On Wednesday morning, a crew changed out the stadium sign along I-94 to reflect the current name of the Brewers stadium.
As of Jan. 1, the stadium is officially called American Family Field.
In January 2019, the team announced that the Wisconsin-based insurance company had purchased the naming rights for the stadium. A year later, American Family released the official name of the stadium, followed by an unveiling of the logo in September.
And now, the change officially begins with the signage.
The end of an era. pic.twitter.com/rMHFTQnFHz — Bobby Tanzilo (@BobbyOnMKEcom) January 27, 2021
First up is the freestanding sign that’s just south of the freeway. The two-sided sign includes advertising panels and a video screen, capped by a stadium sponsor logo on each side.
It is these sponsor signs that are being switched out first, with the Miller Park logos coming down and the American Family Field logos going up, beginning with the east face of the sign.
Next will be the two signs on the clocktower, which could be replaced as early as today but likely within the next few days.
According to the Brewers, the remaining signage – including the iconic Miller Park sign on the building itself, which is expected to require a couple days' work – will be changed out over the next month.
DePere-based Jones Sign Company – which has done signage at Lambeau Field and other sports stadia and arena – is handling the work.
American Family CEO Jack Salzwedel previewed the sign in a Twitter post Tuesday night. By that time, the sign had arrived at the stadium and could be seen, wrapped up tight, sitting on the back of a semi.
Getting ready for 1st installation...#AmFamField#brewcrew pic.twitter.com/sDe9NtlTUW — Jack Salzwedel (@AmFamJack) January 27, 2021
Back in November, it appeared that work on the replacement signage had begun.
A source at Molson Coors suggests that at least some of the Miller Park signage will be preserved and that plans for their future are being discussed.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
