The California Angels play an exhibition game in Milwaukee

Although not the first American League game in Milwaukee, May 15, 1968, marked a significant moment in Milwaukee’s baseball history as the California Angels played an exhibition game at County Stadium. This event reignited the city’s passion for major league baseball following the departure of the Milwaukee Braves to Atlanta in 1965.

Milwaukee’s baseball roots run deep, beginning with the original Milwaukee Brewers of the American League in 1901, who played their first game against the Chicago White Sox. However, this franchise moved to St. Louis after just one season. It wasn’t until 1970 that Milwaukee would permanently secure its place in major league baseball with the arrival of the new Milwaukee Brewers, formed from the relocation of the Seattle Pilots.

The exhibition game in 1968 showcased the Angels, featuring notable performances that offered Milwaukee baseball fans a glimpse of major league action in the interim period before their own American League team would once again call the city home.

County Stadium, which had been vacant of major league teams since the Braves’ move, was prepared to host the thousands of eager fans who turned out. The game itself, while an exhibition, was a spirited contest and highlighted the continuing enthusiasm for baseball in Milwaukee.

This event, though not an official American League game, played a crucial part in demonstrating Milwaukee’s readiness and fervor for the return of major league baseball, which was realized two years later with the Brewers. The re-establishment of a major league team in Milwaukee in 1970 marked a new era for the city’s sports landscape, renewing and sustaining the local passion for baseball.