Milwaukee, WI

Willy Adames Gets His Due From Appreciative Milwaukee Brewers Fans

Published

1 year ago

September 30, 2024

Willy Adames Gets His Due From Appreciative Milwaukee Brewers Fans

Shortstop Willy Adames and the Milwaukee Brewers are headed back to the postseason with the hopes of … [+] advancing for the first time since 2018. (AP Photo/Aaron Gash)

Willy Adames had just settled into his usual spot on the infield dirt, smack dab in the middle of second and third base, ready to start the seventh inning of a meaningless regular-season finale against the New York Mets Sunday afternoon at American Family Field when Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy decided to make a change.

Andrew Monasterio would come into the game and play third base while rookie Joey Ortiz would slide over and replace Adames at shortstop.

“I knew I was going to be taken out of the game, but I didn’t know it was going to be like that,” Adames said after Milwaukee’s 5-0 loss.

The late switch wasn’t the result of a last-minute decision on Murphy’s part; instead, the skipper wanted to make sure Adames got his moment in the spotlight in what very likely was the fan favorite’s final regular-season game at American Family Field.

And the fans — all 33,754 of them — showed their appreciation for Adames with a standing ovation.

“I did it as much for the fans as I did for Willy,” Murphy said. “They needed to recognize, this guy has been a rock for us. He’s been unbelievable. Chances are, that’s his last regular-season game in a Brewers uniform, and everybody knows that. I wanted him to feel that appreciation.”

Adames, 29, is set to hit free agency for the first time this winter and after slashing .251/.331/.462 while setting career-highs with 32 home runs, 112 RBIs and 21 stolen bases, not to mention a short list of available shortstops this winter, Adames is likely to recieve the kind of deals — both in terms of cost and duration — that small-market franchises like the Brewers can’t come close to matching.

Which, in a way, makes Sunday afternoon’s atmosphere all the more unique and meaningful.

In any other year and any other similar market, Adames might not get the kind of moment he did. More often than not, players on the verge of landing massive free agent contracts aren’t kept around long enough to be sent off in style, usually getting dealt for prospects ahead of the annual trade deadline.

Milwaukee has had plenty of chances to do just that over the last year. General manager Matt Arnold fielded multiple offers for Adames last winter and the phone kept ringing once the season started.

But with the Brewers surpassing any and all expectations by surging to the top of the NL Central in late April, then holding that position throughout the summer, Arnold resisted the temptation to deal a player almost certain to leave at season’s end and one who could bring back the type of prospects that might keep the Brewers atop their division for years to come.

“From my perspective, you can never close the door on anything,” Arnold said earlier in the season, “but he is the heartbeat of our team in many ways.”

Arnold saw first-hand the way a first-place Brewers team fell apart after trading another star on the way to a pay day in the middle of the season when his predecessor, David Stearns, dealt closer Josh Hader to San Diego at the deadline in 2022.

That season remains the only time Milwaukee has missed the playoffs in the last seven seasons and neither he nor owner Mark Attanasio seemed interested in taking a chance at tinkering with clubhouse chemistry again, especially during a season as special as this one has been.

“We had plenty of offers for Adames this offseason, and if you were going to put it into an analytic model there may have been some merit to building for the future,” Attanasio said during a mid-season discussion with reporters. “You just can’t put a price on his leadership, his ‘posting’ every day. Adames does not want to miss a game. So guess what, now William Contreras doesn’t want to miss a game. Sal Frelick never wants to miss a game. You develop a culture and Willy is a key to it.”

So Adames stayed, played and thrived. He kept the clubhouse together any time things started to get tense, he helped the Brewers’ young players — especially rookie phenom Jackson Chourio — learn how to be big-leaguers and navigate the rigors of a 162-game season.

And every time the Brewers needed a clutch hit, Adames was not only the guy in the batters box but also the guy who delivered.

His teammates have shown their appreciation all season long. Sunday, it was the fans’ turn.

“It meant a lot, because all the work we’ve done over the last few years is appreciated,” Adames said. “When the fans show you so much love like that, it’s amazing. I have a lot of respect for everybody in this clubhouse, and for the fans, too. It’s special.”

The work, though, is far from done. There’s still more baseball to be played, starting Tuesday when Adames and the Brewers open the postseason not just in the hopes of winning a series for the first time since 2018 but making it to the World Series for the first time since 1982.

“Now is the exciting time,” Adames said. “Now, we have the fun part.”

Source link

Click to comment

Milwaukee, WI

Truck drives in to Grace Coffee in Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward overnight

Published

6 hours ago

March 27, 2026

Press Room

Truck drives in to Grace Coffee in Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward overnight

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.

Let’s talk:

Hey there! At TMJ4 News, we’re all about listening to our audience and tackling the stuff that really matters to you. Got a story idea, tip, or just want to chat about this piece? Hit us up using the form below. For more ways to get in touch, head over to tmj4.com/tips.

It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.

Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.

Report a typo or error // Submit a news tip

Source link

Milwaukee, WI

MPS layoffs plan draws pushback as district works to close $46M gap

Published

18 hours ago

March 26, 2026

Press Room

MPS layoffs plan draws pushback as district works to close M gap

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.

FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android

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

SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News

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.

Milwaukee Public SchoolsMilwaukeeEducationNews

Source link

Milwaukee, WI

Brewers finally announce cable, satellite TV channels for broadcasts

Published

1 day ago

March 26, 2026

Press Room

Brewers finally announce cable, satellite TV channels for broadcasts

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.

Source link