MILWAUKEE — It was only fitting that the Milwaukee Brewers celebrated their first World Series title with a beer-soaked celebration worthy of their name.

“We’ve had way too many parade beers,” team captain and designated hitter Christian Yelich said Friday at a rally that capped a day-long party with fans. “I took the trophy to the face, got a black eye. It’s all worth it. It’s for you guys. We should celebrate forever.”

The small-market Brewers gave their long-suffering fans the championship they had been waiting for with a 4-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday, clinching the Series in five games. It was their first time playing in the Fall Classic in 44 years.

That long wait made Friday’s celebration that much sweeter.

“Unbelievable,” said parade attendee Mark Diedrich, a 76-year-old from who has been an on-and-off partial season ticket holder since the 1980s. “You just never thought it would happen. But it did.”

Before the rally at American Family Insurance Amphitheater near the shore of Lake Michigan, the Brewers held a parade through downtown Milwaukee. Exuberant fans flooded the streets, watched from parking garages and cheered from office building windows.

Milwaukee police estimated that more than 750,000 attended the parade or rally, well above their initial expectations of about 400,000.

“That was incredible — incredible,” manager Pat Murphy said. “I kept thinking I saw the same people over and over, and we were just going in a circle. There’s no way there’s that many people who live here.”

Then came a rally that featured World Series MVP William Contreras joining in on the fans’ “MVP” chants.

“We win the trophy for you guys, for the city,” Contreras said.

The rally concluded with hitting coach Daniel Vogelbach performing a karaoke version of “Stacy’s Mom” by Fountains of Wayne and Hall of Fame shortstop Robin Yount riding onto the stage on a Harley-Davidson owned by beloved broadcaster Bob Uecker.

Yount was an MVP when the Brewers made their last World Series appearance, losing in seven games to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1982. By the time they got back, it was without Uecker, who called Brewers games for 54 seasons before dying in January 2025 at the age of 90.

The Brewers made sure he was remembered. The parade route ran through a downtown mural honoring Uecker, and 2011 MVP Ryan Braun led a “Ueck” cheer during the rally.

“God bless you, Bob Uecker,” Yount said at the end of the ceremony.

At the parade, Brewers players, coaches and staffers waved to fans from the top of buses, some of which bore the message, “Won Our Way,” to update their postseason slogan of “Win Our Way.” Several players, such as outfielder Sal Frelick and second baseman Brice Turang, removed their shirts in a nod to this seasons’ MLB-wide “Tarps Off” craze as they exhorted the crowd.

Players took turns holding the Commissioner’s Trophy aloft, with many of them getting off their buses and greeting fans.

“For me and my teammates, this has been the most special day of our lives — you guys showing up here and cheering us on,” said Aaron Ashby, who set a major league record by throwing 18 consecutive scoreless innings of relief in the postseason to lead Milwaukee’s stellar bullpen performance. “This is better than anything we could ever imagine.”

Every level of the Brewers franchise was represented in the parade, from owner Mark Attanasio to grounds crew members, behind-the-scenes staff and even the Johnsonville racing sausages. Yount and fellow Hall of Famers Rollie Fingers, Paul Molitor and Ted Simmons from that 1982 team also participated in the parade and rally.

“Good things come to those who wait,” Molitor said. “We waited long enough.”

The celebration actually started well before Friday.

Several Brewers, including Yelich and Cy Young Award favorite Jacob Misiorowski, went to Lambeau Field for Thursday night’s Green Bay Packers game. They received a huge ovation, especially when pitcher Brandon Woodruff emerged from the tunnel in the second quarter holding the Commissioner’s Trophy.