‘First or second line of my obituary’: Polka musician is World Series bound
By Jacob Murphy
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MILWAUKEE (WDJT) — A Milwaukee polka musician who spent the season entertaining Brewers fans at American Family Field is getting the opportunity of a lifetime: performing during the World Series.
Mike Schneider has been a professional polka musician and accordion player since 1996 and has performed full time since 2008.
In 2025, the Brewers reached out to Schneider about performing at American Family Field during home games. This season, he performed during seven games, playing musical prompts and taking part in the seventh-inning stretch.
“I knew I could do it, but I was very, very nervous,” Schneider said. “Like the first game, I was as nervous as I’ve ever been in my entire life.”
Schneider has performed Milwaukee baseball staples including “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” and “Roll Out the Barrel.”
“I stand right at the bottom where Bernie comes out of the slide, and I’m there and I have a great view of 42,000 people,” Schneider said.
This week, Schneider received a call offering him an even bigger stage.
He will perform during the seventh-inning stretch at Games 1 and 2 of the World Series at American Family Field.
“That’s probably gonna be the first or second line of my obituary when I die, that Mike Schneider played for the World Series,” Schneider said. “And hopefully it can be for the world champion Brewers.”
After decades of performing, Schneider said the opportunity represents one of the biggest moments of his career.
“I’m just beyond grateful that the Brewers are giving me this opportunity to do this live,” Schneider said. “It’s such a tradition in Milwaukee and Wisconsin.”
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