MILWAUKEE BREWERS

Fans flock to Brewers box office for first tickets

Jacob Carpenter
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Christopher Witt (yellow shirt) and Christopher Arndt, both from West Bend, were among a few hundred fans who turned out at Miller Park on Saturday to buy their single-game tickets for the Milwaukee Brewers' 2017 season.  With temperatures well-above February norms in the the low 50's, it was more like a late spring game day than normal.

Sure, the temperatures were warmer than usual Saturday morning at Miller Park, where individual tickets went on sale for the first time this year.

But crop-top weather?

Only one scantily clad fan, Zach Zwadzich, was willing to go that far, bearing his beer belly in a cut-off mesh Brewers jersey.

"I actually wear this every year," said Zwadzich, 32, of Madison, who was among the first in line for tickets. "I had it one year and everyone said, 'You have to bring it again.' Last year, when I came out to get my tickets, security told me I needed to take off my jacket so they could see it."

A few hundred baseball die-hards, most wearing several more layers of clothing than Zwadzich, fulfilled the annual rite of Brewers passage Saturday by showing up at the box office to buy their tickets. In an era of online ticket sales, the gathering, formerly known as the Arctic Tailgate, remains a throwback to simpler times, even if Saturday's crowd was noticeably smaller than in years past.

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Fans like Christopher Witt, also flashing some flesh in a short-sleeve Brewers jersey as temperatures neared 50 degrees, said the event marks "the unofficial start to warmer weather."

"I circled this and On Deck on my calendar weeks ago," said Witt, 39, of West Bend, referring to the annual fan fest. "I circle them like people circle birthdays."

Typical of most baseball fans, there was abundant optimism about the Brew Crew's chances this season, despite back-to-back disappointing campaigns. The success of the rival (and formerly cursed) Chicago Cubs last season has buoyed even the most persistent pessimist.

"We saw the parade that went on in October down in Chicago, and that's the right way to go," Witt said. "We've got the bats, we've got the players out in the field, now we just need some stronger arms."

Despite the sunny outlook on baseball, some fans were left blue by the Brewers' decision to scale back on the annual event.

Brewers fans line up at the Miller Park Box Office on Saturday to buy single-game tickets. With temperatures well above February norms in the low 50's, it was more like a late spring gameday than normal. Temps were in the 40s in the morning and mid-50s by the afternoon.

In years past, the franchise marketed the Arctic Tailgate and offered hot dogs, doughnuts, T-shirts, warming tents and other treats — none of which were available Saturday.

Tyler Barnes, the Brewers' vice president of communications, said the shift to online ticket sales and concerns about safety — many fans would camp out overnight in typically frigid February — led to the decision.

Green Bay resident Dennis Christenson, who awoke at 3 a.m. to get in line for his tickets, called foul on the Brewers' move.

"It feels like they're trying to get rid of us," said Christenson, 69. "Fifteen years I've been coming, ever since they started it here. It's a tradition to come here. This is the first day of the season for a real Brewers fan."