Spectators from all over the Midwest will come to watch the intense rivalry between the Milwaukee Brewers and the St. Louis Cardinals on this Thursday’s opening day at Miller Park.
Some are invested in tradition of tailgating and attending the game on opening day for consecutive years. Gates open two hours before the game for spectators to tailgate, and shuttles around the area will take spectators to Miller Park for the 1:10 p.m. game.
Jacob Fried, a sophomore in the College of Business Administration, said he has attended Brewers games since he was a child.
Fried said a deciding reason he chose Marquette was to be in Milwaukee for the games. He and his family have been season ticket holders for the past three or four years and they attend around 20 games a year, he said.
“Opening day has become a tradition for us,” Fried said. “We’ve gone the last four or five years.”
Fried said the opening day atmosphere is different than any other game.
“It’s awesome. It’s like a holiday — it’s a day you look forward to every year … and there’s a lot of excitement obviously now going after the season that we had last year,” Fried said. “Everyone is excited that baseball is back and they get to cheer on the Brewers this year.”
Fried said his father and uncles will be traveling from about four hours away to tailgate and that he might even miss a class or two to ensure he is able to participate in the opening day activities.
Andres Flores, a senior in the College of Engineering, said he is planning to attend opening day as well.
Flores said he went to more than 20 games last season and has high hopes that the Brewers can make it to the World Series this season.
Katie Shoemaker, a senior in the College of Health Sciences, has been going to Brewers games since she was a baby. She said baseball is important to her family and friends.
“My parents went (to opening day) for the first time last year, and they still always talk about it,” Shoemaker said. “They are going again this year and they are very, very, very excited.”
While Shoemaker has been going to games with her family and friends for years, she also went to a game freshman year as a Marquette-sponsored event.
Kajal Khatri, a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences, also went to games as a child with her friends and family. Additionally, she was able to attend games with Late Night Marquette and she won tickets to a game through Marquette University Student Government.
Emily Wells, a freshman in the College of Arts & Sciences, was able to go to a Brewers game with the Marquette Band, where she plays the clarinet.
“It was a lot of fun going with everyone and meeting new people,” Wells said.
Khatri said her favorite part of games is being able to socialize with friends and take pictures with the big glove at Miller Park. Her favorite game-time treats are cheese fries and lemonade.
Flores said she enjoys the food and beverage options at Miller Park.
“They’ve brought in local craft breweries and local restaurants to actually cater food within the stadium,” Flores said. “I think that gives them a better Milwaukee connection.”
Breweries like Third Space and Lakefront are featured at Miller Park, as well as restaurants like AJ Bombers and Zaffiro’s Pizza.
The Famous Racing Sausages are also an imperative part of game day at Miller Park.
“My favorite part of the games are the Sausage Races. My dad and I always root for the chorizo,” Wells said.
Because Miller Park is near the heart of Milwaukee — a few minutes’ drive east of Marquette’s campus — it is in a convenient location for transportation to the games.
“Those shuttle busses are so much fun. The drivers are nice. They’re always bumpin’. If you’re anywhere in Milwaukee, there’s no way you couldn’t go to a game,” Flores said.
Flores added that Miller Park is more comfortable than some other stadiums due to the roof’s ability to open or close depending on weather conditions.
“It’s nice that you never really have to worry about a game being canceled even if the weather is bad or its cold outside,” Shoemaker said. “They can still play; they can just close the roof.”
The current Miller Park stadium will be changing its name in 2021.
“I don’t think anybody is ever going to call it what they rename it to; it’s always going to be Miller Park,” Shoemaker said. “Especially when you have a team called the ‘Brewers,’ (people are) just going to keep calling it by the name of the beer company.”
