Those who love analytics will tell you that the Milwaukee Brewers wouldn’t be in the World Series without using a spreadsheet over the eye test.
Those who prefer what they see on the field to what they see on a tablet will tell you that Milwaukee wouldn’t be where it is today without an old-school manager like Pat Murphy, who insisted his guys see the fundamental, intangibles well.
Call it an example where both things can be true.
As the Brewers prepare to open the World Series against Tampa Bay on Friday night, it will be more than their first MLB championship round appearance since 1982. It would be a testament to an organization that has been at this level for over a decade, but never really took off until they lost their manager and hired better on Chicago’s North Side.
Craig Counsell’s departure to the Cubs after the 2023 season has been discussed and cursed from Brown Deer to Sturgeon Bay. But Milwaukee didn’t have to leave the clubhouse to find his replacement — Murphy, who has been the bench coach for Counsell’s last eight years on the job.
All Murphy did was win 293 regular season games, three National League Central titles and (maybe) three NL Manager of the Year awards. All of which would pale in comparison to the franchise’s first World Series.
How the Brewers do it can be applauded by anyone with half a brain, which probably excludes the current commissioner of the sport. That’s another story for another time, especially when Rob Manfred imposes a lockout he believes is necessary to ensure competitive balance.
If he had bothered to look at the product he was running, he would have found the competitive balance playing out for the piece of metal he despised. Milwaukee and Tampa Bay are spending cautiously but wisely. Neither has a top 15 salary list; there is no need.
They have smart people running the club – it’s amazing how smart wins in almost anything in life – and mostly smart guys on the pitch. But the Brewers should be favored after winning the National League title, beating San Diego in the fourth and then sweeping the FOX Dodgers in the fourth.
It’s no secret how Milwaukee does it – pitching and more pitching with some surprising power thrown in for good measure. Jacob Misiorowski, Logan Harrison and Robert Gasser started effectively. Relievers like Aaron Ashby, Abner Uribe and Trevor Megill regularly shut down opponents for as many as five innings in some games.
This bullpen could be decisive in the World Series. Ashby, DL Hall and JoJo Romero are all left-handed. One of Tampa Bay’s few weaknesses is hitting lefties. It sounds like a match made in cheesehead heaven.
There is little chance of sustained power gains. The Brewers are good offensively, but they blasted the second fewest homers of anyone in the regular season. Of course, players like William Contreras, Jake Bauers and Garrett Mitchell all got 10 in the postseason.
There’s a reason Milwaukee won 103 games this year, more than anyone else in the game. The world learns about it in October. Megill fans will have another celebration for the Brewers when Richie Palacios completes Game 6 in a 4-3 Milwaukee win.
Bob Uecker will likely call the finale from his front row seat above.