Erik Kratz's cheering section wearing his previous jerseys is the perfect reminder of his baseball journey

The story of Erik Kratz warrants telling at any opportunity, because it's a truly inspiring example of the power of never giving up.

Kratz, 38, has been a revelation for the Brewers during their October run, carrying a cumulative .316/.350/.421 line into Milwaukee's 7-2 NLCS Game 6 win over the Dodgers on Friday night.

The Brewers are the seventh club Kratz has appeared with in his nine-year MLB career (joining the Phillies, Blue Jays, Royals, Astros, Pirates and Yankees, not to mention a handful of others in the Minors). He's bounced around quite a bit, and his 67 games in 2018 were the second most in a single season in the Majors (trailing his '13 season with Philadelphia, in which he appeared in 68 games).

To illustrate how far Kratz has truly come to this point, with his club vying for the National League pennant, check out the scene of him greeting his cheering section prior to Game 6. They're former college pals and teammates, with each member in the crew wearing a jersey representing one of Kratz's previous teams.

As you might expect, Kratz and this group go back a while:

KRATZ’S KREW — @ErikKratz31’s college buddies are in town to surprise him tonight. These are just a fraction of the jerseys Kratz has worn over his career #Brewers #OurCrewOurOctober pic.twitter.com/SmktGfBghu — Ben Wagner (@WISN_Ben) October 20, 2018

That's just the perfect way visualize the incredible career path Kratz has taken to find him where he is today, a key contributor for a division-winning club with serious October aspirations.

Never give up.