Thousands to fill Miller Park for Brewers Opening Day: Excitement palpable for sold out game
MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- Monday, April 6th marks the official start to the Milwaukee Brewers season! The Brewers face the Colorado Rockies at Miller Park for Opening Day -- and among baseball fans, the excitement is palpable. Thousands are expected at Miller Park Monday for the sold out Opening Day.
The finishing touches have been put on the field at Miller Park.
"We`re pretty happy. All in all, my staff has been working incredibly hard. I`ve got a great staff that works with me," Brewers Director of Grounds Michael Boettcher said.
The Brewers grounds crews have been busy for weeks, getting the field in tip-top shape.
"It`s been great. Mother Nature has really given us a little reprieve this year from the winter we had," Boettcher said.
For the hungry Brewers fans, there are new food options this year -- including brat-chos -- a bowl of chips with sausage and cheese, sour cream and salsa, topped with sauerkraut.
"It`s just a great Wisconsin meal in a bucket with all the different fun stuff in it. I think that one is going to be a big hit for us at the stadium," Jamie Hodgson with Delaware North Sportservice said.
The party starts in the parking lot at Miller Park, where thousands will enjoy their first tailgate of the season. The park opens at 10:40 a.m. Brewers officials advise fans to get to Miller Park early, because there are new security procedures in place.
"We did some of it last year, sort of a test run, and it went pretty well," Brewers COO Rick Schlessinger said.
It is mandated by Major League Baseball that every stadium has metal detectors and wand screening for every game.
"I think we have a great system in place. We have very professionally trained staff in security to make sure this process goes as smooth as possible," Schlessinger said.
These security measures are an effort to ensure everyone has an enjoyable experience at Miller Park.
Meanwhile, crews at Kelly's Bleachers on Bluemound Road are gearing up for a busy Monday. They'll host Brewers and Badgers fans -- first for Opening Day, and later for the NCAA Tournament championship game.
"It's a double-edged sword because it's going to be busy already. We'll just have to play it by ear and see. There's going to be disappointed people because once we're at capacity, we can't let anybody into our building. Hopefully (the Badgers) can knock off Duke tomorrow and that would be a fun day," Patrick Guenther said.
The Brewers vs. Rockies Opening Day matchup is set to begin at 1:10 p.m.
The Brewers then face the Rockies Tuesday evening (7:10 p.m.) and Wednesday evening (7:10 p.m.)
The Brewers take on the Pittsburgh Pirates this weekend -- with evening games Friday and Saturday and an afternoon game Sunday.