Families of ironworkers killed during American Family Field construction get tickets to World Series
By Maddie Augustine
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MILWAUKEE (WISN) — The roar of thousands of fans filled American Family Field for Game 2 of the World Series on Saturday.
Among the crowd were RJ, Betsy, Sawyer and Hazel Wischer.
“Bernie went up above the dugout and started dancing,” Sawyer said.
Through the dance breaks and rally towel cheers, the memories of what and who helped make it all possible rounded home plate.
“Probably nobody that was on that job site before or after the accident ever really thought that the World Series was going to be played there,” RJ said.
On July 14, 1999, the then under-construction Miller Park was the site of a heartbreaking tragedy. The crane being used in the construction of the retractable roof collapsed. Three ironworkers, Jerome Starr, William DeGrave and RJ’s father, Jeffrey Wischer, were all killed.
“He was the person that wanted to teach you and show you and tell you how to do things the right way or a better way,” RJ said while talking about his father.
Multiple memorials outside the stadium are in place to help honor the three men’s lives.
“I like walking over to the statues and the plaques where Jeffrey Wischer was engraved,” Sawyer said. “I have to say he looks a lot like my dad.”
RJ said every time he walks into the stadium, he can’t help but think of his father.
“I’m always looking around at the structure because I am an ironworker now. So, like, knowing what goes into it, I actually point out at one point in time to Sawyer, like, look at how many bolts are in that connection,” RJ said. “Like, it’s just one connection out of the many connections in this entire stadium. Like, look at how many bolts are in there. And then, of course, you had to sit there and count every single one, like there’s 38 in that one connection. And I was like, yeah, you don’t know how long that takes for one person to make that connection. It’s a lot, so you just appreciate it a little bit more.”
RJ was only 8 years old when his father died. Now, 27 years later, thanks to the Brewers and the Ironworkers Union, he got to witness history in the stadium his dad helped build.
“I felt that my old man was having a Miller High Life next to me, and Bob Uecker was probably having a High Life next to him,” RJ said.
“Being able to sit in the stands and watch him watching the game through our kids’ eyes and experience that all together like it was something special,” Betsy Wischer said.
The Brewers and Ironworkers Union offered free tickets to the Wischers and the other families whose loved ones were killed in 1999.
It’s a moment RJ and Betsy said they’ll never forget.
“Grateful of what my father helped build, grateful of the Brewers, grateful of the Ironworkers. Grateful for all of it,” RJ said.
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