32 Days to Opening Day

Opening Day 2008 for the Timber Rattlers is April 3. That is 31 days from today. This off-season, the countdown will be based on books. Each day between now and Opening Day 2008, I will pick a random book out of my library and excerpt a passage off the page number corresponding with the number of days remaining to the first pitch of the new season. I will try not to repeat a book during the countdown.

Today’s book is Down in the Valley: The History of Milwaukee County Stadium by Gregg Hoffman.

The quest for a major league team faced more roadblocks. The Brewers minor league franchise, which featured future Braves like Dick Donovan, Billy Bruton, Gene Conley, Jack Dittmer, and Johnny Logan, was prepared to move from Borchert Field to County Stadium for the 1953 season.

But, Bill Veeck, who once had served as general manager of the old Brewers, wanted to move the St. Louis Browns to Milwaukee. Veeck always thought Milwaukee was a good baseball town and was facing bankruptcy in St. Louis. However, the American League owners would not let Veeck move the team.

Meanwhile, Lou Perini, whose Boston Braves had been affiliated with the Brewers for years, announced on March 13, 1953, his intention to petition National League owners for permission to move his club to Milwaukee. Many doubted Perini’s effort would be successful, following the rejection of Veeck’s proposed move.

On March 15, County Stadium was opened to the public for the first time. An estimated 10,000 people braved typical bad March weather and gaped in awe at the new stadium. Many dreamed of the days when it would house a major league team.

That day came three days later, when National League owners voted 8-0 to allow Perini to move the Braves. Milwaukee went wild!! Mayor Frank Zeidler announced a week of celebrations to welcome the new team, including a parade and public rally. Local businesses took out full-page ads welcoming the team to town, and offered free cleaning of uniforms, free cases of beverages and automobiles to players. Thousands of ticket requests started flooding in, before the exact schedule was even known.

Put today’s excerpt in a baseball context.