On Friday night, an event that many Milwaukee Brewers fans never thought would ever take place is happening at American Family Field. For the first time in 44 years, their favorite team, which has endured so much heartbreak over the last several seasons, will host Game One of the World Series. They will be facing their former ace, Freddy Peralta, and the Tampa Bay Rays.
Ever since the Brewers clinched their first ever National League pennant, fans have thought about the long and difficult journey the franchise took to get to this point. Back in 1982, Milwaukee’s team had five future Hall of Famers on the roster, and looked like a team that could compete for multiple titles. Unfortunately, their loss to the St. Louis Cardinals was the only World Series appearance for the organization up until this year.
And the most beloved player in franchise history, Robin Yount, is ready for the 2026 team to do what he and his teammates could not: win it all.
Robin Yount discusses what the World Series means to the 1982 Milwaukee Brewers
Back in 1982, Yount was the AL MVP, finishing with a batting line of .331/.379/.578 with 29 home runs and 114 RBI. He also won the Gold Glove and Silver Slugger at shortstop.
That Milwaukee team also boasted the AL Cy Young Award winner Pete Vuckovich, as well as the 1981 AL MVP and Cy Young in Rollie Fingers. Additionally, the Brewers had future Hall of Famers Paul Molitor, Ted Simmons, and Don Sutton on the roster.
As any fan who has seen the “Just a Bit Outside” documentary about the 1982 Brewers, the fact that they did not win the World Series that year is a burden that each and every player on the roster has carried with them ever since.
Yount told Bob Nightengale of USA Today that this year’s team has given himself and his old teammates a great deal of hope.
“When we lost in ’82, we all thought we’d be back to the World Series the next year,” Yount told him. “It took us 44 years. So when we won in LA, let’s just say I may have overserved myself a little bit. I guarantee you that every guy on that ’82 team was watching and celebrating, too.
“We still believe we have some unfinished business to take care of. It’d be a huge relief to win this now with all of us still around to see it.”
Yount and former Brewers owner Bud Selig will throw out the first pitch of Game One. Molitor will throw out the first pitch in Game Two.
More than anything, though, the Brewers great wants this year’s team to win the World Series, not for him and his old teammates, but for the city of Milwaukee and the state of Wisconsin.
“The fans, not just in Milwaukee, but the entire state of Wisconsin, they are all starving for this. They have as much passion as any fanbase in baseball. The city, all of Wisconsin, nobody’s missing this. The TV ratings won’t be low in Wisconsin, I guarantee you that.”
The two-time AL MVP admitted to Nightengale that there was a time later in his career that he considered leaving the Brewers. He wanted another taste of the World Series. Even though he never made it back as a player (he won the 2001 World Series as the first base coach of the Arizona Diamondbacks), he does not regret his decision to stay.
“The only time I considered leaving is after that one taste of the World Series. That’s what motivated me, to have that shot again.
“But Mr. Selig was a car salesman before he bought the Brewers, and he did a pretty good sales job keeping me there. But you know something, he was absolutely right.
“If I had left, it would have been the biggest mistake I made in my career.”
Brewers fans are sure glad he stayed, and they are even happier right now to share this moment with him.
More Milwaukee Brewers news from Wisconsin Sports Heroics
- Brandon Woodruff sends powerful message about Brewers’ World Series dream
- [Watch]: Brandon Woodruff throws simulated game against live hitters
- Freddy Peralta wins ALCS MVP as he leads Rays to World Series vs former team
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