Hundreds of Milwaukee Brewers fans lined up at dawn Sunday for a meet-and-greet with catcher and World Series MVP William Contreras at Dick's Sporting Goods in Brookfield. The appearance ran for 90 minutes, from 10:30 a.m. to noon, and the line stretched around the store and through its parking lot before it began. Some people who waited did not get inside before the event ended, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.
A Short Window for a Large Crowd
Fans who made it inside received an autographed photo and a picture with Contreras; at least one also took a selfie with him on a personal phone, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. Contreras told CBS 58, “I feel great to be the MVP and I really love this city.”
Not every family who showed up early got that moment. Jessica Saia and her family arrived around 8:30 a.m. but did not get a chance to meet Contreras, the Journal Sentinel reported. Saia still wanted to thank the catcher for being an inspiration, and the paper noted her teenage son plays catcher on his own baseball team.
Young Fans Brought Flags, Jerseys and Handmade Signs
Among those waiting were 9-year-old Ceci Decent, who held a Venezuelan flag, and her 6-year-old brother Leo, who wore a Brewers jersey and carried homemade artwork reading “I love you William Contreras,” according to the Journal Sentinel's reporting. The Decent family did get their moment, with Contreras taking a selfie using their phone before the event ended. As he wrapped up and headed out through the back of the shop, Contreras waved to some of the fans who remained.
Kyle Flanagan, marketing manager at Dick's Sporting Goods, said the retailer wanted to celebrate the championship and Contreras wanted to spend more time with fans, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. Fans inside could also shop for new World Series merchandise.
Merchandise Lines Stretched Across Brookfield
The crush for Brewers gear began earlier in the week, after the championship win. Shoppers hoping to grab championship apparel formed their own queue that stretched around the Dick's building, according to FOX6 News. The station reported that checkout waits at Dick's reached as long as an hour and 20 minutes, while Rally House waits reached 45 minutes, with fresh merchandise shipments prompting shoppers to return and leave with several bags of gear. About a dozen people also lined up outside Rally House specifically for World Series championship T-shirts, FOX6 noted.
The Brookfield Dick's store itself leaned into the championship moment, its store page advertising Milwaukee Brewers World Series Champions shirts, hats and locker-room gear for fans eager to mark the title. The buzz extended online as well, with MLB's official account on X declaring, “WILLIAM CONTRERAS IS THE 2026 WORLD SERIES MVP!” following the Brewers' title run.
Brookfield's Commercial Planning
Brookfield’s 2050 Comprehensive Plan describes the city as a mix of residential neighborhoods, commercial and office districts, and parks and trails, according to the City of Brookfield. The city’s planning department says the plan recommends directing commercial development and redevelopment into 11 designated Targeted Investment Areas. That citywide guidance provides planning context.
For the families who waited hours in the Brookfield parking lot, the day became less about merchandise and more about a shared moment with a hometown star. Whether or not they made it inside before noon, fans across the suburb spent their Sunday morning celebrating a Brewers season that ended with a World Series championship and an MVP who, by his own account, has come to love the city right back.
