If you’re a Milwaukee Brewers fan, an overall Wisconsin sports fan, or just someone who is used to dealing with pain and disappointment, it’s getting to be that time of year again.

Said Brewers are in first place in their division, a combination of strong pitching and timely hitting has given them a sizable lead in said division, and fans are hoping high with thoughts of a World Series. However, this year, I’m not falling for it.

I have been burned too many times in the past to think that anything in June will resemble anything in October.

I went through this in 2011 when Braun, Fielder, and “T-Plush” led the Crew to its first division title since 1982 (yes, that 1982) only to be stopped by the Cardinals (yes, those Cardinals, like in 1982) en route to a pennant.

I went through this in 2018 when Christian Yelich was at his peak health and MVP form, and the  Brewers had the best record in the National League (NL), only to be stopped by the Dodgers.

I went through this in 2021 when it looked like Milwaukee finally had the pitching to go deep in the postseason and instead went shallow because of the eventual champion Atlanta Braves (you know, that team that used to be in Milwaukee and won a World Series in 1957).

I went through this last year when the Brewers won a franchise record 97 games, only to be stopped by those Dodgers again. 

And lest we forget “Team Streak” in 1987; hot starts in 2007, 2014, and 2022 that didn’t even result in any postseason play; and all of the other wild card and division series mishaps that happened in between.

By reading all this, you’re either experiencing boredom or painful flashbacks, but you get the idea. I am guarding my heart this season. 

When I see the Brewers win a game this year, especially in the middle of a winning streak, my reaction  (outwardly) is that of a shrugging “meh”. 

My attitude is that of “let me know when they are in the National League Championship Series, and their win total in that is at three” — one game away from their first appearance in the World Series as an NL team.

Anything before that is just a form of “meh”.

Journey versus destination

Before you can ask “What kind of a fan are you?” I’ll tell you I’m typing this rant wearing a Brewers polo, so there’s a fine line between indifferent and “meh”.

If, by some chance, the Brewers win a World Series this year, is it really fair for me to take part in the spoils of victory if I didn’t hop on the 2026 bandwagon until late in the year?

Yes, it is, absolutely. I’ve paid my dues; see examples on the left (or see above if you are reading this in an online format).

I know you can’t get to where you want to go without going there — no team is handed an advantage to a World Series based on how they did the previous year — but the six-month journey of hope and promise only to be crushed is exhausting. 

I know there are many out there who love the journey, whether it’s sports or other paths in life.

I imagine one big reason for this is that there is more time spent trekking to somewhere in life, versus being there.

I’m more likely to talk about things during my four years in college versus my commencement day, which seemed rather anti-climactic. 

People go on road trips to have more time getting to where they are going, so as to have those unique experiences. 

That all being said, are we selling ourselves short by not focusing enough on destinations?

Many people, especially in the business world, love to talk about “goals” and “objectives,” and again, a lot of effort is spent on the actions that will accomplish those, but is the goal the “goal,” or is getting to the goal the goal and the real objective was the friends we made along the way?

If you’re confused, that’s OK — me too — and I’m the one living this life every day.

What’s the real win?

Back to baseball. There are 30 teams in the major leagues, and only one of them can win the World Series. 

Only two make it there, and only 12 qualify for the postseason.

The level of “failure” at the end of the year for each club is in the eye of the beholder.

But, if all 30 teams come up with their own argument for having a “great” season, what’s the point of crowning a champion? 
 
We can’t all “win” at everything, and sometimes “losses” can help us learn something for our future journeys, but we are still told to “run so as to win”  (1 Cor 9:24).

Chances are, the Brewers won’t win a World Series this year, and many fans will be crushed who had high hopes between today and the end of the season.

My steady diet of “meh” will have protected me from most of the disappointment, so maybe that’s its own win in my growth as a human being.

There are so many more important areas to channel my journey energies toward, like things I can actually have control over and “win” versus waiting for grown men to swing a piece of wood at a ball. 

There’s football. Football is more important than baseball (I’m kidding, kind of).

We can journey every day and come up with new wins and new ways to get there. 

Maybe your journeys will only take you to one real win in your life. I’d like to think we all get at least one.

There are, of course, no free passes to Heaven. We have to journey successfully to get there.

Ultimately, though, we have to get there. There is no second place.

Thank you for reading.

I’m praying for you.