Take me out to the ballpark Page 4
WONDERS OF WALWORTH COUNTY
SPRING 2018
Diehard Brewers fan excited about 2018
H
e works as a to keep up with the players BY Todd Mishler ringmaster and and watch every game I can. COPY EDITOR performer and Keeping up with the team makes helps with sound/ me feel like I’m part of it.” lights at Circus World So, like the team’s other faithful Museum in Baraboo from brethren, he endured the roller coaster mid-May through mid-September. rides of teams that featured such sluggers Fun is the name of the game, but as Richie Sexson, Bill Hall and Geoff Robert Trader doesn’t clown around when Jenkins and pitcher Ben Sheets. it comes to baseball — he’s a serious He’s also enjoyed the highs of Milwaukee Brewers fan. watching guys such as C.C. Sabathia, Needless to say, he and thousands of Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder as the supporters from southeastern Wisconsin Brewers qualified for the postseason have endured many more downs than ups for the first time in 26 years in 2008 while riding the franchise’s bandwagon and reached the National League since it moved to Beertown in 1970 after Championship Series in 2011, falling one season in Seattle as the Pilots. short of their second trip to the World However, most of them, including Series (1982). Trader, are giddy about what this year’s “I grew attached to those players … squad could accomplish starting March 29 it was an exciting time to be a Brewers’ with its season opener in San Diego. fan,” Trader said. “They won the first “I think the team will do well and game of that 2011 NLCS, and I got to go contend for a playoff spot,” said Trader, to Game 2. And even though St. Louis 29, an East Troy resident. “Lorenzo Cain blew them out (12-3) and went on to the and Christian Yelich are great outfielders World Series, the Brewers were relevant offensively and defensively, so I like both again for the first time in a long time.” of those offseason pickups.” Despite that defeat, the experience Skipper Craig Counsell’s bunch battled stands out for Trader, who also works at for a National League wild-card spot last Edgewood Greenhouses in Mukwonago. year, but the big question remains whether “I went to the Packers’ playoff win General Manager David Stearns can keep over the (New York) Giants,” he said of them a contender. Green Bay’s 38-13 victory at Lambeau The Brewers finished with losing Field in January 2017. “That Hail Mary records 13 times in 15 years from 1990 pass from Aaron Rodgers (to Randall through 2004. But they’ve performed Cobb) was just incredible. The place went much better after losing 94 or more nuts. I was in the opposite end zone, so it games, including a team worst 106, the was kind of a ripple effect because fans at final four seasons of that span. my end had to process what happened for Milwaukee has finished at .500 or two or three seconds. Then we went out of better seven times since 2005, including our minds … it was crazy. two playoff appearances. “But even though the Brewers lost that Trader follows and cheers for the other second game in 2011, it was a really cool pro sports teams in Wisconsin — Packers, experience,” he added for perspective. Badgers and Bucks — but his heart “I never could have imagined a stadium belongs to the Brewers and America’s being that energized. It was just electric.” pastime. Trader possesses a lot of team apparel, “I think I was 7 years old when my but he’s not a big-time collector of mom and dad took me to my first game Brewers memorabilia. at County Stadium in the mid-1990s,” “I have a couple of bobbleheads, but Trader said. “Our seats were down the for me the fun is going to as many games left-field line and only four or five rows as possible,” he said. “I don’t keep a back, so you could see all the players.” scorebook, but I really pay attention to One of them, the talented and versatile what’s going on and like watching the B.J. Surhoff, quickly became his favorite games. Football fits so well with TV, but player. with baseball you pretty much just see the “I grew up knowing names like (Robin) pitcher and batter. But when you go to a Yount, (Paul) Molitor and (Jim) Gantner, game, you also get to see what the other but I wasn’t around for those awesome eight players on the field are doing … teams of the 1980s,” Trader said. their positioning, they’re talking to each “They didn’t have very good teams in other. It’s fascinating to me. the ’90s and early 2000s, but I continued “If the game gets out of hand, then
• Local history
SUBMITTED PHOTO Wonders of Walworth County
From the left: Laura Brandt, of Elkhorn, an avid Chicago Cubs supporter, attends a Milwaukee Brewers game at Miller Park last season with her good friends and big-time Brewers fans Robert Trader and Tim West, of East Troy.
maybe I won’t pay so much attention. But it’s always a good time … I have a couple of beers and eat brats and nachos. “But the Brewers do a great job with all of the activities between innings, like the sausage races and playing ‘Roll Out the Barrel.’ And I have fond memories of tailgating with all of my cousins and other
family members.” And he’s hoping to add several more during the 2018 season. “I think this could be a great year,” Trader said. “They have a lot of talent, and I like the moves they’ve made. I believe they really can make a push for the postseason.”
Once five or so interviews are completed, Robinson said he will begin uploading and cataloging them with hopes of having the first batch of recordings available to the public early this summer at the library. “I also hope to catalog information by topic and date ranges to help narrow down subjects of interest,” Robinson said. Robinson and Blackmer said the project is important.
“We feel strongly it’s an important project, we have the perfect partner with the historical society and it’s good use of the library’s time,” Robinson said. Those interested in volunteering for the project or who may have recommendations on people that can be approached as possible interviewees are asked to contact Robinson at 262-723-9142 or crobinson@ elkhorn.lib.wi.us, or Blackmer at blackmerpa@aol.com.
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There will not be any editing other than to splice the recordings together if more than one is needed for any of the guests. There is a request for people with stories about local history to come forward if they’re willing to be recorded. “From the county fair to people who held an office, lawyers, judges and school teachers, the list of possibilities is endless. We are looking for volunteers and are leaning toward recording the earliest
history first, if possible,” Robinson said. “And we hope to record an equal amount of men and women, “ Blackmer added. They also said nothing is trivial and are interested in hearing stories about sports, agriculture and farming, criminal history, fires and even local family stories worth sharing. Participants are required to sign a legal release form basically stating the recording is for public use.