MILWAUKEE, Wis. — Tens of thousands of fans poured into downtown Milwaukee on Friday to cheer the Brewers through the streets after the club won the first World Series championship in its 46-year history.
The parade stepped off at 10 a.m. at Vel R. Phillips and Wisconsin avenues, with players riding open-top buses east toward the lakefront and a closing rally at Henry Maier Festival Park. The Brewers clinched the title against the Tampa Bay Rays.
The route took a deliberate jog so the buses could loop past the new mural honoring late broadcaster Bob Uecker, a painting that rises about 100 feet. Many buses paused near it, and players hopped off for photos in front of the man known as Mr. Baseball.
Some fans claimed curb space with chairs as early as Thursday evening, and others arrived by 6 a.m. Friday. With the parade falling the day before Halloween, plenty came in costume, from a homemade Polish Racing Sausage to a giant fan-made copy of the championship trophy.
At the rally, players took turns thanking the crowd. Pitcher Aaron Ashby called it one of the most special days of his life, and outfielder Christian Yelich joked that he took the trophy to the face and earned a black eye along the way.
Getting downtown took planning. Roads along the route began closing at 7 a.m., streets one block on either side were shut as the parade passed, and nobody could cross the Wisconsin Avenue bridge. Extra county transit buses ran on the Connect 1, GreenLine and Routes 12, 18 and 57, while the team ran $5 shuttles from American Family Field, with net proceeds going to the Brewers Community Foundation.
Section: More Milwaukee WI sports news
Filed under: Milwaukee WI Sports News
