| The Milwaukee Brewers are a Major League | | | | team on the West Coast also would balance out |
| Baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. | | | | the addition of Kansas City. Also, there was |
| They are in the Central Division of the | | | | no real competition from other pro teams. |
| National League. The Brewers were part of the | | | | While Seattle had just landed the NBA's |
| American League from their creation as an | | | | SuperSonics, the NBA was not in the same |
| expansion club in 1969 through the 1997 | | | | class as baseball was in terms of popularity |
| season, after which they switched to the | | | | at the time. |
| National League. | | | | |
| | | | The front man for the franchise was Dewey |
| The team has been nicknamed "The True Blue | | | | Soriano, a former Rainiers pitcher and |
| Brew Crew," "The Brew Crew" or even simply | | | | general manager and former president of the |
| "The Crew." | | | | PCL. In an ominous sign of things to come, |
| | | | Soriano had to ask William Daley, who had |
| Franchise history | | | | owned the Indians at the time they flirted |
| | | | with Seattle, to furnish much of the |
| 1966-69: No longer "Home of the Braves" | | | | expansion fee. In return, Daley bought 47 |
| | | | percent of the stock--the largest stake in |
| In an effort to prevent the relocation of the | | | | the club. He became chairman of the board |
| Milwaukee Braves to a larger television | | | | while Soriano served as president. |
| market, Braves minority owner Bud Selig, a | | | | |
| Milwaukee-area car dealer, formed an | | | | However, a couple of factors were beyond the |
| organization named "Teams Inc." devoted to | | | | Pilots' control. They were originally not set |
| local control of the club. He successfully | | | | to start play until 1971. But the date was |
| prevented the majority owners of the Braves | | | | moved up to 1969 under pressure from Sen. |
| from moving the club in 1964 but was unable | | | | Stuart Symington of Missouri. Professional |
| to do more than delay the inevitable. The | | | | baseball had been played in Kansas City in |
| Braves relocated to Atlanta after the 1965 | | | | one form or another from the 1880s until the |
| season, and Teams Inc. turned its focus to | | | | A's left for Oakland after the 1967 season, |
| returning Major League Baseball to Milwaukee. | | | | and the prospect of having Kansas City wait |
| | | | three years for its return was not acceptable |
| Selig doggedly pursued this goal, attending | | | | to Symington. Also, the Pilots had to pay the |
| owners meetings in the hopes of securing an | | | | PCL $1 million to compensate for the loss of |
| expansion franchise. Selig changed the name | | | | one of its most successful franchises. After |
| of his group to "Milwaukee Brewers Baseball | | | | King County voters approved a bond for a |
| Club Inc.". The "Brewers" name, honoring | | | | domed stadium (what would become the |
| Milwaukee's beer-brewing tradition, also was | | | | Kingdome) in 1968, the Seattle Pilots were |
| traditional for Milwaukee baseball teams | | | | officially born. California Angels executive |
| going back into the 19th century. The city | | | | Marvin Milkes was hired as general manager, |
| had hosted a major league team by that name | | | | and St. Louis Cardinals coach Joe Schultz |
| in 1901, which relocated at the end of that | | | | became manager. |
| season to became the St. Louis Browns (now | | | | |
| the Baltimore Orioles). From 1902 through | | | | To the surprise of no one outside Seattle |
| 1952, a minor league Milwaukee Brewers club | | | | (Schultz and Milkes actually thought they |
| in the American Association had been so | | | | could finish third in the newly formed AL |
| successful that it lured the Braves from | | | | West), the Pilots were terrible. They won |
| Boston. Selig himself had grown up watching | | | | their very first game, and then their home |
| that minor league team at Borchert Field and | | | | opener three days later, but only won five |
| intended his new franchise to follow in that | | | | more times in the first month and never |
| tradition. | | | | recovered. They finished last in the West |
| | | | with a record of 64-98, 33 games out of |
| To demonstrate there still was support for | | | | first. |
| big-league ball in Milwaukee, Selig's group | | | | |
| contracted with Chicago White Sox owner | | | | However, the team's poor play was the least |
| Arthur Allyn to host nine White Sox home | | | | of its troubles. The most obvious problem was |
| games at Milwaukee County Stadium in 1968. A | | | | Sick's Stadium. The longtime home of the |
| 1967 exhibition game between the White Sox | | | | Pacific Coast League Seattle Rainiers, it had |
| and Minnesota Twins had attracted more than | | | | been considered one of the best ballparks in |
| 51,000 spectators, and Selig was convinced | | | | minor league baseball. By the 1960s, however, |
| the strong Milwaukee fan base would | | | | it was considered far behind the times. While |
| demonstrate the city would provide a good | | | | a condition of MLB awarding the Pilots to |
| home for a new club. | | | | Seattle was that Sick's had to be expanded to |
| | | | 30,000 seats by the start of the 1969 season, |
| The experiment was staggeringly successful - | | | | only 17,000 seats were ready due to numerous |
| those nine games drew 264,297 fans. In | | | | delays. The scoreboard wasn't even ready |
| Chicago that season, the Sox drew 539,478 | | | | until the eve of opening day. While it was |
| fans to their remaining 58 home games. In | | | | expanded to 25,000 by June, the added seats |
| just a handful of games, the Milwaukee crowds | | | | had obstructed views. Water pressure was |
| accounted for nearly one-third of the total | | | | almost nonexistent after the seventh inning, |
| attendance at White Sox games. In light of | | | | especially with crowds above 10,000. |
| this success, Selig and Allyn agreed County | | | | Attendance was so poor (678,000) that the |
| Stadium would host Sox home games again the | | | | Pilots were almost out of money by the end of |
| next season. | | | | the season. The team's new stadium was slated |
| | | | to be built at the Seattle Center, but a |
| In 1969, the Sox schedule in Milwaukee was | | | | petition by stadium opponents ground the |
| expanded to include 11 home games (one | | | | project to a halt. |
| against every other franchise in the American | | | | |
| League at the time). Although those games | | | | During the offseason, Soriano crossed paths |
| were attended by slightly fewer fans (198,211 | | | | with Selig. They met in secret for over a |
| fans, for an average of 18,019) they | | | | month after the end of the season, and during |
| represented a greater percentage of the total | | | | Game 1 of the World Series, Soriano agreed to |
| White Sox attendance than the previous year - | | | | sell the Pilots to Selig for $10 million to |
| over one-third of the fans who went to Sox | | | | $13 million (depending on the source). Selig |
| home games in 1969 did so at County Stadium | | | | would then move the team to Milwaukee and |
| (in the remaining 59 home dates in Chicago, | | | | rename it the Brewers. However, the owners |
| the Sox drew 391,335 for an average of 6,632 | | | | turned it down in the face of pressure from |
| per game). Selig felt this fan support lent | | | | Washington's two senators, Warren Magnuson |
| legitimacy to his quest for a Milwaukee | | | | and Scoop Jackson, as well as state attorney |
| franchise, and he went into the 1968 owners | | | | general Slade Gorton. MLB asked Soriano and |
| meetings with high hopes. | | | | Daley to find a local buyer. Local theater |
| | | | chain owner Fred Danz came forward in October |
| Those hopes were dashed when National League | | | | 1969 with a $10 million deal, but it fizzled |
| franchises were awarded to San Diego (the | | | | when the Bank of California called in a $4 |
| Padres) and Montreal (the Expos), and | | | | million loan it had made to Soriano and Daley |
| American League franchises were awarded to | | | | for startup costs. In January 1970, Westin |
| Kansas City (the Royals) and Seattle (the | | | | Hotels owner Eddie Carlson put together a |
| Pilots). That last franchise, however, would | | | | nonprofit group to buy the team. However, the |
| figure very prominently in Selig's future. | | | | owners rejected the idea almost out of hand |
| | | | since it would have devalued the other clubs' |
| Having failed to gain a major league | | | | worth. A more traditional deal came one vote |
| franchise for Milwaukee through expansion, | | | | short of approval. |
| Selig turned his efforts to purchasing and | | | | |
| relocating an existing club. His search began | | | | After a winter and spring full of court |
| close to home, with the White Sox themselves. | | | | action, the Pilots reported for spring |
| According to Selig, he had a handshake | | | | training under new manager Dave Bristol |
| agreement with Allyn to purchase the Pale | | | | unsure of where they would play. The owners |
| Hose and move them north. The American | | | | had given tentative approval to the Milwaukee |
| League, unwilling to surrender Chicago to the | | | | group, but the state of Washington got an |
| National League, vetoed the sale, and Allyn | | | | injunction on March 17 to stop the deal. |
| sold the franchise to his brother John. | | | | Soriano immediately filed for bankruptcy - a |
| | | | move intended to forestall any post-sale |
| Frustrated in these efforts, Selig shifted | | | | legal action. At the bankruptcy hearing a |
| his focus to another American League team, | | | | week later, Milkes testified there wasn't |
| the expansion Seattle Pilots. | | | | enough money to pay the coaches, players and |
| | | | office staff. Had Milkes been more than 10 |
| 1969-70: Roots in Seattle | | | | days late in paying the players, they would |
| | | | have all become free agents and left Seattle |
| Seattle initially had a lot going for it when | | | | without a team for the 1970 season. With this |
| it joined the American League in 1969. | | | | in mind, Federal Bankruptcy Referee Sidney |
| Seattle had long been a hotbed for minor | | | | Volinn declared the Pilots bankrupt on April |
| league baseball and was home to the Seattle | | | | 1 - six days before Opening Day - clearing |
| Rainiers, one of the pillars of the Pacific | | | | the way for them to move to Milwaukee. The |
| Coast League. The Cleveland Indians had | | | | team's equipment had been sitting in Provo, |
| almost moved to Seattle in 1965. Many of the | | | | Utah with the drivers awaiting word on |
| same things that attracted the Indians made | | | | whether to drive toward Seattle or Milwaukee. |
| Seattle a plum choice for an expansion team. | | | | |
| Seattle was the third-biggest metropolitan | | | | Much of the story of the Seattle Pilots' only |
| area on the West Coast (behind Los Angeles | | | | year in existence is told in Jim Bouton's |
| and the Bay Area). The addition of a third | | | | classic baseball book, Ball Four. |