(A screenshot of the Milwaukee Brewers after winning the 2026 World Series featuring World Series MVP William Contreras, October 28, 2026)
Their franchise began in the Pacific Northwest as the Seattle Pilots in 1969 but would move to the Midwest the following season. Originally a Junior Circuit team, the Brewers did win an AL pennant in 1982 under manager Harvey Kuenn. Harvey's Wallbangers featured the likes of Hall of Famers Paul Molitor, Robin Yount, Ted Simmons and Rollie Fingers along with AL Cy Young Award winner Pete Vukovich, Cecil Cooper, Jim Gantner, Ben Ogilive, Gorman Thomas and Charlie Moore (who sadly passed away earlier this year). Alas, they would fall just short losing in seven games to the St. Louis Cardinals.
Some very lean years would follow. The Brewers moved to the NL in 1998 and would not return to the post-season until 2008 and again in 2011. Since 2018, the Brew Crew have made post-season appearances in 8 out of the last 9 seasons including 6 NL Central titles including four in a row. For the past three seasons, the Brewers have been managed by Pat Murphy.
This year following a 13-13 start, the Brewers went 90-46 the rest of the way. Despite winning 2 out of every 3 games since late April their longest winning streak this season was 5 games. They did that four times this season including twice in September. Steady but unspectacular got them to 103 wins and an 11-2 record during this post-season dispatching with the San Diego Padres in the NLDS, the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS and now the Tampa Bay Rays in the World Series.
The Brewers won Game 1 & Game 2 by the scores of 3-2 and 5-4 in front of the hometown crowd in Milwaukee. As it turned out, the hometown crowd followed them to Florida as flights & tickets were cheaper in St. Petersburg than in Milwaukee.
Those who followed the Brewers to Milwaukee South were rewarded with a 10-1 blow out in Game 3. The Rays would deny the Brewers a sweep in Game 4 with a 12-inning 4-3 victory. The Tampa Bay Rays are a great team. It's too bad their fans don't seem to want to show it. Maybe the Rays should just move to Montreal.
Brewers catcher William Contreras was named World Series MVP. Contreras went 9 for 21 (.429) with 4 RBI. This is Contreras' second World Series ring earning one previously with the Atlanta Braves in 2021 during his rookie season.
A parade is in the works for the people of Milwaukee. While Milwaukee did have a parade when the Bucks won the NBA Title in 2021, this will mark the first time a baseball championship parade has convened since 1957 when the Milwaukee Braves beat the New York Yankees in that year's World Series. It proved to be Hank Aaron's only World Series ring.
Whatever else they from this day forward, the likes of Contreras, Jake Bauers, Brice Turang, Cooper Pratt, David Hamilton, Jackson Chourios, Garrett Mitchell, Sal Frelick, Christian Yelich, Jacob Misiorowski, Trevor Megill, Aaron Ashby and DL Hall will be part of Milwaukee lore.
The only sad note to all of this is that Bob Uecker didn't live quite long enough to see the Brewers finally win the big one. Then again maybe he did and we just didn't notice.
Congratulations to the Brewers. The next few days in Milwaukee and all of Wisconsin are bound to be as good as it gets.
No comments:
Post a Comment