Wisconsin's First: Brewers Defeat Rays 4-1 for Series Crown
CC Sabathia and J.J. Watt led statewide social media celebration as Milwaukee secured a 103-win season and its first championship.
By Layla Edwards ·
Baseball history was rewritten in Tampa Bay, where the Milwaukee Brewers claimed their first World Series title by defeating the Rays 4-1 on Wednesday night.
The victory marked the end of a 57-year wait for the franchise. Milwaukee had not won the World Series since its inaugural season in 1969, a drought that ended with a dominant 4-1 series sweep. The team finished the regular season with a franchise-record 103 wins, becoming only the third Major League Baseball club to pair a 100-win season with a championship in the same year, joining the 1910 Athletics and 1969 New York Mets.
On the field, the Brewers managed their runs efficiently. They scored one run in the second inning and one in the fifth before adding two in the sixth. Ace Jacob Misiorowski pitched 5⅔ innings, allowing two hits and no runs. The bullpen handled the remainder of the game, conceding just one run to close out the contest at Tropicana Field.
The reaction in Wisconsin was immediate and widespread. CC Sabathia, a former Brewer, took to social media to congratulate the team, writing, "World Series Champions for the first time ever!! Soak it all in Milwaukee!!!" He followed with a tribute to longtime broadcaster Bob Uecker, posting, "Bob Uecker smiling down 🥹🙏🏾🕊️."
J.J. Watt, a native of the state, also joined the celebration. He posted, "WORLD SERIES CHAMPION MILWAUKEE BREWERS!!!! 🍻🍻🍻🍻🍻🍻🍻🍻🍻" and later added, "@Brewers LET'S GOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!! 🍻🍻🍻."
Local institutions and fellow athletes amplified the message. The Green Bay Packers posted, "FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER," while the Milwaukee Bucks wrote, "WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS. Congratulations, @Brewers!" The Wisconsin Badgers' basketball and football teams also sent out congratulations. Adam Wainwright, a former pitcher, praised the team's depth, noting their "relentless lineup" and "stifling" bullpen.
Nike summarized the cultural shift with a post reading, "How refreshing. A 57-year thirst has been quenched." The Colorado Rockies acknowledged the achievement by congratulating manager Craig Counsell for winning both the World Baseball Classic and the World Series in the same year. Culver's, a Wisconsin-based restaurant chain, sent its regards to the hometown team, calling the run "incredible."
Source: ESPN
