![A baseball and glove, similar to what has been used at Miller Park. [Image via lsauvage - Pixabay]](https://staticr1.blastingcdn.com/media/photogallery/2019/1/25/660x290/b_502x220x82/a-baseball-and-glove-similar-to-what-has-been-used-at-miller-park-image-via-lsauvage-pixabay_2190761.jpg "A baseball and glove, similar to what has been used at Miller Park. [Image via lsauvage - Pixabay]")
Miller Park, home of the Milwaukee Brewers, is set to undergo a name change. Since its opening, it has been sponsored by Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based Miller Brewing Company. It seemed a natural fit. A brewing company in Milwaukee sponsoring the home venue of the Milwaukee Brewers. It has been a successful partnership for both parties involved.
However, that relationship seems to be changing. In a surprising move, the stadium is to soon be named after a different company. American Family Insurance, based in Madison, Wisconsin, is to take over beginning in 2021.
Miller will no longer hold the naming rights
After negotiations were apparently unsuccessful for a new contract, Miller broke the news to its employees in a melancholy e-mail. Miller had been outbid American Family Insurance. It has been disputed as to how big the bid was.
American Family had previously served as a sponsor in a smaller role for the team. While a new official name for the stadium has been announced, the deal is reportedly for 15 years.
Miller Brewing Company bought the naming rights for the future ballpark in 1996. The funding from Miller also played a crucial role in the stadiums' construction, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Miller is likely to remain a fixture at the ballpark and their products are to still be sold there.
Despite this, USA Today reports many fans are not happy with the news.
Miller Park first opened to the public in 2001. It is the second venue to serve as the home of the Milwaukee Brewers. The previous venue, Milwaukee County Stadium, had hosted many events, sporting and otherwise, since the early 1950s. It has received recognition in part for its uniquely-shaped retractable roof.
The stadium was initially a source of controversy. It was partially funded with money from the public, acquired by a raise in the state's sales tax. The tax hike was not welcome, so much so that a state senator was recalled over it. In 1999, three workers on the construction site were killed in a crane accident. The workers' widows later settled a lawsuit with the Japanese company Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.
MHI had been tasked with constructing the stadium's roof. A sculpture entitled "Teamwork" was later unveiled outside of the building in memory of the three workers.
Despite the early controversies and tragedy, Miller Park became a major hit with Brewers fans. It is also one of the most popular baseball venues in the country
Not the first recent major sponsor change
A popular event at Brewers home games is the sausage race, held during the 6th inning. The current incarnation features five participants dressed as a variety of sausages. These sausages have become additional mascots of sorts for the Brewers.
For several years, the segment was sponsored by Milwaukee-based Klement's Sausage Company. As such, the beloved characters were known as the Klement's Famous Racing Sausages. In 2018, it a change was announced. Klement's had lost its sponsorship rights to Johnsonville Foods, based out of Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin. This was also a controversial move.
