The Milwaukee Brewers' bullpen has put together a historic season and postseason, and a coach from the Racine area says he understands better than most what makes such a group work under pressure. Marcus Hanel, who now coaches kids in Racine County, spent many years as a Brewers bullpen catcher.
Hanel still keeps keepsakes from his time with the club, which chased a championship that never arrived. "I've got the hats. I've got the goggles at home still," he said. He also has T-shirts meant to celebrate a title run. "That was always our goal that we missed," he said.
That goal now looks attainable for the current team. "Their mindset is one thing, and that is winning the whole thing," Hanel said. He pointed to the raw ability on the roster, saying simply, "they have electric arms."
Beyond Jacob Misiorowski, Hanel said, the bullpen runs deep and keeps stringing together innings that could add up to a World Series title. He named Uribe, Ashby and Megill as key contributors, noting that several pitchers on the staff throw in the mid-90s and can overpower hitters with the fastball. "Their back end of the bullpen is as good as it gets," he said. "Everyone on that team, in that bullpen knows their role."
Hanel credited the organization's approach to finding and developing arms. In his view, the Brewers cannot always afford top-of-the-line pitchers because of budget limits, so they identify players they can shape into that kind of pitcher. "They have a system, they have something in place, and it's going pretty well," he said.
He offered closer Trevor Megill as an example. "Megill's been on a couple teams, right? And now, all of a sudden, he's our closer. They know what they're looking for, the type of pitcher that they want," Hanel said.
Having worked as a catcher himself, Hanel also stressed how much a receiver matters to the pitchers. His title was bullpen catcher, he said, but he also helped the club's catchers with their defensive work.
He singled out William Contreras, whom he said teammates frequently credit. Hanel said Contreras's consistency lets Brewers pitchers trust what happens after the ball leaves their hands. "They have no fear of throwing any pitch at any time, especially with a runner on third, knowing he's probably going to block a ball," he said. "They can be filthy and nasty as they want to be, knowing he's going to be back there doing what he needs to do."
For Brewers fans, Hanel had a simple message as the team chases the title. "Man, soak all this in," he said. "There's been people waiting forever for this."
