Brewers fans flood Milwaukee streets for a long-awaited World Series victory celebration

MILWAUKEE (AP) — It was only fitting that the Milwaukee Brewers celebrated their first World Series title with a beer-soaked celebration worthy of their name.

“We’ve had way too many parade beers,” team captain and designated hitter Christian Yelich said Friday at a rally that capped a daylong party with fans. “I took the trophy to the face, got a black eye. It’s all worth it. It’s for you guys. We should celebrate forever.”

The small-market Brewers gave their long-suffering fans the championship they had been waiting for with a 4-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday, clinching the Series in five games. It was their first time playing in the Fall Classic in 44 years.

That long wait made Friday’s celebration that much sweeter.

“Unbelievable,” said parade attendee Mark Diedrich, a 76-year-old from who has been an on-and-off partial season ticket holder since the 1980s. “You just never thought it would happen. But it did.”

Before the rally at American Family Insurance Amphitheater near the shore of Lake Michigan, the Brewers held a parade through downtown Milwaukee. Thousands of exuberant fans flooded the streets, watched from parking garages and cheered from office building windows.

Milwaukee city officials were expecting about 400,000 people to attend the parade and celebration.

“That was incredible — incredible,” manager Pat Murphy said. “I kept thinking I saw the same people over and over, and we were just going in a circle. There’s no way there’s that many people who live here.”

Then came a rally that featured World Series MVP William Contreras joining in on the fans’ “MVP” chants.

“We win the trophy for you guys, for the city,” Contreras said.

The rally concluded with hitting coach Daniel Vogelbach performing a karaoke version of “Stacy’s Mom” by Fountains of Wayne and Hall of Fame shortstop Robin Yount riding onto the stage on a Harley Davidson owned by beloved broadcaster Bob Uecker.

Yount was an MVP when the Brewers made their last World Series appearance, losing in seven games to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1982. By the time they got back, it was without Uecker, who called Brewers games for 54 seasons before dying in January 2025 at the age of 90.

The Brewers made sure he was remembered. The parade route ran through a downtown mural honoring Uecker, and 2011 MVP Ryan Braun led a “Ueck” cheer during the rally.

“God bless you, Bob Uecker,” Yount said at the end of the ceremony.

At the parade, Brewers players, coaches and staffers waved to fans from the top of buses, some of which bore the message, “Won Our Way,” to update their postseason slogan of “Win Our Way.” Several players, such as outfielder Sal Frelick and second baseman Brice Turang, removed their shirts in a nod to this seasons’ MLB-wide “Tarps Off” craze as they exhorted the crowd.

Players took turns holding the Commissioner’s Trophy aloft, with many of them getting off their buses and greeting fans.

“For me and my teammates, this has been the most special day of our lives — you guys showing up here and cheering us on,” said Aaron Ashby, who set a major league record by throwing 18 consecutive scoreless innings of relief in the postseason to lead Milwaukee’s stellar bullpen performance. “This is better than anything we could ever imagine.”

Every level of the Brewers franchise was represented in the parade, from owner Mark Attanasio to grounds crew members, behind-the-scenes staff and even the Johnsonville racing sausages. Yount and fellow Hall of Famers Rollie Fingers, Paul Molitor and Ted Simmons from that 1982 team also participated in the parade and rally.

“Good things come to those who wait,” Molitor said. “We waited long enough.”

The end of that wait had families bringing multiple generations of fans downtown, as Milwaukee Public Schools canceled classes.

Craig Muehl, a 42-year-old from the Milwaukee suburb of Brookfield, said he inherited his Brewers fandom from his father. Muehl woke up early to attend the parade with his young son and daughter.

“It all started, just like many families around here, sitting outside in the summer and fall,” Muehl said. “My dad had the Brewers game on the radio everywhere we went. Some families have music on the radio. We had the Brewers games all summer long."

Diedrich, who is from Necedah, Wisconsin, said he owns the seats from the old Milwaukee County Stadium where he and one of his sons were sitting when Yount got his 3,000th hit in 1992.

“We could tell you stories for days of all the games we went to,” Diedrich said. “I remember going to opening day with these guys and there was ice on the steps of County Stadium. We’re sitting down to get ready for the game and a guy’s spreading salt to melt the ice on the steps.”

The celebration actually started well before Friday.

Several Brewers, including Yelich and Cy Young Award favorite Jacob Misiorowski, went to Lambeau Field for Thursday night’s Green Bay Packers game. They received a huge ovation, especially when pitcher Brandon Woodruff emerged from the tunnel in the second quarter holding the Commissioner’s Trophy.

A few players attempted a “Lambeau leap” into the crowd, with Frelick having the most success.

“It was unbelievable,” said Frelick, a former high school quarterback. “It’s been a dream of mine. I was in the end zone, I saw it, and I said, ‘I’ve got to go.’ So I went.”

Those Brewers players later were shown on the video board cheering as they wore cheeseheads that included the message, “2026 WS Champions.”

The current franchise originated as the Seattle Pilots in 1969 before moving to Milwaukee and becoming the Brewers the following year.

Milwaukee has celebrated a World Series title once before. The Milwaukee Braves won the 1957 World Series over the New York Yankees before moving to Atlanta in 1966.

Associated Press writer Scott Bauer contributed to this story.

See AP’s full MLB coverage here

Milwaukee Brewers Aaron Ashby, right, holds up the Commissioner's Trophy as he celebrates with teammates during a rally at the baseball team's World Series Parade, Friday, Oct. 30, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Nam Huh)

Milwaukee Brewers fans arrive for a rally during the baseball team's World Series parade, Friday, Oct. 30, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Nam Huh)

A Milwaukee Brewers fan dressed as the Commissioner's Trophy arrives for a rally during the baseball team's World Series parade, Friday, Oct. 30, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Nam Huh)

A fan holds a sign as they arrive for a rally during the baseball team's World Series parade, Friday, Oct. 30, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Nam Huh)

Milwaukee Brewers fans arrive for a rally during the baseball team's World Series parade, Friday, Oct. 30, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Nam Huh)

A fan arrives with a Milwaukee Brewers' Champions hat during the baseball team's World Series parade, Friday, Oct. 30, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Nam Huh)

A Milwaukee Brewers' fan holds up a sign as he waits for the baseball team to arrive for a rally during their World Series parade, Friday, Oct. 30, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Nam Huh)

Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras, left, celebrates after their win against the Tampa Bay Rays in baseball's World Series, Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras holds the MVP trophy after they won baseball's World Series against the Tampa Bay Rays, Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

World Series Champions Milwaukee Brewers right fielder Sal Frelick, center, leaps into the stands as arrives with his baseball team during the first half of an NFL football game between the Green Bay Packers and the Carolina Panthers in Green Bay, Wis., Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Matt Ludtke)

Milwaukee Brewers' Christian Yelich holds up the Commissioner's Trophy during the first half of an NFL football game between the Green Bay Packers and the Carolina Panthers in Green Bay, Wis., Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Matt Ludtke)

WASHINGTON (AP) — As early voting surges across the country, President Donald Trump is reshuffling his weekend schedule to rally Republicans in two states with critical Senate races, underscoring his party’s push to drive turnout before Election Day.

The Republican president will now visit Iowa and Kansas for back-to-back campaign rallies on Sunday. Both events had previously been canceled for a slew of telerallies, but Trump said he then received calls from “my friends” in those states and “they said, ‘if you can go, you would be better than a telerally.’”

The last-minute reversal comes as Americans engage briskly in early voting. Nearly 10 million more Americans had cast ballots five days before Election Day than at the same point in 2022, according to an Associated Press analysis of voting data. The increases have been particularly pronounced in states with competitive Senate races, including Iowa and Kansas, where early voting is up roughly 30%.

Democrats and Republicans each hope that rise favors them as they fight for control of Congress in an election that has turned largely on affordability issues and the president's unpopularity. At the start of the month, Trump promised a marathon sprint of his signature rallies to shore up Republican candidates, and he has headlined 25 of them so far in October. On Friday night, he was slated to hold a rally in Daytona Beach, Florida.

The president on Thursday furiously pushed back at the notion that the initial cancellation of his Kansas rally, which became public as he was returning to Washington from a campaign event in South Carolina, was tied to fatigue or his health. He lashed out at a reporter who asked about the change in his plans for Kansas, where Republican Sen. Roger Marshall is seeking reelection.

“I’m not going to Kansas because he’s doing very well,” Trump said, seeming to refer to Marshall. The president added that “I feel perfect."

Trump’s original plans had him in Salina, Kansas, on Saturday and in Dubuque, Iowa, on Sunday. Then the plans shifted so he would instead do a “72-hour sprint” of phone rallies, meant so the president could reach more voters nationwide, according to the Republican National Committee.

The president’s schedule remained in flux on Friday. His Iowa appearance was moved from Dubuque to Cedar Rapids, only for plans to shift back to Dubuque hours later, according to a person familiar with the planning who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

The Republican National Committee later confirmed that Trump would campaign in Dubuque, Iowa, and Salina, Kansas.

Both Kansas and Iowa are home to battleground Senate races that will help determine whether Republicans hold onto their narrow majority in the chamber in the midterm elections.

Trump has already traveled to both states this month to boost Marshall in Kansas and Republican Iowa Senate candidate Ashley Hinson, who currently serves in the House.

Trump told a Kansas City radio station Friday that Marshall is “fantastic” and credited the senator for pushing his administration on policies benefiting Kansas farmers such as expanding tax-free use of red-dyed diesel.

Trump criticized Marshall's Democratic challenger, Methodist pastor Adam Hamilton, as a "radical” who has “caused turmoil with the church because he’s so liberal.” Hamilton has said that if Jesus were standing before them now, “Roger Marshall would call him ‘woke.’”

Early voting is significantly outpacing the last midterm election, with millions more Americans casting ballots in advance.

In Texas, where voters are deciding closely watched Senate, House and governor’s races, more than 6.3 million Texans had voted early as of Wednesday, compared with 4.2 million at the same point four years ago, a 50% increase.

Advance voting has also increased more than 30% from the same point four years ago in Maine, Michigan, North Carolina and Kansas, states with competitive Senate races. In South Carolina, where voters are choosing a successor to the late Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, early voting is up 83%.

Historic amounts of money have flowed into this year's midterm elections. Republicans have expressed concerns about their voters not turning out in the midst of voter dissatisfaction with Trump and high costs, issues Democrats have focused on in their campaigns.

Michigan Democrats hoped to put a bruising Senate primary behind them after progressive Abdul El-Sayed narrowly defeated Rep. Haley Stevens in August.

They've had no such luck as Election Day approaches.

Stevens reemerged in the final week before the general election, appearing on CNN to reaffirm that she would vote for El-Sayed while calling on him to repair relations with Jewish and Black voters. Her appearance came hours after her fiance said he would vote for El-Sayed’s Republican opponent, Mike Rogers.

Then on Friday, after agreeing to campaign alongside El-Sayed and Rep. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina in Detroit on Sunday, Stevens released a lengthy statement on social media criticizing her former rival once again. She called on him to condemn an advertisement linking U.S. support for Israel to rising grocery prices and address concerns about his past rhetoric.

“Abdul promises to get money out of politics,” Stevens wrote. “He can begin by getting Israel out of his explanation for everything Michigan cannot afford.”

El-Sayed has apologized for some of his past comments while attempting to unify Democrats.

Associated Press writer Meg Kinnard contributed to this report. Follow the AP’s coverage of the 2026 midterm elections at https://apnews.com/hub/elections.

U.S. Senate candidate Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, right, shakes hands with a veteran during a campaign stop at Jethro's BBQ, Friday, Oct. 30, 2026, in Ames, Iowa. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt)

Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed speaks during a campaign rally at the UAW Local 600 union hall, Friday, Oct. 30, 2026, in Dearborn, Mich. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Democratic candidate U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff hugs a supporter during a campaign event on Friday, Oct. 30, 2026, in Decatur, Ga. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)

FILE - Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers speaks alongside President Donald Trump during an event at the General Motors Proving Ground, July 27, 2026, in Milford, Mich. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)

A woman holds a U.S. flag-themed fan during a campaign event for Republican U.S. Senate candidate Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, Friday, Oct. 30, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Mark Felix)

President Donald Trump greets Iowa U.S. Senate candidate Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, at a campaign rally at Sioux Gateway Airport, Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026, in Sioux City, Iowa. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

President Donald Trump shakes hands with Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., at a campaign rally at Heartland Credit Union Arena, Monday, Oct. 19, 2026, in Park City, Kan. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

President Donald Trump gestures after speaking at a campaign rally at Sioux Gateway Airport, Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026, in Sioux City, Iowa. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

President Donald Trump arrives at a campaign rally at the Shoemaker Center at Ohio University Chillicothe in Chillicothe, Ohio, Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump attend a Halloween event on the South Lawn of the White House, Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)