The Brewers have jumped out of the gate this season riding a 3-1 record, and are looking more competitive than ever in recent seasons. This is partly due to the heroics of team captain, Ryan Braun. Last Saturday night against the Padres, Braun belted a three-run homer to put the Brew Crew up by two at the top of the ninth inning. Braun was also down 0-2, but the two strikes didn’t stop Braun from
coming up with a big swing to give his team the lead.
This home run should be looked at as an exciting occurrence for Brewers fans, and it took me specifically back to a time when Braun and the Brewers were a part of competitive playoff teams.
Early in his career, Braun impressed baseball fans all over the country with crunch time home runs. For example, 2008 was a memorable year for Braun. Late in September, he helped to keep the Brewers’ playoff hopes alive. He blasted a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the tenth to beat the Pirates 5-1.
Only a few days later, he once again displayed late game heroics. In the bottom of the eighth, he broke the 1-1 tie, launching the ball over the fence for a 3-1 lead. The implications were much greater than a win or a loss, though. With the win over the Cubs, the Milwaukee Brewers clinched an NL Wild Card spot. This was their first postseason qualification since 1982.
Another example came in 2011 when he hit a walk-off solo blast against the Colorado Rockies in the eleventh inning, leading the Brew Crew to a 2-1 victory.
After Braun’s PED scandal back in 2012, the superstar went from a fan favorite throughout the league to a despised cheater in the eyes of most baseball fans. Since then Braun has struggled to rebound to the MVP caliber player he once was. As the years have passed; however, Braun has slowly dragged himself out of his slumping career and has in a way reinvented himself. As the Brewers progress through the 2018 season, I have high expectations that Ryan Braun will be a big factor to the Brewer’s success this season.