Historical Moments:

1901-1969: A separate franchise named the Milwaukee Brewers was one of the American League’s eight charter teams. before the first season, there were plans to move the team. They would spend one season in Milwaukee before becoming the St. Louis Browns. After years of playing as a minor league team, Milwaukee got a second big league team when the Boston Braves moved to Milwaukee in 1953. The Braves would play in Milwaukee for 13 seasons, winning the 1957 World Series. In 1966, the Braves moved to Atlanta. Over the next five years, Bud Selig a minority owner for the Braves tried to lure a team back to Milwaukee. In 1969, the American League added two new teams in the Kansas City Royals and Settle Pilots. Seattle had many problems and was not ready for a Major League team and went into bankruptcy.

1970: The team entered Spring Training still in limbo as the Seattle Pilots, and it is not until the end of Spring Training that the team finally gets the go-ahead to sell to an ownership group headed by Bud Selig, and move to Milwaukee. When the Brewers first take the field at Milwaukee County Stadium on April 7th, they are greeted by 37,237 fans. However, those fans would go home disappointed after the Brewers are routed by the California Angels 12 -0. The rest of the season would not go much better as the Brewers finished in fourth place in the AL West with a 65-97 record.

1971: In their second season in Milwaukee, the Brewers sink to last place, posting a record of 69-92.

1972: With the Washington Senators moving to Texas, the Brewers change divisions from the American League West to the American League East. The Brewers don’t perform much better in the east, finishing in last place with a 65-91 record.

1973: The Brewers home opener is delayed four days after a 13-inch snowstorm blankets Milwaukee. Jim Colborn becomes the Brewers’ first 20-game winner despite the Brewers still struggling with a 5th place 74-88 record.

1974: At the age of 18, Robin Yount makes the team start the shortstop on Opening Day. Yount would go on to hit a respectable .250 in his first year, as finished in 5th place with a 76-86 record.

1975: On April 11th, 48,160, to see one time Milwaukee Braves hero and all-time Home Run King Hank Aaron return to Milwaukee. Aaron breaks another of Babe Ruth’s record in his first season as Designated Hitter with Brewers; this time, it is the all-time RBI mark. Even with Hammerin’ Hank, the Brewers still struggle finishing fifth with a 68-94 record.

1976: On July 20th Hank Aaron hits the 755th and final home run of his career. As Hammerin’ Hank was playing in his final games, the Brewers struggled and finished in last place with a record of 66-95.

1977: The Brewers avoid last place, only because an expansion team is added to their division as they finish in 6th place with a record of 67-95.

1978: Under new manager George Bamberger, the Brewer enjoys the first winning season in franchise history. The Brewers would finish third in a tough AL East with a solid 93-69 record

1979: With Gorman Thomas winning the AL Home Run Crown with 45 round-trippers, the Brewers continue to improve finishing in second place with a franchise-best 95-66 record.

1980: The Brewers top the Majors with 203 homers, 774 runs, 2,535 total bases, and a .448 slugging percentage, all setting franchise records. However, the team only manages to finish in third with an 86-76 record.

1981: To improve the team, the Brewers acquire legendary reliever Rollie Fingers to help bolster the bullpen. Through June 15th, the Brewers were in the position to contend for the AL East but were frozen in third place when the player’s strike hit. When the season resumed, the Brewers would take full advantage of the split season format putting together a solid 31-22 record to capture the second-half title of the AL East. The Fingers acquisition would prove crucial, as he becomes the first relief pitcher in Major League history to win both the Cy Young Award and the Most Valuable Player Award in the same season. In their first trip to the postseason, the Brewers would face the New York Yankees in the Eastern Division Series. The Brewers would lose their first two games at the county stadium, and it all looked hopeless as they went to the Bronx. The Brewers would not go down without a fight. They would end up in the next two games and hold the lead in Game 5 before the Yankees bats took over and won the series’ deciding game.

1982: After the Brewers get off to a disappointing 23-24 start Manager Buck Rodgers is fired, and replaced by Harvey Kueen. Under Kuenn, the Brewers would catch fire winning 72 over their last 115 games, as they would hold off the Baltimore Orioles on the final day of the season to win the American League Eastern Division Title. Along the way, the Brewers would earn the nickname Harvey’s Wallbangers, because of the team’s 216 Home Runs. Also receiving honors were SS Robin Yount, who wins the AL MVP, and pitcher Pete Vukovich who wins the Cy Young. The Brewers would find themselves in a 2-0 hole again in the ALCS against the California Angels. This time the final three games were to be played in County Stadium, and after winning the next two, the Brewers would not be denied and won the deciding Game 5 when Cecil Cooper singled drove in the tying and winning runs in the seventh inning. The Milwaukee Brewers headed off to their first World Series. In what would become known as the Suds Series, the Milwaukee Brewers would take on the St. Louis Cardinals. The Brewers got off to a promising start with a 10-0 rout of the Cardinals in game 1. However, the Cardinals would rebound to win the next two games. The Brewers with their backs to the wall rallied in Game 4 with a six-run 8th to knot the series at two games each. After winning Game 5, the Brewers needed only one win in St. Louis to bring home the trophy. Unfortunately for the Brewers that win would never come after a blow out loss in Game 6, the Brewers lead Game 7 in the sixth inning, but a three-run rally capped by George Hendrick RBI single would doom the Brew Crew.

1983: The Brewers follow up their trip to the Fall Classic with an 87-75 record that lands the in fifth place in a tight Eastern Division, as a record 2,397,131 fans went through the turnstiles at County Stadium. Following the season, Harvey Kueen would retire, sighting poor health.

1984: The Brewers suffer through an injury-plagued season losing Paul Molitor for most of the season, and finishing dead last with a terrible 67-94 record.

1985: George Bamberger returns to the helm as manager, but the Brewers recovery is not a quick one as much of their power source from the 1982 World Series team is either gone or past their prime. The Brewers would finish in sixth place with a terrible 71-90 record.

1986: The Brewers continue to struggle to finish in sixth place with a record of 77-84, as Manager Tom Treblehorn takes over in the final nine games of the season.

1987: The Brewers would get off to a flying start winning their first 13 games of the season. The winning streak was highlighted by Juan Nieves’ No-Hitter the first in Brewers history. A diving catch by Robin Yount now playing CF for the final out saved the No-Hitter. The year would end up becoming the year of the streak for the Brewers as the 13-game winning streak was almost wiped out entirely by a 12 game losing streak. Another streak in Milwaukee that caught people’s attention was Paul Molitor’s 39 game hitting streak the Longest in the AL since Joe DiMaggio’s 56 game streak in 1941. The Brew Crew would finish in third place with 91 wins, which was six more than American League West Champion Minnesota Twins, who would go on to shock the world and win the World Series.

1988: The Brewers are involved in a tight five-team race for the Eastern Division title that went down to the wire. The Brewers would fall two games short with a solid 87-75 record.

1989: The Brewers struggle to finish with an 81-81 record landing them in fourth place, despite a second MVP season from Robin Yount.

1990: After four straight winning seasons, the Brewers struggle all season and finish in sixth place with a record of 74-88.

1991: The Brewers finish fourth with a mediocre 83-79 record. Following the season, manager Tom Treblehorn is fired and replaced by Phil Garner.

1992: The Milwaukee Brewers lead by a reliable pitching staff would find themselves in a tight battle for the American League East. The Brewers provided a strong challenge to the eventual World Champion Toronto Blue Jays, before fading in September, and finishing with a 92-70 record, only four games out of first. During the season longtime Brewer hero, Robin Yount delivers his 3000th career hit, becoming the third-youngest to achieve that milestone. Also making news was SS Pat Listach, who becomes the first Brewer ever to win Rookie of the Year honors. Near the end of the 1992 season Brewers owner, Bud Selig found himself in a new position of power as he is made the interim commissioner replacing the deposed Fay Vincent. Although it was supposed to be a temporary job, Selig would eventually become the Commissioner full time selling the team to his daughter Wendy.

1993: With the loss of Paul Molitor to Free Agency, the Brewers fizzled from the start of the season, finishing in last place with a terrible 69-93 record. Molitor would go on to win World Series MVP honors with Toronto Blue Jays. The season would also mark the end of Robin Yount’s 20-year career. Yount would go on to announce his retirement before the start of the following spring training.

1994: With Brewers in last place with a 53-62 on August 12th, all thoughts of a postseason were out of the question. However, thanks in part to Brewers owner Bud Selig there was no postseason. Selig, who was made Commissioner two years earlier, puts the bottom line ahead of the good of the sport and acts more as the owner’s hatchet man then commissioner. Earlier in the season, the Selig led owners, who said a supermajority needed to come to a collective barging agreement. However, with a small but strong block of small-market owners led by Selig, such a majority was impossible. Selig would eventually set a date for the players to accept the owner’s demands, and when the date passed without an agreement, Selig canceled the rest of the season, including the World Series. The strike would drag on until the start of next season when a Federal Judge granted an injunction based on unfair labor practices after replacement players were used in Spring Games. In the end, the owners would fold, and the only losers were the fans.

1995: The players returned the Brewers no better off and placed a distant fourth with a 65-79 record in the American League Central.

1996: The Brewers manage to play solid baseball for most of the season before falling off in the final two months to finish with their fourth consecutive losing season at 80-82.

1997: The Brewers make history on June 13th, becoming the first American League team to play in a National League Park during the regular season during an interleague game against the Chicago Cubs. The Brewers would win the game 4-2 behind the pitching of Jeff D’Amico. The Brewers would end the season with a mediocre 78-83 record.

1998: The Brewers would play even more games in National League Parks, becoming the first team to switch Leagues in the modern era. The Brewers would get off to a fast start but faded fast and would wind up with their sixth straight losing season as 74-88.

1999: Tragedy would strike close to home, as a crane collapse on the Brewers’ new ballpark would kill four construction workers. The accident would cause minor damage to the new stadium forcing the team to delay the opening of Miller Park, slated for April 2000 an entire year. The Brewers would continue to struggle to finish in fifth place with a record of 74-87.

2000: In the final year of County Stadium, the Brewers suffer their eighth Straight losing season with a 73-89 record. However, pitcher Jeff D’Amico makes some news with a 5-0 July earning pitcher of the month honors with a microscopic 0.76 ERA.

2001: Miller Park finally opened its doors, with President George W. Bush and Commissioner Bud Selig on hand to deliver ceremonial first pitches. Brewers slugger Richie Sexson belted an eighth-inning game-winning Home Run to beat the Cincinnati Reds in the first official game on April 6th. The Brewers were energized with the opening of their new home, and thanks to one of baseball’s best early-season home records, the National League Central leaders were among the first half. However, injuries and a Major League record 1,399 strikeouts took their toll as the team slumped to finished fourth with a 68-94 record.

2002: Manager Davey Lopes is fired as the Brewers get off to a terrible 3-12 start. However, under his replacement Jerry Royster the Brewers would continue to struggle settling to the bottom of the NL Central. Things went from bad to worse when Geoff Jenkins was lost in June to a broken leg. Not even the All-Star Game, which Milwaukee had looked forward to years to hosting, would go right. Strike threats tempered the excitement of the game then the game itself ended in a 7-7 tie when both teams ran out of pitchers in the 11th inning. The All-Star fiasco was the latest in a long line of embarrassments for MLB commissioner Bud Selig, who has owned the Brewers since 1970. After the All-Star break, the Brewers’ struggles continue as they finished with a franchise-worst 56-106 record.

2003: Coming off a 106-loss season and picked to finish last again under new Manager Ned Yost expectations were not high entering the season, and the Brewers quickly settled to the bottom of the NL Central with a 9-18 record in April. With the continued losing, the Brewers had trouble drawing fans as Miller Park was half empty on most nights. Among the only thing, Brewers’ fans had to cheer was the power of Richie Sexson, who clobbered 45 homers while driving in 124 RBI, and Geoff Jenkins, who hit 28 homers in just 124 games. Brewer fans also had reason to cheer for the future as Scott Podsednik had a solid .314 average while finishing second in Rookie of the Year voting. The Brewers would finish in last place again, posting a losing record for the 11th straight season at 68-94. Following the season Brewers, ownership decided to cut payroll and dealt the Brewers best player Richie Sexson to the Arizona Diamondbacks, giving fans even less reason to cheer.

2004: With the trade of Richie Sexson, the players the Brewers got in return gave the Brewers an injection of life. The Brewers played competitive baseball for the first half of the season, holding a 45-41 record at the All-Star Break, as Lyle Overbay acquired in the deal more the adequately replaced Sexson batting over .300 while leading the team in RBI most of the season. After the All-Star Break, it would fall apart as the Brewers offense struggled, as they were held to 2 runs or fewer 33 times while posting 22-53 record, which ranks as the worst ever for a team entered the All-Star Break with a winning record. The awful second half would see the Brewer plummet down to last place for the third straight year as they finished with a record of 67-94.

2005: The Brewers would get off a promising start as they won their first three games, but it was soon erased as the Brewers found themselves at 5-10. This would not end up being another lifeless horrible season in Milwaukee. It would be a season of renewed hope for the future as prospects like Rickie Weeks began to make significant contributions. At the same time, Carlos Lee acquired in a trade for Scott Podsednik became the Brewers began power bat with a team-high 32 HR and 114 RBI, as the Brewers played competitive baseball all season. On the mound, things would not go as smoothly as Ben Sheets dealt with injuries spending two stints on the Disabled List. However, thanks to Chris Capuano, who won 18 games, the Brewers pitching did not fall apart either as Derrick Turnbow took over in the bullpen saving 39 games with an impressive 1.76 ERA. Even though the Brewers were a nonfactor in the playoff chase, the fight for a .500 record would become the goal of the club, as fans got a taste of slugging 1B prospect Prince Fielder. Thanks to a solid September, the Brewers would reach .500, for the first time in 13 years finishing in third place with an 81-81 record, ending with hope returning to Milwaukee baseball.

2006: The Brewers started the season with a new sense of optimism as the Brewers had their best team on paper in years, and out of the gate, they started hot, winning their first five games. Injuries quickly took a toll as the loss of Ben Sheets, who pitched 17 times slowed any chance the Brewers had of making a run for the postseason as the season wore on the injuries mounted with J.J. Hardy, Rickie Weeks, and Corey Koskie all missing significant time. By the time the trade deadline rolled around, the Brewers were forced to make some hard decisions about the future. The Brewers traded free agent to be Carlos Lee to the Texas Rangers for Outfielders Kevin Mench, Laynce Nix, reliever Francisco Cordero, and minor league pitching prospect Julian Cordero. After the deal, Francisco Cordero would give the Brewers a solid, reliable closer as he saved 16 games in the final two months, but the Brewers would not win many games as they finished in fourth place with a record of 75-87.

2007: The Brewers celebrated the 25th Anniversary of their 1982 team that went to the World Series by wearing their classic ball glove uniforms on Friday home dates. The celebration also served as a reminder of how long it had been since the Brewers mattered in baseball. Still, as the season began, there were signs everywhere that were about to change as the Brewers were loaded with young talent that was about to reach its promise. Early on, there was a party atmosphere at Miller Park as the Brewers jumped out to a fast start holding a 25-11 record and an eight and half-game lead for first place through the first six weeks of the season. However, the Brewers would suddenly come crashing back to earth as they lost 13 of their next 17 games. The Brewers’ struggles continued into June as they were no-hit by Justin Verlander of the Detroit Tigers on June 12th, dropping to 34-30. The no-hitter seemed to serve as a wake-up call as the Brewers got back on track, winning 13 of 16 to close the month, as they continued to hold the top spot in the National League Central. However, injuries would become a factor in July as they lost Ben Sheets for a month with a sprained finger. In Sheets’ absence, the Brewers lost their grip on first place and slipped below .500. Ben Sheets would return as the Brewers played well down the stretch, but in the end, they had lost too much ground as they ended the season in second place with a record of 83-79, their first winning season in 15 years. While the Brewers did not capture the team goals of a division title, they captured plenty of individual hardware as Prince Fielder led the NL with 50 home runs, winning the Hank Aaron Award, while Ryan Braun was named Rookie of the Year with 34 homers and 97 RBI.

2008: Following their first winning season since 1992, the Brewers entered the season feeling they could make a strong run for the playoffs. However, for most of the first two months, they struggled as they held a 23-27 record on May 25th. Memorial Day would prove to be a turning point for the Brewers, who ended May on a strong note, taking five of six to get back to .500. The Brewers would continue to play better in June, as they stayed in the race for the Central Division, staying within five and a half games of the Chicago Cubs, who held the best overall record in the National League. Despite the positives, including the continued stellar play of Ryan Braun, who followed up his Rookie of the Year season, by becoming an All-Star, the Brewers felt they needed to add another weapon. They rolled the dice by trading for reigning American League Cy Young winner CC Sabathia. To get Sabathia on July 7th, the Brewers would send outfield prospect Matt LaPorta, pitchers Zach Jackson, Rob Bryson, and Michael Brantley. The most significant risk was that Sabathia, a pending free agent would likely leave Milwaukee at the end of the season, but team management felt it was worth it to reach the playoffs. In his debut with the Brewers, CC Sabathia would get the win, beating the Colorado Rockies 7-3, just a day the trade was made, as the Brewers went ten games over .500. In his next start, Sabathia would blast a home run as the Brewers went into the All-Star Break on a strong note, with Sabathia winning twice. After the break, it was more of the same as the Brewers made a run at the Cubs, with their new acquisition getting wins in his first four starts. The Brewers finally caught the Cubs on July 26th, preparing to enter a four-game series at Miller Park, with a chance to take over the division lead. In the opener, Sabathia was hit hard, as the Brewers lost 6-4, as the Cubs swept the series and never looked back; as they went on to win their second straight division title. Not all was lost for the Brewers, as the Wild Card remained in sight, as they recovered with an eight-game winning streak in August, as CC Sabathia continued to lead the way, winning almost every time out, posting an 11-2 record after the trade with a solid 2.70 ERA. However, despite the pitching of Sabathia, the Brewers hit a wall in September and went into a tailspin, as Ben Sheets was lost with a flexor tendon tear. The slide would see the Brewers lose 11-of-their-first-14 games in the season’s final month, including an embarrassing four-game sweep in Philadelphia against the Phillies. With the season sliding away, the team decided to make a change, as Manager Ned Yost, who was seen as being too uptight, was fired and replaced by Ned Yost with 12 games to go. Under Sveum, the Brewers continued to struggle, losing four of their first five games, as they entered the last week of the season needing to win almost all of their remaining games and get help to get into the playoffs. While the New York Mets were struggling to beat the Cubs, the Brewers were getting a new life as Ryan Braun’s walk-off grand slam in the 10th inning gave them a dramatic 5-1 win on September 25th, to enter the final weekend of the season in a tie for the wild card. The Brewers and Mets would also be tied entering the last game of the season, as CC Sabathia took the mound on three days rest. True to form, he was strong again, allowing just one run, on four hits, while striking out four, as Ryan Braun’s two-run home run in the eighth inning gave the Brewers a 3-1 win. Meanwhile, in New York, the Florida Marlins beat the Mets 4-2, as the Brewers won the Wild Card with a 90-72 record. In the NLDS, the Brewers faced the Phillies, who a few weeks earlier swept them, costing Ned Yost his job. The Brewers would struggle in the opener, losing 3-1. In Game 2, CC Sabathia took the mound on short rest again, but was ineffective, allowing five runs in the second inning, as the Phillies took a 2-0 series lead with a 5-2 win. The playoffs came to Miller Park for Game 3, as Milwaukee excited for their first playoff game in 26 years packed the Keg to cheer the Brewers on to victory, as they jumped out to a 2-0 lead and never looked back, a Dave Bush and four relievers helped the Brewers avoid a sweep, with a 4-1 win. However, in Game 4, the Phillies would hit four home runs to eliminate the Brewers with a 6-2 win, as their hopes of getting the ball back to CC Sabathia fell short. Sabathia would as expected leave at the Brewers following the season, signing a record seven-year, $161 million contract with the New York Yankees.

2009: Coming off their trip to the playoffs, the Brewers who lost CC Sabathia and Ben Sheets hoped they could win with their young talented line up under new manager Ken Macha. After a mediocre April, in which they posted a 12-10 record, the Brewers got hot in May, as they won 16 of 20 games, to grab first place in the National League Central with a 25-14 record. Helping the Brewers in this hot streak was the Pittsburgh Pirates, who the Brewers routinely beat up upon, continuing domination established in 2008 for a total 17 straight wins over the division rivals, the longest streak one team had over another in 40 years. Despite a subpar June where they posted a 12-15, the Brewers entered July holding a two-game lead over the St. Louis Cardinals. However, July would see the Brewers coming crashing to reality as they posted an awful 9-17 record, slipping below .500 and into third place. Over the final two months, the Brewers would continue to play mediocre baseball as they ended the season in fourth place with a record of 80-82.

2010: The Brewers hoped to get back into playoff contention in Ken Macha’s second season at the helm. However, once again, the Brewers struggled in April, posting a 9-14 record as their pitching struggled. One pitcher in particular who continued to disappoint was Jeff Suppan, who was removed from the rotation after two poor starts and eventually released. In May, the Brewers continued to struggle, posting a nine-game losing streak as they posted a 12-16 record and found themselves in fourth place eight and a half-game out of first as June began. The Brewers would play .500 baseball the rest of the season, but their poor start doomed to be a factor in the pennant race. Several Brewers, despite the disappointing 77-85 season that landed them in third place, had a strong offensive season. Five players Prince Fielder (32 HR and 83 RBI), Corey Hart (31 HR and 102 RBI), Rickie Weekes (29 HR and 83 RBI), Ryan Braun (25 HR and 103 RBI), and Casey McGehee (23 HR and 104 RBI) all hitting more than 20 home runs, with more than 80 RBI. Pitching, however, was a problem as their team ERA of 4.58 was 14th in the National League, as Yovani Gallardo was the only starter whose ERA was below 4.00, as he posted a solid 14-7 record with a 3.84 ERA. Trevor Hoffman would provide a bright spot out of the bullpen, becoming the first pitcher in baseball history to save 600 games on September 7th in a 4-2 win over the St. Louis Cardinals at Miller Park. However, Hoffman, who struggled with elbow tendinitis, lost his closer job to John Axford early in the season and would retire after the season with 601 saves. Following the season, the Brewers would change managers again, firing Ken Macha and replacing him with Ron Roenicke. Meanwhile, they looked to address their pitching woes by acquiring Shaun Marcum in a trade with the Toronto Blue Jays for Brett Lawrie and former Cy Young winner Zack Greinke in a deal with the Kansas City Royals for Alcides Escobar, Lorenzo Cain, Jeremy Jeffress, and Jake Odorizzi. The Brewers also received Yuniesky Betancourt and $2 million in the Grienke deal.

2011: The Brewers were busy in the off-season landing two new starting pitchers Shaun Marcum and Zack Greinke, who was acquired in separate deals with the Toronto Blue Jays and Kansas City Royals. The Brewers would also pick up some speed and defense in the outfield with a spring training deal to acquire Nyjer Morgan from the Washington Nationals. Morgan quickly became a fan favorite in Milwaukee because of his alter ego Tony Plush and bizarre antics. Despite all the excitement at the start of the season, the Brewers stumbled out of the gate as John Axford blew a three-run lead, giving up a walk-off three-run homer to Ramon Hernandez in a season-opening 7-6 loss to the Cincinnati Reds. The Brewers would lose all three games in Cincinnati and lost their home opener to the Atlanta Braves 2-1. The Brewers would finally earn a win the next day as Yovanni Gallardo pitched a hit shutout as the Brewers won 1-0. The Brewers would go on to finish April with a record of 13-13. As May began, the Brewers found themselves in another slump, losing six straight, and seven of eight as their record fell to 14-20. However, thanks to a strong homestand, the Brewers would quickly get back over .500. The Brewers would end the first half of the season in a first-place tie with the St. Louis Cardinals, as they had the best home record in baseball at 33-14. However, their 16-29 road record was the worst in the National League. At the All-Star Game in Phoenix, Prince Fielder led the way for a National League win hitting a home run to the win MVP honors. After the All-Star Break, the Brewers strengthened their bullpen acquiring Francisco Rodriguez from the New York Mets to set up Axford, who was turning into one of the best closers in baseball. Axford would set a team record with 46 saves, and after some early-season struggles ended the season with 43 straight saves. As July ended, the Brewers began to play their best baseball of the season, winning six straight to close the month, as they began to pull away from the Cardinals in the division race. The Brewers would capture two essential series with the Red Birds in August as they built a ten and half-game lead, with a 21-7 record. Despite struggling against the surging Cardinals in September, the Brewers would cruise to the division championship, posting a record of 96-66 the best record in franchise history. Leading the way all season was the Brewers’ two-headed monster in the middle of the order Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun. Fielder led the Brewers with 120 RBI while hitting 38 homers and batting .299. Braun would win NL MVP honors with .332 average, 33 homers, and 111 RBI.

2011 Postseason: In the NLDS, the Brewers would get off to a terrific start against the Arizona Diamondbacks, as Yovanni Gallardo pitched eight strong innings in a 4-1 win at Miller Park. In the early part of Game 2, the big blast played a role as the score was tied 4-4, with the D-Backs answering a Ryan Braun home with three of their own. However, the game would turn on a successful squeeze by Jonathan Lucroy, who beat out a bunt base hit to spark a five-run sixth inning to lead the Brewers to a 9-4 win. After two wins at Miller Park, the Brewers looked to close the series out in Arizona. However, their road woes caught up with them again, as the Diamondbacks won the next two games to even the series at two games apiece. Back in Milwaukee for the decisive fifth game, the Brewers got another strong start from Yovanni Gallardo, as the Brewers held a 2-1 lead in the ninth inning. However, for the first time since early in the season, John Axford blew a save, as the game went into extra innings. In the tenth inning, it would be Tony Plush himself Nyjer Morgan who came through with the big hit driving home Carlos Gomez with the series-deciding run. In the NLCS, the Brewers again would do battle with the St. Louis Cardinals. In Game 1, at Miller Park, the Brewers brought out the heavy lumber, as Ryan Braun, Prince Fielder, and Yuniesky Betancourt all went deep as the Brewers used a six-run fifth inning to win the opener 9-6. However, in Game 2, Shaun Marcum struggled badly as the Cardinals won 12-3 to even the series. In St. Louis for Game 3, the Brewers fell behind early 4-0 but quickly made it 4-3. However, they could not get anywhere against the Cardinals bullpen as St. Louis took control of the series with a 4-3 win. The Brewers would bounce back with a 4-2 win in Game 4. The Cardinals would be too much to handle as they took advantage of poor Brewers fielding to win 7-1 in Game 5. Not even a return to Miller Park could save Old Milwaukee, as the Cardinals bashed the Brewers 12-6 to win the series in six games on the way to an improbable World Championship.

2012: After failing to reach the World Series, the Brewers suffered the blues of a small market team as they lost several key players to free agency. Mark Kotsay, Jerry Hairston, Jr., and Prince Fielder, who signed with the Detroit Tigers, while Craig Counsell announced his retirement. For a while, it appeared that they would also begin the season without MVP Ryan Braun, who received a 50 game suspension failing a test for Performance Enhancing Drugs. However, Braun appealed the suspension, saying that his urine sample was mishandled, an argument a baseball arbitrator ruled in favor of reversing Braun’s positive test. To help replace the lost offense, the Brewers signed SS Alex Gonzalez and 3B Aramis Ramirez, while also picking up Japanese outfielder Norichika Aoki. Despite the loss of firepower, the Brewers offense was not a worry early in the season as Aramis Ramirez was a more than suitable replacement for Prince Fielder with 27 home runs, 105 RBI, and a .300 average. Ryan Braun again put up MVP type numbers, with a league-leading 41 home runs along with 112 RBI and a .319 average. The Brewers also got a big season from Corey Hart who had 30 home runs, 83 RBI and a .270 average, while Catcher Jonathan Lucroy led the team with a .320 batting average in 96 games. The Brewers’ pitching would falter as their bullpen struggled to hold leads all season as they held a 40-45 record at the All-Star Break. Fearful of losing another free-agent star, the Brewers would trade Zack Grienke to the Los Angeles Angels at the trade deadline receiving top minor league shortstop Jean Segura and two minor league relief pitchers in return. Despite the trade of Grienke, and an injury to Shawn Marcum, the Brewers managed to get back in the playoff race when they won 25 of 32 games, to go 54-66 on August 19th to 79-73 on September 23rd. In the final two weeks, the Brewers would run out of gas as they finished the season in third place with a record of 83-79.

2013: Hoping to rebound from a third-place finish, the Milwaukee Brewers stumbled out of the gate, as they lost eight of their first ten games, despite beating the Colorado Rockies 6-5 in ten innings on Opening Day. Though they would get things turned in the right direction, quickly as they won their next nine games, highlighted by a sweep of the defending champion San Francisco Giants at Miller Park. The Brewers would finish April above .500 at 14-11, but disastrous May would sink any playoff hopes. The Brewers would not win two games in a row at any point in May, as they posted a dreadful record of 6-22. May would be just as bad off the field as the façade of Ryan Braun’s “false positive” steroids reprieve was blown up when the Brewers All-Star was named in the Biogenesis probe. Facing a lengthy suspension for a second offensive, Braun would eventually settle with MLB and accept a 65 suspension that would sideline him the final two months of the season. Braun would play just 61 games, hitting nine home runs with 38 RBI and a .298 average. While Braun was having his reputation tarnished, Carlos Gomez was having a breakout season, leading the Brewers with 24 home runs, 73 RBI, 40 stolen bases and a batting average of .284. Catcher Jonathan Lucroy also had a solid season, leading the team with 82 RBI along with 18 home runs. The Brewers had trouble finding consistent pitching as Yovani Gallardo posted a 12-10 record while pitching to an ERA of 4.18, while the Brewers pen struggled all season. The Brewers would never recover from their terrible May, as they sank to fourth place and posted a disappointing record of 74-88.

2014: The Milwaukee Brewers began their 45th season in an impressive fashion, beating the Atlanta Braves 2-0 on opening day at Miller Park. Despite dropping their next two games, the Brewers found themselves at the top of the National League Central in quick order as they won nine straight, highlighted by a sweep of the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. The Brewers would spend nearly all of April in first place, as they ended the month with a record of 20-8. The Brewers would come back down to earth a bit in May, as they posted a record of 13-15. Despite their struggles in May, the Brewers maintained their lead in the National League Central Division. June would see the Brewers again play winning baseball throughout the month as they won 18 games, and entered July holding a six and half-game lead in the division with a record of 51-32. Helping the Brewers to their strong half was Wily Peralta, who had a breakout season posting a team beat record of 17-11, with an ERA of 3.53. Despite Peralta’s strong season, he would not be one of the four Brewers invited to the All-Star Game. Catcher Jonathan Lucroy was a first-time All-Star, with 13 home runs, 69 RBI and a solid .301 average. Lucroy was joined by Carlos Gomez, Juan Segura, and Francisco Rodriguez. Segura and Gomez gave the Brewers a big spark at the top of the lineup, stealing a combined 54 bases. Carlos Gomez would score 95 runs while leading Milwaukee with 23 homers and 73 RBI while batting .283. Meanwhile, K-Rod, was the Brewers rock out of the bullpen, saving 44 games. Like a rollercoaster, July would see the Brewers take a big plunge as they dropped 11 of 13 games heading into the All-Star Break. Despite the terrible month, the Brewers never slipped out of first place and ended July with a record of 60-49, leading the Central division by two games. The Brewers would start of August playing strong baseball, as they continued to hold on to first place, winning 11 0f 17 games, including a win over Clayton Kershaw as the Brewers took five of six from the Los Angeles Dodgers on consecutive weekends. Following a 6-1 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on August 19th, the Brewers held a record of 71-55 and a two-and-a-half-game lead. The Brewers would end August on a sour note losing eight-of-ten games and lost their grip on the Central division. The Brewers losing streak continued in September as dropped out of first place following a 4-2 loss to the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on Labor Day. The Brewers had been tied for first or at the top of the NL Central since April 5th, holding the top spot for 147 days. The Brewers would never regain the top spot in the division and soon found themselves falling behind in the Wild Card race, as they suffered a stretch where they dropped 16 of 19 games. The Brewers would never recover from their late summer collapse, as they posted a record of 82-80, finishing in third place.

2015: After their poor finish, the Milwaukee Brewers had a relatively quiet off-season. The Brewers’ two most notable moves saw them trade away Marco Estrada to the Toronto Blue Jays for Adam Lind, while Yovani Gallardo was sent to the Texas Rangers for three prospects (Corey Knebel, Luis Sardinas, and Marcos Diplan). To say the season started poorly for the Brewers would be an understatement as they suffered a 10-0 loss at the hands of the Colorado Rockies at Miller Park on Opening Day. The Brewers would lose their first four games 13 of their first 15 games. On May 3rd with the team sitting in last place at 7-18, Manager Ron Roenicke was relieved of his duties. Craig Counsell, a part-time announcer and assistant to General Manager Doug Melvin would be handed over the reins the following day. The Brewers would respond well to the managerial change, winning seven of ten games. After ending May with a record of 17-34 the Brewers played considerably better over the final four months, and even managed to escape last place in September, despite dealing away some of their top players including Carlos Gomez. However, that may have been the only positive in an otherwise terrible 68-94 record. The Brewers got solid seasons from Ryan Braun (27), Khris Davis (25), and Adam Lind (20), who each topped 20 home runs. Meanwhile, pitching was a sore spot, as Jimmy Nelson at 11-13 was the only hurler to reach double-digit wins.

2016: Not much was expected for the Milwaukee Brewers as the season began as it was clear the team was still in a rebuild mode, with not much depth in the lineup and on the mound, which is why nobody batted an eye as the Brewers stumbled their way through April, posting a record of 8-15. The Brewers would show signs of improvement over in May, posting a winning record. One player who emerged out of nowhere was Junior Guerra, who, after 14 years in the minors, had a breakout season, posting a record of 9-3 with an ERA of 2.81. Zach Davies also had a solid season, posting an 11-7 record with a 3.97 ERA. The Brewers had a good stretch after the All-Star Break, but with the trade deadline, the Brewers’ goal was to get some prospects, so they dealt All-Star Catcher Jonathan Lucroy to the Texas Rangers for Lewis Brinson, Luis Ortiz, and a player to be named later. The Brewers would go on to finish the year with a record of 73-89. The Brewers got big numbers from Chris Carter, who led the National League with 41 home runs, and had 94 RBI, while Ryan Braun had 30 homers and 91 RBI.

2017: After nearly losing 90 games in 2016, the Milwaukee Brewers looked for unconventional ways to improve. One of those included signing Eric Thames, who had been playing in Korea in the last three seasons. Written off as a bust in the majors, Thames developed into a power hitter with the NC Dinos. Upon arriving in Milwaukee, Eric Thames continued to show off his power bat, hitting seven home runs in April, before going on the disabled list with a thumb injury. The injury was a mere speed bump for Thames as he ended the year with 31 homers and 63 RBI. Thames was one of three Brewers to hit 30 home runs as Travis Shaw had 31 with a team-high 100 RBI, and Domingo Santana had 30 with 85 RBI. The power spark provided by Eric Thames helped the Brewers post a 13-13 record in April. In a division where nobody was off to a flying start, the Brewers were able to believe that they had a chance to make the playoffs from the start. In May, the Brewers found themselves in first place. Among the highlights was a memorable Mother’s Day comeback against the New York Mets at Miller Park. At one time trailing 7-1, the Brewers won 11-9, thanks to a three-run home run by Manny Pina in the eighth inning. The Brewers would lead the Central Division for the remainder of the first half, as they went into the All-Star Break with a record of 50-41 holding a five and a half-game lead over the defending champion Chicago Cubs. Out of the break, the Brewers had an ill-timed slump, losing six straight as the ended August at 55-52 with the Cubs quickly catching and passing them atop the division standings. The Brewers would battle the Cubs the last two months, but could not find the consistency that had taken them to first place. Several costly slumps prevent Milwaukee from making any sustained run, as the Cubs went on to win the division. The Brewers thought were in the Wild Card race until the last day of the season, finishing one game behind the Colorado Rockies with a record of 86-76. On the mound, the Brewers had three reliable starters with Zach Davies leading the way with a 17-9 record and an ERA of 3.90 as recorded 204 strikeouts. Meanwhile, Chase Anderson went 12-4 with a 2.74 ERA, while Jimmy Nelson went 12-6 with a 3.49 ERA. In the bullpen, Corey Knebel had a solid season, recording 39 saves.

2018: After just missing a Wild Card berth, the Milwaukee Brewers went into the offseason looking to add a big bat to make the next step by signing Lorenzo Cain to a five-year deal worth $80 million. The Miami Marlins meanwhile were in a different place, as they began a fire sale, looking to rebuild. While all eyes were on Giancarlo Stanton going to the New York Yankees and Marcel Ozuna to the St. Louis Cardinals, the Brewers ended up the big winners. Milwaukee sent Lewis Brinson, along with prospects Isan Diaz, Monte Harrison, and Jordan Yamamoto. Christian Yelich had been a solid player in Miami, upon joining the Brewers he would skyrocket to superstar status. Signs of the Brewers greatness showed in April when they put together an eight-game winning streak after posting an 8-9 record in their first 17 games. May would see Milwaukee surge into first place as they posted a 19-8 record. The Brewers would struggle in June and July and have lost their division lead by the All-Star Break. The Brewer would battle the Cubs all season for first place. Through August, it appeared as if the Cubs would pull away, as the Brewers wallowed in mediocrity. For most of the season, the Brewers had an unreliable rotation, as they had the best bullpen in baseball led by Josh Hader. He often got the biggest outs, pitching multiple innings, while Corey Knebel and Jeremy Jeffress led the team in saves. On the morning of August 29th, the Brewers held a record of 73-60, they were six games behind the Cubs and fighting off a challenge for the Wild Card. The Brewers would beat the Cincinnati Reds 13-12 in ten innings on the road. In the game, Christian Yelich would hit for the cycle. It would start a month in which Yelich would carry Milwaukee while making a run at the Triple Crown. By the time the Brewers faced the Cubs at Wrigley Field, two weeks later, the deficit as down to two games, as the Wild Card was nearly in the back pocket. Milwaukee took two of three, as Yelich continued his tear. On September 17th, facing the Reds at Miller Park, Christian Yelich became the fifth player to had two cycles in one season and the first to have two cycles against the same team as the Brewers won 8-0. The Brewers would finish the season by winning nine of their last ten games, ending in a flat-footed tie with the Cubs at 95-67, which also was the best record in the National League. The teams would play a one-game playoff in Wrigley Field. The winner would go to the NLDS with home field; the loser would have to play one day later in the Wild Card Game. Jhoulys Chacin, who led the team with 15 wins, got the start and allowed one hit in five and two-thirds innings, it was a home run by Anthony Rizzo as the game went into the eighth inning, tied 1-1. The Brewers would get run-scoring his from Cain and Ryan Braun to take a 3-1 lead in the eighth. Josh Hader would come in and get the final six outs as the Brewers claimed the Central Division title with a record of 96-67. Christian Yelich would win the Hank Aaron Award and the NL MVP, winning the batting title (.326) and slugging title (.598). Yelich finished third in the NL in home runs with 36, to behind Nolan Arenado of the Colorado Rockies who led the league, while his 110 RBI was second, just one behind Javier Baez of the Cubs.

2018 NLDS: The much-anticipated rematch with the Chicago Cubs would not materialize as the Cubs were beaten by the Colorado Rockies 2-1 in the Wild Card Game. The Milwaukee Brewers would instead face the Rockies playing four games in five days in four cities. The Brewers held an early 2-0 lead in Game 1 at Miller Park as Christian Yelich went deep in the third inning. The lead held up until the ninth inning when Jeremy Jeffress faltered, as the Rockies rallied to tie the game. In the tenth inning, the Brewers started a rally when Adam Ottavino walked Yelich to lead off the inning. Mike Moustakas, who was acquired from the Kansas City Royals late in the season, would get an RBI single scoring Yelich to give the Brewers a 3-2 win. Jhoulys Chacin got the start for Milwaukee in Game 2 and allowed just three hits in five innings. The Brewers held a 1-0 lead after a fourth-inning double by Hernan Perez, winning 4-0 as they added three insurance runs in the eighth inning. At Coors Field in Game 3, the Brewers would complete the sweep with a 6-0 win as Wade Miley, and five relievers held the Rockies to four hits.

2018 NLCS: The Milwaukee Brewers would move on to face the Los Angeles Dodgers after sweeping the Rockies in the Division Series. With Jesus Aguilar and Lorenzo Cain leading the way, the Brewers built a 6-1 lead in Game 1 at Miller Park. The Dodgers would rally, but Corey Knebel would strike out Justin Turner with the tying run base to hold on for a 6-5 win. With Orlando Arcia and Travis Shaw, each hitting a home run, the Brewers built a 3-0 lead in Game 2, but this time they could not hold on as the Dodgers won 4-3 to even the series. Jhoulys Chacin was on the money again in Game 3 at Dodger Stadium, allowing just three hits as the Brewers blanked Los Angeles 4-0. Arcia again led the offense with a two-run home run. Game 4 would be a battle of the bullpens, as the Brewers got an early run, while the Dodgers tied the game in the fifth inning. The game would go into extra innings, where tempers flared as Manny Machado spiked the first base of Jesus Aguilar. The Dodgers would win the game 2-1 in 13 innings as Cody Bellinger singled home Machado with the winning run. The Brewers tried to play head games in Game 5 as Wade Miley made the start and faced one batter. Brandon Woodruff would come and struggled as the Dodgers took control of the series with a 5-2 win. Back in Milwaukee for Game 6, the Brewers bats woke up, scoring four runs in the first inning led by a two-run double by Aguilar. The Brewers would win the game 7-2 to send the series to a decisive seventh game. The Brewers held an early 1-0 lead on a Christian Yelich home run, but with home runs from Bellinger and Yasiel Puig, the Dodgers won 5-1 to advance to the World Series.

2019: After falling one game short of the World Series, the Milwaukee Brewers started the new season with a bang. More like MVP Christian Yelich started the season with a bang as he hit a home run in each of his first four games. Yelich would be even better in 2019 as he was battling for the triple crown from the start of the season as he seemed to be starting a season-long duel with Cody Bellinger for the National League MVP. Through the first half, Milwaukee found themselves in a three-way battle for the Central Division against the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs. Yelich became the first player in the history of the Brewers to hit 30 home runs before the All-Star Break. The Brewers sat at 47-44 at the break, just a half-game out of first place. Most of the summer, the Brewers would thread water, but no other teams could pull away as Milwaukee went into September again in the thick of a playoff race. It would be a September to remember for the Brewers as they won 20 games, many without their MVP as Christian Yelich suffered a season-ending knee injury when he fouled a ball off his kneecap on September 10th. Despite missing 30 games, Yelich again led the National League in hitting (.329) and slugging (.429. He was the first National League to lead the league in both categories two straight seasons since Rogers Hornsby from 1920-1925. Yelich would finish the season with 44 home runs and 97 RBI to win the Hank Aaron award for the second consecutive year. The Brewers would finish the season with a record of 89-73 to earn the second Wild Card spot.

2019 Wild Card Game: Facing the Washington Nationals on the rod, the Milwaukee Brewers got an early 3-0 lead on home runs by Yasmani Grandal and Eric Thames. The Brewers held a 3-1 into the eighth inning when Josh Hader with the bases loaded and two outs Hader gave up a single to Juan Soto that was misplayed in right field by Trent Grisham that allowed three runs to score as Washington won the game 4-3. The Nationals would go on to win the World Series.