A Forgotten Game
The Wisconsin Book of the Month program shines a light on literature that reflects the Badger State’s unique culture and history, and this month’s pick does just that.
"Baseball for Breakfast: A (Mostly) True Story" is a children’s picture book that blends fact and imagination to recount a little‑known episode from 1943, when the Milwaukee Brewers scheduled a series of morning games at Borchert Field.
The book was written by Judy Campbell‑Smith and illustrated by Maggie Carroll, whose lively artwork captures the energy of a city still feeling the ripple effects of World War II.
Through the eyes of Jimmy, a young Black boy who lives just a short walk from the ballpark, readers experience the excitement of a crowd that gathered before the sun rose, many of them factory workers eager to catch a quick game before their shifts began.
Team owner Bill Veeck, ever the showman, introduced the early‑day contests as a way to accommodate the war‑time labor force, a decision that turned a practical need into a brief but memorable sports tradition.
Morning Tilt at Borchert Field
On May 7, 1943, the Milwaukee Journal announced that a 10:30 a.m. game against St. Paul would kick off the experiment, promising a novelty that would draw attention from the home front.
The following day the Brewers erupted for a 20‑0 victory, with Bill Norman blasting three home runs that sent the modest crowd of a few thousand into cheers.
A day later, the Journal reported attendance of 1,525 fans, and publisher Bill Veeck promised another morning game on June 5, a date that would see the team post a 6‑1 win thanks to a home run by catcher Henry Helf and a dominant performance by pitcher Little Joe Berry.
Sportswriter Sam Levy dubbed the contests “the war workers’ special,” noting that the early‑morning atmosphere was both novel and fleeting, a brief interlude that highlighted the city’s resilience.
General Manager Rudy M. Schaffer later lamented that the cold spring weather made the mornings uncomfortable, but the novelty persisted long enough to become part of Milwaukee’s wartime lore.
While the book adds fictional flourishes to fill the gaps in the historical record, it serves as a tribute to a moment when baseball provided a communal escape for shift workers and their families.
Today, "Baseball for Breakfast" is available through Charlesbridge Publishing and can be found at the Wauwatosa Public Library, which holds a copy in its children’s collection.
The story reminds readers that even in uncertain times, a simple game played at sunrise can become a shared memory that endures across generations.