It breaks your heart.

[SeriesFinale]

It breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart. The game begins in the spring, when everything else begins again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone. You count on it, rely on it to buffer the passage of time, to keep the memory of sunshine and high skies alive, and then just when the days are all twilight, when you need it most, it stops.

[TooLiveBrew]

Wow is that well-written. Simply a must for any suffering Brewers fan (such as me). Thanks for the link, SF.

 

...the sound was overwhelming, fathers pounded their sons on the back, cars pulled off the road, households froze, New England exulted in its blessedness, and roared its thanks for all good things, for Rice and for a summer stretching halfway through October. Briles threw, Rice swung, and it was over. One pitch, a fly to center, and it stopped. Summer died in New England and like rain sliding off a roof, the crowd slipped out of Fenway, quickly, with only a steady murmur of concern for the drive ahead remaining of the roar. Mutability had turned the seasons and translated hope to memory once again. And, once again, she had used baseball, our best invention to stay change, to bring change on.

[Patrick425]

And then....depression set in

 

http://images.yuku.com/image/pjpeg/b7735dca9ecb7ee7fa2b98e21152ba29c9abb4d.pjpg

 

 

[hawing]

I've been thinking of that quote a lot in the last couple of weeks. You beat me to posting it. It really is spot on.

[bigredrobbo]

And then....depression set in

 

http://images.yuku.com/image/pjpeg/b7735dca9ecb7ee7fa2b98e21152ba29c9abb4d.pjpg

 

 

 

And the irony of the celebrity Cubs fan saying that is not lost on me...

[TooLiveBrew]

I had the same thought, Robbo. http://static.yuku.com//domainskins/bypass/img/smileys/indifferent.gif

[SeriesFinale]

I'm sad the season's over, despite getting gut-punched to near-fatal proportions this year.

 

Thanks Brew Crew.

[lumberrule]

If this month of September isnt enough to bring this Brewers team back to spring training hungrier than they have ever been in their young professional lives, I dont know what will. Every person on that team - from the manager, coaches, to each and every player - can look in the mirror this offseason and tell themselves what they could have done to send this team into the playoffs. Three more wins was all they needed. Thats it. Suddenly, those games they gave away in May, June, and August - while seemingly not a big deal at the time because "there was a long way to go" - suddenly come right to the forefront. The blown series in Texas. That game in Chicago the Brewers gave away off the bat of Aramis Ramirez. That Sunday afternoon blowing a 6 run lead with two outs in the 9th inning to Philadelphia. That awful, dreadful series in Atlanta. Any one of the nearly 20 games the Brewers let 3 run leads slip away in the late innings.

 

Simply put, if there isnt one player in that dugout who wishes that the next season started tomorrow, they shouldnt be on this roster.

 

The excuses stop now. The losing season streak is over. The kids have been in a pennant race. Yost has managed a pennant race. Its time for this team to start dominating this division, as the talent is there to do so for a very long time.

[TooLiveBrew]

The excuses stop now. The losing season streak is over. The kids have been in a pennant race. Yost has managed a pennant race. Its time for this team to start dominating this division, as the talent is there to do so for a very long time.

 

Just reading that pumped me up!

 

http://www.thewrestlingpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/ricflair.jpg

 

WOOOOOOOOO!

[SeriesFinale]

I agree...as disgusted as I've felt at times the last two weeks (and it was the lowest of lows), these last two weeks--and especially the last two days--have also gotten me feeling a lot better about a Brewers' off-season as I have in years and years.

 

Next year is ours.

[IslandsAC]

These last two weeks weren't nearly as rough for me as the July collapse. I became extremely turned off by the sport in its entirety for a while there - although not having cable certainly compounded things. Don't worry though, I jumped right back on that bandwagon for some exciting baseball in the last couple week http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif. To quote another Bill Murray movie, "Baby steps."

 

However, after the game today, it literally hit me like a ton of bricks that I won't be watching a brewer game for the next 6 months... ouch.

[hawing]

I won't be watching a brewer game for the next 6 months... ouch.

 

I know. I miss the Brewers already. Actually, I began to miss them on the car ride home. We weren't even out of Waukesha County yet. Sigh.

[SeriesFinale]

Just four months and a couple weeks, guys.

 

And we'll all be here for the winter, at least.

 

But yeah, it's always bittersweet and this season much more so.

[TooLiveBrew]

win-ter

 

meet-ings!

 

win-ter

 

meet-ings!

[RobDeer 45]

Boy there were some great highs and some miserable lows this year. And although we didn't make the playoffs this year, it sure was great cheering for a contender. There is a lot that needs to be done to make this team a viable winner but there sure is a lot to work with. The progression of the last few years leads us to a fork in the road. Next year we should expect to win the division. We can't fall back on "being young" or "inexperience in a pennant race." I can't wait for the spring, it's the best time of year. A time when everyone's dreams of winning a division title are riding high. Where wins reassure excellence, and losses cause anxiety. Here's to a great off season, and go Crew!

[davego]

Super fun year. They all are, but this one was near the top. Fustration for sure, but when you embrace that as part of the deal...its part of the fun.

 

To me, today (Monday) after the season is done is the worst day of the year. Tomorrow will be better, then next day bettter yet...

[JohnBriggs12]

I don't believe anyone who invested their time and emotions on a daily basis can come away from a season like this with anything but a huge hangover. The chance was there. The players blew it. The manager blew it. The general manager blew it. Plain and simple.

 

Next year the dynamics will change completely as teams build rosters for 2008. There are no guarantees.

[RoseBowlMtg]

Wow great read but don't you Brewer fans have fun with the Packers winning 8 in a row and the Badgers currently on the longest winning streak in the ncaa at 14. I love baseball which took me way into the football season which is perfect fall weather. After football takes us to next year the Bucks, Marquette and Bucky are playing some great hoops. What a great way to take you thru the winter and overlap the hopes and dreams when the pitchers and catchers report. Then it starts all over again. So instead of being sad, being a sports fan for every sport leading and over-lapping each other is a great to enhance my life. It never ends!

[lukevan]

Heck, I enjoy the offseason (winter meetings) almost as much as the season! No longer will our nights be ruined by 3 run leads evaporating.

 

Each day from here on to Opening Day will breed more hope and optimism than the last.

 

Doug Melvin, let your mind be calculating and steely in the face of other GMs trying to finagle Turnbow away from you for nothing.

[bigredrobbo]

I don't believe anyone who invested their time and emotions on a daily basis can come away from a season like this with anything but a huge hangover. The chance was there. The players blew it. The manager blew it. The general manager blew it. Plain and simple.

 

Next year the dynamics will change completely as teams build rosters for 2008. There are no guarantees.

 

I don't believe anyone suggested there were guarantees. If, however, you base whether or not a season is successful by winning the WS or not, then 29 fanbases every year have a bad season.

 

Some of us are looking at the big picture and seeing that having the first winning season in 15 years, playing competitive ball until the last weekend, having half the starting lineup making HUGE leaps in performance and regaining national respect are maybe things worth some optimism.

 

I'm just saying...

[billyhallfan]

only 182 days until opening day, if i counted right?

[SeriesFinale]

Bump

 

I was feeling at peace with the end of the season until just about an hour or so ago...now I'm counting the days until ST again!