“Together, we will cut taxes. We will lower health care costs,” said Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, the Democratic candidate for governor, on the campaign trail in La Crosse.

“We’re going to end the 400-year property tax increase — day one, we’re going to end it,” said U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, the Republican candidate for governor, on the campaign trail in Grand Chute.

For as long as anyone can remember, at the end of every October going into November, one thing has been front and center in every corner of Wisconsin.

“Right now, here in Milwaukee, it is currently 68 degrees,” said Julia Fello, a reporter with 620 WTMJ radio.

In 2026, though, make that two things.

“I think that it’s all important,” said Bryce Toburen, a Milwaukee Brewers fan.

Toburen said he has a dual civic duty: vote and support the Brewers. Most years, the World Series is played days before the election. Toburen voted early in 2026, the day before Game 1 of the biggest baseball showdown in Milwaukee history.

“I think the government and the team are for the people, and when they have interactions and hear from us, that’s when they can do their best work so that we can support them in their endeavors so that they can also support us again,” Toburen said.

“Mostly sunny, a high of 72. for Game 1 of the World Series,” Fello forecast on the air on Oct. 23.”Game 2 of the World Series — Saturday, mostly sunny and mild, a height of 67.”.

Greg Matzek, a sports reporter at 620 WTMJ, spoke to the dual demands on the attention of Wisconsinites.

“If you told Brewers fans or people in the state of Wisconsin there’s an election around the corner, they’d be like, ‘Oh yeah, that’s right, I forgot about that,’ because the Brewers are making a run toward the World Series and a world’s title,” Matzek said.”That’s the single most important thing happening in this state right now — is Brewers baseball.”

All over Wisconsin, but especially in Milwaukee, a look around town showed something different was in the air.

“I’m not embarrassed to admit I bawled, I cried like a baby — I was so excited,” said one caller to the radio station.

“Doesn’t matter how young or old you are, you can scream Brewers to the top of your lungs,” said another caller.

It’s championship buzz, and it spread with anticipation and excitement throughout Wisconsin and beyond.

What an incredible day. I mean, I just can’t even talk right now, I’m just so excited,” a third caller said.

“I still have goosebumps from last night, from all the talking and going on,” said a fourth.

The last time the Brewers played in the World Series was in 1982.

“Imagine being a parent and your son says his dream is to play in the World Series,” said John Mercure, a host with 620 WTMJ.

“Here & Now” visited the WTMJ radio studios for the station’s Wisconsin’s Afternoon News broadcast, which sits a throw away from one of four oversized baseballs that any fan with a pen and a message could autograph to their Brewers with a personal touch.

“Have fun at the game. We’re jealous. We wish we were going to the game,” Mercure said.

Brewers baseball was the talk of town on sports and news talk radio.

“I named my cat Brew. My wedding ring’s a Brewer ring. “I mean, this one, this one is in the family. This one’s for Uecker” a caller shared.

“I’m just sad that my dad’s not here. He passed away about a year-and-a-half ago. I wish he was here to see it. But hey, he’ll be watching up there with Uecker,” another caller shared.

“The fans last night at AmFam Field — I got to tell you, we’re nuts. We were so loud and crazy down there. We were just like one big family watching that screen, getting crazy for the Brewers,” shared yet another.

Matzek recounted the familial nature of America’s pastime.

“There’s a different romance to baseball, however. You listen to it going to bed at night. Bob Uecker was part of your soundtrack to summer. It brought families together. Makes you think about playing catch with your parents in the yard. Makes you think about playing baseball, getting dirty as a kid. And who were you? Who was your player? What jersey number did you want? There’s something about baseball that brings families together, that brings neighborhoods together, communities together and a whole state together, unlike any sport that exists,” he said.”This team is a statewide team. You will come from all parts of the state down to Milwaukee or up to Milwaukee or over to Milwaukee, because you know there’s going to be a game. There will be baseball every day it’s on the schedule.”

Matzek also pointed to the scene at the team’s ballpark, American Family Field.

“Without a roof, you may not get — in April — that family or that corporate outing from a business or company, or family living in Eau Claire to come down and watch a game. Don’t know what the weather’s going to be like. You’ve got a roof. You know there’s going to be baseball played in Milwaukee,” he said.

Matzek also pointed to the politics behind the ballpark.

“The new stadium went back and forth in the Legislature,” he said.”They didn’t want to tell the taxpaying public that we’re going to have to raise your taxes to get this done. Nobody wanted to hear taxes going up. But it cemented the Brewers’ long-term stability and viability in the state of Wisconsin. And without the stadium, you don’t have Mark Attanasio, who bought the Brewers from the Selig family. That has been the thing — those two things combined — that have kept the Brewers not only relevant, but here in the state. You lose a team twice, good luck getting another franchise back.”

At a pre-game pep rally on the eve of Game 1, from the Milwaukee City Hall, Mayor Cavalier Johnson proudly lowered a huge Brewers banner to celebrate a perfect end to a dream season.

“We’re going to win it! Brewers, Brewers, Brewers, Brewers — let’s all say hello to the famous racing sausages!” Johnson said. “Please give a round of applause for the mustachioed beer man himself, Bernie Brewer!”

The mayor emphasized the importance of the moment to the city.

“This is more than just baseball,” he said.

For places like Kelly’s Bleachers, Dugout 54, 4th Base and other businesses, doing business doesn’t get much better than when a city hosts a World Series

“This is the moment you dream of,” said C.J. Papara, owner of 4th Base. “This is just as big a moment for us.”

That’s especially the case for 4th Base, a sports bar and restaurant located less than a mile from the ballpark in West Milwaukee.

“A lot of people will make the walk from here over to the stadium,” he added. “People are going to remember the spot that they were, where they were, what they did beforehand, the things they ate, the things they bought.”

Papara shared that the restaurant goes back nearly half a century.

“My dad started this place back in 1977,” he said.

A picture of Papara’s dad wearing a football helmet sits on the wall — and another on the ceiling — along with a lot more sports memorabilia from the past and present.

“We’ve been in this building since 1983. And I think it’s —- regardless of how many people necessarily know about it — it’s another little piece of Milwaukee history, because next year, we’re going to celebrate 50 years,” he said.”I think it is a real and true sports bar. If you looked around, you got the images of everything that’s on the wall.”

Papara pointed out the memorabilia.

Just looking at this one wall, you could break down, you know, 20 pieces of sports history,” he said. There’s an Albert Pujols signed jersey. Then like, West Allis — there’s a Bonnie Blair signed poster. … Then there’s Brett Favre. … There’s Bo Jackson behind you in a Raider jersey, and then there’s stuff still from the old Braves,” Papara shared. “You can find something almost from anybody and any team, and any sports helmet and anything.”

When the Major League Baseball playoffs are on the TV — or live at American Family Field — baseball takes center stage.

“This time of year, everybody’s coming for the Brewer stuff, coming for the Brewers fandom,” said Papara. “On the ceiling out in the bar, there’s a Robin Yount jersey,” he said. What’s his favorite piece of Brewers memorabilia?

“In the hallway here, there is the County Stadium seats. There’s four of those in the hallway that have been there as long as I can remember,” he said.”I still remember some of those moments, like watching a game with my dad at County Stadium.”

Papara offered a variety of commemorative t-shirts to customers looking to take a piece of their World Series experience with them..

“So it says on the front of it, it says ‘World Series Edition,’ up by our logo. On the back of it it has all the Bob Uecker quotes, yeah,” Papara said to a customer displaying one shirt..

“Ah, I need one of those,” the customer replied.

For every home game, tourism experts estimated the World Series pumped in an additional $15 million dollars into businesses like 4th Base that are in and around Milwaukee. Papara cashed in by expanding the restaurant into the parking lot, keeping his grill open a bit later. . He expected himself and his staff to knock it out of the park.

“A lot of, like, nervous energy, where you prepare, you order things, you get ready, you buy things,” Papara said. But at the end of the day — like me myself, I’ve never seen a World Series so I don’t actually know what I’m preparing for. I’m preparing for, essentially, maybe another Opening Day, but it’s got to probably be bigger than Opening Day. So you just prepare, and you overprepare, and over worry about everything.”

Keeping with tradition, he planned to add one more piece of history to the walls of 4th Base.

“An important part of any sports history is always the next-day newspaper,” Papara said. “I know people don’t read the newspaper the same way they did years ago, but there’d be many times as a kid something would happen in sports or something happened in the world, and I would go out and make sure that I bought the next-day newspaper. Not so much that I read it at that moment, but I was like, in case there was a time when I wanted to, I wanted to have that piece of history.”

Back at the 620 WTMJ studios, Matzek pondered the legacy of the 2026 Brewers in the long story of baseball in Milwaukee.

“What I hope people understand 40 years from now watching this is that they also understand what kind of impact this team has not only made on a city but on an entire state, right,” he said “Everything falls back on the ’57 Braves, they won a world’s title and then left for Atlanta. The ’82 Brewers — we had a parade down Wisconsin Avenue, and they lost the World Series. That’s the kind of impact that sports and specifically the Brewers can have on a state.”