ST. PETERSBURG, FL – Milwaukee Brewers fans waited and waited and waited some more.
Not one decade or two or three, but over four.
Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026.
The day they waited no more.
The Brewers won their first World Series. The finale, a 4-1 Game 5 victory at the Tampa Bay Rays‘ Tropicana Field.
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While the Crew didn’t get to seal the deal at home, it felt homey, with waves of fans in Lake Michigan blue and golden wheat having arrived from near and far. Florida transplants with Wisconsin roots, and family and friends on a mission from the land of beer and cheese.
Just before the game, we asked fans what it would mean to them if they’d get to be the witnesses to this historic feat. Simply put, “Everything.”
“I don’t think anybody in Milwaukee can ever understate what this game means to the state, to the city of Milwaukee,” Rick Smith of Brookfield said.
“Being a Brewer fan my whole life, going through the ’90s and 2000s, wondering if we’d ever get to this point,” said his son, Stephen Smith of Wauwatosa. “Now, sitting here with my dad at a World Series game, I’m tingling. It’s a different level. It means so much.”
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As players celebrated with teammates and loved ones on the field, fans celebrated with their own loved ones, looking on.
“We all were in tears, crying,” said Cadence Ryman from Merrill.
“In my lifetime, didn’t even ever think it would happen,” said her mom, Susan Ryman. “Went through a lot of losing seasons − I’m actually going to tear up I think a little bit − so just really overjoyed that this is happening.”
“That was the most amazing moment of our lives,” said Dan Erdmann of Columbus. He made it to every game of the series with his sons, Zach Erdmann and Cal Erdmann, who works for the Brewers, and his brother, Thomas Erdmann.
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They were the ones with the ginormous “Won Our Way” sign made of paper and blue duct tape, a cap to the Crew’s postseason “Win Our Way” motto.
“Fifty-six years of fun, but this is the best,” said Thomas, who’s been a fan of the Brewers since the team arrived in Milwaukee. He thinks this is the start of a dynasty.
Dan said their late father, who watched every Brewers game, was with them there.
A dear member of the Brewers family was there in spirit, too: Bob Uecker, the voice of the Brewers for more than a half-century.
A man in the front row held up a large blue and yellow sign that said: “Reserved for Bob Uecker. Front row, always! Thank you for the memories!” Another read, “Ueck we did it.”
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“To see it 44 years after their last attempt, I think Uecker is up there, helping this team out,” said Joe Zuravle, who was there with his wife, Doreen. This was on their bucket list.
Mac Pereira, a Milwaukee native, was sitting in the moment, speechless – his face saying it all.
“It’s beautiful. The team is from top down, organizationally, incredibly well-managed. The culture is lovely. The players are so composed and poised. It’s a thing of beauty,” Pereira eventually said. “I think there should be studies done on how well run the organization is. I think we should all cherish it and celebrate it for what it is. Just don’t want to take it for granted.”
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“We’ve been waiting for this our whole lives,” said Keith Maurer of New Berlin, who was there with his son, Jacob. “We couldn’t feel prouder and happier to be a Milwaukee Brewer fan.”
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Brewers fans at Tropicana Field celebrate ‘most amazing moment’
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