Is "Wild Card Champions" worthy of hanging a banner at Miller Park?

[Mike Felder]

I think there should be something up for each postseason appearance. I was happy when the Bucks put up banners for all their division champions a few years ago, and I think the Brewers should do the same thing, if only to replace that horrible looking '82 flag out in LF.

 

I think there should be four banners/flags/whatever, two for 1982 (division and league champs), one for 1981, and one for 2008. I've noticed that other teams hang separate banners for winning the division, pennant, and World Series, so why not us too? Plus it will please the segment of the organization that likes to glorify the '82 team, since those guys will have two banners.

 

1981 AL East Second Half Champs (Royal Blue) <---- that's a lot of words, I know...maybe someone can come up with something a little less clunky.

1982 AL East Champs (Royal Blue)

1982 AL Champs (Gold)

2008 NL Wild Card (Navy Blue)

 

If/when we win the division, we can hang another one in navy blue, if/when we win the pennant, we can hang one in the team's current shade of gold, and if/when we win the World Series, we can hang one in white.

[ecjimg]

And "un-retire" Fingers' #34 too.............ok, somewhat off topic, but in the same area of the stadium. I really dont get why his number was retired anyway. Because he won an MVP and Cy Young here? Because hes in the hall of fame? Not enough years in Brewers blue for me....

[BrewCrewForever]

A banner simply saying "2008 NL Wild Card" would be fine with me. I hope they do it.

[Oldcity]

I agree that if they do a 2008 banner they need one for 1981 as well.

[valpocrewsader]

If 100% of other teams do it, I guess you've got to. If it's a high percentage, it's tenable enough. If it's less than 50%, they better not. I agree with the "butt of jokes" comment. Although I guess it wouldn't cost anything, since I'm assuming it would be sponsored by the Uno card game.

[NYChez]

I put in a vote for a place on a wall or facade saying "Postseason - 1981, 1982, and then unveil 2008 on opening day.

[BrewCrewForever]

I agree that if they do a 2008 banner they need one for 1981 as well.

Yeah they really should have something for 1981. I mean they were in the playoffs and I think a lot of people forget that.

[davego]

Certainly needs to be something for the 2008 team. I never thought of something for 1981. I should have. They deserve something too. Since making the post-season is pretty difficult relative to all the other pro-sports, I'm of the opinion that all playoffs (baseball) teams should get some sort of ink on the wall.

[Mr QL]

I don't think they should. Just seems lame to me.

 

Plus it'll look pretty silly and insignificant next to the division and World Series banners we'll be hanging in coming years. ;-)

 

But yea, I think they'll do something of the sort. Guess I'll have to cringe through it.

[Teatoe993]

I don't mind seeing a banner put up. But I do not think it is worthy of a big hoopla ceremony. Just put it up there in the offseason and don't mention it come regular season.

[Invader3K]

I don't mind seeing a banner put up. But I do not think it is worthy of a big hoopla ceremony. Just put it up there in the offseason and don't mention it come regular season.

Yeah, I kind of agree. Maybe if they unveil it before the first pitch of Opening Day, that would be fine...but otherwise, if they make too big a deal of it, it will be pretty silly.

 

Edit: Oh, and as far as 1981...I think that would kind of be overkill. That was a mini-series due a strike shortened season. I think making a big deal out of that playoff appearance would go over the heads of too many people and seem kind of revisionist.

[hawing]

Edit: Oh, and as far as 1981...I think that would kind of be overkill. That was a mini-series due a strike shortened season. I think making a big deal out of that playoff appearance would go over the heads of too many people and seem kind of revisionist.

It's interesting you should mention 'revisionist.' In the special Gameday program sold at the NLDS games, I noticed that the Division Series history page included the 1981 playoff games. That was the year before I began following baseball closely, but I don't recall the use of the phrase 'division series' back then.

 

I won't quarrel with it being a postseason appearance (if a less than fully orthodox one), but including it with "division series history" seemed a bit of a stretch to me.

 

Perhaps some day there could be a banner listing the one-series-and-done playoff appearances (1981, 2008, maybe more someday) and then individual banners for bigger accomplishments (1982, hopefully more someday).

[FVBrewerFan]

"2008 NL Playoffs" works better for me than any reference to Wild Card

[Invader3K]

Perhaps some day there could be a banner listing the one-series-and-done playoff appearances (1981, 2008, maybe more someday) and then individual banners for bigger accomplishments (1982, hopefully more someday).

I think all of us would be happy with that.

 

I guess mainly I'm just sick of seeing that lonely 1982 banner up there (again, I was only 2 years old then, so I don't even remember that team first hand). It's time for it to have some company. I think the Brewers' accomplishment this season is worth commemorating with a banner/pennant of its own. I really don't see how other teams would ridicule that...I'm sure Pirates or Nationals fans would love to hang a "Wild Card Winners" banner up in their parks (and yes, I'm familiar with the championship histories of those two franchises, but neither have won anything in a long time).

[dlk9s]

One interesting way to do it would be to emulate the Braves. Granted, they have a ton of pennants to display, but what they do is color code them, without actually spelling out what was won (except for the World Championship). The pennants are all yellow, but the font color varies, based on what they won. Red font denotes an NL championship, black font denotes a division championship. The only one that is significantly different is the World Championship banner, which is red with blue font.

 

The Brewers could do something like this. It would commemorate the accomplishment without having to worry about "how it sounds."

 

http://img395.imageshack.us/img395/9450/328326899db77ffbeeabat2.jpg

[brewerguy71]

I dont think a banner is necessary, now if they had won the NL or the WS then a banner is deserving, even the division deserves one.

 

But if you put one up, even though the long playoff drought ended, its just a consolation prize.

[Invader3K]

I'd be fine with just the "2008" banner. I just think it should be recognized in some fashion.

[bigredrobbo]

To go along with the pennant, they should market a big foam finger with "We're #4" on it!

 

 

I guess what I'm saying is, no banners until we actually achieve something that isn't a consolation prize.

[Invader3K]

Technically, wouldn't we be #3, since LA had fewer wins than the Brewers did?

 

With the divisions aligned the way they are in baseball, the Wild Card is still worth celebrating. A playoff spot is a playoff spot. Calling it a "consolation prize" is short sighted, in my opinion.

[brwrsfan]

I more have a problem with the word "champion". They aren't the champion of anything, they were the best of the teams that didn't win a division. Should we put up some sort of banner to represent the post-season, yes. It's still a huge deal and worth nothing. But it needs to read just "2008" or "2008 Wild Card" or something like that.

 

We weren't the champion of anything and it shouldn't be stated as such.

[BrewCrewRising]

How about:

 

"2008 NL West Champion Exceeder (Regular Season)"

 

People really only focus on the word "Champion" and the year.

 

Or:

 

"Contributors to 2008 AL Champions (Gross and Balfour)"

[EauClaireNWL]

Just put a smaller banner next to the 1982 AL Champions one that says 2008 NL Wild Card. I think that would be more than sufficient.

[davego]

Agreed with EC-NWL. Slap that up and move on.

[Invader3K]

BTW, I remember someone here who works for the Brewers posting a while ago that the '82 banner was going to be replaced soon with something a bit fancier? Any truth to that, or was that just a rumor/idea?

[hawing]

Any truth to that, or was that just a rumor/idea/hawing's dream?

Fixed. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif