Raise your hand if you thought the Milwaukee Brewers just turned 50 a few years ago. You're not wrong—the Major League Baseball franchise we know and love hit that milestone in 2020. But the name? That's been part of baseball history for a whole lot longer. 125 years, to be exact.

While smaller clubs had used the Brewers moniker before, none had done so at the professional level. That changed in 1901, when the first professional Brewers team took the field as part of the American League's inaugural season. And if you're a Brewers fan, you might want to look away—that first season was a rough one. The team finished dead last, a staggering 35 1/2 games behind the first-place Chicago White Stockings, with the Boston Americans and Detroit Tigers also well ahead of them.

On this day 125 years ago, the Milwaukee Brewers were born, facing off against the Chicago White Sox. Their home was the Lloyd Street Grounds, built in 1895 on the south end of West Lloyd Street between North 16th and North 18th Streets. The ballpark earned praise for its accessibility—Milwaukee's world-famous streetcar system dropped fans right at the stadium's front door. The construction cost? A mere $7,400, which would be about $291,000 in today's dollars.

But the original Brewers' stay in Milwaukee was short-lived. After the 1901 season, financial troubles forced the team to relocate to St. Louis, where they became the Browns. (And yes, that franchise eventually moved again, becoming the Baltimore Orioles we know today.)

Baseball didn't stay away from Milwaukee for long, though. A new edition of the Brewers joined the American Association in 1902 and would call the city home for the next 50 years. Starting as a Class-A ballclub before moving up to Double-A, the team found plenty of success. They won league titles in 1913 and 1914, then had to wait until 1936 for their next championship. For most of their time in the American Association, they operated as an independent club, not affiliated with any Major League team.

So whether you're a fan of the modern Crew or just love a good baseball history lesson, raise a glass to 125 years of the Brewers name. It's been quite a journey from the Lloyd Street Grounds to American Family Field.