2024 Baseball Trip to Milwaukee
On a Sunday in early May I went to see my favorite team, the St. Louis Cardinals, play the Milwaukee Brewers. I took the Hiawatha Amtrak Service from Union Station to the downtown Milwaukee Intermodal Station. During the game, I met up with good friend/Brewer fan, Jeremy Schmidt.
Back in 2018, I invited Jeremy to be my guest at the play-in game between the Brewers and Cubs at Wrigley Field. Much to Jeremy’s delight, the Brewers beat the Cubs relegating them to a wild card team. Since that game, he has been very grateful for being there to witness this memorable victory.
By the end of our visit, Jeremy offered me tickets to an upcoming Cubs - Brewers game. I was hesitant to go to Milwaukee in the middle of the week for just one game. The solution to this quandary quickly becomes evident. I would stay up in Milwaukee for 3 days and see the whole series. On my way back to the train I made my reservations at the Doubletree Hotel near the train station. My travel plans were complete.
On May 28 I made my way back to Union Station to depart for Milwaukee and see the following 3-game series:
Tuesday, May 28th: Chicago Cubs vs. Milwaukee Brewers
Wednesday, May 29th: Chicago Cubs vs. Milwaukee Brewers
Thursday, May 30th: Chicago Cubs vs. Milwaukee Brewers
Below you will find commentary on the above games, the initial Cardinals game, and observations about my non-baseball activities.
A New Mode of Transportation to Brewers Ballpark
This would be my 1st extended stay in Milwaukee since Covid. I soon found out that the Ballpark Express Bus to the games was no longer offered. The express bus would drop you off near the park and zip through traffic in an express lane to make a quick entrance and exit. The route was on the same street as the Doubletree hotel (Wisconsin Avenue).
As an alternative, the Milwaukee Transit System created an express bus service (CONNECT 1) along Wisconsin Avenue with fewer stops and much faster. However, this service did not let you off at the ballpark. The closest stop was about 6 blocks from the park. To my delight, I found the walk to be an architectural adventure through the Story Hill neighborhood.
Story Hill got its name from the Story brothers that had a quarry located in the Brewer’s north parking lot. The brothers decided to build homes for themselves near the quarry on a hill. Soon they were in the construction business and building many homes during the 1910’s and 1920’s. Each of the houses has a unique Old World architectural charm with one common feature, an exterior of stone.
Cardinals vs Brewers – May 12, 2024
The Cardinals avoided a series sweep by squeaking out a 4-3 win against the Brew Crew. Cardinals starter Miles Mikolas settled down after giving up 3 runs in the 1st for the victory. Paul Goldschmidt supplied most of the offense with HR and 2 RBI’s. Rookie centerfielder Michael Siani delivered the decisive blow with an RBI double in the 7th.
Cubs vs Brewers – May 28, 2024
I did not use CONNECT 1 to get to this game. American Family Field (no longer Miller Park) has a retractable roof; so,you did not have to worry about the heavy rain. But walking down Story Hill in a torrential downpour was out of the question. A $19 Lyft ride got me to park dry and was well worth the price. Once inside I got a magnetic schedule, brat, and beer. I was ready for the game.
This game featured 2 excellent pitching performances. Brewers starter Freddy Peralta went 5 2/3 innings giving up 3 hits and 1 run while striking out 11. Cubs rookie starter Ben Brown pitched 7 no-hit scoreless innings while striking out 10. The Cubs defense stepped up when centerfielder Cody Bellinger leaped above the CF wall and robbed Willy Adames of a HR in the 7th inning. The miraculous catch preserved Brown’s no-hit performance and the 1-0 Cubs lead.
However, the Cubs were unable to hold onto the slim lead when Willy Adames singled in a run with 2 outs in the 9th. The Cubs scored 5 runs in the 10th and held on for an extra-inning 6-3 win.
Cubs vs Brewers – May 29, 2024
With plenty of time before the night game, I used Milwaukee’s 2 ½ mile streetcar line called “The Hop” to visit a couple of my usual haunts. I went to my favorite Milwaukee bookstore, Downtown Books, an old store stuffed with books well organized from floor to ceiling. I jumped back on the Hop and made a short 2-stop ride to the Historic Third Ward for a beer at Broken Bat Brewery. The bar in the brewery has a unique, welcoming atmosphere which attracts baseball enthusiasts and has a diverse assortment of craft beers. Adjacent to the Brewery is an enclosed wiffleball field where league play takes place throughout the year. The field can also be rented on an hourly basis.
After the beer, I made my way back to the hotel and was soon going to the game by way of CONNECT 1. The Brewers scored 7 runs in 3 innings off the Cubs’ best starter Shota Imanaga to derail his incredible season start and put a dent in his league-leading ERA. The Brewers broke out with 4 HR’s by Christian Yelich, Broderick Perkins, Willie Adames and Gary Sanchez. The Brewers went on to win 10-6.
Cubs vs Brewers – May 30, 2024
In an afternoon contest that featured 4 lead changes, the Brewers prevailed 6-4. In the 7th inning, pinch hitter Seiya Suzuki slammed a 2-run homer to put the Cubs ahead. However, the Brewers countered with a 2-run homer by catcher Gary Sanchez in the 8th inning to finish the scoring. The 2 ½ hour game give me plenty of time to make my 5.45 PM train back to Chicago. On the way back up Story Hill, I took some time to look at the some of the stone houses.
I finished my Milwaukee stay with stops at Stone Creek, a local coffee roastery for a bag of their coffee and the Emporium Brewpub, both near the train station. I found my train ride home to be nice and quiet. The Cubs fans on board were in no mood to be boisterous after losing 3 of 4 to the Brewers.