Brewers strike a nostalgic chord with incredible alumni Home Run Derby

It was certainly an evening to remember at American Family Field. Despite the Brewers dropping a 5-1 loss to the Miami Marlins, fans got their money's worth with an incredible postgame Alumni Home Run Derby that is sure to be talked about for several years to come. With the stadium full of Brewers legends, there was no shortage of entertainment during the Brewers’ 25th anniversary celebration for their ballpark, which began as Miller Park and has since become American Family Field.

As mentioned, the game that preceded the home run derby was not a memorable one. Despite Freddy Peralta toughing out a five-inning, one-run start and Jackson Chourio slugging an angry solo homer to left center field, the Brewers dropped the second of their last three games after their 11-game winning streak came to an end on Tuesday night in Seattle. The Marlins put up a crooked number in the top of the 7th off of Aaron Ashby and Nick Mears, and the Brewers couldn't mount a late-inning rally to overcome the four-run deficit. In the end, it went down as a 5-1 loss for the Crew, dropping their season record to 61-42.

However, the sell-out crowd at American Family Field quickly had their spirits lifted as 10 former Brewers took to the field for a postgame home run derby that did not disappoint.

Brewers honor stadium with highly successful nostalgia-filled celebration

Eric Thames was first into the box in the Alumni Home Run Derby, and he quickly reminded the crowd that despite each of these players being out of the game for at least a few years, they still have what it takes to send a few moonshots over the fence of a big league ballpark.

In the team event, which pitted "Team Braun" against "Team Gomez," there were plenty of memorable moments including 43-year-old Corey Hart crushing 5 HR in 90 seconds, Yovani Gallarado starting his round with a bunt, and derby umpire Tim Dillard disqualifying Ryan Braun's final homerun due to it occurring after the timer had expired. It was a fun, light-hearted event that ended in a win for Team Gomez.

Following the team event, the players from each team who hit the most homers in the team event squared off in a one-round "championship" to determine the individual winner. Hart was the representative from Team Braun, and from Team Gomez, 35-year-old Keon Broxton, who also hit 5 HR during the team event, was the representative.

Hart went first and crushed one of the "golden baseballs" at the end of his round over the fence giving him a score of two for Broxton to beat. Broxton, whose final long ball in a Brewers' uniform came in game three of the 2018 NLDS against the Colorado Rockies, crushed three homers taking home the individual title.

However, the most memorable moment came after Broxton hit his derby-winning homer. He rounded the bases as the rest of the Brewers alumni gathered around home plate, waiting to greet him at the end of his 360-foot jog. When Broxton landed on home plate, he leaned back and lifted his arms into the air as the rest of the players around him toppled to the floor, mimicking Prince Fielder's bowling ball celebration from 2009.

The Alumni Home Run Derby achieved its exact purpose: reminding the Milwaukee faithful of all the great times that have been had at Miller Park and now American Family Field. Not only was it great to see the numerous alumni back in the Brewers threads, but seeing them compete against one another while having a blast in each other's presence made it impossible for a Brewers fan not to have a smile on their face while watching the event.