Wow...for the first time since 1982, the Milwaukee Brewers are a participant in MLB's postseason...actually playing games in October...I was 7 years old the last time this momentous event last occurred, so I guess I'm unsure how to react...Hell, Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun weren't even born yet...I guess that shows me how old I'm getting.
Call me cynical, but I found out today that I just wasn't as excited about it as I thought I would be...and who can blame me...Ryan Braun and CC Sabathia are pretty much solely responsible for allowing us to make it to the playoffs, after CC went out again on 3 days rest the final game of the season to pitch a complete game and Braun went deep in typical dramatic fashion...It's a game I watched that I won't soon forget...but let's not get ahead of ourselves here...
The Brewers have been an 'all or nothing' team all year...relying on the home run to propel us to victory...and that recipe is bound for disaster in the postseason...The fact of the matter is that we just don't play fundamental baseball, moving over runners, manufacturing runs, and doing the little things to win...Look at our record this year vs. other playoff teams...the Dodgers, Cubs, Phillies, and Red Sox all won their season series' against the Crew...That goes to show you that we're probably on the way to prominance once again, but not ready to hang with the big boys just yet.
I didn't tune in until the 5th inning and we were already down 3-0, striking out left and right as we did our best to make Cole Hamels look like Tom Seaver. There was hope in the 9th inning as we got one run across thanks to a Ray Durham single and Braun double, and had runners on 2nd and 3rd, only to have Fielder and Hart strike out...(SHOCKING!)
Again...this is why we we'll probably be swept Brewer fans...I understand Brad Lidge hasn't blown a save all year, but this is October fellas...time to man up and check yourself. Postseason baseball is all about pitching, timely hitting, and a bit of good fortune...three things that aren't really on our side.
It's clear to me that better times are ahead for the Brewers, just not this year...We've got to learn to be more patient at the plate and find some guys to stabilize our bullpen before we can be taken seriously by the rest of the league and the media. Home runs are fun to watch, but relying on the 'long ball' to win you games is dangerous...Just ask Duke Basketball.
