Brewers honor veterans during pre-game ceremony at Miller Park



MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- The Milwaukee Brewers welcomed 58 military veterans to take part in a special pre-game ceremony on Monday, May 27th.

Players from both the Brewers and the visiting Minnesota Twins joined those guests on the field for the biggest first pitch you'll ever see. It was a memorable moment for the veterans, who haven't forgotten what Memorial Day is all about.

"All the men that have given up the ultimate sacrifice for the country and I'm not only talking about the Korean War. World War II, World War I and all the other conflicts that we were involved with," said Peter Lovinus.

Lovinus was joined on the field by his grandson, an Army cadet who was named after his grandpa.

"I'm absolutely ecstatic to be able to stand next to him and do this," said Peter Zeidler, the Army cadet.

Coordinating a 58-person first pitch isn't the easiest thing to do. The veterans and their families met with the Brewers before the game to plan to pre-game ceremonies. Even then, there were butterflies.

"It's gonna be exciting and my family is very proud of my Navy career so it's just gonna be an amazing experience for me," said Petty Officer 2nd Class Jennifer Bruggink of the U.S. Navy.

There was one more tribute at Miller Park on Monday. Major League Baseball asked that all teams observe a moment of silence at 3 p.m.; something it has done since 1997.