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It’s been 44 years since the Brewers went to the World Series, a fact Florida Panthers general manager Bill Zito will recall.
It might seem like a random connection.
When the Brewers were last in the Fall Classic in 1982, Zito was a bat boy for the team, NHL writer Matt Larkin revealed. Zito spent the 1981 and 1982 seasons working for Milwaukee while he was in high school.
In a past interview with Larkin, Zito discussed the impact of then-Brewers general manager Harry Dalton on his career.
“He took me under his wing,” Zito said. “It was the 1982 Brewers, who went to Game 7 of the World Series. He was so kind to me and afforded me the opportunity. I could go up to his office whenever I wanted, I could learn scouting. He took the time to explain everything to me and always encouraged me to get into the management side.”
Zito’s background in sports started long before he won back-to-back Stanley Cups with the Panthers in 2024 and 2025.
His father, William Zito Sr., played football for the University of Pittsburgh and the Steelers before the family moved to Wisconsin.
Bill Zito then played college hockey at Yale before returning to the Midwest and completing law school at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
He then spent several years as an agent before moving into team management, joining the Blue Jackets in 2013.
He was hired by the Panthers in 2020 and has been a four-time finalist for the Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award.
The Brewers are chasing their first World Series title in franchise history after sweeping the back-to-back defending champion Dodgers in the NLCS.