Happy Wednesday, fellow rich people.
I just got my hair cut for the first time in 8.5 months. I’m feeling fly as can be.
Let’s converse.
Tom has a take.
~ Tom
The Milwaukee Brewers are the 2021 Team of Destiny.
*CHILLS*
That’s right. I said it.
The Milwaukee Brewers are the 2021 Team of Destiny.
Calling any club the “team of destiny” is a loaded phrase. One that likely sends chills down the back of Curt’s Ben Sheets sherzey. You see, the phrase is intimidating for hardcore fans because it puts expectations on a team which weren’t previously there. And expectations, as we know all too well, can lead to crushing levels of heartbreak.
As a lifelong Brewers fan, Curt can’t call the 2021 club the team of destiny. He’s too close to the situation. But I, a depressed Twins fan who observes the Crew from afar, can see the big picture clearly.
There are several qualifications for being the team of destiny. First off, the roster has to be outperforming its overall talent. Entering the season, Fangraphs forecasted Milwaukee to win 85 games. When the sun rose on the morning of Monday, Sept. 6, the Brewers had 84 wins with another month of the regular season to go. Check.
Secondly, the team needs to be likeable. I don’t think there’s a hateable guy on the roster. If being a great teammate was factored into WAR, Willy Adames would already have a bust in Cooperstown. Lorenzo Cain’s smile makes the world go round. Eduardo Escobar is the definition of wholesome. Brent Suter is hilarious. Freddy Peralta wouldn’t harm a fly. Check again.
And lastly, the team of destiny needs to have a few moments where there’s no earthly explanation of it other than the baseball gods have heard every beckoning call of hungry fans.
The Brewers had another “team of destiny” moment Sunday.
Wrapping up a series against St. Louis, the Brewers couldn’t catch a break throughout the game. The rival Cardinals plated three runs in the fourth inning off a fluke rally. It started with two singles that were hit softer than Charmin toilet paper, and Yadier Molina walked on four pitches despite trying to lay down a bunt. Next, a sacrifice fly. Harrison Bader then hit a soft ground ball down the third-base line which squirted underneath the glove of Escobar and brought in a pair.
With two outs and the bases juiced in the eighth inning, outfielder Christian Yelich smashed a line drive to first base that was nabbed by Paul Goldschmidt. Again, no luck.
Milwaukee entered the ninth trailing 5-1. Hits from Jackie Bradley Jr., Luke Maile and Jace Peterson and an Escobar free pass to first made it 5-2 with the bases loaded for pinch-hitter Daniel Vogelbach.
Four thousand, seven-hundred and twenty-nine days ago, it was Sept. 25, 2008. Ryan Braun, in his second year with the Crew, launched a walk-off grand slam against the Pittsburgh Pirates that day. No Brewers player had walked it off on a grand slam since.
So of course, Sunday was Ryan Braun Bobblehead Day at American Family Field.
Reading the script in front of him, Vogelbach connected on the second pitch he saw and cranked it into the Cardinals bullpen for a 6-5, walk-off win.
It was the 28th Ultimate Grand Slam -- a four-run, walk-off blast with the batting team down three runs -- in baseball history since 1925.
I think Brewers left-hander Brett Anderson summed it up best.
Holy bleep is right, Brett.
That’s some team of destiny shiz right there.
I’ve experienced a few teams of destiny in my lifetime. The 2009 Vikings, led by Brett Favre. A perfect storyline of an aging quarterback who was a villain in the Twin Cities for nearly two decades only to join the ship to spite his old team and lead a losing franchise to its first Super Bowl win. Or the 2017 Vikings, who for once in their godforsaken history made a clutch play in a playoff game (the Minneapolis Miracle) and just needed to win one game to advance to the Super Bowl, which was to be played at their home stadium.
As you’re well aware, neither of those teams of destiny won the ultimate prize. Instead, they caused a level of trauma in me where, to this day, I can’t turn right because I think of Favre rolling out to the sideline and throwing across his body to Tracy Porter.
Lol.
But, man oh man, it was a fun ride.
It’s been one heck of a year for Milwaukee in the sports world.
Why not the Crew?
Ranking the most exciting plays in baseball
~Curt
The Dan Vogelbach grand slam got me to thinking: what’s the most exciting play to witness at a baseball game?
12. Diving catch
Diving catches are enjoyable, but they happen pretty frequently and diving catches where the outfielder shouldn’t have had to dive to make the play but does because he took a suboptimal route and gets applauded basically for saving face….yeah, that’s why I have trust issues.
11. Scoring from first on a double
Sometimes when guys try to score from first on a double, there is never any doubt that they will be safe. But most of the time, there’s plenty of uncertainty until they get at least two-thirds of the way home. I’m all about the buildup of anticipation, baby.
10. Home run
Dingers are awesome. They are the best part of baseball. Hit the small white sphere over the fence? Congrats! The play is now over and you can take a trip around the bases literally as slowly as you possibly want and there is nothing the defense can do about it. And when your team is the one socking them while you’re at the ball yard, they are either incredibly majestic or hold-your-breath affairs as you wait to see if they will clear the fence. I admittedly had this below a run-scoring double when I started, but they don’t play “Touch The Sky” by Kanye West at AmFam Field after run-scoring doubles.
9. Robbing a homer
Know what’s cooler than a homer? Robbing a homer. I could probably count on one hand the amount of homer robberies I’ve seen in person by a Brewers outfielder. Two are by Lorenzo Cain and one came to save the game on Opening Day. It’s literally the exact same thrill as when you own someone online.
8. Inside-the-park-homer
I know a lot of people have dubbed the inside-the-parker as “the most exciting play in baseball” but, uh, I am here to tell you that they are wrong. Have you ever seen an inside-the-parker? It’s a cool play, no doubt. Few plays in baseball last as long, which makes the crowd build-up pretty sweet. There’s really nothing quite like it in any other sport. Okay, wait, now I’ve talked myself into it. Maybe sans any context it’s the most exciting play in baseball?
7. Walk-off hit
Walk-off hits are not as cool of plays as either robbing a homer or an inside-the-park homer. But you know what a walk-off hit has going for it that the other plays don’t? It guarantees that your team won. And I don’t care if you’re a fan of a 50-win ballclub or a 100-win team, the walk from the stadium to the car is significantly better after a win.
6. Triple play
Has anyone ever expected a triple play to happen? Because I have never once watched a game and seen two guys get on with nobody out and thought to myself, “Huh, a triple play would sure get the pitcher out of the jam here!” Not all triple plays are created equal. The quirkier the triple play, the better. This is the rule.
5. Immaculate inning
I have never seen an immaculate inning in person, so I’m honestly not sure if this is too high or too low. I figure you would realize it after five or six pitches. It may not carry with it the thrill of a walk-off hit, but it’s probably something you’ll only see in person at a game a few times in your life. That’s fun!
4. Stealing home
Have you ever seen The Sandlot? Of course you have. You’re reading a baseball newsletter. That scene at the end where Benny tries to steal home? It makes me sweat to this day and I know how it ends!
3. No-hitter
The closest I ever came to seeing a no-hitter was Chase Anderson’s 7.1-inning no-hit bid against the Cubs in 2016. It was my first day on the job as an intern for MLB.com and I wasn’t supposed to have any real responsibilities that day. And then Ace Chanderson took a no-no into the eighth against the best team in baseball and postgame responsibilities were being flung around as fast and as furious as the “I like you’s” on Bachelor in Paradise. I was stressed. Anyway, seeing a no-hitter in person would be awesome and is on every ball fan’s bucket list. I can only hope that when I do finally get to see one in person, it’s from some random lefty who makes like 40 career starts and is out of the league after three years.
2. Walk-off grand slam
Walk-off slam?! Above a no-no?! Are you out of your freaking mind?!?
Yes. Yes I am. I am absolutely, 100 percent, no doubt about it being influenced by recency bias. But you know what? I was in the house on Sunday when Daniel Vogelbach hit the ultimate slam as described by Tom above. I was also in the house for the Brewers’ last walk-off slam, hit by Ryan Braun in 2008. You cannot have a better ending to a baseball game. Not in any way, shape or form...unless they come up with some new rule that involves scoring runs by slamming Taco Bell burritos between pitches. That would be legit.
Perfect game
The final three outs of a perfect game would be pure electricity. Even if the 27th batter of the game gets a hit to break up a perfect game, the excitement of that at-bat would be unmatched. (By the way, Aaron Civale will throw the next perfect game in baseball.)