Brewers fever spreads in city
Milwaukee’s getting into the Brewers playoff groove with free beer (thank you, MillerCoors), the potential for free burgers (fingers crossed, George Webb) and enthusiasm for the team in multiple corners.
Mayor Tom Barrett said the mere mention of the Brewers stirred a reaction at his Thursday morning speech.
“It’s nice to have a good applause line,” the mayor said. “You’ve just got to say ‘Brewers.’ ”
The Brewers continue their first postseason run in seven years Friday night with Game 1 of the National League Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Here are some tastes of Brewers fever:
City Hall celebrates
A huge Brewers banner has adorned the south side of City Hall since the playoff run began.
“Everybody recognizes how unique and extraordinary this is,” Barrett said.
Bucks get on bandwagon
The city’s other major pro sports team — which is ramping up for the start of the NBA season at the new Fiserv Forum — is backing the other home team.
The Bucks have saluted the Brewers on their huge digital display on the new parking structure at North Fifth Street and West McKinley Avenue.
All Brewers championship series games will be shown on large screens
inside the new beer garden that connects North Old World Third Street with the plaza outside the new Bucks arena.
“We’re all in on the Brewers,” said Barry Baum, senior vice president for communications for the Bucks. “The beer will be flowing.”
Barrett said, “The Bucks recognize that the Brewers are the ones capturing peoples’ attention right now.”
Free beer, maybe free burgers
MillerCoors will hand out brewskis at a slew of Milwaukee locations Friday afternoon as part of a promise made when the Brewers faced the Colorado Rockies for the divisional series.
The brewing company, which backed both teams, will pony up free Miller Lites from 3 to 5 p.m. at a variety of locations around town.
Meanwhile, George Webb is poised to make good on its promise of free burgers if the Brewers win 12 games in a row. A win Friday night would mean free Webb burgers next Thursday.
Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra
The symphony got into the game with a rousing version of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” posted on Facebook this week.
Knockoff T-shirts
In the past, knockoff T-shirts would be hawked by vendors from street corners. This week, a series of Facebook ads appeared selling an array of Brewers-flavored T-shirts.
One version stirred nearly 8,300 “reactions” and 1,700 shares on Facebook.
The shirt ad also stirred about 1,000 comments, with plenty of people debating the merits of the Brewers. Others urged customers to avoid products that are not licensed by Major League Baseball.
Dual flags flying
Some Brewers fans can’t decide whether they like the team’s old school ball and mitt logo or the more modern version.
“We’re flying both flags outside our house,” said Kristin Settle, spokeswoman for Visit Milwaukee.