Bill Schroeder has seen some of the most notable moments in Milwaukee Brewers history up close as the team’s television analyst for the past 30 years.
Schroeder’s three decades of work with the Brewers in that role will be celebrated tonight during the Brewers’ game against the Cincinnati Reds.
The night is billed as “30 Rock.”
“This job has never been about me,” Schroeder said at the start of the pregame show, before highlighting the players, the fans, his broadcast partners and everyone behind the scenes.
The Bally Sports desk beyond the right field fence has a special Bill Schroeder decal on the front with the number “30” behind it. Bally Sports Wisconsin pre- and post-game show analyst Craig Coshun shared a photo of the desk on his X account on Friday, calling it the “30 Rock” stage.
“It’s been a blessing to do this for 30 years,” Schroeder said.
Here’s what you should know about the night honoring Schroeder and more about the former Brewers player turned longtime broadcaster:
Bill Schroeder’s 30 Rock Celebration Tonight
The night is called “30 Rock” as a nod to the KeynoteUSA sitcom “30 Rock” created by Tina Fey and Schroeder’s nickname, “Rock.” He’s been in the Brewers’ TV booth for 30 years.
There will be a special one-hour pregame show on Bally Sports Wisconsin dedicated to Schroeder’s career. And you can be sure there will be plenty of featured guests during the game to swap stories.
He will throw one of the ceremonial first pitches before Friday’s game. Brian Anderson, his longtime partner, caught his pitch.
“Farmer Wants a Wife” star and Wisconsin resident Grace Girard will throw one of the other ceremonial throws.
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Bill Schroeder as Brewers player
Schroeder’s time with the Brewers extends beyond the booth.
He spent six seasons on the team (1983-88) and was part of one of the most notable moments in franchise history.
During the 1987 season, he was the catcher for Juan Nieves’ no-hitter. That performance was part of a 13-game winning streak to start the season for a team that became known as “Team Streak.” That no-hitter remains the team’s only no-hitter (Corbin Burnes and Josh Hader had a combined no-hitter in 2021). That season he posted a career-best .332 batting average.
Schroeder finished his career with the California Angels before retiring in 1990.
He was enshrined in the “Brewers’ Wall of Honor” in 2015.
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Bill Schroeder as Brewers announcer
He began his television career with the Brewers in 1994.
Before beginning a long association with Brian Anderson in 2007 that continues, Schroeder shared the booth with a variety of play-by-play announcers such as Jim Paschke, Matt Vasgersian, Daron Sutton and Matt Lepay.
“Receivers are great announcers,” Paschke said during Friday’s pregame show, sitting next to Schroeder at the desk. “I’m glad you became a broadcaster. You were easy to work with, you were a great student. You understood the rhythm of the booth, as well as the rhythm on the field.
Paschke was Schroeder’s first partner at the stand.
“For the first few years I had no idea what I was doing,” Schroeder admitted, before adding that Paschke was “a great mentor” to him during that first year. “I had no idea what he was doing. I’m surprised they brought me back for Year 2.”
Sutton and Schroeder’s “Daron and Bill’s Buckethead Brigade” was one of their most popular parts during their time as a broadcaster. The Buckethead Squad was a designated section that the announcers were heavily involved with during Tuesday home games in the early 2000s. Fans were issued special jerseys.
“It was a good time,” Schroeder said.
Since the product on the field wasn’t as good during this time, Schroeder said “we had to take some risks. A lot of the risks worked.”
Sutton told him: “You always cared about the product and the fans.”
Schroeder also gave instructions after home games that aired during postgame shows for a time with the late Dave Nelson.
Bill Schroeder’s participation in Brewers Fantasy Camp
Schroeder has long been director of the Brewers Fantasy Camp ahead of spring training in Arizona. The camp offers people the opportunity to experience a week of baseball fun with Brewers legends.
Bill Schroeder’s 2019 health scare
Schroeder experienced a major health score in late 2019 when he needed double-bypass heart surgery just before Christmas of that year to address many heart issues.
After that, he started cutting back on his schedule. He doesn’t travel to most away games, but still calls home games.
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