Why is Daddy Sad? the Brewers Version

[brewers4eric]

A friend of mine was in Cleveland last weekend. He's been a lifelong Broncos fan and he found a coloring book in a bookstore called, "Why is Daddy Sad on Sundays"? It featured the most gut wrenching losses in Cleveland sports history such as 'the Drive' and 'the Fumble' from the worst days of the Browns franchise.

 

If they did a similar coloring book for the Brewers, what events would you suggest? This year's wild card loss would be obvious. I would include a page featuring the trade of Dante Bichette for Kevin Reimer. Since I'm old, I would also suggest, "Dad went to a Brewers game against the Cubs and ended up sitting next to some drunken frat boys from Illinois that were too young to remember Ron Santo's call from the Brant Brown game".

[OldSchoolSnapper]

I missed '82, but for me, the worst moment I've ever experienced, by far, was Puig's HR.

[TURBO]

Starting Mark Kotsay in CF for a 2011 NLDS game against the Cardinals... A total and complete blunder by Runnin' Ron Roenicke. (RRR)

[wibadgers23]

Yeah the wild card game last week is at the top of the list for me. We were ahead and lost that game so fast that it was just complete shock and heartache.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

It was bad but the context matters. I really had a belief the Brewers were going to get it going in G7 but when Puig hit that bomb I was done. There was a catch they made in the OF prior to that that also had a tide-turning feel to it, but once that ball went over the fence I might've made it one more inning, or whatever inning it was put guys on didn't score, and I left. I was just not going to watch another party on our field again.

[sveumrules]

Being the worst pitching organization of the last 50 years.

 

But hey, we're only 4th worst in the expansion era (1998-2019), making progress!!

[tmwiese55]

Probably just a picture of David Freese on a whole page somewhere.

 

You could also probably make similar "opening day starter" collage similar to what folks can do for Browns or Bears QBs with a laundry list of laughable names to be considered 'aces'. But that Sheets/Gallardo years probably helps make it not look tooooo horrible. But for the most part we haven't had a ton of big moments in 30 years so list isn't too long, most would just include looking at their opening day rosters from say 94-ish to 03ish and laughing.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Milwaukee_Brewers_Opening_Day_starting_pitchers

 

Not quite as bad as you might think. We've typically had one good starter. But yeah, a couple years in there are pretty bad. Chacin will probably look as bad as any of those when enough time has passed.

[tmwiese55]

Yea kinda what I thought, getting 11 years out of Sheets/Gallardo really helps minimize the negative look there.

[Underachiever]

Rollie Fingers getting hurt in 82. Vuckovich pitching on fumes in the Series, then showing up injured in 83, so you knew he was done. Gorman Thomas, looking like he was running on ice on his injured hamstrings to catch a ball on the warning track in Game 4, falling down, and the Cards scored 2 runs on a sac fly. 2! Having a former Brewer be Series MVP. I wasn't a Daddy then, but it all made me sad.

 

Seriously, watch Gorman "run" in this video.

https://www.mlb.com/video/herrs-sac-fly-scores-2/c-2516872483

[long ball]

Game 4 of the NLCS last year deserves to be on the list. The dodgers made some crushing diving catches in the OF. Machado scored the winning run a few innings after the Aguilar incident. The game winnings hit was a 5 hopper through the infield.

 

Game 2 of the NLCS last year too. Blew a 3-0 lead after the 6th inning. bases loaded walk in the 7th. 2 run homer allowed in the 8th. Yelich up with a runner on 2nd to tie/win it in the 9th. Just a crushing loss when they could have gone up 2-0.

 

I think game 7 gets all the attention, but game 2 and 4 was worse.

 

Not to re-litigate the 2018 playoffs, but Jeffress was so bad. Even in his few scoreless outings he couldn't work clean innings. I'm a big Jeffress fan, but I think if the Brewers had abandoned using JJ earlier in the playoffs they would have gone to the world series. I rationalized using him at the time, but looking back I'm feeling worse about it.

[pitchleague]

Before I even read the replies, I've got two friends here in Arizona who are both huge Cleveland Browns fans. My wife and I bought this book for each of them a couple of years ago. They laughed at the joke, at least. But I know it also pains them very much.

[owbc]

I feel like you need to be the favorite to have these kind of moments and the Brewers have been underdogs in all 4 of their recent playoff exits (except 2011 maybe? but it felt like we were underdogs).

 

They had the Wild Card game in hand and badly botched it, so that has to be the winner.

[LouisEly]

Starting Mark Kotsay in CF for a 2011 NLDS game against the Cardinals... A total and complete blunder by Runnin' Ron Roenicke. (RRR)

I'm still amazed at how many people forget that Kotsay hit a home run that day and walked in 2 of his other 3 plate appearances. He had the highest offensive Win Probability Added of any position player on either team that day.

 

My event for the book is the day they traded Gorman Thomas.

[yfinn6]

Starting Mark Kotsay in CF for a 2011 NLDS game against the Cardinals... A total and complete blunder by Runnin' Ron Roenicke. (RRR)

I'm still amazed at how many people forget that Kotsay hit a home run that day and walked in 2 of his other 3 plate appearances. He had the highest offensive Win Probability Added of any position player on either team that day.

 

 

He also badly misplayed a ball in CF that either led to runs or led to a big inning that eventually won the game for the Cardinals.

[bucks2281]

I was at NLCS Game 2 last year. I felt progressively more nervous as the game went on and the Brewers went up 1-0, 2-0, 3-0. I just felt these nervous butterflies in my stomach, knowing that if they took a 2-0 series lead, they were heavy favorites to win. I was sitting in the Club, between home and first, so I had a great view of Turner’s towering 8th inning home run. What an absolute gut punch. I think I immediately made a beeline for the Club level bar.

[MrTPlush]

The NLCS last year is where it begins and ends. They blew their chance at the World Series...golden opportunity. Destroyed.

 

It’s fair to wonder the next time we will have such a promising chance...could be decades...who knows.

[TURBO]

Starting Mark Kotsay in CF for a 2011 NLDS game against the Cardinals... A total and complete blunder by Runnin' Ron Roenicke. (RRR)

I'm still amazed at how many people forget that Kotsay hit a home run that day and walked in 2 of his other 3 plate appearances. He had the highest offensive Win Probability Added of any position player on either team that day.

 

 

He also badly misplayed a ball in CF that either led to runs or led to a big inning that eventually won the game for the Cardinals.

 

THIS.

 

The guy had no business, zero, playing CF in a game of that magnitude. RR screwed the pooch on that ridiculous decision.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

The NLCS last year is where it begins and ends. They blew their chance at the World Series...golden opportunity. Destroyed.

 

It’s fair to wonder the next time we will have such a promising chance...could be decades...who knows.

 

There's no debating that, but that '11 team was probably the best team in baseball. It's awful that they couldn't even get out of the NL, especially considering they were up 1-0 in the NLCS.

 

I don't think anyone anticipated two NLCS appearances from 11-18. We seem to turn the corner again faster than we think lately. Hope that continues.

[brooks_quichenick]

For me it’s last year’s NLCS overall, but specifically game 2. Could’ve had a commanding 2-0 series lead and instead... that was the most painful loss I’ve attended personally. Game 7 obviously hurt, but the 5+ hour Game 4 might be the most excruciating loss I’ve watched on TV.

[AKCheesehead]

How about a picture depicting Molitor with a suitcase with a YYZ bag tag?

[OldSchoolSnapper]

Game 2 and 4 were worse but lacked the finality of 7. As bad as the losses were, I don't think you can honestly say they approach 7 in terms of just wanting to curl into a ball and die. And I really had faith we were going to win 7, especially after 6. Even down 2-1, thought it was going to be an-all time great. The catch was the first time I started to doubt...then the HR I just wanted to die.

[folly412]

The 14 consecutive losing seasons and 25 consecutive seasons of missing the playoffs were very Sad Panda.

[FVBrewerFan]

Thise Cleveland examples were specific moments. A season or even a game doesn't really fit the mold.

[thebruce44]

Starting Mark Kotsay in CF for a 2011 NLDS game against the Cardinals... A total and complete blunder by Runnin' Ron Roenicke. (RRR)

 

This one is tough. I mean, which picture do you use in the coloring book!?:

 

http://archive.jsonline.com/Services/image.ashx?domain=www.jsonline.com&file=mjs-brewers13t_-spt_-lynn_-8-brewers13.jpg&resize=