Several of the Milwaukee Brewers players thrilled the crowd by whipping off their shirts during the team’s victory parade in Milwaukee on October 30.
The players were mostly ensconced on top of a double decker bus, from which they waved at the crowd. However, several of them took to the streets to interact with fans along the line. Among the Brewers who took off their shirts during the parade: Jake Bauers, Brice Turang, and Sal Frelick, and video of it all promptly went viral. One of the videos went viral on Reddit. Joey Ortiz also took his shirt off.
According to the Milwaukee Record, the shirtless Brewers were actually following a years-old tradition at ballgames called “tarps off.”
Fox 6 Milwaukee’s Sam Kraemer also shared a reel of the shirtless Brewers.
What Is the ‘Tarps Off’ Trend?
It’s a viral trend in which male baseball fans take their shirts off. “Then they wave their shirts around and cheer. Seriously. That’s it,” the Milwaukee Record explained.
At one point, Bauers took a beer and slammed it on the ground in exuberance.
In May, more than 100 Brewers fans were spotted with their shirts off and waving them in the upper decks of American Family Field, according to CBS 58.
“It started off small, the tarps off thing, it was probably 10 people maybe and then all of a sudden it started growing,” Brewers fan Brayden Coch said to the television station. “It kept growing for about three innings and it was about four or five sections at that point.”
The Brewers were generally supportive of the trend, but they indicated that it could be an issue for people with seats in the upper decks of the stadium, where the fans clustered. “We are very supportive of tarps off that we see at stadiums around the country, including American Family Field,” a Brewers spokesperson said to CBS 58 in May. “Those sections are near capacity with fans who have purchased seats there, and that leaves little room. When open seating is not available, we have to limit access to that area.”
Fans Responded Positively to the Shirtless Milwaukee Brewers
Fans responded positively on Kraemer’s comment thread. “They are the most Wisconsin team ever,” wrote one fan, including a heart emoji.
“If Jake needs a ride home, I volunteer as tribute,” wrote another. Others felt the Brewers should create a calendar.
“They used to wear suits to these events lol,” jokes a man. “Is this heaven??? No, it’s Milwaukee celebrating their Milwaukee Brewers…” a woman wrote.
It’s not only Milwaukee; Busch Stadium has also seen the trend. Rays, Mariners and Tigers fans have also joined in, according to MLB.com.
According to MLB.com and The Athletic, the trend appears to date to a college football team in 2025 and an Oklahoma fan who took a bet from his sister.
Milwaukee Brewers Players Take Their Shirts Off in Exuberant ‘Tarps Off’ Display at Parade