1982 Brewers bat boy’s missing World Series jacket has been in the hands of a stranger in Portland, Oregon since 2008. This week it returned home
CBS 58 PORTLAND, Oregon (CBS 58) — In baseball, the most important things make it home. That couldn’t be more true for Steve Froemming’s 1982 Brewers bat boy jacket he wore during the World Series 44 years ago.
Mark Trader from Portland, Oregon reached out to CBS 58’s Kathryn Merck on Instagram to say he made a recent discovery that linked his vintage Brewers jacket and the 1982 team. Trader said he found the jacket at a bar in 2008 when he was a student at UW-Madison.
Mark Trader with Steve Froemming's jacket.
“There was someone who left a beautiful Brewers jacket on a barstool, and I kind of swiped that thing,” Trader said. “I’ve had it for 15 years now.”
Over the years, the jacket labeled with the name ‘Steve’ on the front of it had become a bit at parties for Trader and his friends while the real ‘Steve’ remained a mystery. While shopping at a vintage shop in Green Bay last month, he found a photo of the 1982 team, with Steve Froemming.
“It gave me the clue that I needed to unlock the mystery,” Trader said.
Trader looked online to find out more about Froemming and found two CBS 58 articles. One with his father, legendary MLB umpire Bruce Froemming, during the 2025 postseason run for the Brew Crew. The other, when CBS 58 first reported that Bruce had died in February.
CBS 58 connected the two men who currently live over 2,500 miles apart through a Zoom call.
Steve Froemming's 1982 World Series Bat Boy Jacket
“I learned a little bit about your family, Steve,” Trader said on the Zoom. “It just became very clear that it was time for your jacket to go back.”
Trader shipped the jacket to Froemming, who currently lives in Tennessee. Froemming said he gave the jacket away at some point after the 1982 World Series.
“I truly do not remember who I gave it to,” Froemming said. “This was the jacket I wore in 1982, during the World Series.”
Thankful for the return, Froemming offered Trader the chance to sit with him at the 50-yard line at a Packers game this season.
“This was one of the most generous gifts, if not the most generous gift, that was provided to me. With the legacy and the history of not only the Brewers, but the family being in baseball,” Froemming said. “It’s something I had the entire season, of course, and it is very special to me."
Steve Froemming attending the 2026 World Series at American Family Field
Froemming attended Game 1 of the 2026 World Series at American Family Field and says he wore the jacket. He plans to fly to Tampa and wear it there, too.
“It’s all like a dream right now. It’s like, pinch me, is it really happening? And it is,” Froemming said.
