Karen Pilarski

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Well before #Thisismycrew, racing sausages and Bernie's banana yellow slide, the Milwaukee Brewers thrilled the roaring crowds with the gymnastics and theatrics of a young lady named Bonnie Brewer and her friend Bernie.

With all the enthusiasm surrounding the original Bernie Brewer in 1970, and his feat of sitting atop of the County Stadium scoreboard until the team drew its first 40,000 crowd, the organization decided to make a character (not a mascot) as part of the everyday happenings at the ballpark, according to Mario Ziino, former Milwaukee Brewers employee who assisted with historical information.

In 1973, a beer barrel, chalet and slide were constructed in the bleachers, and Bernie Brewer, a member of the ground crew, would take his post in the chalet and slide down into the barrel following each Brewers home run and victory, releasing balloons, like bubbles.

But there was another debut that same year: Bonnie Brewer. (Officially in Brewers lore, they are not related, if you must know.)

The young lass appeared in the middle of the fifth inning home games, rushing onto the field with a cartwheel or flip. Bonnie wore a short blue lederhosen, a Milwaukee Brewers cap and carried a blue-and-gold broom.

RELATED:So, you just jumped on the Brewers bandwagon; here are the things you need to know

RELATED:One thing's been missing in all the Brewers hoopla: Where is Hank the dog? We'll tell you.

RELATED:It'll cost a minimum of about $130 to see the Brewers in the NLCS Friday at Miller Park

As the ground crew tended to the infield, she used her broom to sweep off the bases. When she passed the opponent's third-base coach; she gave him an innocent peck on his cheek, then swatted him on the backside with her broom.

The first Bonnie was Donna Walek (nee Bozmoski), a sophomore at Brookfield East High School. (Walek died in 2002.) She inaugurated a character that the Brewers say lasted for six years.

The Brewers dismantled the chalet, replacing it with a sound tower, and both the Bonnie and Bernie characters were discontinued.

In 1993, however, a vote was put to the fans and they elected to have Bernie return. The Brewers built a new chalet in the centerfield bleachers. Bernie returned as a full-size mascot, much like he appears today, Ziino said.

Bonnie made one more goodbye appearance in 2000 as part of a farewell tour to County Stadium. An adult Bonnie appeared during retro nights at Miller Park on occasion in the past decade. Although there is no talk of resurrecting Bonnie, memories of her sweeping, swatting coaches and innocent kisses will live on in Brewer history.

For the women who were chosen to play Bonnie, the experience meant so much more.

Being Bonnie

Two of the women who portrayed Bonnie Brewer relished the responsibility and having the greatest seat in County Stadium to watch the Milwaukee Brewers at play.

Liz (Van Buskirk) Deckman of Wauwatosa was chosen as Bonnie Brewer for 1978. Anne Haines of New Berlin was the last Bonnie in 1979. Both were 15 when they were selected from among some 300 applicants.

Deckman, now a partner with Dorsey & Whitney LLP in Seattle, has fond memories of attending Wauwatosa East High School. She went to her first live game at County Stadium with her grandpa and laid eyes on Bonnie Brewer.

"It looked like so much fun and I wanted to do it," Deckman said.



The interview was a three-part process, which involved writing a letter why the applicant wanted to be Bonnie and an in-person interview at the County Stadium.

Deckman said the other 10 finalists were there and instructed to go onto the field and simulate running the bases and acting like Bonnie. The following day hopeful girls waited anxiously to hear WTMJ radio host Gordon Hinkley call the winner over the radio.

Deckman laughed at how impatient she felt waiting for the call.

"I knew this was going to be one of those great experiences you have as a kid," she said.

Deckman earned $5 a game and $15 per appearance. What was more valuable was the five tickets to each home game for her family.

"My family embraced those tickets. They went to every game and stayed the entire time," she said.

Another benefit was she developed a close relationship with the team and staff during her time as Bonnie.

Deckman's favorite memory is when Molitor turned 21 and she got to plant a kiss on his cheek.

"For a 15-year-old girl, that was tops," she said.

Deckman still has her uniform tucked away for safe keeping. As to what happened to Bonnie Brewer the character, she is unsure. Deckman thought perhaps it was just time to move on.

Family of baseball fans

Anne Haines was also thrilled when her news came, She was running late for school and waited in the kitchen with her mom to see if she would get the call about Bonnie Brewer.

"You would have to sit there and hope the phone would ring," she said

Once she got the call, she started screaming.

Haines remembered being at the game on her 16th birthday and it was cushion night. Fans were given seat cushions and people clapped them together when she ran on the field. For her sweet 16 birthday, the Brewers played a special song for her.



For a teen in summer, the nominal pay added up. Haines was especially appreciative for the free tickets and generous parking pass.

"For a family who loves baseball, it was an honor," Haines said.

Her father's name is on the wall at Miller Park for being in the Wisconsin Ball Players Hall of Fame: Jim "Chico" Haines was in the Falk Corp. Industrial Leagues, a semi pro team.

"It is neat to have that tie to my dad," Haines said.

During her appearances at the malls, parades and speeches, John Counsell (father of Craig Counsell) worked for the Milwaukee Brewers as their director of the speaker's bureau and director of community relations. He would accompany Haines to events and played ball with her dad.

Her most memorable story involves New York Yankees player Bucky Dent, who she thought was cute. One game she told the third-base Yankees coach to tell Dent hi.

He asked if she knew him, which left her feeling so mortified; Haines didn't remember if she finished her routine. The next game she did her normal sweeping the coach's feet but wouldn't lock eyes with him.

"The coach told me Bucky said hi," Haines said.

She looked over at the dugout and the New York Yankees were pushing Bucky out toward her and waving to her.

There were other encounters that were memorable, too.

"One time I cheated and stopped and kissed Yogi Berra at first because he was so legendary," she confessed.



Haines also recalled how the fans who would cheer even though it was the same routine game after game.

"There was so much excitement around Bonnie Brewer. It made me feel good," she said.

In 1979, Haines said, Bonnie Brewer disappeared into Brewers history. As the last Bonnie Brewer, Haines tells people she ruined it, but her mother said the Brewers just couldn't replace her.

Haines said many women today wouldn't stand for a girl sweeping bases and kissing coaches. As a previous Bonnie, she doesn't have similar feelings. The character doesn't violate her feminist values.

"For Pete's sake, it got a woman on the field!"

Haines is a mother of six children, stepmom of three and director of urban ministry at the Archdiocese of Milwaukee.

Her husband is a Chicago Cubs fan, which has made this baseball season exciting.

"He has taken the high road. He loves the Bonnie thing. (He) always shows my old picture online to people. I am just grateful we both love baseball!"