Wisconsin needed that!

Politics? Schmolitics!

Mighty Casey has hit a line drive up the middle!

We don’t mind living vicariously as long as our teams win and win they most certainly did over that just concluded, only-in-Wisconsin beautiful fall weekend of October 3-4.

First, the Wisconsin men’s football Badgers looked like Barry Alvarez was prowling the sidelines Saturday against Michigan State, a real Big Ten team back from when there really were 10 big midwestern teams. Ran the ball, picnicked in the opponent’s backfield, won 31-3 at Camp Randall. Didn’t we tell you Luke Fickell was The Man? (No?)

The Packers even won 17 to 14 against the 0h and three Tampax Bay Buccaneers, despite a fumble and an interception in the red zone. Might want to bank this one.

But omigod, those Brewers!

The players themselves say they’re good to the last drop — kind of like that brand of coffee; rather, to the last out. Behind all game since the top of the first inning, down 3 to 2 with two outs and two strikes in the ninth, and then REDEMPTION! 

Jackson Chourio’s epic at-bat against the guy regarded as the League’s best relief pitcher is the stuff of legend. And the Padres are the team that dispatched Craig Counsell’s Cubs two games to zip! Brewers go to San Diego for the next two but need win only one of next three in the best of five series. (Blaska will try to evade bed check to watch.)

Is THIS the Brewers’ year? The first Milwaukee World Series since 1982? The first World Series title in 69 years? (!!!) Milwaukee baseball fans are inured to disappointment. We don’t expect success like Dodger or Yankee fans. So it’s a relief and something of a surprise when they win. Not just 103 games during the season but a playoff game Saturday night where a Padres ball hits a strut supporting the closed roof at AmFam Field and comes down into the welcoming glove of (who else?!) Jackson Chourio.

Best sight gag:

So all we‘re doing today is cheaping out and scavenging some of the highlights from the Brewers come-from-behind 4 to 3 victory yesterday. Our favorite is something we did not notice live: the three teammates laying out in direct line of sight of Sal Frelick sliding home for the winning run led by catcher William Contreras flat on his belly and pounding the turf — all signaling to SLIDE!

Blaska’s Bottom Line: All of Wisconsin should thank the late state senator George Petak, Bud Selig, and Tommy Thompson that we even have Major League Baseball. (Well, O.K., a little politics!) Not only is Milwaukee the smallest market among the 30 MLB franchises, it’s only the 38th largest metro in the country — behind places like San Antonio, Charlotte, and Indianapolis that don’t have teams.

Pretty sure they could hear all of Wisconsin cheering from (oh, I dunno) Wrigley Field?

Can we be so lucky?