Hundreds of fans welcome Brewers back to Milwaukee after World Series
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Milwaukee Brewers relief pitcher Trevor Megill poked his head out of the ceiling of his bus and screamed at the hundreds of people in front of him.
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If Megill did that last time the Brewers landed at Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport, one day after the Brewers swept the Dodgers in the National League Championship Series, it would have been a waste of energy. Only two fans even tried to greet them.
Not on Oct. 29.
Two weeks later, less than 24 hours after the Brewers won the World Series over the Tampa Bay Rays, a swarm of fans lined up outside the airport's private terminal to coronate their champions' return.
And Megill cheered right back.
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Two of the people Megill yelled to were Aaliyah Roosa, 9, and her 42-year-old mother Elena, who arrived at the airport just after 3 p.m.
The two drove to Milwaukee from Racine after Aaliyah left elementary school. Hours earlier, Elena called her daughter's school to ask what Aaliyah would rather do once the bell rings. She could either stay after school for STEM club, or leave and watch the World Series champions' homecoming.
Was that an easy choice?
"Yeah," Aaliyah said.
Elena knew it would be. She told Aaliyah about Milwaukee's Game 5 victory over Tampa Bay this morning; the game was too late for the third grader stay up and watch. Because Aaliyah couldn't wave her yellow towel at the end of the game, Elena, a lifelong fan with memories of Milwaukee County Stadium and many losses, did.
Hours later, Elena was driving to Kohl's to get Aaliyah a World Series champion shirt before grabbing Elena to drive north. Minutes after watching the Brewers buses leave the airport, Elena teared up as she talked about what the moment meant to her.
"There was always that hope, because they came so close all those years," Elena said. "It's awesome to finally, finally be able to celebrate the whole win. And not just almost."
Bryan Garay got to Milwaukee's Mitchell International around the same time as the Roosas.
The 36-year-old Waukesha native has lived in Milwaukee most of his life, and remembers more of the franchise's darker years than he'd like to. He was DJing at the Sofie in downtown when Jake Bauers caught the final out to clinch the championship, so Garay knew he'd go to the airport to welcome his favorite team home.
He showed up in a Christian Yelich jersey on his body, a Milwaukee Brewers necklace around his neck and a blue flag in his hands, which he waved as the team's buses headed back to American Family Field.
"Finally after 57 years of the franchise being in Milwaukee, we did it," Garay said. "We did ittttt!"
Garay and the Roosas were part of a crowd of hundreds that took every parking spot in the airport observation area, and blocked the sidewalk along Layton Avenue. A crowd that drew supportive honks and hollers from people driving by. A crowd that waved flags and stood waiting in anticipation for the flight they'd been tracking since it took off to finally land.
At 3:53 p.m., United Airlines flight 3783 touched down in Milwaukee and again drove between two fire trucks who fired water cannons in celebration. Once the shower was done, fans hopped a fence at the observation area and migrated to where the buses would leave the tarmac.
At 4:08 p.m., the train of buses started moving to the road, and fans cheered each one the whole way.
And, Megill cheered back.
Jack Albright covers West Allis, Greenfield, Greendale, Hales Corners and West Milwaukee. He can be reached at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Hundreds of fans welcome Brewers back to Milwaukee after World Series
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