Yelich pens article paying tribute to teammates, fans
ST. LOUIS – An MVP and an author, too?
Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich has yet to claim that first honor but he penned his first article Wednesday with a tribute on the Players’ Tribune to his teammates and Milwaukee fans with an exhortation to create a raucous atmosphere on the final weekend of the regular season at Miller Park.
Yelich wasn’t certain how that article would be received but was pleased to hear the response was overwhelmingly positive, both inside and outside the organization.
“We’ve been working on it for a little while and they wanted it done for the stretch run of the season for us,” Yelich said. “We’ve been going back and forth with it for the last few weeks and finally finished up (Tuesday).
“Hopefully, everybody enjoys it. It’s kind of an insight into this team, this clubhouse, what we’ve experienced throughout the year, and what we’re looking forward to here.”
Yelich’s article opened with a tribute to
Lorenzo Cain, acquired on the same day as Yelich in January. He credited Cain for being a unifying force and described how his positive mind-set and willpower rubs off on teammates.
“We may not always be the most talented team on paper but you’ll never outhustle us or compete harder than we do,” Yelich wrote. “That’s basically our whole mind-set now. It’s part of the Brewers’ culture.”
Yelich described how he was immediately welcomed with open arms after being acquired from Miami. He traveled on the private jet of principal owner Mark Attanasio from Los Angeles with Ryan Braun, making a stop in Phoenix to pick up Robin Yount and Bob Uecker.
“It was like a Brewers legends trip, and I was somehow lucky enough to be invited,” he wrote.
Of the fans’ reception, Yelich wrote, “I’ve never seen anything like this town when it comes to people being nice… It’s pretty ridiculous how nice people are in Milwaukee. It’s like you’re a member of everyone’s family or something.”
Yelich ended his article by challenging Brewers fans to make it “LOUDER” than normal this weekend in pushing the team to the finish line.
“We need you,” he wrote. “LET’S GOOOOOOOOOOO!”
“I just wanted everybody to be fired up and excited about what this team’s going through,” Yelich said before the series finale against St. Louis, with a playoff spot on the line.
“I wanted everybody to feel a part of it. Like I said in the article, we feel like an extension, we represent the city of Milwaukee and state of Wisconsin and all Brewers fans. I’m not saying they weren’t already fired up. But, hopefully, it’s an exciting atmosphere and there’s a lot of good memories to be made, not only for us but the fans as well.”
Of Yelich's article, manager Craig
Counsell said, "It was just so well-written. I can’t write like that. You guys are professionals and you guys can’t write like that. So I guess that’s what was so cool about it.
"That’s Christian. That’s who he is. He’s real. It was perfect because it was real. If you want to know about Christian Yelich, read it because that’s who he is.
Braun feeling good: It's no secret that Braun has battled various health issues in recent years, most notably lower back and thumb conditions that required medical procedures. But he showed up at Busch Stadium with some pep in his step, and the results have been dramatic on the field.
Braun, who had hit only one home run in September, crushed a blast off the facing of the third deck in left field in the series opener, then added two more home runs Tuesday in the Brewers' 12-4 romp over the Cardinals.
"Yeah I feel good, I feel energized," Braun said after the two-homer performance. "I came to the ballpark (Monday) and I told everybody I felt really good. I had a feeling I hadn’t felt all year.
"Just the adrenaline, the excitement of playing a series that felt like a postseason series is one of those feelings that you search for but you can’t force. It kind of has to come out organically and it comes when you play a series of this magnitude that feels like a postseason series."
With tough luck playing a factor, Braun's production has been down this season while being limited to 120 games by various ailments. But, if he is going to swing the bat like this the rest of the way, no matter how far the Brewers go, it obviously will be a tremendous boost.
"With him going, it's another dimension for us," Counsell said. "It's good to see. He's been a big part of this series."