SPORTS LINE
The Milwaukee Brewers.
American Family Field celebrates 25 years of being home to the Brewers. It was like old times at American Family Field on Friday, with Brewers players from bygone days slugging home runs as fans cheered each long ball. Prince Fielder hit a few bombs like he did during his playing days with the Brewers. So did sluggers Ryan Braun, Carlos Gómez, and Eric Thames, among others. Several fan favorites from past Brewers teams took part in the inaugural Alumni Home Run Derby, which followed the Brewers’ 5-1 loss to the Marlins in front of a sold-out crowd of 41,944, nearly all of whom stuck around for this unique and special event.
The derby featured team and individual competitions and served as a highlight of the day’s celebrations. Team Gómez — which featured Fielder, Keon Broxton, Yovani Gallardo, and Nyjer Morgan – took the crown with 15 home runs, led by, perhaps a bit surprisingly, Broxton with five dingers. Team Braun included Casey McGehee, Bill Hall, Thames, and Corey Hart, who led the squad with five homers. Longtime Brewers coach Ed Sedar and Alum George Kottaras served as the pitching and catching duo for the derby. Broxton defeated Hart 3-2 for the individual title. Broxton was awarded a trophy that stands several feet high for his winning effort.
Team Gómez will have $10,000 donated to the Autism Society, while a $5,000 donation will be to Habitat for Humanity on behalf of Team Braun through the Brewers Community Foundation. Brewers alums Keon Broxton and Mike Moustakas were among the ex-players who signed autographs before the game. Brewers alums weren’t the only ones signing autographs for fans. Current Brewers closer Trevor Megill also spent some time before the game signing. Former Brewers Eric Thames, Corey Knebel and Nyjer Morgan were among the ex-players who took photos with fans before the game.
The Milwaukee Bucks.
Guard Kevin Porter Jr. is mixing it up for the upcoming season. Porter Jr. is changing his number from No. 3 to No. 7 heading into the 2025-26 season. The number change comes after he signed a two-year, $10.5 million deal over the offseason. There have been plenty of jersey number changes for the Milwaukee Bucks this offseason, including several swaps, such as Kevin Porter Jr. giving up No. 3 to Myles Turner. Now, per NBA numerologist Etienne Catalan, Porter will switch to No. 7 this upcoming season, which had been worn by youngster Chris Livingston, who just recently re-signed with the team.
Porter was one of the key players for the Bucks last season. He ranked 92nd percentile in usage, 91st in points per shot attempt, and 92nd in assist percentage. He came over from the Los Angeles Clippers during the middle of the season and gave the guard position an immediate boost. Porter plays either guard spot, capable of handling the ball as the primary indicator and spotting up for jump shots off-the-ball. The Bucks once again lack significant guard play, especially with Damian Lillard gone from the team, which means he should get a major chance to prove himself as a starter. Giannis Antetokounmpo will be the team’s top option, but when he is off the court, Porter steps in.
