In late June 1970, when the Brewers were still a new team and having difficulty drawing spectators to their games at Milwaukee County Stadium, Milt Mason, a 69-year-old Brewers fan, decided to sit atop the scoreboard until the team could draw a home crowd of 40,000.

To the delight of a Bat Day crowd of 44,387 on August 16, Mason descended from his trailer following the Brewers' 4–3 win over the Indians.

After a long illness, Mason died on June 12, 1973, but not before being recognized as the original Bernie Brewer.

The Bernie Brewer character became the team's mascot in 1973, as a tribute to Mason, appearing as a cheerful man with a big mustache.

The chalet was then rebuilt (it had been in storage on the third base side under the box seats) above the left-center field bleachers.