Tom TolanRoot, root, root for the home team... but which one? You already know the Brewers. Meet the Milkmen.
The Milwaukee Milkmen are part of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball, a league
that’s unaffliated with major league teams. They began play May 16, but their home opener is delayed until
June 24 (vs. the Gary SouthShore RailCats) because the cold winter slowed construction of their new stadium
in Franklin. Here’s how the new kids stack up against our town’s big-leaguers.
This story is taken from our June 2019 feature:
99 Days of Summer: Here’s Your 2019 Guide to Maximal Milwaukee Summer Fun
BREWERS | MILKMEN |
|
|---|---|---|
| Miller Park; capacity 41,900 | Venues | Routine Field; capacity 4,000 |
| Single-game prices are not fi xed. In late April, we found seats ranging from $6 to $200 apiece. | Tickets | $9-$66, with top-end club seats including unlimited food and drink |
| Range from around $560,000 each for Brandon Woodruff and several other young players to $19 million for Ryan Braun. Total payroll is about $125 million. | Salaries | The American Association has a team salary cap, and the average player makes about $1,600 per month during the season, with teams also putting up the players in housing, according to the league. |
| Miller Park offers ballpark classics like Johnsonville brats and Dippin’ Dots to local offerings like Zaffiro’s Pizza and Smoke Shack barbecue, new this year. Prices are … well, it’s a ballpark. At least you can still bring your own peanuts! | Concessions | Many ticket options include concessions, like a hot dog and a beer or soda with a $13 bleacher seat or pricier tickets that include bottomless cups and all-you-can-eat offerings such as brisket, pulled chicken and mac and cheese. |
| The Brewers came within one game of the World Series last year and hope to again contend in the National League Central Division, which could well be the strongest division in MLB. | On the Field | The American Association says its teams would be competitive with minor league teams at the AA or AAA levels. As the league’s newest team, the Milkmen may or may not experience the growing pains common to expansion teams. |
| Milwaukee has fielded a baseball team named for its signature brewing industry as far back as 1902. | Name Game | The Milkmen name was selected in a contest sponsored by the team, edging out the second-place Cropdusters. |
| Bernie Brewer is modeled after the mustachioed Milt Mason, who sat atop the County Stadium scoreboard for 40 days in 1970 – until the Brewers drew a crowd of 40,000. | Mascot | The Milkmen mascots are a cattle couple – the guy a muscular sort named Bo Vine, the gal named Heifanie. |