The Rev. Edward Looney wasn’t going to let a little thing like an away game in Florida stop him from staying on the Milwaukee Brewers bandwagon.
After snagging a ticket for Game 1 in Milwaukee, the priest from Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Shawano traveled to St. Petersburg to catch Games 3 and 4 of the World Series at Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays.
“I’m all about experiences. It was always my intent to go to Florida,” he said. “It was just going to be the one game, but then I thought I’d stay for the sweep.”
When the Rays won Game 4, Looney said he had to return to Shawano.
“I saw two great games there,” he said. “I saw them score the 10 runs. Everybody in the stands was so happy. An older gentleman next to me had tears in his eyes.”
The 12-inning Game 4 was a series of highs and lows. The home run in the top of the 12th inning was exciting, but then came the deflating experience in the bottom of the inning.
Looney doesn’t call himself a lifelong die-hard fan, but he expects to attend a few home games during the regular season next year.
For Shawano’s Jim Leuenberger, watching Game 2 of the World Series with his sons at American Family Field was the great way to spend his 80th birthday.
His son, Jeff, bought him a ticket for his birthday. The two watched the game together. His other son Jeremy, watched from the Deer District in downtown Milwaukee.
“I’ve been to a lot of Brewer games over the years, but this one was like no other,” he said. “The crowd was just electric. Before the game, we went to a bar for something to eat. People were high-fiving each other and lots of hollering, ‘Go Brewers!’ It was so much fun.”
Leuenberger sat in the fourth level behind home plate.
Not only has he witnessed plenty of Brewers games, he was at a couple of the games in Milwaukee when the Brewers lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1982.
“I went to two game in the 1982 World Series, Games 4 and 5. We won both to go 3-2, but then we went back to St. Louis and lost them both,” he said. “That was the last time I cried over a baseball game.”
The sale of Brewers merchandise is at historic levels.
“I bought a hat, and I already have three jerseys,” Leuenberger said. “I’m (getting) the World Champions merchandise now.”
James Habeck, a former circuit court judge in Shawano and Menominee counties, was also at Game 2 in Milwaukee.
“I was at last year’s Divisional Series against the Dodgers and the Wild Card Series 15 years ago against St. Louis,” he said. “It’s a new experience.
“It was pretty amazing. We were down 4-0 just like the last game against Los Angeles in the Divisional Series. They never gave up.”
Habeck has a knack for being at the big games.
He attended Wisconsin’s first Rose Bowl win on Jan. 1, 1994, a 21-16 victory over UCLA. He was also at Super Bowl XXXI when Green Bay defeated New England 35-21.
Habeck has been a fan of the Brewers since they moved to Milwaukee from Seattle in April 1970.
“I was in high school then, and I’ve been following them since that time,” he said.
He compared the victory in that Game 2 to the Rose Bowl he attended.
“Both were exciting and came down to the last minutes,” he said. “In the Rose Bowl, Wisconsin was leading by 5 at the end. In the World Series, the Rays had a man on third before the final out.”
From his stadium seat in Florida, Looney declared Oct. 27 to be Brewers Spirit Day at Sacred Heart Catholic School.
With more than 70% of the school participating, students from 3K through eighth grade, along with teachers and staff, wore Milwaukee Brewers apparel and team colors, transforming the school into a sea of blue and gold.
The celebration was about more than baseball, officials said. It was an opportunity to bring the school community together through teamwork, unity, school spirit and a shared love for Wisconsin’s home team.
At Sacred Heart Catholic School, students are encouraged to recognize the importance of teamwork, perseverance, good sportsmanship and supporting one another. These values extend far beyond the classroom and are reflected in the dedication and determination of athletes who work together toward a common goal.
Brewers Spirit Day provided a fun and meaningful opportunity to remind students that being part of a team means encouraging others, celebrating successes, remaining faithful through challenges and never giving up.
The celebration was also a reminder of the pride that comes from supporting Wisconsin teams and the special connections that sports can create across generations and communities.
kpasson@newmedia-wi.com
Shawano area residents chant “Go Brewers!” while watching Game 4 of the World Series at the VFW in Shawano. (Greg Mellis | NEW Media)
The Milwaukee Brewers Racing Sausages made their Lambeau Field debut Oct. 29 during the Green Bay Packers vs. Carolina Panthers game. (Greg Mellis | NEW Media)
