History of the Brewers

As one of the American League's eight charter teams in 1901, the franchise spent its first year as a major league club in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as the Milwaukee Brewers before moving to St. Louis, Missouri, to become the St. Louis Browns in 1902. After 52 years in St. Louis, the franchise was purchased in November 1953 by a syndicate of Baltimore business and civic interests led by attorney and civic activist Clarence Miles and Mayor Thomas D'Alesandro Jr. The team's current owner is American trial lawyer Peter Angelos.

The Orioles adopted their team name in honor of the official state bird of Maryland; it had been used previously by several baseball clubs in the city, including another AL charter member franchise also named the "Baltimore Orioles", which moved north to New York in 1903 to eventually become the Yankees. Nicknames for the team include the "O's" and the "Birds."

Established
1894

City
Milwaukee – St. Louis – Baltimore

League History
2000 – Present / Major League Baseball
1900 – 1999 / American League
1894 – 1900 / Western League

Team History
1954 – Present / Baltimore Orioles
1902 – 1953 / St. Louis Browns
1894 – 1901 / Milwaukee Brewers

Nickname
Brewers – In reference to the local unique cream brick industry and brewing industry respectively. In particular, some famous breweries included Schlitz (“The beer that made Milwaukee famous”), Blatz, Pabst, and later Miller Beer, which today holds naming rights to the current stadium.

Championship
World Series 0
1983, 1970, 1966

Stadium
1992 – Present / Oriole Park at Camden Yards
1954 – 1991 / Memorial Stadium

*St. Louis*
1902 – 1953 / Sportsman’s Park

*Milwaukee*
1895 – 1901 / Lloyd Street Grounds
1894 / Borchert Field

Owner
1993 – Present / Peter Angelos
1989 – 1993 / Eli Jacobs
1979 – 1988 / Edward Bennett Williams
1965 – 1979 / Jerold Hoffberger
1959 – 1965 / Jerold Hoffberger & Joe Iglehart
1955 – 1959 / Jerold Hoffberger & James Keelty
1954 – 1955 / Jerold Hoffberger & Clarence Miles
1951 – 1953 / Bill Veeck
1948 – 1951 / Bill DeWitt
1945 – 1948 / Richard Muckerman
1936 – 1945 / Donald Lee Barnes
1915 – 1933 / Phil Ball
1902 – 1915 / Robert Hedges
1894 – 1902 / Henry Killilea

Retired Number
4 / Earl Weaver
5 / Brooks Robinson
8 / Cal Ripken, Jr.
20 / Frank Robinson
22 / Jim Palmer
33 / Eddie Murray
42 / Jackie Robinson

*Blue is this team’s history