The Milverine on the Mound

Tuesday, Aug. 22nd, was Marvel Super Hero Night at the Milwaukee Brewers game, and a local man of action was on hand to throw out the first pitch. Milwaukee residents know him as the Milverine, who is famous for his shirtless power walks through the city.

John Hamann is his real name. His moniker comes from his resemblance to the comic book character Wolverine. He has developed a cult following over the years thanks to the range and intensity of his walks, as well as for stripping to the waist when he’s running hot.

He walks up to five miles per day. And he’s also a one-man Convention and Visitors Bureau, extolling the virtues of Milwaukee to anybody who will listen.

His legacy was cemented in 2020 when Vice did a mini-documentary about him as part of their Local Legends series. He’s even had a song written about him by local band, Two and a Half Stars.

When Hamann announced his appearance at American Family Field in an Instagram post, he proclaimed that getting the ball over the plate wouldn’t be a problem as he used to be a pitcher back in his formative years.

When he stepped to the mound under the bright lights on Tuesday night, the Milverine did… okay. The pitch had a bit of arc on it and was a little wide of the strike zone. But it’s been a while since the young Milverine suited up in the lower half of his Little League uniform, so it was still pretty impressive all things considered.

With that heroic feat completed, the Milverine will now return to the local sidewalks to do his shirtless thing. But it is getting colder. So, Milverine, if you want to adopt a sassy new look for fall and start covering your torso, stop by the Drink Wisconsinbly Pub Shop in the Deer District and pick out a DW tee that suits you.