Hank Aaron gets a high-five from former Milwaukee Brewers teammate Sixto Lezcano during a pregame ceremony to honor players for the "Brewers Wall of Honor" at Miller Park on Friday. Credit: Angela Peterson

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Craig Counsell said it started as a casual conversation.

And that conversation bloomed into what was unveiled in a celebration Friday at Miller Park, the Brewers Wall of Honor.

Partly the event was a celebration of 45 years of Brewers history. Another part was a chance for teammates from the 1970s, '80s and '90s to renew their ties.

"We have been around awhile now," said Brewers legend Robin Yount, one of the honorees. "There is a little bit of history here."

A total of 58 people were recognized with a place on the wall, which will be on permanent display outside Miller Park, on the north side.

The players, wearing replicas of their old jerseys, mingled in a tent outside Miller Park before the Brewers played the Cincinnati Reds. Current Brewers players came to the ceremony to pay their respects. The honorees were later introduced to fans before the game.

"It was just a conversation Tyler Barnes and I had," Counsell said. "I thought it would be a good way to keep alive the tradition, to honor the significant players, the core players of the franchise. And it's for fans. Something they could walk by and share stories with different generations of fans.

"They did a great job and it turned out great," Counsell said. "What's most gratifying is just the reaction of the players, standing in there and looking at their plaques. It means a lot. They spent significant time here and meaningful time here as Brewers."

Counsell is special assistant to general manager Doug Melvin. Barnes is the team's vice president of media relations.

Each honoree has a plaque with his photo and a brief synopsis of his playing career.

Barnes said the Brewers talked at length with the San Francisco Giants, who had installed a similar display for former Giants players.

The Brewers added some criteria the Giants did not have in their version.

"We were aiming to be inclusive, not exclusive, when we were putting the criteria together," Barnes said.

Barnes said the honorees represent about 7% of the more than 800 players and managers who have worn a Brewers uniform.

The players who met the following criteria while playing for the Brewers were chosen for the honor: 2,000 or more plate appearances; 1,000 or more innings pitched; 250 appearances as a pitcher; winner of a major award (MVP, Cy Young, Rookie of the Year, Fireman of the Year); manager of a pennant-winning team; those with statues on the Miller Park Plaza; and members of the Baseball Hall of Fame who played for the Brewers.

There are seven active players in MLB who meet the criteria. Those players will be added to the wall when they retire.

In a private ceremony emceed by Brewers broadcaster Bob Uecker, 36 former players were present to receive replica plaques. The team said this was thought to be the biggest collection of former Brewers players for an event in the club's history.

Another eight players sent representatives from their families.

Both Uecker and Commissioner Bud Selig made the wall.

Selig, the Brewers first owner, spoke at the ceremony. So did current principal owner Mark Attanasio and Brewers manager Ron Roenicke.

"This community loves baseball," Roenicke said. "They love the Brewers. Because of that, we get to play in front of a packed house almost every night. We get to play in a great stadium. And we will try to honor these uniforms like you guys have in the past."

It was a time for some players to reflect on their time in Milwaukee.

Second baseman Fernando Vina (1995-'99) was fond of the team, fond of the city.

"The fans here support you," Vina said before the ceremony. "There are real good people here. This place is deep in my heart."

Vina said his favorite memory was representing the Brewers in the 1998 All-Star Game in Colorado.

"To represent the city, the fans, my teammates, was a very special moment for me," Vina said.

Pitcher Ben Sheets (2001-'08) remembered how bad the team was and then how good it became.

"From the beginning, when we were losing 100 games, to the end when we made the playoffs, that's pretty good," Sheets said. "You feel like you accomplished something throughout those years."

Outfielder Greg Vaughn (1989-'96) lives in California but said he considers Milwaukee his second home.

"I came up through the organization," Vaughn said. "For me it's extra special.

"I played for five teams and this is still the one I check on in the sports page or 'SportsCenter' in the morning," Vaughn said. "For me this is a special place. Both my kids were born here. Lots of friends and family here. For me, it's a deep, deep connection."

WALL OF HONOR MEMBERS

Hank Aaron, Jerry Augustine, Sal Bando, Chris Bosio, Johnny Briggs, Jeromy Burnitz.

Mike Caldwell, Bill Castro, Jeff Cirillo, Jim Colborn, Cecil Cooper, Craig Counsell, Chuck Crim.

Rob Deer, Cal Eldred, Mike Fetters, Rollie Fingers, Jim Gantner, Moose Haas, Bill Hall, Darryl Hamilton, Teddy Higuera.

John Jaha, Geoff Jenkins, Harvey Kuenn, Sixto Lezcano, Pat Listach, Mark Loretta.

Davey May, Bob McClure, Paul Molitor, Don Money, Charlie Moore, Jaime Navarro, Dave Nilsson, Ben Oglivie, Dan Plesac, Darrell Porter.

Ken Sanders, George Scott, Kevin Seitzer, Allan H. "Bud" Selig, Richie Sexson, Ben Sheets, Ted Simmons, Jim Slaton, B.J. Surhoff, Don Sutton.

Gorman Thomas, Bill Travers, Bob Uecker, Jose Valentin, Greg Vaughn, Fernando Vina, Pete Vuckovich, Bill Wegman, Bob Wickman, Robin Yount.

Note: John Axford, Ryan Braun, Prince Fielder, Yovani Gallardo, J.J. Hardy, Corey Hart and Rickie Weeks are the seven active players that, as of today, qualify for induction into the Wall of Honor following their retirement. Active players closing in on the thresholds include Jonathan Lucroy and Carlos Gomez.