Look I realize the Cubs are a AAA team at this point, but how satisfying has this series/the whole year been against Chicago. Just something about the Brewers pulling away in the division at the expense of those oh-so-delightful north-siders makes this season even better. You LOVE to see it.
So after the Brewers put up a touchdown in the first inning last night, Corbin Burnes went to WORK. He broke the Brewer record for consecutive strikeouts, then went on to tie the Major League record with 10 in a row. He now sits with Aaron Nola and Tom Seaver as the only pitches to accomplish that feat. He went on to throw 8 shutout innings with 15 strikeouts and no walks, one of the most dominant starts I think I’ve ever seen in my Brewer-viewing life.
Now as the game went on, you wondered if he’d turn in a performance that would surpass the Brewer record for strikeouts in a game, thrown by the immortal* Ben Sheets in 2004:
A couple of things about this video:
- I realize this was 17 years ago, but I can’t figure out why this game looks like it was played in 1981. Crazy how different broadcasts looked in 2004 in standard def.
- I think I sort of miss not having the strike zone as a graphic on the broadcast all game. I recall getting a LOT less angry during games before the K Zone became a permanent fixture. Now I’m calling for robot umps no less than 10 times per game.
- I know shadows played a factor, but what an effort from Sheeter. Just SHOVING out there. It’s a damn shame the team was total crap in 2004 because if you look at his numbers that season (beyond win/loss record), he should have been in the Cy Young conversation.
Speaking of the Cy Young conversation, Corbin Burnes is firmly in it. As is Woodruff, as is Peralta. In fact the biggest obstacle to a Brewer pitcher winning the Cy Young, beyond Walker Buehler, is each other. Buehler is having a fantastic year (12-2 record, league leader in ERA), but the problem the Brewers are going to run into is that Burnes/Woody/Peralta are likely to split votes. For a team that wasn’t able to develop ANY pitching for most of my life, it’s just wild to see them with three of the most dominant pitchers in the game right now. Put this trio of pitchers on the 2009 or 2010 team that had Braun/Fielder in their primes, and they win 100+ games. If all three are on their ‘A’ game in a playoff series, this team is going to be hard to beat.
PS: The wildest part of last night’s broadcast was the graphic that showed Burnes trying to chase down STEVE WOODARD as the franchise leader for consecutive strikeouts in a game. He also did it against the Cubs, striking out 7 in a row in late September, 1999. Now as many of you know, one of my favorite games to play when I go to any Brewer/Packer/Bucks game, is the obscure jersey game. Who is rocking the most obscure jersey. During the Bucks playoff run I think Lindsey and I saw a Sherman Douglas Bucks jersey at an NBA Finals game. I gasped. Now I hadn’t thought of Steve Woodard in about 20 years, but it dawned on me that a Woodard jersey would get some necks snapping the next time I go to Miller Park. The only problem is that the SOLE Woodard jersey in existence on Ebay is going for a cool grand:
A question I never thought I’d ask on this blog: How much is too much to pay for a Steve Woodard jersey?
Double PS: Since I blogged about it, and it’s now content, could I just write it off??
