board, there definately was no turning back...

[zzzmanwitz]

Bernie is my dad.

[CheezWizHed]

I grew up playing ball (t-ball, little league, etc..) in the way northwoods (barely part of WI, to most of you "southerners"). My dad would listen to the brewers occasionally, so I started in '85 or so. But it was the '87 season that really hooked me:
- 13 game winning streak to start which included:
- Only no hitter in Brewer history - heard Ueck call it
- Shot heard 'round Milwaukee - ate somewhere for Easter Sunday, but heard Deer and Sveum hit the HRs on the way home.

- 39 game hitting streak by the Ignitor
- Yount hit for the cycle
- Higera's 20-some scoreless inning streak

Unfortunately, the Brewers ended out of the playoffs, only to have the dreaded Twins win the world series after winning less games than the Brewers in the regular season (not that I'm still bitter...)

My first game was in '91 when Don August beat Roger Clemens with Dan Plesac closing the game. Two drunk guys spill beer all over my dad and I, but it was great anyway. I also got Glenn Braggs autograph on a rookie card at that game. Too bad its worth less than the gum now.

But the '87 season did it for me. I'm a homer: Packers, Brewers, Bucks and Badgers. All the way.

[Irish Brewer]

Grew up in Milwaukee and played Tosa League baseball. Dad would always take my sister, brother, and I to games. Paul Molitor sealed the deal for me...was always captivated whenever I watched him play. Lost some interest during the strike, but it came back once Miller Park was built. Now I try to get to at least 20 or so games every year.

[EdgarDiazRocks]

I started "dating" a Brewers fan.

You call THAT a Brewers fan? Oh, wait . . . . I thought you said BREWING fan . . . .

 

My bad.

[Bikeage77]

My grandpa has been to every opening day in Milwaukee baseball history (Braves and Brewers). When I was little, my favorite player was Stormin Gorman. My mom told me later that I cried when I went to the game to find out he wasn't on the team and was with the Mariners.

 

I went to my first opening day in 4th grade. My dad, uncle, cousins and grandfather all went together. I remember leaving school early, and was really excited to miss school to see baseball.

 

The first time I really found out about how important pitching was when my dad took me to Nolan Ryan's 300th win. I was at my friends house to sleep over, and he called me and asked me to go. I remember trying to keep score and being furious because I didn't get it. I was also in 5th or 6th grade when that happened. Now I am a bigger fan of pitching than any other aspect of the game, when your a kid, you just wanna see dingers.

 

When Robin went for 3000 my dad took me to the first two games, but he had to go to a dental convention for the third game. I was bummed out because I didn't think I could go, but after the game, he got two tickets for myself and my friend. My grandpa dropped us off and picked us up, I'm not sure why he didn't go with.

 

Now I'm 29, have a Brewers tattoo, am memoribilia crazy, and my friends call me during Steven's Point trivia to ask me random stat questions instead of lookign it up on MLB or something.

 

Best game. Best team.

[lukevan]

It started for me around 1987. We didn't get the Brewers on television regularly, living in WI too close to the Twin Cities, but my Dad and I would listen to Bob and Pat on the radio most nights while he worked in the garage or yard and I played baseball or basketball with myself. I could always shoot buckets for a good 3 hours if the game was on. I really started following the team in the newspaper in '93 when I was getting old enough to understand the game more and the team was in the playoff chase. I was really disappointed when they fell short.

 

I always kept tabs on the Brewers and the player movement. I suppose the Packers' success in the mid nineties affected the way I followed the Brewers some. But around 2001 I started really following them more closely, feeling like the team would once again be competitive someday. I made a $50 bet with my uncle in 2003 that the Brewers would make the playoffs by 2008 (cha ching!).

 

Really, I just always wanted the Brewers to be viable and competitive. When I was younger, it didn't matter what the Brewers record was, I just loved baseball and loved listening to it on the radio. I'll always root for the Brewers no matter what their record is. Falling short in 2007 was again bitterly disappointing but 2008 was incredible and am not ashamed to admit I cried a bit when Braun hit that homer in game 162, CC made the final out and when the Mets fell to the Marlins.