The 2011 Season Doesn't Feel The Same Anymore

[AJAY]

I just wanted to express how frustrated and disappointed I am that some of the magic of the 2011 season seems to have been flushed down the toilet. I was very excited to win the Division Championship for the first time in an eternity. But in the end, the Cardinals championship really took away from the significance of it. It doesn't feel like a true division championship when another team in your division ends up having more success in the end. We couldn't even claim to be the best team in the division. The Cardinals postseason completely ruined everything for us.

 

I remember the night the Brewers clinched the division on a big Ryan Braun homerun and the Cardinals falling to the Cubs on the Miller Park video screen. It was a special moment . . . and probably still is. But now when I see clips of that night, the irony seems almost too cruel. I can't view it in the same way anymore.

 

I was ecstatic to see Ryan Braun win the MVP. It was cool to have a Brewers player reach that elite status. It was cool to have one of the iconic and beloved figures in baseball. Now it seems tainted and Braun is being portrayed as a major villain in the rest of the country. This couldn't be more opposite of what I thought an MVP would bring to our community and franchise.

 

96 wins was amazing, and I give credit to all the players and their accomplishments. I don't mean to minimize what that team did. There were a lot of awesome moments, and I apologize in advance for coming off as a whiner. Maybe I am just burned out and dejected by all the Braun controversy. But right now, I am just really disturbed at how some of the things that were supposed to be special about 2011 have been completely taken away from us.

 

Hopefully it gets better. Thanks for letting me vent.

[sheetskout]

Personally, I have never been in more anticipation of a season to begin and the storylines only make it more fascinating. And I'm 33 years old and have been to 27 opening days.

[burniebrewer]

But in the end, the Cardinals championship really took away from the significance of it. It doesn't feel like a true division championship when another team in your division ends up having more success in the end. We couldn't even claim to be the best team in the division.

 

I have commented to friends about this in regards to Opening Day...it's gonna be weird to symbolically raise the divisional banner in front of your foe who defeated you to go on and win the World Series.

 

Do the Cards give it a top step 'golf clap' as the banner goes up as the accomplishment is recognized?

[bylo tesi me]

But in the end, the Cardinals championship really took away from the significance of it. It doesn't feel like a true division championship when another team in your division ends up having more success in the end. We couldn't even claim to be the best team in the division.

 

I have commented to friends about this in regards to Opening Day...it's gonna be weird to symbolically raise the divisional banner in front of your foe who defeated you to go on and win the World Series.

 

Do the Cards give it a top step 'golf clap' as the banner goes up as the accomplishment is recognized?

 

 

 

 

 

Agreed! I'm not really happy about the idea of hanging banners to celebrate wildcard or division championships, it's sort of feels like something teams with low expectations do. I'm not trying to put down the Brewers, I have been a fan for over 30 years. I Just think it's better to acknowledge a fine season in a event like Brewers on Deck with fans rather than hang banners celebrating unsuccessful championships. I sure teams that expect to win the World Series each year don't hang banners celebrating a division championship.

 

As for 2011, losing to St. Louis hurt, and the Braun situation is disappointing to say the least, but I think time will heal wounds and in a few years I'll look back on 2011 and be proud of 96 wins and home field dominance.

[jjkoestler]

Let's be honest here.... We have low expectations. The division championship the Brewers won last year was the second in 40+ years. It definitely sucks that the Brewers are hoisting the banner in front of the Cards, but let's enjoy it. 2011 was a great season.

[TooLiveBrew]

I just wanted to express how frustrated and disappointed I am that some of the magic of the 2011 season seems to have been flushed down the toilet.

 

I'm sorry this is how you feel.

[hawing]

...it's gonna be weird to symbolically raise the divisional banner in front of your foe who defeated you to go on and win the World Series.

 

Do the Cards give it a top step 'golf clap' as the banner goes up as the accomplishment is recognized?

 

I guess Brewers fans will have an early opportunity to see how much classier (or not) the Cardinals' organization is. I will be surprised if I don't feel like muttering something about glass houses on April 6, as I fully expect whoever from the STL fanbase attends the game to be all "juicer, juicer" on Ryan. I hadn't thought about the divisional banner, though, so that makes it even better.

 

I'm not as down on the accomplishments of 2011 as AJAY is. I remember being in a mini-funk about this time in 2009, after pondering that the Brewers might well have peaked and we'd never have a another season as fun as 2008, but 2011 was a blast too. I don't know how I am maintaining an open mind toward the future, but somehow I am (and in saying this I don't mean to imply that AJAY and others who feel as he does are close-minded).

 

I am puzzled that the Brewers would pick a STL game to give away the 2011 highlights DVD. I understand wanting to maximize turnout on Easter Sunday, but how many of those are going to wind up in the hands of STL fans who can't possibly have any interest in them, beyond gouging Brewers fans for them on eBay?

[pitchleague]

I said a lot of that stuff back in October. People were pleased as punch to be playing the Cardinals in the NLCS--it was the one thing that I dreaded the most. I just knew that, if we lost to the Cards (which we did) it would end up biting us in the ass. And, yes, to me, the winter was a long letdown because of it.

 

Sure, I'm happy with what they accomplished last year and still get tears in the eyes remembering a lot of the moments. But the way it all finished up--and then the whole Braun escapade on top of it--just tarnished the whole thing for me. Yeah, it might be "sour grapes" a bit, but it's how I feel. It's like the Reds probably felt winning the division and all in 2010 and then, in their first post-season game they get no-hit. It's just one of those things that makes you scream--inwardly or outwardly--that "this isn't how it's supposed to be!!!"

 

As for 2012, I'm excited to see how things play out. Will we play 90-win baseball? Will we pull a Reds and kind of fall flat the following season? Can we just get that wild-card? Will someone get hurt for the year early on (pull a Wainright) and will it affect the team or will they persevere and win anyways?

 

It's all part of the plan. We just haven't seen the ending yet.

[burniebrewer]

'm not really happy about the idea of hanging banners to celebrate wildcard or division championships, it's sort of feels like something teams with low expectations do.

 

See, I'm OK with hanging banners, it just sucks that it's gotta be while we face the Cards. It feels like it really diminishes everything.

[PrinceEatMeat]

Let's be honest here.... We have low expectations. The division championship the Brewers won last year was the second in 40+ years. It definitely sucks that the Brewers are hoisting the banner in front of the Cards, but let's enjoy it. 2011 was a great season.

 

This. I'll remember the 2011 forever. I was at almost every game down the stretch. I was at the division clinching game. I was at every playoff game. I experienced the journey first hand. I'll never forget it, and nothing can take that away from me. I will cherish the 2011 season, no matter what happens.

[RightFieldCoder]

I said a lot of that stuff back in October. People were pleased as punch to be playing the Cardinals in the NLCS--it was the one thing that I dreaded the most. I just knew that, if we lost to the Cards (which we did) it would end up biting us in the ass. And, yes, to me, the winter was a long letdown because of it.

I also dreaded facing the Cardinals. I was one of those few who were hoping for a Phillies match up because I wouldn't feel bad losing to a great team.

 

 

There is one thing that keeps me going. In a 15 year span (91-05) the Braves won 14 Division titles (only missing the '94 strike year), had a winning percentage of .601, and were 470 games over .500. Yet their fans complained that the team "only won one World Series." The Brewers were 200 games under .500 (.458 winning percentage) and the fans wished for just a piece of the fun the Braves were having. We just had one of those seasons we were hoping for.

[Invader3K]

For me, nothing can take away the memories of the 2011 season. I'm not going to let fans of other teams, especially ones who are very ignorant, drag me down. I'm very optimistic about 2012 as well.

[Jaycruiser99]

2011 was special and I will remember it fondly and I am excited to see what this team can do.

[fondybrewfan]

Its not like they have to raise the banner against the Cards do they? Can't they just wait a series?

[logan82]

Just when I was forgetting just how much I hate the Cardinals. Losing to them in the playoffs just makes me sick. Fair or not I put a lot of that blame on the manager and his pet Kotsay.

[Ennder]

Really doesn't make a difference to me who won the world series or who we lost to. Losing with a roster that was good enough to make the world series stinks, doesn't really make a difference who we lost to.

[gregmag]

I would never question how anybody else is feeling, and I can't say I don't feel some pangs of what Ajay is talking about. But maybe I'm just a hardwired process guy. To me, the way the baseball season works is that you play 162 games for one prize, and then you play five or seven for more prizes. By October, the Cards had built a superior team, and they deserved to win the World Series. But over 162 games, the Brewers were better. As for Braun . . . we've been through all this, but my takeaway is that the arbitrator said he didn't fail a valid drug test. I had a lot of fun following the team last year; I hope I have as much fun this year.

[logan82]

I don't believe the Cards had the superior team. They just happened to play better at the right time and took advantage of a huge blunder by our manager. As far as the drug test, stuff happens. Braun is playing.

[fondybrewfan]

Honestly I would have been content with the 2011 season if it had finished any other way besides losing to STL and then STL going on to win the WS. I would even been pretty content if TEX had just beaten STL.

 

It still was an awesome season and the best Brewers experience of my lifetime but to lose to STL did dampen things a bit. I imagine this is how Bears fans felt in 2010/2011.

[Moose]

I have to agree with a few others here. Losing to St. Louis in the NLCS was tough. But, as many others have said, it was a season to remember. Even though I wasn't around yet in 1982 I have been a Brewer fan for a long time. I have seen this team come from 100 loss seasons to being games within the World Series is huge. Going to the home playoff games is somthing that my wife and I will always remember and always have. It takes nothing away from a great seaons. If the Cardinals are as classy as they claim to be, they should give the obligatory "Golf Clap" as the 2011 NL Central champions are announced....but they probably won't.

[JohnBriggs12]

I'm still angry that the Braves choked so badly and let the Cardinals in it. They should have been dead and buried.

 

It was eerily similar to the Packers 2011 season. Conversely I'm here in Chicago and saw the Bear fans celebrate the division championship in 2010 only to have the Packers who they could have finished off rise up, beat them in the Championship game and go on to win the Super Bowl.

 

I'm not terribly fond of the wild card, and last year is a great case in point.

[JET15]

Its not like they have to raise the banner against the Cards do they? Can't they just wait a series?

 

This makes sense to me. The next home series is against LA on the 17th (a Tuesday). Or wait until Friday the 20th vs COL. It could pick up attendance on the LA weekday series, so I'd go for that one.

 

I agree with AJAY in many respects. They are the facts. You can't overlook what happened to end the season and the post-season. I don't know what the other options are besides fondybrewfan's suggestion of just postponing the banner hanging. Besides, there is going to be enough energy in the STL series. It's not like we need to pump it up more with a banner hanging.