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Southwest Airlines Community

Sliding His Way to Victory

dlandson
Employee
Employee

The next time you fly through MKE, you might talk to one of Southwest’s all-star Employees, Becky Atchison, David Busch, Andy Konolock, or Antonio Nolden, who recently traded in their badges to become a professional baseball player for a day—courtesy of our Partners at the Milwaukee Brewers.

 

But, for MKE Ramp Agent David Busch, this month’s Trading Places event meant a little more. He was about to cash in on a years-long bet.

 

The Brewers invited several of our MKE Station’s top performing Employees out to Miller Park for an exclusive experience. At the stadium, they signed their waivers, tried on their new personalized jerseys, and headed straight out to the field. The fresh cut grass, perfectly manicured warning tracks, and the bright sun beaming down on the lush field made for an experience straight out of “Field of Dreams.”

 

The highlight of the day was the climb to the Bernie’s Clubhouse—the top of the stadium where you can find mascot Bernie Brewer during the game. From here, he entertains the crowd until a homerun sends him to the stands and down the famous “Bernie Brewer Slide” left-center field.

Let’s pause there before I tell you more about what happened next.

 

Nearly twenty years ago, when the Brewers’ old home, County Stadium, was set to close in 2000, David Busch leaned over to his buddy and made a bet they both thought they’d never be able to win: whoever was the first to slide down Bernie Brewers’ slide had to buy the other a steak dinner. Busch says they were drafting lofty plans to find a way into the old stadium to ride the slide. Although the plans never went anywhere, he never forgot about the bet. When MKE Station Leader Doug Rutledge reached out to him with an invitation, he knew it was an offer he couldn’t pass up.

 

Busch and the rest of the Southwest All-Stars climbed the steep staircase to the top of Miller Park, which provides an expansive view of the stadium and the surrounding area. At the top, Busch came face-to-face with Bernie Brewer’s slide, and with a quick push, he was off. Seconds later, he hit the landing zone a winner—smiling ear to ear.

 

“Now I can check this off my bucket list and collect dinner from my buddy!” Busch said.

 

A very special thank you to our Friends at the Brewers for making experiences like this possible. 

 MKE Ramp Agent David Busch at Miller Park courtesy of our Partners at the Milwaukee Brewers.MKE Ramp Agent David Busch at Miller Park courtesy of our Partners at the Milwaukee Brewers.