The Milwaukee Brewers finally gave their fans a peek behind the curtain last month and let us in on what all the secret construction has been going on at the stadium - a new premium club slated to open in 2027. This doesn't seem like a real statistic, but supposedly the Brewers and A's are the only MLB teams that do not have a premium area tied to the seats behind home plate, so this is their proposed solution to that problem - think Champions Club in Minnesota, Lexus Club in Texas, Truist Club in Atlanta, etc. The unique challenge in the Brewers' case is that there is obviously not enough room to add a 20,000 square foot space into an existing stadium, so this club will actually be an addition in the right field corner that is not directly attached to the area it serves. This project will be the most significant exterior change to the stadium since it opened in 2001, and is being funded primarily by the contentious budget bill that passed in late 2023, which has vague language in it that requires the stadium district to fund projects that will "keep it within the top 25% of major league ballparks."
Putting the public money part aside for now, for the most part I'm a big fan of this project. It's certainly needed and looks beautiful aside from the disgusting green brick, I don't understand that choice at all. Yeah I get it's the Truss Club and the trusses are green...so just paint the steel green then and use a normal brick that exists in nature. I like that the Brewers are making lemonade out of lemons with the outdoor space opportunity. If they can't fit this thing inside the footprint of the stadium and these people have to walk from the club to their seats, then it should absolutely have outdoor seating and views as a trade-off, that was a good move to set them apart. Upgrading the seats behind home plate as a part of this makes a ton of sense. I also like the inclusion of valet parking and the private entrance, and I like that they are not replacing more seats inside the park with a group area like they have been over the years (although most have been very successful). My major complaint is that it's only available for season ticket holders and regular people can't buy tickets here. I'm not going to go so far as to say that it should be an all-fan access area, but they should set aside a certain amount of tickets for regular fans to splurge on these. Erik and I have shifted our preferred sitting area slowly over the years from nosebleeds and bleachers to first level and premium clubs like this one, and it is a fantastic intimate way to experience a ballpark that you might only go to once in your life or very occasionally. The Twins and now the Brewers are the only parks I can think of where only season ticket holders have access to their home plate clubs. If they are going to use taxpayer dollars to fund this thing, then all taxpayers should have a chance to enjoy it. I know a lot of season ticket holders are also complaining about basically either being forced into this option at double the cost or to change their seats they've had for 25 years, so I'm sure many everyday fans would welcome the chance to tap in and experience this club once in awhile.
The 2027 schedule was released during the All-Star Break and as of now it looks like the Brewers' home opener aligns with Easter weekend, so if by some miracle we don't have a lockout that impacts games, I hope to be able to find reasonable tickets on a third-party site for Opening Day.
touch with baseball when his childhood heroes Robin Yount, Paul Molitor, and Jim Gantner retired but the Great Home Run Chase of 1998 reignited his passion. As a student at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Erik became involved with the campus chapter of Habitat for Humanity. With this group Erik traveled to Portland, OR and Baltimore, MD to work on construction projects and help the group raise $25,000 to partially sponsor a house in Milwaukee. Also at UWM, Erik met Peter Nagel. The two attended their first Brewers game together during Opening Weekend 2003. Despite their failure to ignite the coals at their first tailgate, the two had a blast and were soon making weekly trips to the ballpark. Erik has gone on to several colleges and changed careers several times, and has moved all the way out to New Hampshire, but has always stayed true to his baseball roots by holding part-time stadium usher jobs. To this day he looks back fondly on his incredible cross-country journey.
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