In 1888, Borchert Field was constructed in Milwaukee. Borchert Field was home to many sporting events in Milwaukee, including Green Bay Packers games and exhibition baseball games. Later in its history, it became the home of the Milwaukee Braves of the National League. The stadium would be replaced by County Stadium in 1953, but the legend of Borchet Field lives on in Milwaukee. Here, we will tell the story of some of baseball’s most famous legends who played in Milwaukee before there was even a Big League team in Wisconsin.
Babe Ruth
In an effort to earn a living in the off-season (player contracts were not as lucrative as they are today), Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig staged exhibition games. The Bustin Babes faced off against the Larrupin’ Lous at Milwaukee’s Borchert Field. The Milwaukee Historical Society has a framed picture of Babe Ruth tossing warm ups in Milwaukee in 1928.
The Founder of the American League
George McBride may not be a name familiar to most Milwaukee baseball fans. This should change. McBride was a founding member of the 1901 Milwaukee Brewers, who played at Borchert Field. In addition, McBride helped found the American League. He would continue to return to Milwaukee as part of Babe Ruth’s barnstorming teams. He brought with him many of his teammates and players (after becoming a coach) to play in front of baseball-starved Milwaukee fans.
McBride is the man wearing the Detroit Tigers sweater. The man on the left is baseball Hall of Famer, Al Simmons. Simmons, too, was one of the many legends to play at the local field in Milwaukee. For Simmons, playing at Borchert Field was a homecoming of sorts. “The Duke of Mitchell Street” got his nickname from the street on which he grew up: right in downtown Milwaukee.
Other Icons of Early Baseball
The American Association baseball league played many games in Milwaukee. Many players who played in this organization went on to have Hall of Fame careers in Major League Baseball. In addition, Negro League baseball teams played against the Milwaukee Bears in 1923, which was the team’s only season in the league. After the Bears disbanded, Negro League teams continued to play exhibition games in Milwaukee. Some notable figures to appear at Borchert Field include: Rube Wadell, Tris Speaker, Jackie Robinson, Josh Gibson, Ted Williams, and Joe DiMaggio.
Jesse Owens
It was common practice for barnstorming teams to incorporate anything or anyone into their games in order to draw more fans. Owens traveled with Negro League teams and would stage races against their fastest players. He raced at Borchert Field twice and defeated everyone who challenged him, except for a horse in 1946.
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