San Antonio Brewers

Did You Know?

• The Brewers nickname fit San Antonio because it was the home of the Pearl Brewing Company.
• Hall-of-Famer Dennis Eckersley pitched for the San Antonio Brewers in 1974 as a Cleveland Indians farmhand.
• The franchise kept the Brewers nickname despite affiliation changes to the Cleveland Indians (1973–1975) and Texas Rangers (1976).
• More than 30 San Antonio Brewers players went on to reach the major leagues.
• The affiliation with the Milwaukee Brewers began in 1972, just two years after the Brewers moved from Seattle to Milwaukee.

History

San Antonio hosted a charter member of the Texas League in 1888. Baseball was absent only a few early years and during World War II from 1943 to 1945. Early team names included Missionaries, Gentlemen, and Bronchos. The current Missions moniker began with the first major league affiliation, a partnership with the St. Louis Browns. That affiliation continued through the Texas League's temporary demise after 1942 and resumed after the war, lasting when the Browns became the Baltimore Orioles in 1954 until 1959. The Missions then affiliated with the Chicago Cubs through 1962. The team won the Dixie Series in 1950 and the Pan American Series in 1961. In 1963 the team changed its name to the Bullets when it joined the Houston Colt .45s organization. Over 250 players from the early years reached the major leagues, and Hall-of-Famers Willard Brown, Brooks Robinson, Ron Santo, Billy Williams, and Joe Morgan played for the team.

Signature promotions

Since 1989, during the seventh inning of each game, an auxiliary mascot named Henry the Puffy Taco is chased around the bases by a child from the stands. The child starts at first base and tackles the giant taco before reaching home plate. Henry has won the race only once, in 1992, when he crossed home plate before his opponent. A rematch was held on June 24, 2010. The team also holds Shirt Off Your Back and Used Car Giveaway nights, using a raffle format with free tickets limited to one per fan. The Used Car Giveaway distributes more than ten used cars per night.

Ballpark

The Missions play at Nelson W. Wolff Municipal Stadium, which opened in 1994. The ballpark seats more than 6,200 and holds over 9,000 with outfield grass berm seating. Ticket prices range from $11 to $30 based on section, or $10 for berm seating. The team has sought a new stadium since 2009.