Pennant Fever

Well things are getting verrrrry interesting around here. The Brew is back in the mix and tied with the Mets for the wild card. The rotation may be a mess, the offense still not quite out of their prolonged funk, and Yo Gallardo is making his first appearance tonight since May, in a crucial game. But, they've won 3 in a row and things are looking up for the first time in the month of September.

Where we go from here, who knows, but I'm gonna take this chance to reflect on the season with a positive mindset, before I theoretically lose my mind over the next several days. What better way to do this than with the help of the unparalleled soundtrack on the seminal baseball movie of my life, Major League.


Randy Newman - Burn On

Press play and take a journey with me...back to March, when expectations where high, playoffs or bust (= Yost fired). A team filled with young stars, improved pitching, a revamped bullpen and a dangerous lineup. But wait, this melancholy track may hint at the eternal hope of spring training, but you can't help but think of the failure...the decades of failure. No playoffs in my 25 years of life, with only a couple instances in which they even threatened. A monumental and embarrassing collapse last season. Year after year of bad personnel moves, career changing injuries and mismanaged teams. When you're a Brewers fan, the beginning of the baseball season is a blessing and a yet to be broken curse.


Instrumental Score - Trial & Error

This upbeat track is really nothing of the sort. While the mid-game push ups, egregious errors, Rick Ankiel-like wild pitches, boos and fan shit talking was funny in the movie, none of that was comical in real life as the Brewers got off to a uninspiring 20-24 start (if it was up to me, Weeks would be doing push ups after his pop ups). The low point was a sweep in Boston, most of which was seen on national TV. Let's just apply this song to most of September as well, as even with our recent mini-surge, a 7-14 record in the month is fucking awful.


Instrumental Score - Pennant Fever

Now this is the one that applies to this exact moment in time. And if you don't get excited for the rest of this week after hearing this, please don't bother watching. Interestingly, in the movie the climax comes when the Indians play the Yankees in a one-game playoff for the AL East title. Of course, they win and make the playoffs, a joyous moment that many other MLB teams would laugh at, but fuck, crawl before you ball my friend. The Brewers could certainly be headed for a Monday playoff vs. the Mets or Phillies. That would be a wacky scenario either way and if we win...


Bill Medley - Most of All You

Then everything starts going in slow motion and I look for someones arms to jump in. Okay, maybe not if we only qualify for the playoffs. Maybe things only really move in slow motion if you win a World Series, which may be the one inaccuracy of the film. Fuck it though, whether it's making the playoffs or winning "the whole fucking thing," I would like my moment where I find Rene Russo in the crowd and see two friends of mine who don't really get along exchange punches and hugs. A lifetime of baseball disappointment and heartbreak, thousands of hours spent watching directionless teams, could be truly put in the rear view in a few days. Maybe.