Are 16/17 the best back to back seasons in Brewer fandom?

[molitor fan]

I am a 46 year old Brewer fan that went to his first game as a 6 year old from Neenah, Wisconsin in 1977. I saw Frank Tanana (as a flamethrower) in that game and went to 10-12 games a year from 78 to 89 with my dad. I lived in the midwest from my college years beginning in 89 (LaCrosse) til I moved from Appleton, WI in 2008 to my current residence in Charlotte, NC. I mention this as a preamble for my postulate that as a Brewer fan, I have been consistent even as I have moved around.

 

With that stated, I view these past two seasons as the most enjoyable I can recall for at least, a very long time....the excitement of a regime change last year and Stearns' cultivation of young exciting talent made last year much more enjoyable than the record would indicate, and I heard this sentiment from others as well....

 

This season, was expected by many to be a step back from that season before the rebuild actually gained momentum. Instead this year has consistently been entertaining and competitive.

 

I put these seasons on par with 1978-1979 and 1981-1982 in terms of being the most exciting, interesting, and compelling back to back seasons in this franchises hitory from a fans perspective. Obviously this stretch pales in comparison in terms of general success, but when looking at expectations versus results, and the "personality" of the teams, I put this stretch up there with the two others mentioned.

 

Would be interested to see the opinion of other "seasoned" Brewer fans.

[rickh150]

07/08 was really fun.... the idea of actually being a buyer at the deadline, being in pennant races again... Fans came out in droves. People were excited and vocal. The Brewers sold out every game from late July to Labor Day in 2008. The way the reg. Season ended with Walkoff wins and then CC and Braun... magical.

[sdcheezhd]

78-79 was fun. 90+ win seasons after 8 years of losing. Signing Hisle (even though he had only 1 year before getting hurt) and beating Guidry. 81 and 82 were probably the best - 1st playoffs and 1st and only pennant. I was in NY so got to see and hear them a fair amount.

[tmwiese55]

I mean this year has been great overall but I don't know how last year was anything great as a fan. You watched a team do ok-ish, better than expected but still not a good team. And then you watched them trade the best C in franchise history and our two best bullpen guys. As diehards enough to be on this board we can appreciate what was happening for the long term, but by no mean would I call intentionally losing a good time for 'fandom'.

 

Take 81-82 for sure above it aand anything from 08-12 since we all legitimately felt they could win divisions and make the playoffs.

 

Now, whatever happens this yea if it leads into more winning next year and a division title then I see your argument since we know we'd be set up well for the future (whereas 2011 we knew we were all in). But I don't know how last year was anything to write home about.

[JohnBriggs12]

Nothing tops 78-79. Not even close. 81-82 were great but the guts of the 81 season was lost to the strike. That's a pain that for me that even an appearance in what was a convoluted playoff didn't erase.

[SoCalBrewfan]

To back up and amplify what Briggs says, my memories of 1981 are tainted by what seemed to me to be a screw job in the playoff arrangements. The Brewers had the best overall record in the AL East, but the powers that be invented a 'division playoff' wherein the first half best record (Yankees) played the second half best record (Brewers). Young me was convinced that this was concocted to ensure that the Yankees were in the playoffs in order to bring back fan interest after the strike. Even worse, the Reds had the best overall record in the then NL West, but the Dodgers and Astros played in the division series. In the end, the Dodgers Yankees world series felt to young me like a scam to reward big markets over better teams in search of ratings after an ugly strike. I was young, so maybe that's unfair, but that is the way I saw it.

 

Still 81-82 was something special. I was probably too young to appreciate fully the emergence years of 78-79, but they were fun. Similarly the 07-08 re-emergence, with the first playoff berth in a long time and long-awaited success of young hitters, and 11-12 run with big moves and a near miss. It's possible that 17-18 could join the pantheon, but last year wasn't that awesome and so 16-17 would be behind all of those for me.

[3and2Fastball]

Personally, I'd go with '07/'08, with hopes for '17/'18

[OnTheBlack]

I mean this year has been great overall but I don't know how last year was anything great as a fan. You watched a team do ok-ish, better than expected but still not a good team. And then you watched them trade the best C in franchise history and our two best bullpen guys. As diehards enough to be on this board we can appreciate what was happening for the long term, but by no mean would I call intentionally losing a good time for 'fandom'.

Take 81-82 for sure above it aand anything from 08-12 since we all legitimately felt they could win divisions and make the playoffs.

 

Now, whatever happens this yea if it leads into more winning next year and a division title then I see your argument since we know we'd be set up well for the future (whereas 2011 we knew we were all in). But I don't know how last year was anything to write home about.

 

 

 

The Brewers have at no point in this rebuilding process ever intentionally lost a game. Trading talent when you don't have a shot at the playoffs does not equate to intentionally losing or tanking games. What it is, it smart baseball.

 

But that team looked like 100 loss team and THEN they suffered from injuries and yet they still played hard, battled and exceeded expectations...despite a losing record. But the emergence of Villar, Braun bouncing back and having a big year, Davies and all the rest of the story lines were huge.

 

As far as the trades, we got rid of Luc, Smith and Jeffress at the absolutely ideal times and in return we got two top 65 pitchers, a guy in Brinson who's a top 15 prospect as well a the headliners. We traded Thornburg and got Shaw who looks like a building block at what was the worst position in the organization at 3rd, a SS who hit ~.300 and who's defense is GG caliber, a reliever who can hit trippled digits and a lower level lottery ticket.

 

This year we expected 100 losses again and are a couple wins from 81(remember when getting to .500 was a big deal) with a couple weeks left and a legitimate shot at a division title or a WC.

 

I was born in 82 so I would imagine that stretch from 77-82 were the best in Brewers history(That 82 team was a Rollie Fingers injury away from a WS). So for me, the 92 season was my favorite, then it was 2006 or 2007 when we were building up and finally it was starting to show up on the field and then obviously the 2011 season where we might have been a Mark Kotsay move away from a WS was the best season.

 

 

But the last two just in terms of expectations and fun watching the game have been very-very good. And to anyone thinking we were intentionally losing, I can't imagine you were watching the Brewers play.

[tmwiese55]

I mean this year has been great overall but I don't know how last year was anything great as a fan. You watched a team do ok-ish, better than expected but still not a good team. And then you watched them trade the best C in franchise history and our two best bullpen guys. As diehards enough to be on this board we can appreciate what was happening for the long term, but by no mean would I call intentionally losing a good time for 'fandom'.

Take 81-82 for sure above it aand anything from 08-12 since we all legitimately felt they could win divisions and make the playoffs.

 

Now, whatever happens this yea if it leads into more winning next year and a division title then I see your argument since we know we'd be set up well for the future (whereas 2011 we knew we were all in). But I don't know how last year was anything to write home about.

 

 

 

The Brewers have at no point in this rebuilding process ever intentionally lost a game. Trading talent when you don't have a shot at the playoffs does not equate to intentionally losing or tanking games. What it is, it smart baseball.

 

But that team looked like 100 loss team and THEN they suffered from injuries and yet they still played hard, battled and exceeded expectations...despite a losing record. But the emergence of Villar, Braun bouncing back and having a big year, Davies and all the rest of the story lines were huge.

 

As far as the trades, we got rid of Luc, Smith and Jeffress at the absolutely ideal times and in return we got two top 65 pitchers, a guy in Brinson who's a top 15 prospect as well a the headliners. We traded Thornburg and got Shaw who looks like a building block at what was the worst position in the organization at 3rd, a SS who hit ~.300 and who's defense is GG caliber, a reliever who can hit trippled digits and a lower level lottery ticket.

 

This year we expected 100 losses again and are a couple wins from 81(remember when getting to .500 was a big deal) with a couple weeks left and a legitimate shot at a division title or a WC.

 

I was born in 82 so I would imagine that stretch from 77-82 were the best in Brewers history(That 82 team was a Rollie Fingers injury away from a WS). So for me, the 92 season was my favorite, then it was 2006 or 2007 when we were building up and finally it was starting to show up on the field and then obviously the 2011 season where we might have been a Mark Kotsay move away from a WS was the best season.

 

 

But the last two just in terms of expectations and fun watching the game have been very-very good. And to anyone thinking we were intentionally losing, I can't imagine you were watching the Brewers play.

 

I'm surprised I even have to say this, but of course the players on the field were not trying to lose. Clearly the management was though, they were a team trading off all it's MLB talent besides Braun knowing they were going to lose more games than they would otherwise. That's clearly what I meant and it's undeniable, I mean, they came right out and said it. And as I said, as diehards we see the big pic and it's what I wanted. But it's still not a time I'd ever call a great time to be in as a franchise, it's something you have to do for the future. Get through the pain and start winning again.

 

I'm happy that it hasn't last as long as we all expected, but if you think they had any expectation of winning more than 75ish games last year or this year you're mistaken. But the players are gonna try and they've exceeded this year because obviously they're playing hard still. I mean, they all want to get paid too. Good on them. And hopefully it carries into next year and then like I said I could see your argument being made for the 17/18 two seasons as this year has been great overall

[homer]

There's trying to lose in order to get a better draft pick and there's trading away good players knowing it makes your team worse in the short term. Big difference.

[MrTPlush]

I mean this year has been incredible, but 2016? I don't really think 2016 was even good. What was so great about it?

[pacopete4]

I mean this year has been incredible, but 2016? I don't really think 2016 was even good. What was so great about it?

 

Maybe the trades that have helped set up the future? IDK.

[SomewhereInTime]

Well in my Brewers fandom, which only goes back to '98 the two best would be 2011 and 2012. They had back to back winning seasons and won the division in 2011, the only time in my lifetime I've seen a division winner. This two year stretch would only be the best if they do better than just winning the division this year and next year is worse than last year. Last year was year 1 in the rebuild and there was not much excitement at the major league level. I've seen a lot of Brewer teams win somewhere in the mid to low 70's in wins and be out of the race much of the year.

[SomewhereInTime]

I mean this year has been incredible, but 2016? I don't really think 2016 was even good. What was so great about it?

 

It wasn't even a good year in the minors (I mean a lot of guys below expectations for what it's worth), this year the minor leagues as a whole have been much better. Still a few big disappointments, like Ray and Lara, but when you have a couple of pitchers like Woodruff and Burnes, that's incredible, not to mention seeing a few of these guys surface like Phillips and Hader and have success and that's a pretty good year for the future.

[jerichoholicninja]

I don't know if I'd say 2016 was exciting, more like hopeful. The fact that that year could be considering a "good year to be a fan" by anyone shows how embarrassing our history is.

[tmwiese55]

There's trying to lose in order to get a better draft pick and there's trading away good players knowing it makes your team worse in the short term. Big difference.

 

Yea, pretty much what I mean. They intentionally made the team worse knowing it would end in losses. And they came right out and said it, and I was fine with it. But that's by no means a great time to experience in 'fandom'.

[tmwiese55]

I mean this year has been incredible, but 2016? I don't really think 2016 was even good. What was so great about it?

 

Yea that too, I don't know how a teardown year is a great time for fans. It's an unpleasant necessity or necessarily evil. This year was good fun no matter how it ends up, hope it leads into another great year next and division title.

[lcbj68c]

2007 and 2008. Hands down!

[homer]

Yeah, 2016 was neat to see the rebuild start but it didn't really excite me all that much.

[owbc]

The 2016 team was unwatchable. I only watched one game the entire year. Completely different story this year.

[Outlander]

I was too young for 82 but really enjoyed a the 87/88 seasons.

[kestrel79]

2008 was insane. I was at all those walk offs the last week, the crowd was just electric. Still get emotional when I listen to the Uke calls from those games on youtube. I know that's sad but it's true. And being at the first home playoff game since 82 was magical. Crowd on their feet every time Dave Bush had 2 strikes on a hitter.

[reillymcshane]

I don't recall the specific years as it's been so long ago, but from 1978-83 - six years - the club averaged 91 wins a season (this doesn't include 1981, when there was a strike - we still made the playoffs that year and were on pace for 93 wins).

 

Those years were awesome. I was a teenager and had Brewer posters on my wall. The team was fund - and they just pounded the ball (Bambi's Bombers, Harvey's Wallbangers). For six years, were were a really good club. The World Series lose still stings.

 

Unfortunately, it was hard to make the playoffs at that time. We won 95 games in 1979 and came in 2nd in the division - no playoffs. Just a killer.

 

Today, if we had a six year run of 91+ wins - we'd be thrilled (and probably make the playoffs every one of those six years).

 

Personally, I don't think 2016 was a 'good' year. The team was not very good. The main thing for me about 2016 was the club's continuing embracement of the rebuild.

 

This has been an immensely fun year. The best in a long time.

[MadScientist]

The only thing marginally exciting about 16 was seeing who the Brewers would get for the talent they were trading off. The inside baseball was ok, but the outside baseball left a lot to be desired.

 

This year has been a great surprise, perhaps the biggest in franchise history.

[tmwiese55]

I don't recall the specific years as it's been so long ago, but from 1978-83 - six years - the club averaged 91 wins a season (this doesn't include 1981, when there was a strike - we still made the playoffs that year and were on pace for 93 wins).

 

Those years were awesome. I was a teenager and had Brewer posters on my wall. The team was fund - and they just pounded the ball (Bambi's Bombers, Harvey's Wallbangers). For six years, were were a really good club. The World Series lose still stings.

 

Unfortunately, it was hard to make the playoffs at that time. We won 95 games in 1979 and came in 2nd in the division - no playoffs. Just a killer.

 

Today, if we had a six year run of 91+ wins - we'd be thrilled (and probably make the playoffs every one of those six years).

 

Personally, I don't think 2016 was a 'good' year. The team was not very good. The main thing for me about 2016 was the club's continuing embracement of the rebuild.

 

This has been an immensely fun year. The best in a long time.

 

I think Reilly pretty much nails this topic on the head.