MILWAUKEE — For years, Gail Schoenfeld kept a golden ticket on display in her Brewers shrine, waiting for the moment she could use it to watch Milwaukee play in the World Series.
Now, a gift she received in 2015 is becoming a reality.
Schoenfeld plans to attend Game 1 on Friday with her husband, daughter Angela Joosten and Joosten’s husband, Rick.
“We’ve been holding onto it, hoping and waiting and getting ready to go and cash this thing in,” Schoenfeld said. “It’s been so close for the last few years.”
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Her son-in-law, Blaine Spies, purchased the Brewers’ Timeless Ticket for her back in 2015 for $1,000.
Spies said the tickets could be redeemed for any game. For this family, the goal was a World Series appearance.
“She’s just a big Brewers fan,” he said.
The purchase also included regular-season tickets, which the family used for an outing together. Spies recalled gathering about 18 or 19 relatives for a game.
While those tickets were used long ago, the golden tickets remained a promise of something still to come.
Schoenfeld said redeeming hers gave her one World Series ticket and the opportunity to purchase up to three additional tickets at face value.
When the family discussed possibly selling their tickets, Joosten quickly objected.
“I’m like, oh, heck no! We’re so going!” she said. “I mean, just to be there, it’s just a … it’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing.”
For Schoenfeld, the trip will bring back memories of attending a World Series game in 1982. Her connection to Milwaukee baseball stretches back even further, to childhood outings to see the Braves.
That love of the game carried through generations.
Her daughter Sherry Spies remembers baseball playing on the radio at her grandparents’ house, family tailgates and trips to Brewers games. The family also gathers for spring training in Arizona.
Sherry and Blaine, who live in Texas, selected a potential Game 7 for their World Series trip. They have already purchased airline tickets, and their children plan to travel from other states to join them.
“The excitement of Game 7, if it gets that far, and at home,” Blaine said of their choice.
For Sherry, the celebration is especially meaningful because of her mother.
“My mom’s going to the World Series,” she recalled saying when the Brewers advanced.
Schoenfeld is already imagining taking her seat and waiting for the first pitch.
“It’s just so exciting for our whole family,” she said.
The Brewers organization said they have received and unprecedented amount of emails from fans requesting to redeem their Timless Ticket.
