"Just a Bit Outside"—A Love Letter to the '82 Brewers and the City That Believed in Them
“Just a Bit Outside: The Story of the 1982 Milwaukee Brewers” is an impactful retelling of the grandest season in Milwaukee Brewers history.
At two hours and one minute, the documentary isn’t short for a theatrical viewing—and yet, somehow, it still feels like there was more story to tell.
Could this story have filled a 10-episode “Last Dance”-style series? Probably. There’s enough depth, personality, and emotion to warrant it.
In fact, at the Wisconsin Film Festival screening of the film that I attended, one of the first questions asked of the filmmakers afterwards was about what ended up on the cutting room floor. Everyone sensed there was more left to tell.
There’s also the well-known lore that this team drank as hard as it hit baseballs. That 1982 team, full of colorful characters with nicknames like Gumby, Simba and The Kid, stands as the only Brewers team to reach the World Series. Even though the team came up short that year, losing in seven games to the St. Louis Cardinals, they did win over their fans in Wisconsin, especially in Milwaukee.
The film sets the stage for the season with various television clips from the time discussing some of Milwaukee’s blue-collar economy unraveling leading to employers pulling out of the city and many people losing their once steady jobs. Judging by raucous fans in the stands during footage from that season, the Brewers helped pick up the town’s spirits and maybe helped boost the sagging economy a bit too.
While the filmmakers chose not to interview fans directly, their presence is felt in every frame—in the memories of the players, in TV interviews pulled from the archives and in the roar at County Stadium in game clips.
The documentary is really a “love story” between the team and the fans, said director Sean Hanish.
At the screening I attended, the crowd was ecstatic. Cheers erupted at every home run highlight, and laughs echoed at the inclusion of Bob Uecker’s old Miller Lite commercials. You could hear murmurs throughout the film of “I remember that” and “I was at that game.” The movie clearly means something to people who lived through the era—and it generously offers that meaning to those of us who didn’t.
I did want to see more of Bob Uecker, whose oft-quoted line from the movie “Major League” inspired the film’s title. He is present. He was interviewed—but he is seen mostly in the margins. His voice calls the games and he does share a great story about Reggie Jackson in the American League Championship Series. But there just wasn’t enough Bob. He’s the soul of Brewers baseball and I wanted more of him. Of course, I screened the movie in the wake of his passing and I’ll always want more Bob. So, take that for what it is worth.
The film occasionally feels like it veers too much into season-recap territory, and there are stretches where it may drag. But the payoff is worth it. Especially if, like me, you didn’t live through that time and only knew the team through old photos, YouTube clips, or stories passed down.
This film gives life to Brewers legends—and adds real human depth to what could have been just a bland surface-level sports documentary capitalizing on nostalgia. The filmmakers did a terrific job stitching together interviews and archival material to bring out the palpable camaraderie of the team.
Robin Yount—the most notable player in team history—is deservedly the emotional center of the film. His interview was tremendous. It was clearly a turning point in the making of the documentary.
“This started as what we thought was going to be a bunch of really fun drinking stories. Because these guys went out a lot,” producer Kelly Kahl said to laughs. “We thought it was interesting that these guys really go out every night, close bars and then go out and hit home runs the next day… But then the first interview is with Robin Yount and he’s talking about the season, having a good time and then, my god, we get to Game 7 and something happened. He went back to a tough place.”
The Kid got choked up, but didn’t shy away from it.
Yount’s vulnerability in discussing the lasting weight of the loss is a gift to viewers and fans. You feel the loss still sitting with him decades later.
Each player carries a similar weight from that loss. They all think they could’ve made a better throw, better swing, better catch, the filmmakers said. Nobody blames each other. They all blame themselves. That shared burden—mixed with a deep affection for each other and their fans—gives the film a smashing final act.
The final minutes of the film showcase the city of Milwaukee welcoming home their champions, not the World Series champions, but their champions. It's hard to believe that the team received a rowdy parade upon their return to the city after losing Game 7 in St. Louis, but it did.
There’s a famous moment where Yount rides his motorcycle into County Stadium at the end of that parade. He raises his fist in the air in triumph in front of a cheering crowd at the stadium. He jumps off the bike and high fives his teammates like they really had just won the World Series. That moment, juxtaposed with his emotional interview and his deep sadness about not winning a World Series in his career, gave it a weight and context I had never felt before.
Even if the Brewers someday return to the World Series and win it, there’s something singular about the 1982 season and that team that will always last. It will never just be a footnote—“Just A Bit Outside” proves that.
CRAIG SAUER is a writer, communicator and former journalist living in Fitchburg, Wis. He is a life-long Milwaukee Brewers fan who has never seen his team play in the World Series. The last time the Brewers won a pennant was 1982. He was born in 1983.
