Milwaukee, WI
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 … [+]
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.”
MILWAUKEE, Wis. – Several Milwaukee leaders are condemning recent Immigrations and Customs Enforcement activity in the city, though questions remain whether actions meant to limit the agency within city limits can be enforced.
The group led by U.S. Congresswoman Gwen Moore expressed anger at the nature of the at least 57 confirmed arrests made by ICE agents across Wisconsin during “targeted operations” that began in late June.
“They’re being kidnapped. They’re being disappeared. They’re being rushed through a judicial process without due process because they don’t have any money. And we’re here to decry that,” said Moore during a press conference July 9.
Back in April, Milwaukee Common Council members unanimously passed one of the key pieces of their “ICE Out MKE” package: an ordinance that prohibited ICE agents from wearing masks while working in the city. But the Department of Homeland Security has indicated they will not adhere to the ordinance, with representatives asserting the US Constitution’s Supremacy Clause allows for federal laws to supersede any local ordinance.
“State and local sanctuary politicians attempting to ban our federal law enforcement from wearing masks is despicable and a flagrant attempt to endanger our officers,” said an ICE spokesperson in a statement to WTMJ. “To be crystal clear: we will not abide by unconstitutional bans. The Supremacy Clause makes it clear that state and local sanctuary politicians do not control federal law enforcement.”
During the recent arrests, ICE agents were spotted by groups like Voces de la Frontera wearing masks despite the ordinance. Agents also used the Milwaukee Police Department District 2 parking lot for staging purposes, which is against another “ICE Out” city ordinance. A statement from MPD said they were not told in advance that ICE intended to use the parking lot, and then asked them to leave.
No citations have been written by Milwaukee Police against any agents who have violated the mask ban, with the department citing the need for legal clarity from City Attorney Evan Goyke.
“We’re waiting to see what the city attorney’s advice will be on that,” said Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson July 9 when asked by WTMJ if any of the “ICE Out” package is enforceable.
ICE says those arrested will remain in custody pending removal proceedings.
TOP STORIES FROM THE WTMJ NEWSROOM:
Milwaukee Police Department (MPD)
MILWAUKEE – A shooting in Milwaukee on Wednesday, July 8 left one person wounded.
11th and Locust
What we know:
According to the Milwaukee Police Department, a 23-year-old was shot around 6:30 p.m. near 11th and Locust.
The victim arrived at the hospital for treatment.
The circumstances leading up to the shooting are under investigation.
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MPD tips
What you can do:
Milwaukee police are seeking information to identify a suspect in connection with this incident.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Milwaukee police at 414-935-7360 or to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 414-224-TIPS or P3 Tips.
The Source: The information in this post was provided by the Milwaukee Police Department.
Milwaukee community members gathered at pop-up events across the northwest side Wednesday as part of “Peace on Every Block,” a week of activities aimed at building community, mentorship and sharing resources for violence prevention.
The week is organized by Advance Peace Milwaukee, Milwaukee Community Cross Roads and Milwaukee County Department of Health and Human Services.
“We want to see everybody win, and that’s the whole theme about it, about healing, coming together, stopping the violence,” Desilynn Smith of Uniting Garden Homes said.
Lorenzo Davis of Advance Peace said the northwest side was a deliberate focus for the effort.
“Because this is where the gun violence is happening, and we’re trying to end the gun violence in the city of Milwaukee. We really want to do what’s best for Milwaukee,” Davis said.
The Milwaukee Police Department reported a 30 percent drop in homicides during the first half of 2026 compared to the same period last year. But community members say that progress doesn’t always reflect what people are experiencing on the ground.
Watch: ‘Peace on Every Block’ brings Milwaukee community together to fight gun violence
‘Peace on Every Block’ brings Milwaukee community together to fight gun violence
“The data doesn’t lie, that’s true, but when it’s like every day we’re hearing about a shooting, or we’re so connected to it, and so many people connected to it, it just doesn’t appear that way,” Smith said.
The events come as Milwaukee has seen several violent deaths in recent days. 42-year-old Kristy Syed was found shot to death on Milwaukee’s south side.
The Medical Examiner’s Office also identified 19-year-old Savannah Lynn, who was killed after gunfire broke out following a fight on the Fourth of July.
Nine-year-old Jade Riser died after a shooting that happened near East Burleigh Street last Thursday.
Smith said healing is central to any lasting change.
“If we don’t heal, we can’t stop anything, because violence is actually the secondary emotion that is really driven off a lot of pain,” Smith said.
Davis said the young people in these neighborhoods are ready for something better.
“They want to see a better inside Milwaukee. They want to see a better chance for Milwaukee, and they want to do something better for themselves. So, these kids out here, we promote peace with them, and we’re going to back them, and we want to see them win,” Davis said.
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