"There is always next year".
This can be said so many times by so many people every year. Whether it is 10U Baseball, High School Football, or your favorite professional team, this encompasses thousands if not millions of people's thoughts every year. Only one team can be crowned a champion and that is part of the heartbreak of sports and what makes people yearn for more the next year.
While it is always important to reflect on your previous season and the highs that came from it, everyone has the ultimate goal of winning the championship. "This year is different" was a common phrase stated by Pat Murphy and those around the organization throughout the season and in preparation for a playoff run. I think that is why this one hurts a little more, Murphy, the organization and us fans truly felt like this was a different group. You had the brashness of former college coach, Pat Murphy at the helm and the team really embraced his toughness and "Win tonight" mentality. While they may have "over-achieved" all season, they played a different style of baseball that was fun, engaging and empowered the fan base.
What a game, the Brewers were winning 2-0 going into the 9th and the game could not have gone better for the Brewers. From Jake Bauers hitting a pinch-hit Home Run to the pitching lining up perfectly and everyone doing their job. That leads us to one of the best closers in baseball, Devin Williams with a 2-0 lead in the 9th. Unfortunately it was not Devin's best day as he allowed his first Home Run in months that ended up leading to a 4-2 Mets victory over the Brewers. After the game Devin Williams stated, "Everyone did their job except me... no one feels worse than I do."
While this was a difficult loss for thousands of fans, seeing the impact it had on the players after the game, most notably Christian Yelich, shows you just how much this organization means to everyone involved. Yelich was clearly emotional talking to reporters after the game as 93 year-old Brewers radio announcer, Bob Uecker, went around the locker room talking to and gathering the team. Watch Yelich's interview below.
That is the harsh reality of sports, one pitch or play can completely change a teams fortunes. No matter what they deserve or how hard a group worked, everything can be over with one swing of the bat. While that is the harsh reality of sports, it is also the power of sports and why we all love sports so much. The connection that we feel to our team and organization can never be taken away which is why every year millions of people always say "There is always next year".
