Ryan Braun inducted into Milwaukee Brewers Walk of Fame
Some of Ryan Braun’s close friends and former teammates, along with the current Brewers team, celebrated his induction into the franchise’s Walk of Fame on Sunday.
The Milwaukee Brewers promised that alumni players would be doing more than just waving at the crowd when they showed up for a celebration July 25 that commemorated the first 25 seasons at American Family Field.
They’re going to be launching baseballs into the crowd, as well. Hopefully not in foul territory.
The Brewers announced more details for the celebration, including an alumni home-run derby after the current team plays the Miami Marlins.
Players expected to participate include team captains Ryan Braun and Carlos Gómez, joined by Yovani Gallardo, Bill Hall, Corey Hart, Casey McGehee, Nyjer Morgan and Eric Thames.
Former Brewers coach Ed Sedar and catcher George Kottaras will serve as the battery.
Braun’s 352 home runs are by far the most in club history, more than 100 ahead of Robin Yount (251). Can Braun still send baseballs out of the park at age 41?
Gómez, 39, last played in 2019. As a Brewer, he hit 87 home runs to accompany his highlight-reel defense. He hit 24 homers in 2013 and 23 in 2014.
Gallardo, 39, last played in 2018. He was a pitcher first but also known for his ability to hit, with 12 homers and 21 doubles in 480 career plate appearances.
Hall, 45, last played in 2012. He hit 102 of his 125 career homers with the Brewers, including one of the more memorable blasts in club lore on Mother’s Day in 2006.
Hart, 43, who last played for the Brewers in 2012 and in Major League Baseball in 2015, hit 154 career homers for the Brewers and 162 overall. He mashed 87 homers over his final three years in Milwaukee.
McGehee, 42, has just 67 career homers but belted 52 of those during his three years with the Brewers from 2009 through 2011. He last played in the big leagues in 2016.
Morgan, who will be 45, only hit 12 career homers, and just seven during his two-year stint with the Brewers in 2011 and 2012. Of course, Morgan was known more for his presence with the 2011 team that reached the National League Championship Series, often batting at the top of the order and providing the personality and swagger that came to define the team.
Thames, 38, played for the Brewers from 2017 through 2019, hitting 72 of his 96 career MLB home runs, though he also became a homer-hitting fan favorite during his days in the Korea Baseball Organization, where he had another 124 homers over three seasons. Thames may not have played in affiliated baseball since 2022, but he still looks, uh, like he hasn’t lost much strength.
Other details for the game, starting at an unusual 3:10 p.m. on a Friday, include $2.50 draft beers and brats until the first pitch, alumni autograph sessions and photo opportunities, and a 25% discount on some items at the Brewers team store locations around the ballpark.