How these 8 MLB franchises actually got their names
By Bill Felber
$100: A. Who are the Milwaukee Brewers?
St. Louisans may take exception, but Milwaukee is associated in many peoples’ minds with two things: beer and Harley-Davidsons. Given the choice, team founder and Milwaukee native Bud Selig opted for the suds label when the franchise relocated from Seattle in 1970.
The relationship between baseball and beer goes back virtually to the game’s founding in the mid-19th century, when a brewed product was not only popular with the game’ adult male fan base but also a safer drink since the brewing process sterilized the finished product.
Milwaukee’s large German population — with its inbred affinity for beer — only enhanced the connection, which was so natural that when the Brewers sought a lead sponsor for a new stadium in 2000 they tied in with the biggest local brewery to build Miller Park.
It was worth $40 million to the Brewers and worth a 20-year commitment by Miller, that commitment only expiring after the 2020 season.
The field name was changed in 2021 to American Family Field. But the team name is likely to remain Brewers for as long as they are brewing beer in Milwaukee. Given the link between the product and the population, that is likely to be a very long time indeed.