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Brewers to Cardinals: "Go tuck yourselves!"
You've got to hand it to these Brewers.
They're playing a brand of exciting, winning baseball ... and mixing in a dose of humor, too.
You've probably seen 10 replays of Bill Hall's game-winning single, which lifted the Brewers to a thrilling 1-0 victory over St. Louis Monday afternoon at Miller Park.
What you didn't see was the usual mosh-pit / beatdown for Hall or Casey McGehee, who scored the winning run.
That, friends, is the humorous part.
The Brewers are aware that others around the league have criticized their tradition of "untucking" their jerseys after victories, both at home and away.
The Cardinals, who have been losing more than their share of games to the Brewers lately, have grumbled about it being disrespectful.
When Hall touched first base on Monday, he peeled into the dugout and up the tunnel. McGehee did the same after touching the plate. Though it may have surprised and confused many fans in the stands, the Brewers chose to do their celebrating in the privacy of the clubhouse rather than out in the open.
It was their way of saying "How do you like that, Cardinals? Go tuck yourselves."
It doesn't look like the Brewers will repeat the gesture any time soon, but it added an interesting chapter to a rivalry that is growing more heated.
The Brewers, by the way, have a backstory to the "untucking" tradition. Veteran outfielder Mike Cameron has done it for years as a tribute to his father, a blue-collar worker who untucked his shirt at the end of the work day. Brewers players adopted the practice to honor Cameron, who is held in high regard among his peers.
The ritual, which gained momentum last year, has been denounced by TV analysts and other players. It also has become a bit of a trademark for the team, inspiring a local clothing line.
People ask me all the time what I think about the ritual. The truth is that I don't get riled about such things either way. I can understand why opponents wouldn't like it -- particularly when the Brewers are on the road -- but good teams can swagger until someone beats them.
"I love it," OnMilwaukee.com publisher Andy Tarnoff said. "We're finally badass."
Rest assured that if the Cardinals sweep the Brewers in an important series some day at Busch Stadium, their shirttails may flap in celebration.
Things like that add spice to the game.
Talkbacks
ericlucky9 | Sept. 7, 2009 at 4:27 p.m. (report)
After yesterdays "celebration" it is proof the Brewers are an unclassy ignorant group. There 15 games back, a bad baseball team and have never won anything. Last year they made the post season and were embarassed. I honestly dont know why I'm wasting my time with this because no one has ever cared or will ever care about the Brewers. I am embarassed for all Brewer fans, its a terrible organization.
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sandstorm | May 28, 2009 at 10:03 a.m. (report)
mrunlucky is funny. the brewers made the playoffs last year and the cardinals did not. the cubs did, but couldn't manage a single victory. i'd say the cubs and cards are making this a rivalry as much as the brewers.
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mrunlucky | May 26, 2009 at 8:33 p.m. (report)
Face it, the Brewers have no real rivalries because they've never been relevant. Keep trying though, it's cute.
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nelsonrowe | May 26, 2009 at 11:16 a.m. (report)
If the Cardinals don't like the Brewers untucking their shirts after winning, there is a simple solution--Beat the Brewers. If they don't like Braun watching his home run--don't throw him fat pitches down the middle. Stop whining and start winning, or swallow your pride.
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Massaconsin | May 26, 2009 at 11:02 a.m. (report)
I can see how other teams would find it disrespectful. However, knowing there's a backstory, seems to make it ok.....The Cards have never bugged me and I like their fans. They're usually respectful and know their stuff. They seem to understand what's going on and watch the game and appear to be more truly devoted...A very worthy adversary. With all teams, I mean, it's ok once in awhile to celebrate your home run...especially if it's an awesome one. There are worse things in baseball and we need to make sure that we don't get the same reputation as the Cubs and their amateur fans. At the same time, the Brewers (and Milwaukee) have been the punching bag for so long, it's refreshing to see a little swagger. It's what we need.
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