Brewers: NL Central Division Champs

No more "magic number" stuff.

The Brewers are the National League Central Division Champions!







From the Associated Press:

Ryan Braun stepped into the box when a familiar feeling overcame him. Just like in 2008, the Brewers homegrown slugger propelled Milwaukee back into the postseason.

"It's not new," Prince Fielder said. "That's what he does."

Braun hit a three-run, go-ahead homer in the eighth with chants of "M-V-P" ringing throughout the sellout crowd and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Florida Marlins 4-1 on Friday night to win their first division title since 1982.

"I think for me honestly, I live for that moment. You play the game to have the opportunity to play meaningful games down the stretch in September," Braun said. "I truly expected to come through in that situation."

Fielder also homered for Milwaukee, which clinched the NL Central and reached the postseason at the earliest date in team history after waiting 20 minutes for the Cubs to finish off their 5-1 win over the Cardinals.

With most of sellout crowd still in its seats, fireworks went off again after the Cardinals lost and fans were showered with confetti and streamers.

Nearly an hour after the Cubs' victory, Fielder took a victory lap around the field, hugging several of the nearly 5,000 fans that stayed to party.

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

When you've gone 29 years between division titles, what's a few more minutes?

That was the scenario Friday night for the Milwaukee Brewers, who did their part by beating the Florida Marlins, 4-1, on another dramatic home run from Ryan Braun that electrified the sellout crowd of 44,584 at Miller Park.

Some 25 minutes later, the Chicago Cubs toppled the St. Louis Cardinals, 5-1, at Busch Stadium, dropping the Brewers' magic number to zero and rewarding them with their first National League Central Division crown.

It marked the Brewers' first divisional championship since 1982, when they won on the final day of the season to claim the American League East title.

"It's all great," said Brewers owner Mark Attanasio, drenched in champagne in the Brewers' clubhouse and already wearing playoff gear. "I thought the first time was spectacular and it would never be quite like that again.

"Well, this is like it but even better."

Attanasio referred to the final day of the 2008 season, when the Brewers beat the Cubs at Miller Park on an eighth-inning home run by Braun, then rooted for the Marlins to defeat the New York Mets and give Milwaukee the wild-card playoff berth.

This time, in an eerily reminiscent scene, the Brewers beat the Marlins, then rooted for the Cubs. Minutes after Braun snapped a 1-1 tie with a three-run homer in the eighth, Chicago's Alfonso Soriano did likewise in St. Louis.

Do you believe in baseball karma?

"It was really weird," said Braun, his voice hoarse from talking over the clubhouse din.

"It was identical to 2008. It was eerily similar. The game felt exactly the same. The atmosphere, the environment felt identical. It was the same score, going into the eighth inning."

As the end of the Cubs-Cardinals game neared, the Brewers retreated to the home clubhouse, where lockers were sheathed in plastic to block the eventual sprays of champagne. Some players wore goggles to prevent their eyes from stinging. Each held at least one bottle of bubbly, some two.

The final out was recorded in St. Louis, then pandemonium. No one was safe from a champagne bath or shower.

..."This is what you live for as a team," said Braun. "This is such a close-knit group of teammates, a special group of guys. We've all contributed, so for all of us to have an opportunity to celebrate together is special.

"There's nothing better. This is why you play the game."

And this is why we watch the game.

Congratulations, Brewers!