Racing Sausages In Milwaukee

Anyone who has been to a Milwaukee Brewers home game since the mid-1990's can tell you that one of the highlights of the trip to County Stadium or Miller Park was the Sausage Race.

Add another one to the list of mystifying Wisconsonite behaviors, which includes wearing hats of cheese.

The race began as a cartoon on the Jumbo-tron scoreboard in center field. One legendary gameday, Brewers owners cranked it up a notch. The scoreboard cartoon culminated in an explosion of 8'-tall sprinting sausages from a corner of left field, headed for home plate.

Fans loved it.

The year 2000 brought epic changes to the world of sausage racing. In honor of the new millenium, there would be no more cartoon on the scoreboard. The whole race was to take place on the field.

Bernie Brewer seems to approve. He cheers on the sausages as they run from his tower in left field.

The Lineup

The Bratwurst—According to his bio on the Brewer's Web site, the bratwurst “trains like a machine.” He is known to start fast, but loses wind at the end of the race. He has one win under his belt for the 2009 season.

The Polish Sausage—This sausage is notorious for his slow starts. Often viewed as an underdog, he has been known to sneak up on the other runners when they are winded. He has yet to win a race this season.

The Italian Sausage—Packing star power, the Italian Sausage “rarely breaks a sweat,” has a “spicy personality,” and has been “featured in low budget films called Sausages Are a Butcher's Best Friend and Sausages, Sausages, and More Sausages.

Running for this sausage “began as a leisure activity,” but has obviously blossomed into something more.

The Hot Dog—Called “weiner” or “frank” by his friends, this runner has taken four of the five races as of April 14. He obviously put in work during the offseason.

The Chorizo—This runner joined the line-up in 2006 at the first Cerveceros Day (Spanish for Brewers). Some say he is at a disadvantage because of the non-aerodynamic sombrero he wears, but he refuses to use that as an excuse.

People expect good things from him this year.

Keep in mind, you can book the sausages for your events by filling out the appropriate request on the Milwaukee Brewers Web site. Just make sure it isn't game day, those dates are booked solid.

Vote Now! - Author Poll

Who's the best sausage?

Results - Author Poll

Who's the best sausage?

• The Bratwurst

  28.6%

• The Polish Sausage

  14.3%

• The Italian Sausage

  19.0%

• The Hot Dog

  23.8%

• The Chorizo

  14.3%
• Total votes: 21

The best Brewers newsletter on the web