Turning 50 – The Brewers Celebrate a Half-Century in Milwaukee

When you had to overcome seemingly impossible odds merely to get a team, why shouldn t you celebrate 50 years of play in the major leagues?
Turning 50 celebrates the story of the Milwaukee Brewers, who never would have happened if not for the persistence of Bud Selig in bringing big-league ball back to the city after the beloved Braves bolted for Atlanta. Five years of frustration for Selig and his group melted away in a bankruptcy court in Seattle in 1970 when the Pilots were awarded to Milwaukee after only one year of existence.
With only six days to get ready for Opening Day, uniforms were altered, County Stadium was spiffed up and an unknown group of somewhat shell-shocked players were welcomed to the city. Major-league baseball was back, and that was all that mattered. It took a while for the Brewers to find their footing on the field, but they finally turned the corner in the late 70s, leading to exciting blue-collar outfits known as Bambi s Bombers and Harvey s Wallbangers.
The 1982 World Series ended in heartbreak in St. Louis and some roller-coaster years followed. The 90s included some dark seasons but the Brewers fought the good fight and found their way back to respectability with the opening of Miller Park, finally ending 26 years without postseason baseball in 2008.
After that long-awaited breakthrough, the Brewers didn t have to wait nearly as long for return trips to October baseball. They captured their first NL Central crown in 2011, then ended their first 50 years of existence with back-to-back trips to the postseason in 2018- 19, an accomplishment that hadn t happened since 1981- 82.
With their fan base energized by the September surges that led to those consecutive playoff appearances, what better time to celebrate the Brewers 50th anniversary? Let the party begin.