Milwaukee, WI
A Brewer on the Brewers? Hicklen hoping his dream becomes a reality with Milwaukee
PHOENIX – Time will tell on his game. But there’s just no questioning the name.
Of course, we’re talking about Brewer Hicklen, non-roster invitee to major-league spring training with the Milwaukee Brewers.
If ever there were a marketing match made in heaven between player and franchise, this one is it as the 28-year-old native of Huntsville, Alabama, will spend the next few weeks engaged in an uphill battle to earn a spot in a Milwaukee outfield bursting at the seams with talent.
Hicklen already has heard the jokes a bunch, and even he can’t deny the serendipity.
“Yeah, it is pretty cool,” he said. “It’s just a family name. It was my great- great-grandmother’s maiden name, so my mom decided that she liked it. I had never met another Brewer until a couple years ago, and then this past year in Omaha in Triple-A with the Royals I met a baby that was named Brewer because they saw the scoreboard and liked the name.
“There’s some more Brewers out there. There’s not a ton, but it’s pretty a unique and uncommon name and I’m really excited. I hope the marketing team will have a good time trying to put something together if I do something cool.”
Hicklen was known for more than his first name before signing a minor-league deal with Milwaukee in late November.
An accomplished two-way athlete in high school, the 6-foot-1, 220-pound Hicklen carried his dual talents to the University of Alabama-Birmingham, where he played wide receiver on the football team (which disbanded in 2014 but revived in 2016) and hit .308 with a .911 OPS in 107 games for the Blazers over 2016 and 2017.
“I feel like I’m kind of a power-speed duo that you don’t necessarily get,” Hicklen said. “I kind of have that hard-headed, hard-nosed, gridiron way that I approach the game. Any time I’m between the white lines I’m going to put my best foot forward. You never know when your last day is going to be playing this game, so I don’t take for granted any day or any game.”
Hicklen has spent most of his time in minor leagues
Kansas City drafted Hicklen in the seventh round in 2017 and he steadily ascended through the Royals’ minor-league system before making his major-league debut on May 26, 2022 with a start in Minnesota.
Hicklen’s stay was brief, however. He logged four at-bats over six games, was sent back down to Class AAA Omaha and has been seeking a return to baseball’s highest level since.
The Philadelphia Phillies acquired Hicklen for cash last August, but after he played 11 games at Class AAA Lehigh Valley he was cut loose, leading to his signing with the Brewers.
“Any time you get another year to play the game that you’ve dreamed of playing your entire life, it’s a blessing,” said Hicklen, a .262 hitter with 25 home runs, 90 runs batted in and an OPS of .829 in 577 games in the minors. “So, I’m truly excited for a new chapter with the Milwaukee Brewers. I’ve been welcomed with open arms, I’ve met a lot of great people in the organization and I’m excited for new beginnings.”
Hicklen is also realistic about what lies ahead with Cactus League play kicking off Saturday.
Of the eight outfielders in camp, seven are on the 40-man roster and Hicklen isn’t one of them. He’s undoubtedly done the math and knows that, barring a series of unexpected events, that he’s more than likely destined for Class AAA Nashville.
“I think that’s one thing, as you continue to stay in the game longer, you mature and really just focus on what you can control and what you do,” Hicklen said. “That’s something that I’ve developed over the last couple years, is just trying to embrace each and every day for its own and just go out there and get 1% better.
“That’s the only thing that I can control. I just put my best foot forward and hopefully upper management and the front office will make the decision to push me there. But at the end of the day, I can only do my best.”
Manager Pat Murphy was asked, tongue-in-cheek, if Hicklen’s first name had any bearing on his signing.
“He’s an impressive human and an impressive player,” he said. In a camp already full of Murphy-bestowed nicknames, Hicklen already has been dubbed, you guessed it, ‘Bernie.’
“Speed, power. I’m excited about him,” Murphy continued. “I don’t care what the first names are.”
Perhaps the stars will align and Hicklen will make it to Milwaukee. Imagine what a PR bonanza and fan favorite he could end up being.
“I saw that there’s only a handful of people, I think five or six guys, that have played for a team that (shared) a name,” Hicklen said. “Angels, a guy named Red. Only a handful, so hopefully I get the opportunity to make the opportunity a reality this year.”
MILWAUKEE — A truck drove through the Grace Coffee Co. in Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward on early Friday morning, the owners announced in a social media post.
Due to the extensive damage that was done, the coffee shop will be closed until further notice.
TMJ4
“We’re incredibly grateful no one was hurt, and we’ll keep you updated as we begin repairs,” the coffee shop said in the post.
TMJ4 reached out to the Milwaukee Police Department but have yet to hear back.
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MPS cuts face backlash
Milwaukee Public Schools plans about 200 layoffs to close a $46 million budget gap, but union leaders say cuts could impact student safety while district leaders say no classroom teachers will be eliminated.
MILWAUKEE – Milwaukee Public Schools is planning to cut roughly 200 positions next school year as the district works to close a multi-million-dollar budget gap — but there’s disagreement over which roles will be impacted.
What we know:
District leaders say the goal is to close a roughly $46 million shortfall, prompting changes that Superintendent Brenda Cassellius says are necessary.
Milwaukee Public Schools said about 201 staff members will be impacted. District leaders say no classroom teachers, counselors or social workers will be cut — something the teachers’ union disputes.
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The reductions stem from a previously approved plan to eliminate about 260 non-classroom roles. The final number dropped after retirements and existing vacancies. The Milwaukee Board of School Directors approved that plan on March 9.
What they’re saying:
“We have a $50 million deficit, we are for sure not going to be able to do business the same way that we’ve been able to do business,” Cassellius said. “Change is just hard. It’s just hard. And every single one of our employees is so important.”
But some educators say the cuts go too far.
“MTEA is setting up a distress signal. We are talking about our teachers, art teachers, music teachers, physical education teachers, counselors — things that the voters of referendum of Milwaukee actually voted for,” said Ingrid Walker-Henry, president of the Milwaukee Teachers’ Education Association. “Staffing is being cut to the extent that they are concerned about student safety.”
Cassellius acknowledged the uncertainty and asked school leaders for patience.
“We just have to for sure know our budget situation, where we’re at with that after these cuts are made in order to make those decisions,” she said. “So I’m asking my principals, be patient with us.”
By the numbers:
The district outlined the 201 affected positions as:
- 70 central office roles
- 62 educators with a teaching license but not assigned to one classroom
- 59 assistant principals
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MPS says the savings will support new class size guidelines, including:
- 18 students per teacher in K3
- 20 students per teacher in K4
- 22 students per teacher in K5
Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS)
District leaders say no students will be asked to leave a school to meet class size guidelines. Officials say they are working with schools that may not have space or that require larger classes based on specific programs.
What’s next:
Milwaukee Public Schools plans to present its proposed 2026–27 budget to the Milwaukee Board of School Directors in May.
The Source: Information in this post was provided by Milwaukee Public Schools and prior FOX6 coverage.
What’s the main story line of the 2026 Brewers season?
Curt Hogg and JR Radcliffe chat about the overriding storyline for the 2026 Brewers on the cusp of opening day, part of the ‘Microbrew’ podcast.
Just before the pitch clock hits zero, the Milwaukee Brewers released a rundown of channels on cable and satellite for game broadcasts, mere hours before the 1:10 p.m. CT first pitch on Opening Day, Thursday, March 26.
The club said channels include 1263 on XFinity, 670 on DirecTV, 1743 on U-Verse, and 319 or 469 on Spectrum. The broadcasts are also listed as available on streaming service Fubo.
The Brewers are pointing fans to a channel-finding tool on their web site at Brewers.com/watch, though in the moments after the announcement, the channel finder was not yet locating details for Spectrum customers for Milwaukee-area zip codes. A club spokesperson said Major League Baseball was aware of the error and the games would indeed air on Spectrum in Milwaukee.
The built-in Spectrum guide still showed Channel 308 as the “BREW” offering in Milwaukee, with Brewers Live Pregame scheduled to begin at noon CT and baseball at 1 p.m. March 26.
With the February announcement of a switchover from FanDuel Sports Wisconsin to Major League Baseball productions in 2026, MLB negotiations have gone down to the wire with the various providers around Wisconsin. Several teams covered by Main Street Sports, which operated the FanDuel brand, have been in a similar boat this offseason.
Brewers fans aren’t alone in experiencing the late-arriving channel information. Maury Brown of Forbes has been keeping track of all the late-arriving channel announcements for teams around baseball, specifically those that were covered by the Main Street Sports. As of 7 a.m. March 26, the Royals, Rays, Tigers and Braves also still hadn’t released channel listings.
Streaming customers who used the FanDuel Sports Wisconsin app in previous years can use the new Brewers.TV option to once again watch games. The opener is also one of 10 games simulcast on over-the-air channels this season, including WITI-TV (Channel 6) in Milwaukee.
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