Baseball is unique in its ability to transform events into myth and personalities into legend. While this book was always intended to recapture the tremendous story of the Milwaukee Braves with the voices of those who experienced it firsthand, it has become a victim of time. Unfortunately, many of those personalities who were present nearly fifty years ago are no longer with us, or they have forgotten specific names, dates, and statistics. So whatever baseball mistakes are in this book—and I’m sure some meticulous baseball lover will uncover them—please understand that they do not represent malicious attempts to mislead or misrepresent.
Everything that baseball embodies—good and bad—transpired in Milwaukee during the Braves era. Thanks to the dedicated efforts of Bob Buege’s self-published book Milwaukee Braves: A Baseball Eulogy, the legacy has been preserved. Growing up in suburban Milwaukee, I was familiar with the headline-grabbing exploits of Henry Aaron, Eddie Mathews, and Warren Spahn, but I knew little about the drama and nuances of the team’s legacy in Milwaukee. During the summer of 1988, the Milwaukee Braves era was a part of my consciousness much as Lombardi’s Green Bay Packers: “If you think the Brewers and Packers are good today, you should’ve seen them when… ,” I was constantly reminded. But it wasn’t until I picked up Bob’s book that summer that I truly began to understand the Braves’ accomplishments in Milwaukee. His extensively detailed research weaves an intriguing tale of baseball at its finest and darkest. From individual game highlights at County Stadium to courtroom battles, his book is the quintessential Milwaukee Braves encyclopedia. Because that book was my inspiration for this one, I’m honored to call him a friend, and I truly valued his historical consultation and grammar guidance during the manuscript’s metamorphosis.
In addition to Bob, a group of dedicated men and women deserve to be recognized for their intangible contributions toward this book. Gary Caruso and his book The Braves Encyclopedia were invaluable. As the editor and publisher of ChopTalk, the official magazine of the Atlanta Braves, Gary has dedicated his career to preserving the comprehensive history of the franchise, including the Milwaukee years, in his monthly columns and articles.
While absorbing as much Milwaukee Braves knowledge as my dried sponge of a brain would allow, I had the pleasure of making numerous friends and acquaintances during my research, many of whom I met through the Milwaukee Braves Historical Association (MBHA). The moment I contacted former Milwaukee Sentinel sports editor Bud Lea about my intentions to write a book about the Braves, he welcomed me into the group as one of its own. Thanks to the MBHA, I now look forward to preserving the Braves legacy alongside Johnny Logan, Tom Kaminski, Peter Salza, Tom Andrews, Bob Barry, Mike Fuss, David Klug, Bob Koehler, Mike Rodell, Rick Schabowski, Tim Urban, and numerous other members I apologize for not naming. Thanks to their generosity, I listened to wonderful stories from Gene Conley, Wes Covington, Del Crandall, Ray Crone, John DeMerit, Felix Mantilla, Taylor Phillips, Andy Pafko, Red Schoendienst, Chuck Tanner, Hawk Taylor, Carl Willey, and Henry Aaron during the MBHA’s fiftieth anniversary banquet honoring the Braves’ 1957 World Series championship.
In researching and acquiring images for use in the book, I had the pleasure of working with some wonderful people, including Robbin Barnes of the Milwaukee Brewers; Carolyn Serra at the Braves Hall of Fame and Museum; Sarah Johnson with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel; John Horne of the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown; Matt Blessing at the Marquette University archives; Michael Doylen, Tim Cary, and Ellen Engseth with the UW–Milwaukee archives; Michael Salmon at the Amateur Athletic Foundation Library; and Andy Kraushaar at the Wisconsin Historical Society Archives.
I truly believe there isn’t a better home for this book than the Wisconsin Historical Society Press. Their dedication to preserving Wisconsin’s colorful history is second to none. Thanks to the uncompromising vision of Michael Stevens, Kathy Borkowski, Diane Drexler, Kate Thompson, and Jane DeBroux, the Milwaukee Braves have become immortalized in the Society’s vast and dedicated collection of work celebrating Wisconsin history. They are just a few of the many people at the Wisconsin Historical Society who worked on the book, and I am indebted to them all. I also received generous cooperation from those who helped preserve the Milwaukee Braves legacy in a 2007 Wisconsin Hisorical Museum exhibit entitled “World Series, Wisconsin,” most notably Paul Bourcier, David Driscoll, Leslie Bellais, and John Lemke, who provided me with some valuable storytelling tools during my research.
Finally, my gratitude extends to my entire family—from Mequon to Coloma—for supporting my pursuit to capture the story of the Milwaukee Braves. My wife, Kate, graciously listened to all my ideas and discoveries during this journey while keeping the story focused and true as the manuscript’s first reader. My son, Jackson, who was just a toddler at the time, inspired me every day to become a better father; while I was writing this book we had our first catch, took our first swings with a bat, and enjoyed our first baseball game as father and son. I hope this book will inspire him to preserve the legacy of the Milwaukee Braves for future generations.