BRISTOL, Wis. — For Milwaukee Brewers superfan Dobie Maxwell, the team's latest postseason run is more than just baseball. It's a chance to revisit a dream he's been holding onto for 44 years.
In 1982, Maxwell was 19 years old, chasing his own dream of becoming a Major League Baseball player.
A left-handed pitcher, he worked his way through Milwaukee's city leagues before earning a tryout with a major league team.
"When I was a kid, I wanted to be a baseball player more than anything else," Maxwell said. “I worked at a restaurant, but I hated my job as a cook. I got a second look (at the tryout), but I didn’t get a contract."
That same year, the Brewers made their first World Series appearance.
Maxwell was working as a cook at a restaurant when a coworker offered him a ticket to one of the games for $50.
“My coworker had a ticket for 50 bucks, but it was like a million at the time,” he said.
He couldn't afford it and figured he'd have another opportunity to watch his beloved Brewers compete for a championship.
But that opportunity never came.
More than four decades later, Maxwell still remembers the heartbreak of Milwaukee losing Game 7 of the 1982 World Series.
“I think everybody in my generation is dying to see the Brewers in the World Series,” he said. “There's a scar on all of our hearts.”
Maxwell eventually found success in a different kind of spotlight, building a career as a standup comedian. But his loyalty to the Brewers never faded.
Now, watching this year's team, he's feeling the same excitement he experienced as a teenager.
“This is a dream season,” Maxwell said. “Your generation will be talking about this when you're my age. David defeated Goliath. The Brewers are gonna defeat and win the World Series. You just feel it. We’ve waited long enough. This is a gift from the universe — our gift. Enjoy every pitch."
When asked how his 19-year-old self would feel about another opportunity to see the Brewers in the World Series, Maxwell didn't hesitate.
“Oh, overjoyed. This is it. I would sell a kidney to go see the game if I could,” he joked. “It won't be 50 bucks, but whatever I have to do, I'm gonna cheer for the Brewers to win.”
For Maxwell, the hope of seeing Milwaukee return to baseball's biggest stage is a dream that has never gone away.
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