By Dale Kooyenga, MMAC President & CEO

My predecessor and I talk often. One of the great benefits of following Tim Sheehy is continuing to draw on his decades of experience. His perspective on MMAC and our region continues to make me a better leader.

After the Milwaukee Brewers punched their ticket to the World Series last week, our latest conversation offered that same kind of perspective. Tim shared the history behind this moment – a story few people know, but one that helped make Friday’s Game 1 at American Family Field possible. 

It is the story of how Milwaukee nearly lost Major League Baseball—and how business and civic leaders came together to keep it here. 

The effort began long before the decisive vote. When the future of the Brewers looked bleakest, MMAC did what it does best: brought people together, developed a strategy and worked relentlessly to improve our region’s quality of life. 

Led by A.O. Smith Chair Bob O’Toole, MMAC organized a lineup of board members that included Jim Keyes, CEO of Johnson Controls; Fred Kasten, CEO of Baird; Jack McDonough, CEO of Miller Brewing; and Ulice Payne, a partner at Reinhart. They made repeated trips to Madison to meet with Gov. Tommy Thompson and legislative leaders, rally support for a new ballpark and help shape a workable financing plan. 

One pivotal moment came on a Saturday morning in mid-August 1995. Brewers leadership, stadium board members, representatives of Gov. Thompson, the city and the Bradley Foundation gathered in MMAC’s offices to negotiate a final financing package. 

At one point, with everyone surrounding a large conference table in the boardroom, the deal appeared to be falling apart. Jack McDonough sensed the moment. He cooled things down by sliding cold cans of Miller High Life across the table—first easing the tension and, eventually, giving everyone something with which to toast the agreement. 

But the work was not finished. On Oct. 6, 1995, an all-night legislative session and two failed votes left baseball’s future in Milwaukee hanging by a thread. The Wisconsin State Journal captured the stakes in its morning headline: “Brewers Strike Out in Senate: Stadium Deal Fails by One Vote.” 

The stadium bill was one vote short. Civic and business leaders, including Tim, met privately with Racine Sen. George Petak and urged him to reconsider his no vote. They did not give up. Neither did Sen. Petak. At 5 a.m., the bill passed, 16-15. 

Throughout the process, Brewers leaders and elected officials had indispensable roles – but so did the remarkable group of business leaders organized through MMAC who volunteered their time and put their credibility on the line. 

As we celebrate the Brewers’ return to baseball’s mountaintop, we should remember the people who stepped up when the outcome was anything but certain. Organized through MMAC, they came to the plate for Milwaukee and Wisconsin – and helped make it possible for all of us to play ball today.