History of Milwaukee Brewers in Timeline

The Milwaukee Brewers are a Major League Baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They compete in the National League Central Division. The team's name reflects Milwaukee's historical connection to the brewing industry. Their home stadium is American Family Field, formerly known as Miller Park, which has a seating capacity of 41,900. The Brewers have played at American Family Field since 2001.

1900: Modern Era Start

Since 1900, the Brewers are one of two current MLB franchises to switch leagues in the modern era.

1901: Original Milwaukee Brewers AL Charter Team

Milwaukee had also been an American League city, albeit briefly, when the original Milwaukee Brewers became an AL charter team in 1901 before moving to St. Louis to become the Browns the following season.

1902: Home to Milwaukee Brewers of the American Association

Between 1902 and 1952, Milwaukee was home to the Milwaukee Brewers of the American Association (AAA) and the Milwaukee Bears of the Negro National League.

1952: Home to Milwaukee Brewers of the American Association

Between 1902 and 1952, Milwaukee was home to the Milwaukee Brewers of the American Association (AAA) and the Milwaukee Bears of the Negro National League.

1953: Milwaukee Braves Era Begins

Milwaukee had previously been a National League city when its team was the Milwaukee Braves from 1953 to 1965.

1965: End of Milwaukee Braves Era

Milwaukee had previously been a National League city when its team was the Milwaukee Braves from 1953 to 1965.

1969: Inaugural Season

From 1969 through 2024, the Brewers' overall regular-season win–loss record is 4,308–4,530–4 (.487).

1969: Expansion Team in Seattle

In 1969, the club originated as an expansion team in Seattle, Washington, as the Seattle Pilots, playing for one season in the American League West Division.

1969: Seattle Pilots Founded

In 1969, the team was founded as the Seattle Pilots, an expansion team that joined the American League (AL) and began play in Seattle, Washington, playing home games at Sick's Stadium.

1970: Bob Uecker Joins the Brewers

In 1970, Bob Uecker joined the Brewers when the team moved from Seattle.

1970: Home Jersey Flannel Design

In 1971, the Brewers finally got their own flannel design, but only for their home jerseys. This design was essentially the same as the one used in 1970, but with blue and yellow piping on the sleeves and collar.

1970: Darker Shade of Blue Road Uniforms

In 1972, the road uniforms remained blue, although a darker shade than those of 1970 and '71.

1970: Milwaukee Brewers Record

Since moving to Milwaukee in 1970, the Brewers have an overall win–loss record of 4,244–4,432–3 (.489) through the end of 2024.

1971: Bob Uecker Becomes Play-by-Play Broadcaster

In 1971, Bob Uecker became the team's play-by-play broadcaster, serving in that role for 54 seasons until his death after the 2024 season.

1971: Home Jersey Flannel Design

1972: Move to American League East

Before the beginning of the 1972 season the Brewers agreed to switch over to the American League East to make room for the Texas Rangers.

1972: Introduction of Double-Knit Uniforms

In 1972, the Brewers entered the double-knit era with uniforms based upon their flannels: all white with "BREWERS" on the front and blue and yellow trim on the sleeves, neck, waistband and down the side of the pants.

1972: Relocation to Milwaukee

In 1972, the Seattle Pilots relocated to Milwaukee and became known as the Brewers, playing home games at Milwaukee County Stadium, joining the American League East.

1973: Mascot Bernie Brewer Introduction

In 1973, the Brewers mascot, Bernie Brewer (a man with a large yellow mustache wearing a Brewers hat) was introduced.

1974: Yellow-Paneled Cap Added

In 1974, a yellow-paneled cap was added to the road uniforms, and the "sanitation sock" on the road uniforms were also changed from white to yellow.

1978: "Ball-in-Glove" Uniforms Introduced

In 1978, the Brewers began wearing uniforms featuring the "ball-in-glove" logo, which would later be revived for Retro Sundays in 2006.

1978: New Uniforms Unveiled

In 1978, the Brewers unveiled new uniforms featuring pinstripes with a solid-blue collar and waistband.

1981: Division Title and MVP Award

In 1981, Milwaukee won the American League East Division in the second half of the strike-shortened season, Rollie Fingers became the first Brewer and first relief pitcher in the history of the American League to win the MVP Award, and lost the Division Series to the New York Yankees, three games to two.

1981: Rollie Fingers Wins Cy Young and MVP Award

In 1981, Rollie Fingers achieved the first Cy Young Award and Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award for the Brewers, with the team reaching the postseason for the first time due to a split season caused by the 1981 Major League Baseball strike.

1981: Rollie Fingers Wins MVP and Cy Young Award

In 1981, Rollie Fingers won the MLB Most Valuable Player Award and the Cy Young Award during his career with the Milwaukee Brewers.

1981: Rollie Fingers Wins Rolaids Relief Man Award

In 1981, Rollie Fingers won the Rolaids Relief Man Award during his career with the Milwaukee Brewers.

1982: AL East Division and Pennant Win

In 1982, Milwaukee, led by AL MVP Robin Yount, won the American League East Division and the American League Pennant, earning their first World Series appearance and only American League pennant, losing to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games.

1982: Robin Yount Wins MVP and Pete Vuckovich Wins Cy Young Award

In 1982, Robin Yount won the MLB Most Valuable Player Award and Pete Vuckovich won the Cy Young Award during their careers with the Milwaukee Brewers.

1982: ALCS Win and World Series Appearance

In 1982, the Brewers won the East, won the 1982 American League Championship Series (ALCS) against the California Angels, and faced the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series, losing 4–3.

1982: Worn Uniforms in Pennant-Winning Season

In 1982, the club wore these uniforms in their pennant-winning season.

1983: Cecil Cooper Wins Roberto Clemente Award

In 1983, Cecil Cooper won the Roberto Clemente Award during his career with the Milwaukee Brewers.

1985: Road Uniforms Changed to Gray

In 1985, the color of the road uniforms changed to gray while the blue-yellow-blue road cap and white-paneled batting helmets were abandoned at the same time.

1988: Closest Division Title Finish Until 2007

The 2007 season saw the Brewers miss out on the NL Central title by two games, their closest finish to a division title since 1988.

1989: Robin Yount Wins MVP

In 1989, Robin Yount won the MLB Most Valuable Player Award during his career with the Milwaukee Brewers.

1989: End of "Ball-in-Glove" Uniform Era

In 1989, the Brewers ceased wearing the uniforms featuring the "ball-in-glove" logo, which they had worn since 1978. They were later revived for Retro Sundays in 2006.

1990: Dave Parker Wins Edgar Martínez Award

In 1990, Dave Parker won the Edgar Martínez Award during his career with the Milwaukee Brewers.

1990: Switch to Button-Down Jerseys

In 1990, the Brewers made significant modifications to their uniforms, switching from pullover to button-down jerseys.

1990: Minor Changes Until 1990

Only minor changes were made until 1990; the color of the road uniforms changed to gray in 1985 while the blue-yellow-blue road cap and white-paneled batting helmets were abandoned at the same time.

1992: Pat Listach Named Rookie of the Year

In 1992, Pat Listach was named Rookie of the Year during his career with the Milwaukee Brewers.

1992: Jim Gantner's Number Not Issued After Retirement

In 1992, although not officially retired, the number 17 was not issued after Jim Gantner's retirement.

1992: First Winning Season Since 1992

The 2007 season saw them miss out on the NL Central title by two games, also their first winning season since 1992.

1993: Royal Blue Removed From Color Scheme

In 1993, royal blue was removed from the Brewers' color scheme, but it was later reintroduced on November 18, 2019, as part of a new branding and uniform unveiling.

1993: Added Names to Home Jerseys

Names were added to the Brewers home jerseys beginning in 1993, the last year of this set of uniform design.

1994: Move to American League Central Division

Beginning in 1994, due to divisional realignment, the Brewers moved to the newly created American League Central division.

1994: WCGV-TV Carries Game Broadcasts

In 1994, WCGV-TV began carrying game broadcasts, following WVTV's coverage of the team in the 1980s and early 1990s.

1994: Darkened Team Colors

In 1994, it was decided to keep blue and gold as the team colors, and they have remained so ever since, even though the team darkened the shades of both colors in 1994.

1994: Uniform Redesign

In 1994, to commemorate the Brewers' 25th year in Milwaukee, the team completely redesigned their uniforms, and the ball-in-glove logo was removed.

1996: Jim Gantner Returns as First Base Coach

From 1996 to 1997, Jim Gantner returned as the Brewers' first base coach, wearing the number 17.

1996: Pat Hughes Departs for Chicago Cubs

In 1996, Pat Hughes departed the Brewers to do play-by-play for the Chicago Cubs on WGN.

1997: Jim Gantner's Last Year as First Base Coach

From 1996 to 1997, Jim Gantner was the Brewers' first base coach, wearing the number 17. 1997 was his last year as coach.

1997: Move to National League Central Division

In 1997, the Brewers moved to the National League Central Division.

1997: Uniforms Modified

In 1997, the Milwaukee Brewers' uniforms were slightly modified. The main logo was removed from the caps and replaced with an "M". All navy caps were worn with both home and away uniforms, with a white "M" for home and a gold "M" for away. Green socks were changed to navy blue for road games, and player numbers were added to the lower left side of jerseys, with all letters made the same size.

1998: Relocation to the National League

In 1998, the Brewers relocated to the National League.

July 1999: Crane Collapse Delays Miller Park Opening

In July 1999, a crane collapse that killed three workers and damaged the incomplete stadium delayed the opening of Miller Park, which was originally supposed to coincide with the debut of the new uniforms.

2000: New Uniforms Introduced

Before the 2000 season, the Brewers changed their uniforms, replacing block letters with "Brewers" in a flowing script and removing green as the third color. The cap logo became a script "M" with a head of barley. Home uniforms featured a patch of the cap logo with a gold Wisconsin outline, and road uniforms were grey with a script "Brewers" and a "Milwaukee" patch. An alternate navy blue jersey was also introduced in 2000.

2001: Miller Park Opening

After delays due to a crane collapse in July 1999, Miller Park finally opened in 2001.

2001: New Home at American Family Field

In 2001, the Milwaukee Brewers began playing their home games at American Family Field (formerly Miller Park), which has a seating capacity of 41,900.

2004: End of WCGV-TV's Coverage

In 2004, WCGV-TV stopped carrying game broadcasts.

2006: Retro Sundays Introduced

In 2006, the Brewers introduced Retro Sundays, during which they wore uniforms featuring the "ball-in-glove" logo, similar to those worn from 1978 to 1989 but with modern modifications.

2007: Brian Anderson Becomes Play-by-Play Announcer

Brian Anderson took over as the Brewers' play-by-play announcer for the 2007 season, replacing Daron Sutton.

2007: Prince Fielder Wins Hank Aaron Award

In 2007, Prince Fielder won the Hank Aaron Award during his career with the Milwaukee Brewers.

2007: Ryan Braun Named Rookie of the Year

In 2007, Ryan Braun was named Rookie of the Year during his career with the Milwaukee Brewers.

2007: Brewers and FSN Wisconsin Subcontract Games to Weigel Broadcasting

In 2007, the Brewers and FSN Wisconsin began subcontracting a package of 15 games and one spring training game to Weigel Broadcasting, which aired on WMLW-CA in Milwaukee. FSN Wisconsin produced the telecasts, and Weigel sold air time for the games. These WMLW-CA games also aired on the outstate FSN Wisconsin network.

2007: Retro Day Changed to Friday

In 2007, the Brewers changed their Retro day from Sunday to Friday, though the retro uniforms could be worn outside of those days at the starting pitcher's discretion.

2007: Missed NL Central Title

The 2007 season saw the Brewers miss out on the NL Central title by two games, their closest finish to a division title since 1988 and also their first winning season since 1992.

2008: Postseason Play and NLDS Elimination

In 2008, the Brewers advanced to postseason play for the first time in the 26 years since their World Series appearance, under interim manager Dale Sveum, winning the National League wild card but were eliminated in the National League Division Series by the eventual World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies.

2008: Playoff Berth After 26 Years

In 2008, the Brewers reached the playoffs for the first time in 26 years.

2010: New Alternate Road Jersey Debuted

In 2010, the Brewers debuted a new alternate road jersey, which was navy blue and featured a script "Milwaukee" on the front.

2010: All Games Broadcast in High Definition

The 2010 season was the first year where all of Fox Sports Wisconsin's games were broadcast in high definition.

September 23, 2011: Division Title

On September 23, 2011, the Milwaukee Brewers clinched their first division title in 29 years, winning the National League Division Series in five games over the Arizona Diamondbacks, but lost the National League Championship Series to the eventual World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals in six games.

2011: Cory Provus Leaves for Minnesota Twins

After the 2011 season, Cory Provus left the Brewers to become the Minnesota Twins' lead broadcaster on radio.

2011: Anderson Calls NLCS Games

In 2011, Brian Anderson provided play-by-play for the NLCS due to Ernie Johnson stepping aside.

2011: John Axford Wins Rolaids Relief Man Award

In 2011, John Axford won the Rolaids Relief Man Award during his career with the Milwaukee Brewers.

2011: Ryan Braun Wins MVP

In 2011, Ryan Braun won the MLB Most Valuable Player Award during his career with the Milwaukee Brewers.

2011: Brewers and FSN Wisconsin continue subcontracting to Weigel Broadcasting

In 2011, the Brewers and FSN Wisconsin continued subcontracting a package of 15 games and one spring training game to Weigel Broadcasting, which aired on WMLW-CA in Milwaukee. FSN Wisconsin produced the telecasts, and Weigel sold air time for the games. These WMLW-CA games also aired on the outstate FSN Wisconsin network.

2011: First Trip to NLCS

In 2011, the Brewers made their first trip to the NLCS.

2011: Post-Season Berth Since 2011

In 2018, the Brewers clinched a spot in the post-season for the first time since 2011 with a 2–1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on September 26, 2018.

2012: End of Brewers and FSN Wisconsin Subcontract with Weigel Broadcasting

Before the 2012 season, the deal between the Brewers, FSN Wisconsin, and Weigel Broadcasting ended. This decision was made to enable full-season HD coverage on FSN Wisconsin, address distribution complications, and introduce a "Plus" channel for Milwaukee Bucks play-by-play conflicts. Weigel continues to air a few Sunday home broadcasts per year with Spanish language play-by-play on Telemundo affiliate WYTU-LD.

2013: Fan-Designed Uniform

Before the 2013 season, the Brewers allowed fans to design their own Milwaukee Brewers uniforms. The winning uniform, designed by Ben Peters, was worn by the Brewers for two spring training games.

2013: Gold Alternate Jersey Introduced

In 2013, the Brewers introduced a gold alternate jersey with "Brewers" on the front.

2014: Schroeder's 20th Season as Color Commentator

As of 2014, Bill Schroeder was in his 20th season as the Brewers' color commentator.

2014: Uecker Cuts Back on Road Games

Starting with the 2014 season, Bob Uecker reduced the number of road games he worked due to health concerns.

2015: Jeff Levering Joins Radio Broadcast Team

In 2015, Jeff Levering joined the Brewers' radio broadcast team, filling in for Bob Uecker on select road games.

2016: Lane Grindle Joins Radio Broadcast Team

In 2016, Lane Grindle joined the Brewers' radio broadcast team, replacing Joe Block.

2016: New Navy Alternate Jersey

In 2016, the Brewers replaced their road navy and home gold alternates with a new navy alternate jersey. The uniform is similar to the previous road navy alternate but with yellow replacing gold as the trim color, and is paired with a navy cap featuring the "ball-and-glove" logo.

2017: Navy Uniforms Used More Often

From 2017 to 2019, both alternate navy uniforms were used for both home and away games, and each were worn more often than the traditional white and gray tops.

2017: Spanish Radio Broadcasts End

In 2017, the Spanish-language radio broadcasts of select daytime home games ended after the station was purchased and switched to an English-language talk format.

September 26, 2018: Post-Season Berth

On September 26, 2018, the Brewers clinched a spot in the post-season for the first time since 2011 with a 2–1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.

2018: Christian Yelich Wins Hank Aaron Award

In 2018, Christian Yelich won the Hank Aaron Award during his career with the Milwaukee Brewers.

2018: Christian Yelich Wins MVP

In 2018, Christian Yelich won the MLB Most Valuable Player Award during his career with the Milwaukee Brewers.

2018: NLDS Sweep Over Colorado Rockies

Since 2018, the Brewers have been a consistent playoff team, but only won one playoff series, a 3–0 sweep in the 2018 NLDS over the Colorado Rockies.

November 18, 2019: New Branding and Uniform Unveiling

On November 18, 2019, the Brewers published "Glove Story" and unveiled their new branding and uniforms at Miller Park. The new look featured a modernized "ball-in-glove" logo, retained navy blue, replaced metallic gold with mustard gold, and reintroduced royal blue to the color scheme.

2019: Navy Uniforms Used More Often

From 2017 to 2019, both alternate navy uniforms were used for both home and away games, and each were worn more often than the traditional white and gray tops.

2019: Christian Yelich Wins Hank Aaron Award

In 2019, Christian Yelich won the Hank Aaron Award during his career with the Milwaukee Brewers.

2019: National League Wild Card Game Appearance

In 2019, the Brewers returned to the postseason and made an appearance in the National League Wild Card Game, where they were defeated by the eventual World Series champion Washington Nationals 4–3.

2020: American Family Field Name Change

In 2020, American Family Field was named Miller Park through the end of the season.

2020: Devin Williams Named Rookie of the Year

In 2020, Devin Williams was named Rookie of the Year during his career with the Milwaukee Brewers.

2020: Devin Williams Wins Trevor Hoffman NL Reliever of the Year Award

In 2020, Devin Williams won the Trevor Hoffman NL Reliever of the Year Award during his career with the Milwaukee Brewers.

2020: Postseason Appearance

In 2020, the club made the postseason for a third consecutive year, making the expanded Playoffs as the 8th seed losing both games to the eventual champion Dodgers.

2021: Corbin Burnes Wins Cy Young Award

In 2021, Corbin Burnes won the Cy Young Award during his career with the Milwaukee Brewers.

2021: Giannis Antetokounmpo Minority Owner

In 2021, Giannis Antetokounmpo became a minority owner of the Brewers.

2021: Josh Hader Wins Trevor Hoffman NL Reliever of the Year Award

In 2021, Josh Hader won the Trevor Hoffman NL Reliever of the Year Award during his career with the Milwaukee Brewers.

2021: NL Central Title and NLDS Loss

In 2021, the Brewers clinched the NL Central title with a 95–67 record but lost to the eventual World Series champions Atlanta Braves in 4 games in the NLDS.

2022: Alternate Gold-Paneled Cap Used Exclusively on the Road

Beginning in 2022, the Brewers' alternate gold-paneled cap was used exclusively on the road, while the all-navy cap was worn only on home games.

2022: Levering Becomes Primary TV Announcer

In 2022, Jeff Levering became the primary play-by-play television announcer, with Anderson calling only 50 games per season.

2022: "City Connect" Uniform Added

In 2022, the Brewers added a "City Connect" uniform in conjunction with Nike. The uniform is powder blue with white pants and features the "Brew Crew" nickname, a baseball shaped like a grill on the sleeve, and powder blue caps with the "MKE" abbreviation and the city's "414" area code.

2023: Devin Williams Wins Trevor Hoffman NL Reliever of the Year Award

In 2023, Devin Williams won the Trevor Hoffman NL Reliever of the Year Award during his career with the Milwaukee Brewers.

2023: Uniform Sponsor Added: Northwestern Mutual

In 2023, the Brewers added Northwestern Mutual as a uniform sponsor, with the company's logo patch featured on the sleeve. The other sleeve accommodated the team's "baseball and barley" logo on home uniforms and the "Wisconsin brick" logo on the road uniform.

October 2024: MLB to Take Over Production and Distribution of Brewers Games

In October 2024, as a result of bankruptcy proceedings, Major League Baseball's local media division announced it would take over production and distribution of Brewers games starting with the 2025 season, with no personnel changes.

2024: Bob Uecker's Last Season as Broadcaster

Bob Uecker served as the Brewers' play-by-play broadcaster for 54 seasons, ending after the 2024 season due to his death.

2024: Win-Loss Record

From 1969 through 2024, the Brewers' overall regular-season win–loss record is 4,308–4,530–4 (.487).

December 31, 2024: Brewers Return to FanDuel Sports Network

On December 31, 2024, the Brewers announced that they would return to FanDuel Sports Network for the 2025 season.

January 16, 2025: Death of Bob Uecker

Bob Uecker, former Brewers radio broadcaster, died on January 16, 2025. The Brewers' uniforms will have a commemorative patch on the right sleeve for the 2025 season to honor him.

March 19, 2025: WITI to Carry Games in Simulcast with FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin

On March 19, 2025, the team announced a deal with WTMJ owner Good Karma Brands and FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin. As part of this agreement, WITI, along with a state network of stations within the team's territory, would carry three spring training games and ten regular season games in the 2025 season, simulcasting with FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin.

2025: WITI Still Yet to Carry Local Coverage of the Team

Before 2025, WITI was the only major network television station in Milwaukee that had not carried local coverage of the team through its history.

2025: MLB to Take Over Broadcasts; Brewers Return to FanDuel

For the 2025 season, Major League Baseball's local media division was initially set to take over the production and distribution of Brewers games, but the Brewers then announced they would return to FanDuel Sports Network.