The Series You Were Waiting to Hype, Brewers/Cubs: 7/28-7/31

It took the national media until the very end of July to hype a series being played in Milwaukee.

Until now, the Brewers have quietly been sitting in third place in a division that in years past has been branded "The Worst Division in the National League". Hidden behind constant coverage of the timeless Chicago Cubs and the professionally consistent St. Louis Cardinals, the Brewers have emerged as a true contender beyond their division rivals.

The biggest factor in the Brewers success has been their ability to win close games. The 2008 Brewers are 22-10 in games decided by only one run, a winning percentage of .688. In 2007, the Brewers were 22-21 in one run games with a winning percentage of .512. The best example of the Brewers' ability to win in the clutch came last week when the Brewers won 6 of their 7 games, 5 of those wins coming on the road.

The Brewers scored 19 of their 31 runs last week in the 7th inning or later. Late game home runs by Ryan Braun helped generate 8 of the 19 late inning scores by the team. Bill Hall also helped with 10th and 9th inning home runs on July 21st and July 22nd respectively.

The atmosphere surrounding the team last week was infectious. The Brewers celebrated each win on the field enthusiastically, un-tucking their jerseys as a sign of a good day's work completed. There was no absence of energetic high fives and fist bumps as the Crew descended into the clubhouse to prepare for another day of work. 

This "Working Man" mantra has been a nice fit for the club. Ned Yost and the rest of the coaches in the organization have done an excellent job preparing their players for games. The clubhouse has become a welcoming place for all players, regardless of their tenure with the team. Since the arrival of CC Sabathia, television broadcasts have constantly shown images of Sabathia getting along splendidly with his teammates, especially Ben Sheets, who seems to be at Sabathia's side during many off days in the dugout.

There are no lonely players wandering through the dugout during games. The team rallies behind every player on the bench, regardless of his playing time. Mike Rivera, the team's backup catcher, earned a grand reaction from the team when he drove in Bill Hall in the bottom of the 2nd inning. Rivera was thrown out trying to reach third base on a throw home, but that didn't matter to the players waiting for him in the dugout. Rivera was swarmed with praise by his teammates for the RBI. In 16 starts, Rivera is batting .314 with 1 HR and 11 RBI in only 51 at-bats. Rivera’s ability to produce in his role as a backup catcher has given the team the opportunity to win every day.

All of this leads us to the most hyped series (so far) the Brewers will play in this year. Tickets have always been scarce for Cubs games at Miller Park. Many loyal Cubs fans are more than happy to cross the border in favor of nicer stadium that accommodates to fans from far and wide much better than the ballpark on Chicago's north side.

2008 is much different for the Brewers and Cubs in Milwaukee. Fans in Milwaukee have been given hope by their team that the Cubs are not the clear front-runners to win the division. The Brewers are already 4-2 against the Cubs this year, with all of their games being hosted in Chicago. There are 10 more head to head games left, EVERY win matters when it comes to winning the Central Division.

Through the first two-thirds of the season in the Central Division, the Brewers have earned the best record against division opponents (28-18). They hold the second best home record in the division (32-19) and the division's second best road record (28-26).

The most intriguing statistic from that group is the team's record of 28-18 within the division. The 2007 Brewers posted a winning record against 2 teams, Houston and Pittsburgh. In 2008 the Brewers have a winning percentage at .500 or above against every division opponent except Cincinnati.

The Brewers plan to continue their winning ways at home against a Cubs team that is only 22-30 on the road. Both teams will trot out all-star pitchers and hitters, hungry to get their respective team to the playoffs. The ballpark has been sold-out close to capacity for some time, with the remaining seats disappearing by the minute.

The next four days in Milwaukee will have a very competitive atmosphere. The Brewers and Cubs will be on a stage with the lead of the Central Division in the balance. Over 120,000 fans will attend the series, with Millions more watching and listening. There is not better example in the National League of regular season games with a playoff atmosphere, and it is just beginning.