GREENDALE — Hundreds of Brewers fans packed a Raising Cane’s parking lot Monday morning, some arriving before sunrise, to see World Series champion Christian Yelich—even if it meant missing work or skipping school.
Yelich celebrated the Brewers' first World Series championship with more than 400 fans during a special “victory” shift at Raising Cane's in Greendale.
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The Brewers captain served a handful of customers at the counter and drive-thru as fans cheered, took pictures, and brought memorabilia to be signed.
One of the first customers said they arrived at 11 p.m. Sunday.
Matthew Zimmer of Brown Deer arrived at 4 a.m.
"I get here and see I'm the first person out of the car," Zimmer said.
Zimmer had attended Friday's championship parade and even recorded a video of Yelich on the team's bus. When he heard the Brewers star would be at the Greendale restaurant, he knew he wanted to be there.
"It's crazy this many people are out here coming to see Yelich and get some food," Zimmer said.
For Sergio Gonzalez of Racine, the occasion was a family outing with his sons, Izaac and Anthony. Gonzalez said they left around 5:30 a.m. and let the boys skip school for the celebration.
"They've been doing so well; they've earned it," he said, smiling.
For other fans, the championship was a moment years in the making.
Cathy Sivilski of Oak Creek described seeing Yelich as an almost unbelievable experience.
"I feel like I just saw Elvis again in my life," she laughed. "So worth the wait. So happy I'm healthy and alive to do this. What a wonderful experience. Wow, I'm shaking."
Yelich said the turnout was a reminder of how many people follow baseball and how much the Brewers mean to their fans.
"It's an honor that people are that excited about the team," he said.
The Brewers defeated the Tampa Bay Rays in five games to win the franchise's first World Series title.
Yelich said the championship was still sinking in, particularly after seeing the crowds at Friday's parade.
"Once you're in the parade and see how many people came out, you're actually celebrating it. It's like, oh, 'this actually did happen'," he said.
The event also gave Yelich a chance to joke about what might happen if the rest of the Brewers joined him behind the counter.
"You probably wouldn't be able to use the store after our team got ahold of it," he laughed, adding that teammate Sal Frelick would likely be the one making a mess.
“If you got Sal back there, JB, all those guys, it’d be quite the scene.”
The Brewers' celebration hasn't slowed down since the title win — from Lambeau Field for Thursday night's Packers game, to Friday's parade, Christian Yelich's Saturday night appearance on "Saturday Night Live," and World Series MVP William Contreras' appearance at Dick's Sporting Goods on Sunday.
“It means a lot to the state. It means a lot to everyone here,” Gonzalez smiled.
This story was reported on-air by Kaylee Staral and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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