'Opening Day in Milwaukee' dives into the past 53 Brewers home openers

WUWM 89.7 FM | By Mallory Cheng

Published April 3, 2023 at 12:56 PM CDT

The 1982 Milwaukee Brewers line up before a game.

April 7, 1970: The Milwaukee Brewers stand for their first ever home opener at Milwaukee County Stadium.

The smell of fresh popcorn and charcoal grills are filling the air around American Family Field for the Milwaukee Brewers’ home opener on April 3, 2023. It’s a time of year that’s filled with anticipation and optimism for the upcoming season.

And with the new, also brings a nostalgia of the past. Milwaukee author and historian Matthew Prigge looks at the Brew Crews’ past 53 home openers in his latest book, Opening Day in Milwaukee. The book starts with the Brewers' first home opener on April 7, 1970 all the way to April 14, 2022, also known as Milwaukee's 414 Day.

Prigge wanted to tell Brewers' history from the beginning of the season, rather than focus on the end of one. He says, "It's usually the one day on the schedule where people are going to be paying attention. And everybody's gonna have their their focus on the Brewers."

This time of year is especially special for Prigge, who attended over 28 Brewers home openers with his dad. "I went to my first home opener in 1992 when I was 10. And that was an annual tradition for me and my dad," he recounts. "We went every year for 28 years. So I’ve got a very, like a lot of fans, a good emotional connection to the game."

Matthew Prigge's 'Opening Day in Milwaukee' recounts past 53 the Milwaukee Brewers' home starters.

The last home opener and game Prigge attended with his dad was in 2019, and that day continues to be a treasured baseball memory for him.

"And of course that ended with Lorenzo Cain's great catch to clinch the game, to rob a home run and save a big win against the [St. Louis] Cardinals [after] coming off of the coming so close to the World Series [in 2018]."

The 2023 Major League Baseball season has been filled with major controversy with new rules, like a new pitch clock and bigger bases. Even with his extensive research of past Brewers' home openers, Prigge is hesitant to make any predictions on how the game will play out.

Regardless of the outcome, Prigge emphasizes that he will still stand behind his Brew Crew and tailgating in the parking lot. "I know it's going to be a lot of fun. And that's all I can ask for right now."

You can learn more about Matthew Prigge's book, Opening Day in Milwaukee, in this month’s issue of Milwaukee Magazine.