Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Jugular
At the start of the Milwaukee Brewers' current road trip, I made the pronouncement:
"The entire season hinges on this road trip. They must win one in Arizona, two in San Fran, and then two in Chicago. 5-4. If not, the season is lost, and I'm going to the games only for the nachos."
They promptly won two -- that's right, two! -- in Arizona. And then they got swept in San Fran and lost the first to the Cubs. So -- for this cowboy -- the Brewers' season is over.
Oh, sure. They could get hot. They could still win the division, go to the playoffs, get on a role, and make their way all the way into the World Series. Here's why they won't.
1.) The Cubs won't. See, the Cubs peaked about a month ago. They were on fire. Then . . . the wheels fell off. They peaked too early. What does this have to do with the Brewers? The Brewers peaked IN JUNE. They're so far from good baseball, they don't even remember it anymore.
2.) It's not just one thing that needs fixing. The managing has been erratic, the starting pitching has been weak, the relief has been unpredictable, the hitting (aside from Ryan Braun) has been slumping, there are still some injury issues, and the trade deadline has passed. The odds of all those things improving just marginally are pretty low.
3.) The Cards are coming on just too strong. They know how to win. We don't. Want evidence of that? All this year the Brewers have been celebrating the 25th anniversary of the 1982 season. Yes, that's the season in which we LOST the World Series. Uh-huh.
4.) And here's the most important reason the Brewers are going to miss the playoffs and finish below .500: They are the Milwaukee Brewers. It's what they do.
I don't write this with great malice. I am a season ticket-holder. But I know reality when it stares me in the face. It didn't help matters when the Brewers scoffed at fate and sent us season ticket-holders a post-season ticket package. That was the day before they lost five straight, so the gods of baseball couldn't have been too amused.
Listen, I hope they do well. I hope they make it. But they won't. It's over. It's football season.
"The entire season hinges on this road trip. They must win one in Arizona, two in San Fran, and then two in Chicago. 5-4. If not, the season is lost, and I'm going to the games only for the nachos."
They promptly won two -- that's right, two! -- in Arizona. And then they got swept in San Fran and lost the first to the Cubs. So -- for this cowboy -- the Brewers' season is over.
Oh, sure. They could get hot. They could still win the division, go to the playoffs, get on a role, and make their way all the way into the World Series. Here's why they won't.
1.) The Cubs won't. See, the Cubs peaked about a month ago. They were on fire. Then . . . the wheels fell off. They peaked too early. What does this have to do with the Brewers? The Brewers peaked IN JUNE. They're so far from good baseball, they don't even remember it anymore.
2.) It's not just one thing that needs fixing. The managing has been erratic, the starting pitching has been weak, the relief has been unpredictable, the hitting (aside from Ryan Braun) has been slumping, there are still some injury issues, and the trade deadline has passed. The odds of all those things improving just marginally are pretty low.
3.) The Cards are coming on just too strong. They know how to win. We don't. Want evidence of that? All this year the Brewers have been celebrating the 25th anniversary of the 1982 season. Yes, that's the season in which we LOST the World Series. Uh-huh.
4.) And here's the most important reason the Brewers are going to miss the playoffs and finish below .500: They are the Milwaukee Brewers. It's what they do.
I don't write this with great malice. I am a season ticket-holder. But I know reality when it stares me in the face. It didn't help matters when the Brewers scoffed at fate and sent us season ticket-holders a post-season ticket package. That was the day before they lost five straight, so the gods of baseball couldn't have been too amused.
Listen, I hope they do well. I hope they make it. But they won't. It's over. It's football season.
