In case you had forgotten, or it was lost during the pandemic adjusted 2020 season, the Brewers and Cubs don’t like each other…and neither do the fan bases.
What was your reaction when a ball sailed behind Brewers starter Brandon Woodruff during an at bat in game two?
What was your reaction when Willson Contreras waited until his game-2 home run ball landed before trotting around the bases? How about his bat flip, or shushing of the crowd as he rounded the bases to a chorus of boos?
What was your reaction when the Cubs official Twitter page tweeted a compilation of all the times Brewers pitchers plunked Contrerras this season? Maybe you shouldn’t crowd the plate Willson. How about maybe attempting to get out of the way?
My reaction is this: The fans ability to fuel a rivalry is best felt at the ballpark. Something that was missed in 2020 and is great to have back in 2021.
In 2018, Cubs pitcher Cole Hammels shunned the idea that the Brewers and Cubs were rivals citing the influx of Cubs fans at Miller Park. A calculated comment aimed directly at the Brewers and it’s fanbase.
Hammels is long gone, but the rivalry remains as strong as ever.
Oh, for those keeping score at home: In total, more batters were hit by pitches (8) than the Cubs scored runs (6) in the recently completed three-game series.