'How Can You Not Be Romantic About Baseball?'

On the ride home, my son rolled down the windows and cranked Bruce Springsteen's "Glory Days," which has become an unofficial anthem for the season. It was playing in the stadium after the final out amid the falling streamers, but you couldn't hear it for all the screaming and cheering.

But for us to win, someone has to lose, and that was the Dodgers. It sucks; we were there last year when the Dodgers swept us in the NLCS. Most people are happy a modern-day David knocked out a Goliath, but there were several high-profile sports figures and broadcasters who were none-too-subtle in their displeasure at a small-market team doing so well.

It started with the NLDS against the San Diego Padres, where they accused the Brewers of cheating because a ball hit by Padres' Ty France struck a roof cable and was called an out when Jackson Churio caught it as it fell into the field of play. Rules governing roof-strikes were not only discussed before the game, but have been long-established at American Family Field.

Then, when Padres closer Mason Miller was tipping his pitches through glove position and Brewer Sal Frelick picked up on it, there were more accusations of cheating. It's not.

Throughout that matchup, we had to hear about how the Padres were MLB's best team. That's not true. The Brewers won 103 games for the season and both won 35 games in the last two months of the regular season.

It didn't get any better when we faced Los Angeles, the defending World Series champs. 

The hometown radio call of the Brewers winning the NL Pennant is ELECTRIC ‼️ pic.twitter.com/xXMQJcxCnj

— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) October 16, 2026

And now the whining about small-market teams playing the World Series begins.

The Guardians and Brewers ranking 30th and 19th in salary and playing in the World Series is

1. Devastating for TV networks and viewers

2. Crushing to owners who will force lockout on premise teams with small payrolls can’t win

Awful timing

— Joe Schad (@schadjoe) October 15, 2026

We don't know yet that the Guardians will be the team we face. The ALCS is currently 2-1 with the Guardians in the lead over Tampa Bay, but there are at least two more games to be played.

This is not "awful timing" for Brewers fans. And my mentions are full of people from all over the U.S. cheering on the Brewers, including Padres fans, Cubs fans, Yankees fans, and others.

Dedicating this Pennant to Mr. Baseball 💙 pic.twitter.com/zDdHlmIVTf

— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) October 16, 2026

The Brewers won not because of money, but because of grind. They had a phenomenal bullpen, focused on getting runners on base versus hitting big home runs, and the persistence that comes with wanting the pennant more than any of your opponents. They were a joy to watch through each of the 103 wins of the season, and last night, I watched my sons get teary-eyed as they got to experience this once-in-a-lifetime ride.

I hope Brewers fans know there will be a huge asterisk on this title if they win it

Beating the ringless Padres, geriatric Dodgers, and whoever comes out of the AL would not be an impressive feat

— 𝙏𝙞𝙥𝙞𝙙𝙞𝙨 🐐⛷️ (@ShoGotNow) October 15, 2026

Yes, it is. This is cope, and the tears are delicious.

“They may have a bunch of Hall of Famers, but we have a bunch of gamers. And the gamers won this week.”@Brewers manager Pat Murphy after his team swept the Dodgers pic.twitter.com/u5sFdm0Is6

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 16, 2026

"How can you not be romantic about baseball?"