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My brother Seth and I are the only Milwaukee Brewers fans we know.
Growing up in Altoona in the 1990s, Seth cheered for the Indians, and I rooted for the Red Sox.
We both liked Richie Sexson, Cleveland's 6-foot-8 first baseman who sometimes played left field.
When he got traded to Milwaukee in July 2000, we said, "No one likes the Brewers. Richie will make them great. The bandwagon starts here."
We lost 94 games in three of the next four seasons, peaking at 106 losses in 2002. That's a lot of bad baseball, but we were sure Ruben Quevedo, Ray King and Curtis Leskanic could pitch us to a pennant.
Following an out-of-town team back then meant checking the box score in the morning paper -- the Mirror. If your team was on the west coast, the scoreboard just said "late."
Seth and I spent summer evenings with our recliners turned toward a desktop computer, watching green and red dots on CBS Sportsline.
There's no suspense like dropping your dial-up Internet connection in the bottom of the ninth, wondering if Devon White came through with bases loaded. (He didn't.)
Nowadays I can follow every pitch on my cell phone, and MLB TV makes it possible to watch everything, including Richie's appearances in the annual alumni game and Bob Uecker's memorial service.
Brewers gear couldn't be found in Central PA.
We each had one Sexson jersey T-shirt. The rest was handmade with iron-ons and puffy paint.
During the World Series trophy ceremony, I ordered championship merch from my couch.
Our parents, lifelong Pirates fans, took us on annual pilgrimages to PNC Park to see the Brewers lose to the Bucs before the All-Star break.
My dad's first text after the final out of the World Series was "It's been a long road since Lloyd McClendon swiped first base!"
Thanks, Mom and Dad, for nurturing our love of the game and tolerating our love of the Brew Crew.
The most heartbreaking part of being a Brewers fan hasn't been decades of losing. It's been saying goodbye to great players who want to be Brewers but don't fit in the budget. Guys like CC Sabathia, Prince Fielder, Josh Hader and Freddy Peralta are still beloved by the fan base.
Admittedly, I had lost touch with the Brewers and with baseball in recent years.
On May 25, 2025, I made another trip to PNC with my husband and his mom. Milwaukee was two games under .500 at the time. They beat the Buccos 6-5 and became baseball's hottest team.
I started watching again and fell back in love with the game. This version of the Brew Crew is built on pitching, hitting, and defense. It's beautiful baseball.
As an adult, I love the wins but admire the Brewers' culture even more.
Captain Christian Yelich takes more pride in baserunning than power hitting.
Catcher William Contreras joined the organization in 2023 and wondered why no one got mad about getting bounced from the playoffs.
Manager Pat Murphy leads with love and holds everyone to a high standard.
During the regular season, he benched veteran Contreras and rookie Cooper Pratt for not hustling to first. Both ended up being World Series MVP candidates.
Winning a World Series never seemed possible until the Brewers won it their way. They play as a team. They never quit. They're powered by friendship.
If you're in the market for a small-market team that's found a way to win consistently, come on over. We have the youngest pitching staff in baseball and a few years left on key contracts.
There's still plenty of room on this bandwagon.
Meghan Bradley Hooper resides in Ephrata.