The game is only part of the fun to be had at Miller Park this season as the Brewers have once again put together a promotional schedule to rival that of any other team in baseball. While you can’t predict the weather or how well the Brewers will play this year, the 2018 slate of giveaways already has fans circling dates on the calendar. Here are our picks for must-get items this summer:
Eric Thames Bobblehead
Who: all fans
Date: Sunday, April 22
Versus: Marlins
Thames owns the month of April, so this early-season promotion makes a lot of sense. Thames’ bushy beard is captured in great detail, as are his tattoos – which marks the first time a Brewers bobble has ever shown ink.
Travis Shaw “Mayor of Ding-Dong City” Bobblehead
Who: all fans
Date: Sunday, May 27
Versus: Mets
Shaw brought the “Mayor” moniker with him from Boston, but truly earned it last year in Milwaukee while smacking 31 homers. The bobble features Shaw addressing his constituency and is one of the most unique “concept” dolls the Brewers have ever made.
Mini Bullpen Car
Who: first 20,000 fans
Date: Sunday, June 17
Versus: Phillies
Perhaps the best part of the various pace-of-play happenings are rumors of the return of bullpen cars. For now, Brewers fans will have to settle for a micro-version. This might be for the best, as a 2018 bullpen car might already be due for a tune-up. No images have been made public of the item yet, but expect it to be modeled on their 1970s cart seen here.
Gauntlet Bobble
Who: all fans
Date: Sunday, June 24
Versus: Cardinals
The Crew’s post-homer “gauntlet” dugout celebration has taken on a life of its own. So much so that this year’s only dual-head bobble will feature Ryan Braun and Orlando Arcia in the midst of the forearm-bashing celebration. You’ll need to add your own paint, however, to update Arcia’s hair to its 2018 blonde-on-top ‘do.
Ryan Braun Starting Lineup Figurine
Who: first 20,000 fans
Date: Sunday, July 22
Versus: Dodgers
Kids of a certain age will certainly remember the Starting Lineup series of sports star action figures. The figurines have been revived as a giveaway item in recent years. Original Brewers SLUs tend to be either pricey (Robin Yount figures in original packaging can run about $30) or feature forgettable players (anyone remember Marc Newfield?), so this will be a nice addition to anyone’s Brewers collection.
Bob Uecker talking bottle opener
Who: all fans
Date: Sunday, August 5
Versus: Rockies
Crack a beer and hear a quip from Mr. Baseball? That’s a pretty easy sell. No word yet on what this item will look like, or the wisdom it will spout. This will be a game worth attending just to hear the murmur of 40,000 Ueckers giving their advice on how to catch the knuckleball (wait for it to stop rolling, then pick it up).
