A Fan's Eye View, 1940s

These photos give a fan's eye view of a game at Borchert Field, some time in the 1940s. I don't know exactly when they were taken, but it looks like a slightly overcast day, before a full house. They were taken from the first-base side of the stands.

In the first, a right-handed Brewer better is captured in the middle of a mighty swing. This one is a bit blurry, so it's hard to make out specifics.

The second photo appears to have been taken later in the afternoon, based on the sun in the west. Brewers are gathered around the plate - a celebration? The fan in front of us has turned towards the camera, and he seems pretty pleased.

We can also see men standing on top of the park's roof, among a line of American flags, and bunting has been hung from the rafters. Perhaps this was Opening Day? A Junior World Series game?

The third photo is the best one of all. I saved it for last, although it was obviously taken before the game. The teams are lined up on the basepaths, Brewers along the third base line and the visiting club closer to us along the first base line. A marching band stands on the infield. Photographers kneel on either side of the plate, flanking a large floral arrangement..

This has to be a home opener - I might have thought it the 1944 All-Star Game, but the opposing players are all wearing matching uniforms (and jackets with numbers on the back!)

In the foreground, the visiting pitcher warms up. We get a good feel for the layout of the park in this one, with its bullpen mounds right about where you'd find an on-deck circle in a modern park. Behind the angled dugout in the background is a sign directing patrons to the rest rooms.

A very rare look at an afternoon at Borchert Field, from the perspective of the fans.