Playing Catch

I think the series will test the emotional discipline of the defenders. I think they MUST focus on securing one out at a time. This is true for both teams. Secure the out for the lead runner. Don't take putouts at first for granted. Don't rush your throws! Hit the cutoff man. I suspect the Brewers will need to play Ortiz at 3rd simply to help defend against Chandler Simpson. Ortiz playing tight, with Pratt overlapping deep behind him. I hope the Brewers have been doing PFPs all week.

If the Brewers play as well as they have in the playoffs to this point (Reg Season best record/divisional bye/Padres/Dodgers) they will win the World Series. It's that simple. They won something like 72% of their series this season, they have a young, hungry, healthy roster and their pitching is lined up. I don't think they will sweep. I think Rassmussen will win one of his starts, and the Rays are good enough to steal one or two more games. But I just don't think they are at the level of the Padres or the Dodgers. Everyone, including Vegas is saying Brewers in 6. And if I couldn't put money on Game 6, and was forced to say Brewers in 5 or Brewers in 7, I think its more likely the Brewers win in 5.

It's going to be a wild turnaround from an electric Game 2 to a 50/50 fansplit in Tampa.

You aren't wrong. When the lines between success and failure are so thin, every advantage is key to winning. But when the lines are so thin, success feels different, too. The Packers beating the Bears in the NFC championship to go to a Super Bowl on a last second FG to win after a 30-yard PI penalty just doesn't hit the same way as beating the Dodgers in a 7-game set. If baseball becomes even more random, then it's all just about who can get more lucky coin flips than the other team. Yes. But the Brewers got here after over a decade of planning and organizational discipline and execution. The Seahawks won the Super Bowl after signing Mike McDonald and Sam Darnold.

Nothing would get into Freddy's head more than greeting him with a standing O.

I'd love to keep the whole coaching staff. Based on how they've operated, I suspect they have at least 3 or 4 internal candidates to step into the role(s) without too much disruption. They haven't missed any of the coaches that have come and gone.

If Contreras was the best player on a lousy team, said team should re-sign him, IMO. I think he can be a building block for a winning team because of the combination of production and intangibles. He doesn't need to be an all-star to have real value, particularly his ability to stay healthy/play hurt ("the most important ability is availability", after all). His ability to alter his hitting approach, his not being a total slug on the basepaths. If one were to try and predict a catcher to have a long successful career into his 30's, Contreras just might be that guy. But for the Brewers, with their current roster and payroll, I don't think it makes sense for the Brewers to re-sign him. They've got too many young talents that will need to be paid in upcoming seasons.

I'm pretty cynical about the entertainment value the NFL provides, so I will fully acknowledge my bias. With that disclaimer in place, I dislike how a lousy team in the NFL can just clean out their roster for a year or two, hire a new hotshot coach and a top-5 pick QB, and boom, you are competitive. Collect more PI/illegal block flags in your favor and you are a playoff team. There is evergreen hope and expectation that your team can improve quickly with a key trade or draft pick. With the NFL's flattened competitive landscape, what joy is there when many games are so tightly contested that the difference is often whether the last kick stays true, or drifts wide? Each regular season game is about as interesting as a coin flip. Baseball's quirks already allow for competitive balance, but without opportunities for truly great teams and bad teams to exist in the same landscape, Baseball would be filled with a bunch of .500 teams. No thanks.

I appreciate the subtle shot at the double-standards. Humor hits different people differently. Dillard isn't the funniest guy on earth, but his humility outweighs any negatives for me. He clearly loves the game, and loves the Brewers. He seems to be filled with gratitude for being able to be around the game in his capacity, and as AKCheesehead mentions above, he's gotten better and better.

I share completely, your trust in the front office. And I agree that their general philosophy is to innovate to win. My primary concern is a salary cap that flattens the competitive landscape to such a degree that it renders front office competancy moot. I loathe the idea of the league just being a media content creator with a 12-month cycle of ESPN headlines that drive advertising like the NFL or NBA. But there will be plenty of time to worry about that after the World Series.

Traveling across the pond to take in an English Premier League match was a life highlight for me. No doubt you will be welcomed and will have a forever memory for your son. Have a great trip! If your son is as sports-mad as I was (am), and without knowing your traveling options, It may be worth it to travel up to see Lambeau and the Packers HOF. Part of the thrill for me has always been the cultural histories of sport, which really fed my interest in soccer (and my curiousity about Aussie-rules football!). The Packers did a great job of integrating the old with the contemporary, IMO. But this trip may very well be about a love of baseball and the Brewers! So whatever you find, you'll have a great time.

Yeah, I don't really like either matchup. Despite their fear-factor, I "liked" the Dodgers matchup better than anyone else in the NL bracket, and felt the Yankees were also a better matchup for the Crew. The collective athleticism and ability to turn balls-in-play into outs are my big things these days, so teams like the Cubs, Padres, Rays and Guardians concern me more than the teams that FIP and slug their way to victories. The Rays and Guardians both value run-prevention and aren't afraid to play small(er) ball. They both have a couple of studs they rely on. But I still just come away feeling like the Brewers have too many ways to beat you into submission. The Brewers can take away J-Ram, and the Rays' depth isn't quite on par with Milwaukee's. Either matchup will be a significant underdog.

The Brewers are well-positioned to be a playoff-caliber team in the coming seasons, yes. Winning a single playoff series is basically a 50/50 proposition regardless of the quality of the team due to regular factors such as health and luck, so having a great team merely gives a team better odds. But the real elephant in the room is the upcoming CBA and an expansion draft within 4 seasons as well as any other new ownership groups that demand a commissioner that guarantees profit on those investments. Baseball is changing, and could change quickly for the betterment, or to the detriment of the Brewers. It's a tricky thing to predict right now.

I've been pretty numb about it. I've been busy with other things, too, so I haven't had the time to really bask in the moment(s). But I did want to thank the community here, firstly. Because the fans are truly the lifeblood of sports, especially when the teams come to represent the communities wherein they reside. I understand when folks prefer to talk about their team using they, rather than we, but I contest that notion heartily. Without the fans, these guys are just glorified beer-league softball players playing a game for fun. WE are going to the World Series. And best of all, those guys in the lockerroom believe that, too. Captain Yelich understands why what they do matter. He knows that he wants to bring joy to the people of Milwaukee and Wisconsin, and Brewer fans everywhere. That's his purpose. That's the team's purpose. Not just to win a World Series for themselves, but for their families, and their friends, and their fans. To bring joy and pride to all of those rooting for them to succeed. For all of those that allow him to live out his dreams. This has been an incredible story, going back as far as you want, whether your story is about the last 4 games, or the last 9,444 games. What a series. What a team! What a franchise! What a fanbase!

Yes, they will still be good in the future. Yes, this thread should be locked lest the baseball gods smite us for daring such hubris.