ASHWAUBENON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Brewers fans across Northeast Wisconsin celebrated the team’s World Series championship late Wednesday, packing bars to watch the final moments and heading to stores for championship merchandise.
At Stadium View in Ashwaubenon, fans erupted when the game ended.
“We are ecstatic!” said Mackenzie Timmer of Green Bay.
Morgan Wills, also of Green Bay, called the moment “unbelievable.”
Timmer said she was thinking of her father, who often talks about the Brewers’ 1982 World Series loss.
“My dad still talks about the Cardinals and all that stuff, so I’m happy for him, all the Brewers fans, for us,” she said.
Cameron January, visiting from Las Vegas, said the championship brought tears.
“I feel unreal. I started tearing up in there,” January said. “This is the first championship since my mom passed away for any Wisconsin team.”
After the game, some fans headed to Dick’s Sporting Goods in Ashwaubenon, which stayed open late so they could buy championship gear.
“I’ve been a Brewer fan my whole life and kind of just capitalizing on the moment,” said Ryan Darling. “It’s unreal that we won the World Series.”
Sam Schneider said he was grabbing merchandise before taking a closer look.
“I wasn’t even looking at the gear, honestly, just grabbing everything,” Schneider said.
For John Henrygillis, the celebration brought back years of memories at Brewers games with his nephews, including the heartbreak of the team’s Game 7 loss in the 1982 World Series.
“The only time I ever cried after a baseball game was when they lost Game 7 of the 1982 World Series,” he said. “And my nephew did the same thing, and I said, ‘Now we’re champions.’”
Most Dick’s Sporting Goods locations are opening at 7 a.m. Thursday with World Series merchandise. All Wisconsin Kohl’s stores are also scheduled to open at 7 a.m. with Brewers championship gear.
The Brewers’ season is over, but for fans who have waited decades for a title, the celebration is just beginning.
