Schroeder to be placed on Brewers Wall of Honor
MILWAUKEE -- Bill Schroeder, who was behind the plate for the Brewers' only no-hitter (thrown by Juan Nieves in 1987) and is now entering a third decade in the television booth, will be honored later this year with a spot on the club's Wall of Honor.
The installation was completed in June to commemorate Brewers players, managers and executives who made a mark on the franchise. On Tuesday, the criteria expanded to include former Brewers players who have spent at least 20 seasons in the team's broadcast booth.
That opened a spot for Schroeder, who is entering his 21st season on Brewers television.
"It has truly been a labor of love," Schroeder said. "I have experienced many great moments with the team over the years and being added to the Wall of Honor tops the list."
Before the Brewers-Pirates game, Schroeder will be honored in a July 17 ceremony at Miller Park.
Video: Schroeder talks about his career in the booth
"Bill Schroeder is such an important and integral part of Brewers baseball, both past and present, and we're thrilled to be able to honor him in this way," Brewers COO Rick Schlesinger said. "As a former player and longtime broadcaster, Bill's loyalty and commitment to the Brewers run very deep, and his place on the Wall of Honor is much deserved."
The Wall of Honor is a permanent display outside Miller Park adjacent to the entrance for a year-round restaurant and team store, where honorees each have a plaque with their photo and a brief synopsis of their career. The plaques are from Matthews International, the same firm that designs plaques for the National Baseball Hall of Fame, as well as the plaques inside Miller Park on the Milwaukee Braves Wall of Honor at Miller Park.
Before Tuesday's change to include broadcasters, inductees must have made at last 2,000 Brewers plate appearances, pitched at least 1,000 innings, made at least 250 appearances as a pitcher, won a major award or managed a pennant winner. The Brewers also included the individuals already honored with statues outside Miller Park, and those who played for the Brewers on the way to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
The idea for the installation came from one of the inductees, former infielder and current Brewers special assistant to the GM Craig Counsell. He was inspired by a similar wall in San Francisco.
"It's been my opinion since the day I walked into the big leagues that, I would go to parks and I would think that history wasn't recognized enough," Counsell said in June. "I think that baseball is the greatest sport in the world to celebrate its history. You should celebrate it. You should acknowledge it, and you should keep it alive. I think this is the kind of thing that strengthens a franchise, that gives the fans a link to the past and allow generations to connect."
Last year's inaugural class included 58 members. Schroeder will make 59, and nine active players -- John Axford, Ryan Braun, Prince Fielder, Yovani Gallardo, Carlos Gomez, J.J. Hardy, Corey Hart, Jonathan Lucroy and Rickie Weeks -- are already qualified for induction following their retirement.