In a ritual that began 25 years ago with the opening of American Family Field (then Miller Park) in 2001, native boyhood friends and 1972 Pec classmates Randy Syse (r) of Waukesha and Bruce Johnson (1) of Middleton and their spouses (not pictured) made their annual trek to attend the Milwaukee Brewers Home Opener on Thursday, March 26. The commute was slightly more challenging this year due to the multi-year major reconstruction of a 3.5-mile stretch of I-94 between 70th and 16th Streets and redesigning the Stadium Interchange.
As the earliest home opener in team history, the game began with Green Bay Packer QB Jordon Love and gold medal Olympian Jordan
Stolz tossing out first pitches. The Brewers’ starting pitcher against the south side Chicago White Sox was 23-year-old fireballer Jacob Misiorowski (the “Miz”). After a 2025 rookie season featuring a stellar debut, an All-Star nod, and key postseason relief appearances, the right-hander is transitioning into a leading role in the starting rotation. Miz struck out 11 while allowing one run over five innings, and the Brewers trounced the White Sox 14- The game also saw the implementation of the MLB Automated Ball Strike system (“ABS … robot umpires”) under which a team can challenge an umpire’s pitch call.
Following the game, fans were treated to 20-minute preview of “Ueck,” a new documentary chronicling the life of legendary broadcaster Bob Uecker which will receive a full theatrical release later this summer. The sneak peek included rare interviews with Uecker’s family, friends, and figures from his baseball and entertainment career. The event was designed as a tribute to Uecker, who was the voice of the Brewers for over 50 years, and it is part of the team’s honoring of him after he passed away January 16, 2025.
In near-term changes coming to American Family Field, a $25 million winterization program is designed to transform the Milwaukee Brewers’ home stadium into a yearround multi-purpose venue. Historically used primarily for baseball and seasonal events, the ballpark is being upgraded to host large-scale winter events such as concerts, monster truck shows, and indoor sporting events. In addition to winterization, a $500 million funding package supports a new outdoor plaza (beer garden, minigolf, kid’s play yard), a hospitality addition (year-round events) and much-needed general ballpark maintenance and fan experience upgrades. These projects aim to modernize the fan experience and create social gathering spaces like those found in other newer Major League Baseball stadiums.