Volume 1: A Minute of Lifelong Brewer Fandom.
A Letter to Grandpa Ray, and the Unforgettable Night We Always Talked About
Dedicated to Grandpa Ray: I want to dedicate this blog, especially this first volume, to my Grandpa Ray. Although he passed in 2012, I spent so much time either watching or talking about the Brewers with him from my early childhood into my teens. He taught me a lot about life, set a prime example of how to follow Jesus, and was always there for anything I had going on. We all need men like him in our lives. Watching the game tonight will be truly special, and I’ll be cracking a cold Diet Pepsi in his honor.
Friday, October 23rd, will be an unforgettable first for myself and any Brewers fan under 40.We finally get to see the Milwaukee Brewers play in the World Series!
If you’re in your 30s and grew up in Wisconsin like I did, you spent much of your early childhood watching the Crew.Going to games for cheap, idolizing players like Ben Sheets, Geoff Jenkins, and Richie Sexson (and if you were like me,always giggling at that name). Having endless hope for guys like Scott Podsednik, Chris Capuano, and Nick Neugebauer. Watching the team lose 90 to 100 games a season, yet still loving them every single year.
Middle school and high school became peak Brewers watching for me: Rickie Weeks, Ryan Braun, Prince Fielder, J.J.Hardy, Corey Hart, all that home-grown talent and immense potential. It all culminated in that glorious 2008 season,watching the greatest pitching stretch we’ll ever see from CC Sabathia as he single-handedly dragged us into the playoffs.From there, the team built real momentum. The excitement of landing Zack Greinke, or the dynamic energy brought by Nyjer Morgan (aka T-Plush)—it was such a jolt for a fanbase that had lived on hope and prayers for so long and now knew the playoffs were more than just a dream.
Now, we live in what I call the Yelich Years. Ever since that unforgettable 24 hours in January 2018 when we signed Lorenzo Cain and traded for Christian Yelich, we transitioned from “playoffs are the goal” to “playoffs are the expectation.”
Tonight is the culmination of all those years and memories. It couldn’t happen to a more dedicated, passionate fanbase. Brewer fans are going to be loud tonight, not just at Miller Park… err, AmFam Field… but in the bars, restaurants, and living rooms across Wisconsin.
Wisconsin, Let’s get ready for another core memory in our Brewers fandom, and cheer our voices hoarse for Murph and the boys. Go Crew!
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