The little guy is having his day!
After the Brewers won their 12th game in a row against the pathetic Pirates Wednesday, fan sitting next to us at AmFam Field asked where is the nearest George Webb’s hamburger emporium to us. We’re from Madison, I explained, we don’t have any. Believe the last George Webb’s closed somewhere on E. Washington Avenue long ago.
Since the 1940s, the small, Milwaukee-based chain offers free burgers when the home team wins 12 in a row. (We were the Brewers back then, too, but in the triple-A American Association.) Only 21 outlets today, the nearest is Oconomowoc.
But we had one in Oshkosh when we majored in beer at the UW outpost there in the 1970s. George Webb restaurants strangely have two wall clocks right next to each other. They tell the same time. They’re open 23 hours, 59 minutes every day, 7 days a week. The classic greasy spoon after an all-nighter (and we mean that fondly and with nostalgia). Can buy a bag of seven burgers for 17 bucks.
In other words, George Webb doesn’t build a Five Guys, haute cuisine kind of burger. Mickie Dee’s has more restaurants in Luxembourg.
→ George Webb free burger giveaway August 20th from 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm!
Defense is the team’s edge
Since May 25 when they were three games under .500, the Milwaukee team has gone 51-16 for the best record of the 30 Major League teams — by far. The Crew’s .633 winning percentage is 6½ games better than second-best Toronto in the America League. Way better than the New York, Chicago, and L.A. Teams. Milwaukee could lose all five games at Wrigley Field August 17 through 21 and remain in first place in the Central Division with room to spare.
Felt sorry for Pirates player Jack Suwinski. Batting only .118, figured he’s in the line-up because he plays a good centerfield. Yep, had the only error of the game. (Tell Jack it’s just a game!) Brewers take the extra base on a mere bobble, which was Suwinski’s sin. Brewers work the count until they get a pitch they can hit or take the walk.
Highlight of the game was a Joey Ortiz side-armed pick of a grounder that caromed off the pitcher; got the out at first. That would have been an infield hit against most other teams. Brewers rank second in a statistic we never knew existed — outs above average on defense.
It’s not just defense. Hellz bellz, they beat the Pirates 12 to 5 Wednesday without a single home run. Team ranks only 19th. Even so, they have scored 159 more runs than their opponents — best in the Majors. Got the second-best team batting average (.259 to Toronto’s .269). Are second in stolen bases (to Tampa Bay). Our pitchers have the third-best ERA (behind only the Rangers and Padres), and the best baserunning.
Putting payroll against wins, surprisingly, the Brewers have the fourth-best return on investment $1.48 million per victory with 42 regular season games remaining. (Miami’s MLB-lowest $66 million payroll is $47 million lower than Milwaukee’s, the 8th lowest.) Yeah, the Mets — with the highest payroll — have the worst ROI. (As Blaska’s spreadsheet proves.)
Blaska’s Bottom Line: Christian Yelich is the team leader. Thanked the fans (40,123 of us) for coming; said the team feeds off our energy. (You are most welcome.) My seat mate Herb said Yelich is Serbian and appreciated the city’s Serbian heritage. (Can’t confirm.)
That’s why the Brewers are Wisconsin’s team. Not just because they are winning (Blaska is the fairest of fair weather fans). But because they are named for beer. The working man’s drink. Yelich is well paid and deservedly so but no one on the team is a nine-figure millions, look-at-me prima donna. Nineteen teams have a higher payroll.
Because the Brewers are a George Webb bowl of chili after an all-night bender, after working the late shift, after the wife throws you out on the street and you’re nursing your third cuppa joe. The Brewers are that kind of team in a city that has been treading water for too many years, has already lost two baseball teams in its history (the original Brewers became the St. Louis Browns in 1902), is the smallest market in baseball and just wants some respect.
4 responses to “Burger and a beer for our Brewers”
As a Cubs fan living in Wisco, I’ll run along the Brewer bandwagon & hop on for the postseason. And begrudgingly pull for them.
BTW, I visited Oshkosh in the mid-70s and had a shot & a beer at a place called Beaners for less than a buck. That’s class.
I closed Beaners many a time. swept the floor and moped it also, had some more beer after that. Beaner died in November of 2011.
Pat Murphy is a great skipper to have running this team. He’s down to earth and demands the same from his players. The ’25 Brew Crew are the great hope in my Wisconsin baseball fandom. I wish them in the World Series this year, not to fizzle out as in years past, and…I am happy to be home in Wisconsin for any series this time. Last time in ’82 was stationed in Germany and didn’t get to see any games, just listened to on AFN Europe.
George Webb chilly cheese on the bottom cheese on the top do to this day I was there in 1970 I knew you Dave