Remarks by Gov. Tommy G

Home , Hank (dog), Hank Aaron, John Jaha, Milwaukee County Stadium

------Remarks by Gov. Tommy G. Thompson Groundbreaking for Miller Park Milwaukee County Stadium Nov. 9, 1996 ------

THIS IS A GREAT DAY FOR WISCONSIN.

IT’S GREAT TO HAVE HANK AARON AND ROBIN YOUNT BACK. WHAT GREAT MEMORIES THEY HAVE GIVEN US. THEY REPRESENT EVERYTHING THAT IS GREAT ABOUT BASEBALL AND EVERYHING THAT WE CHERISH IN THE GAME.

AND HANK, YOU WERE OH SO RIGHT, WHEN A FEW YEARS AGO, YOU TOLD THE NATIONAL PRESS THAT WISCONSIN FANS ARE THE BEST BASEBALL FANS IN THE COUNTRY. THIS STADIUM IS A TESTAMENT TO OUR RICH SPORTS HERITAGE.

WISCONSIN IS A STATE THAT WORKS HARD AND PLAYS HARD. THROUGHOUT OUR HISTORY, WISCONSIN HAS PASSIONATELY FOLLOWED AND SUPPORTED ITS SPORTS TEAMS -- FROM THE PACKERS TO THE BADGERS TO THE BREWERS.

AUTHOR DAVID LAMB ONCE WROTE THAT MILWAUKEE IS A CITY THAT BECAME SYNONYMOUS WITH THE ROMANCE OF A PEOPLE AND ITS BASEBALL TEAM.

TODAY, WE RENEW THAT ROMANCE. WE BEGIN BUILDING A NEW ERA OF BASEBALL IN WISCONSIN -- A FIELD OF DREAMS FOR OUR CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN TO ENJOY FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.

AND MAKE NO MISTAKE, WE ARE BUILDING THIS STADIUM NOT FOR THE BALLPLAYERS, NOT FOR THE OWNERS, NOT FOR MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL.

WE ARE BUILDING THIS STADIUM FOR OURSELVES -- THE PEOPLE OF WISCONSIN.

THIS IS OUR STADIUM. BASEBALL IS THE FANS’ SPORT. AND THE BREWERS ARE WISCONSIN’S TEAM. AND WE ARE PROUD OF THAT.

THE NEW STADIUM WILL BE A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE FROM ACROSS THE STATE CAN COME TOGETHER AND CELEBRATE THE GREAT PRIDE WE TAKE IN OUR STATE, OUR COMMUNITIES AND OUR SPORTS TEAMS.

IT WILL BE A PLACE WHERE THE FARMER FROM NEW RICHMON, THE DAIRYMAN FROM NEW HOLSTEIN, THE FOUNDRY WORKER FROM NEW BERLIN, AND THE SMALL BUSINESS OWNER FROM NEW GLARUS CAN COME TOGETHER AND JUST BE A PROUD WISCONSINITE -- CHEERING ON THEIR BASEBALL TEAM WITH THEIR FAMILY, FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS.

JUST LIKE LAMBEAU FIELD, MILLER PARK WILL BE A PLACE THAT UNITES THE ENTIRE STATE FOR A FEW HOURS A DAY IN A SPEICAL WAY THAT CAPTURES THE NATION’S IMAGINATION AND EARNS ITS ADMIRATION.

THE SPORTS WORLD IS FASCINATED BY THE PEOPLE OF WISCONSIN.

FASCINATED BY THE WARMTH AND CLOSENESS BETWEEN THE PACKERS AND THE FANS AT LAMBEAU FIELD...... FASCINATED BY THE WAY RED- CLAD BADGER FANS WILL FOLLOW THEIR TEAM ANYWHERE ACROSS THIS LAND.

AND THEY WILL BE FASCINATED BY THE SPECIAL BOND MILLER PARK WILL BUILD BETWEEN THE BREWERS AND THE BASEBALL FANS OF WISCONSIN.

JUST IMAGINE IT. JEFF D’AMICO RUNNING AROUND MILLER PARK AFTER A BIG WIN, LEADING THE FANS IN CHEERS LIKE BRETT FAVRE AND REGGIE WHITE.

BOB COSTAS AND JOE MORGAN COMING TO MILLER PARK TO BROADCAST A BALLGAME ANY CHANCE THEY GET BECAUSE THEY LOVE THE AMBIANCE HERE (NOT TO MENTION THE BRATS), JUST LIKE AL, DAN AND FRANK LOVE COMING TO LAMBEAU.

AND PICTURE FOR A MOMENT, JOHN JAHA AND JOSE VALENTIN JUMPING INTO THE STANDS AFTER A HOME RUN.

WE’LL HAVE TO GET ROBERT BROOKS DOWN TO SPRING TRAINING TO HELP THE GUYS WITH THEIR JUMPS.

IT IS THE SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP -- THE ROMANCE -- THAT WISCONSIN FANS HAVE WITH THEIR SPORTS TEAMS THAT MAKES LAMBEAU FIELD AND CAMP RANDALL SO SPECIAL.

AND IT IS THAT SAME RELATIONSHIP THAT WILL MAKE MILLER PARK THE MOST SPECIAL AND MAGICAL PLACE TO WATCH A BASEBALL GAME IN AMERICA.

TODAY, WE MOVE FORWARD AS A STATE, BUILDING ONE OF OUR FIRST LINKS TO THE 21ST CENTURY.

AND IN THE YEAR 2010, WHEN OUR CHILDREN TAKE THEIR CHILDREN TO SEE THE BREWERS PLAY IN THE WORLD SERIES FOR THE FIFTH STRAIGHT YEAR, THEY WILL LOOK BACK TO THIS DAY AND THANK US FOR HAVING THE VISION AND COURAGE TO BUILD THEIR FIELD OF DREAMS.

SO, BE EXCITED AS YOU WATCH MILLER PARK BEING BUILT....TAKE PRIDE IN IT....AND ENJOY IT WHEN IT’S COMPLETE.

FOR TODAY IS OUR DAY -- THE FANS’ DAY.....AND THIS IS OUR BALLPARK.