Christian Yelich Is a Captain On and Off the Field

Milwaukee, WI – The first thing I notice is the plastic wedge of cheese hanging from the ceiling. It looks just like the hats on the heads of so many people waiting outside. I don’t need Google Maps to tell me I’m in Wisconsin. 

The next decoration to catch my eye is a picture on the wall. It’s Henry Louis Aaron, Hammerin’ Hank, a legend anywhere and everywhere, but especially in Milwaukee.

In 1953, the Boston Braves packed up, sold their stadium, and moved to the Midwest. Four years later, a 23-year-old Aaron led the Milwaukee Braves to the first World Series title in the city’s history. 

For almost 70 years, that was it. The Braves won the pennant again in 1958 but lost to the Yankees in the World Series. Eight years afterward, the franchise moved to Atlanta. It didn’t take long for Major League Baseball to return to Milwaukee; the Brewers arrived in 1970. Unfortunately, playoff success didn’t follow.

In 1982, the Crew came 11 outs away from winning it all before the Cardinals dashed their hopes. For the next 43 years, fans in Milwaukee watched the World Series from the sidelines. The days of Henry Aaron and his World Series glory fell further and further into the past.

All of this runs through my mind as I look around the room and wait for 2026 World Series champion Christian Yelich to arrive. 

I’m in a Raising Cane’s restaurant in Greendale, Wisconsin, just outside of Milwaukee. The sky is grey, but fans of all ages fill the parking lot with bright Brewers colors. Some, I’m told, have been out there for nearly 12 hours. 

I wonder if any of them remember the 1957 World Series. Perhaps a few. For most, however, this is a moment they’ve been waiting their whole lives to celebrate. And who better to celebrate with than the captain himself?

Just after 10:00 am, I can tell Yelich is approaching from the commotion outside the restaurant. Phones are out, signs are raised, and chants of “Yeli, Yeli, Yeli!” grow louder and louder. 

Then, as he steps inside, I have to admit I’m taken aback by how down-to-earth he comes across. Dozens of cameras in his face, hundreds of people cheering his name, and somehow, the superstar ballplayer seems like any other person walking into the room. 

Immediately, I understand why he was named the first captain in Brewers franchise history. 

It’s not that I questioned the decision before. Yelich’s accolades and on-field accomplishments speak for themselves. He’s an All-Star, a Silver Slugger, a Gold Glover, a batting champ, and an MVP. His arrival in 2018 ushered in a golden age of Brewers baseball.

Of course, Yelich didn’t bring about this golden age all on his own. Still, he is the face of the franchise, a symbol of the work that hundreds of people have put in, on the field and behind the scenes, to earn six division titles and eight playoff berths in nine years. That’s a massive responsibility.

After meeting him, I know he can handle it. 

What struck me the most about the Yelich was how he commanded the room without any air of superiority. He was perfectly at ease with a crowd of people hanging on his every word. At the same time, when he spoke, I could almost forget I was listening to a man whose face is plastered all over the city. He answered questions with equal parts expertise and humility.

I had to be forceful to get a word in edgewise, amid the throng of eager reporters. But when he replied, he spoke to me directly. For a moment, it felt more like a one-on-one conversation than a media scrum.

Yelich took an experience that so few have enjoyed – leading a Major League Baseball team to a World Series title – and made it totally relatable. He couldn’t believe that A-list stars like Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg, whom he met while filming a guest spot on Saturday Night Live, had watched him in the World Series. 

“I think we forget how many people watch baseball,” he said.

Later, he smiled as he told us he finally got his unread text count under 100. 

“I haven’t done a great job of getting back to everybody,” he admitted.

After the question period was over, someone put a box of chicken down on the table. With all eyes (and several cameras) still on Yelich, he awkwardly took a bite. 

Yet, any stiffness in the room didn’t last for long. Part of a captain’s job is setting the tone for his team. In that moment, Yelich turned the Raising Cane’s on South 76th Street into his clubhouse. He got a big laugh as he said what all of us were thinking: “You guys ever eaten in front of 50 people?” 

With a few words, he made it clear this wasn’t going to be a stuffy press event. It was going to be fun. 

And it was fun. Yelich put his SNL training to good use in a skit with the Cane’s staff. I was genuinely moved when he served Brewers fans at the counter and took the time to really speak with each of them. Then, he posed for pictures with his dog before he greeted the roaring crowd outside. 

Yelich stayed far longer than he was scheduled to be there, shaking hands and signing autographs. He didn’t need to do that. No doubt he understood that every few seconds he spent with a fan would live in their memories forever. 

Indeed, so many people will remember these last few weeks for the rest of their lives. 

As Yelich walked away, I turned and saw a small child in her mother’s arms, wrapped up in a Bluey blanket. She couldn’t be more than five years old. I imagine her parents have been waiting their whole lives to see the Brewers win the World Series. For her, this World Series, and meeting Christian Yelich, will be some of her earliest memories. 

Someday, the Brewers will retire number 22. Perhaps they’ll place a statue of their captain outside American Family Field. And who knows? Maybe, if Christian Yelich is really lucky, they’ll put his picture up next to Henry Aaron on the wall in Raising Cane’s.

Yet, for now, Yelich is just living in the moment. Asked when it really sunk in that he was a World Series champion, his answer was simple, funny, and, as usual, wholly relatable.

“It still hasn’t.”