At Edward Jones, we believe rich is more than caring about the latest and greatest. It's also taking care of what gives your life meaning. That's why your dedicated financial advisor meets you where you are, with personalized financial strategies that help protect what matters, so you can preserve your progress while creating a path forward. The key to being rich is knowing what counts. Let's find your rich together.
Edward Jones, member SIPC. With Cricket Wireless, you can count on reliable nationwide five G. Because Cricket Wireless is on the AT and T network, which means you can start listening to that new album that just dropped at home while running errands and at the gym without any hiccups. Find plans with unlimited data for every lifestyle and price point. Switch to Cricket today.
Good news for your toolbox! Black Friday is already here at Lowe's. Get up to three free select power tools with a purchase of a select Dewalt, Craftsman, or Cobalt battery kit. Plus, save up to one hundred and twenty dollars on select power tools. You got here at a good time.
Black Friday deals are on now at Lowe's in store and online. Valid through eleven four while supplies last. Free tools vary based on battery kit purchase and location. Good afternoon, everybody. Welcome into the Winkler Verse.
We welcome back my longtime radio partner and friend, Chucky Free, Chuck Freeman. What's up, brother? I have to watch what I say in your show, so I don't, so I don't get myself into trouble. That's the one thing about coming on your show. What am I going to say today that's going to get me in trouble, or what way is what are you talking about?
You got a, you got a way of leading me down the wrong path once in a while. But I got to make sure I don't step in those potholes. I don't, dude. It's a rainbow-colored bridge right now with the Brewers, and that's what. If there's anybody that I still need to like have this conversation with, it is you regarding the Brewers doing radio together for years.
Obviously, covering the team together for a spell, and then now this improbability actually happening. And you've covered the Brewers. I mean, you covered them in '82 as a teenager. Yeah. Um.
How are you feeling after all this?
Well, just great, just great. You know, like I do when I do these interviews, and Bart, you know, we're sports talk show hosts, but we're also fans. And and there are people in the media will say, "Well, I'm just here to cover the team. I don't, I'm not a fan at all." But that's not true, right? We're all we grew up here, guys like you and I.
We grew up here. We grew up in the area, and we're fans.
So there's a part of us that you think about your fandom. When you go to these things, and yeah, whether it's and I know you're down on the Packers, but whether it's the Packers, the Bucks, or the Brewers, it's um, it's great with to see the team that you man invested so much time in, finally. And I, yeah, I mean, right of the three major sports teams in our state, the Brewers are probably least on the probability of of getting us to where we are right now.
Well, regarding the fan thing first, I feel like a lot of people get in to media and they feel like they need to do that. You've always been like I felt you got in the media and your fandom grew. Like I the the afternoon games. I'd be at in the middle of May, where you're like pounding on the table when they take a two-run lead in the sixth. I don't know if I did that.
Oh, you were always so fired up. I did that probably for show because you were there. You're like, let's go, Brewers. Yeah, but I did that. I did that for show.
No, no, you didn't. That's you. No, it was. That's you, player. No, I was.
I I did that for you. No, you you but but you've stayed a fan. Yeah, that's that's true. That part is true, and maybe even got to be a bigger fan.
Well, I think you know I was a kid who grew up at going to County Stadium and sitting in the in the grandstand seats and. And you know, you'd go to Kids Day, and on Thursday afternoon games, they'd be half price tickets, so you get a ticket for buck seventy five. And I was the kid who, in the County Stadium parking lot, knew where the Brewers would park, so you could go right up to their car when they got out, Robin Yel, Paul Molitor, Jerry Augustine, all of them, and get their autographs as they're coming out of the car and walking into the into the ballpark.
So I go way back then.
So t here is t here is a history of me growing up with this team and. And obviously, covering this team for all these years, but they've always been my favorite team, and I know they. I think they're your favorite team too, right? I don't know. See, so I'll just tell you where I'm feeling after all this.
I feel like as the run was getting deeper, because there's there's never been anything, and we've talked about this a long time. And I remember in 2018, this was certainly that way. There's nothing I like better than when the Brewers are good. At a time where the Packers have to take a back seat, yes. Like I love the Packers, but but why do I like when they have to like be in the cuck chair and watch the Brewers for a little bit?
I must, I must like the Brewers the most. I must.
Well, and I just, I just never thought. Like this would actually happen? The first, the fact that I'm wearing a hat that says Brewers World Series, sick. But then the fact that they won that world, like I thought that just getting to the World Series was improbable. I couldn't even imagine a world where they won it, much less won it in five.
Much less my eyeballs saw it. Like I just, I still can't believe this happened. And I think that. With the Brewers winning, it puts everything into retrospect for me. Like my entire life, that was a good day.
But I keep saying my entire life got better because every Brewer memory now is better than it used to be. And as a Wisconsin sports fan, in the last 15 years, I've seen all my teams win. Like, what more do I need? I almost feel like. That's a wrap on sports.
Off to a new thing. I've seen it all.
Well, what else are we going to do? There's nothing else for us to do. We got to do this, right? What are we going to do? Door.
I don't know. Maybe I get Zen. Maybe I become. Maybe I work with my hands. No.
Maybe I go into. Maybe I'm a pastor.
Now I think I think this is what we were cut out to do, Bart. I think this is what it was. Um. And but you know it's funny because we come in on Monday mornings and we're always talking. In the fall, Packer games, right?
Monday mornings we come in, but it was great, like in 2018, coming in and talking Brewers baseball for four hours, even though the Packers had played a game the night before. There was one time when the Packers played a Monday night game, I think in San Francisco. I was out in LA doing this after game three or four, and our store, we were, we didn't care about the Packers Monday football. We were talking about the Brewers and Dodgers in the NLCS. I always thought that was kind of cool.
I think it's cool too, but I still notice, like, even throughout this run, you know, people would still feel the need to talk Packers, or there'd still be like, okay, well, the who cares? The Brewers won the World Series. I don't care that we played the Panthers last Thursday night. I don't care that we play New England this weekend.
Well, in fact, it was funny when the Packers played the Bears a couple of weeks ago. The Brewers also had a a playoff or a World Series game that day. And um, you know the alert came on my phone.
Well, the the Packers have beaten the Bears, and it's like, man, this is probably the first time in my life that I had not watched one down of a Packers Bears game. I was too busy covering the Brewers, and but I didn't miss it. I'm in on football now. I watched Sunday football for the first time all year this past Sunday because there's no Brewer stuff to cover. Yeah, I'm doing my podcast, but it's like it was just.
Phenomenal! Be talking Brewers baseball in October, and still in November, and you go around town. Why do it year round for the podcast? Of course, sure, yeah. But I mean, like that excitement, that buzz in the town.
I go to pick up and drop off, and every day somebody's wearing. Like some parent is wearing a new sweatshirt. Like, oh, you got that? You got that? I'm getting this.
I ordered way more stuff than I've ever ordered before. That's that's what when I was talking with Paul and Grant yesterday, that's what kind of like my actions are speaking louder than words. Yeah, I love all these teams, but after what. Championship? Did I need to buy everything I could get my hands on?
What championship was I making every effort to get there? I didn't do that for the Super Bowl. I didn't even do that for the NBA Finals. I was content watching outside. But the Brewers, I had to see this, and I don't know if that's because they are my favorite team or if I just actually never like.
When I say I never thought this would happen, I mean I, I never thought this would happen. Ever and the thing with this team was, very early on in this run, they they wouldn't let you think that anymore. And all this Wisconsin negativity and stuff, they wouldn't let you think that. And I think it was the Churio at bat. You know, when they went up two zero against the Padres, where a lot of people thought, "Oh, this is different.
This feels different. They could do this." And then you got deeper in that series, and then the Dodgers series, and I felt like, oh, we we won. It's just a matter now of we got to actually play out the games. But we are winning the World Series, and even though that we kind of saw coming once it started coming, I still, I still can't believe it, Chuck. At Edward Jones, we believe rich is more than caring about the latest and greatest.
It's also taking care of what gives your life meaning. That's why your dedicated financial advisor meets you where you are, with personalized financial strategies that help protect what matters, so you can preserve your progress while creating a path forward. The key to being rich is knowing what counts. Let's find your rich together. Edward Jones, member SIPC.
Your sausage McMuffin with egg didn't change. Your receipt did. The sausage McMuffin with egg extra value meal includes a hash brown and a small coffee for just five dollars only at McDonald's for a limited time. Price and participation may vary. Promotion pricing may be lower than meal pricing.
The only doubt I had on this whole run is a couple of Friday nights ago, game four, they were at a three nothing, and Shohei hits that three run blast to put them up four nothing off Dustin May. And yeah, there was a little doubt as I'm in the press box there at Dodger Stadium. A little doubt that I'm thinking, "Oh no, not this again, right?" And the Brewers ended up, and I'm already thinking, "Okay, at least we'll come back on a. That was a Thursday night. We'll come back on a Friday night and and get it done here." And sure enough, the Brewers came back and rallied from that four nothing deficit.
But when Shohei hit that three run blast, Bart, I was thinking. Oh no! What direction is this going to go into now? The Dodgers aren't going to make one of these improbable comebacks, are they? And sure enough, they didn't.
Well, I didn't feel good about that home run either. But then again, the Brewers, the Brewers, yep, would not let us do that, and they didn't even wait. They they wrapped up that series. Right away, the Brewers would not let that happen. What was it like being in the locker room after they won the whole thing?
Well, it was incredible. I still think though the most champagne, the wildest wasn't the World Series. It might have been the NLCS. I mean, it's all great, but after you. You've had two of those celebrations, and then you get the third one.
It's like man, you keep it's like having multiple birthday parties, right? I mean, losing.
Well, making making the World Series, I feel like, and this doesn't make sense, but it might. Making the World Series, you're going to celebrate more than winning. Making the World Series, you're in the World Series. You've got more baseball. Yeah, I really liked that week.
Where it was just looking forward.
Now we've won the World Series, and now it's like, now, now I, now I, well, yeah, it's like in in high school sports when a team gets the state, right? You want to win a state championship, but just winning that section, getting the state and doing the state is the journey, right? It's like, man, we got there. It was a big celebration, and of course, winning a state championship, but it's like I thought. Winning the NLCS in Los Angeles—that was the biggest pop of the three.
I want to say. I still say you should have a celebration only after winning a championship, and they did win the National League championship. But they have like three, three of them. It just—I guess they probably had a fourth one. I wasn't at the other one when they clinched the the division.
But still, I mean, look how many celebrations they had. It's going to lose some steam along the way, but. I still say the NLCS beating the Dodgers was wow. That one was incredible because I think that's it was beating the Dodgers, sweeping the series, and finally getting to the World Series and showing how good you are and being the favorite, no matter who they would have played. I mean, all these games were tight, but the Brewers like found a way to win it.
And I, looking back again on this run, like. The biggest favor the Brewers did for us is well, winning the World Series. A, but B, keeping these series short. Because I, I couldn't, I couldn't imagine that World Series going to Game Six and another day, or a Game Seven, or an NLCS that came back here. Like the fact that they only played thirteen postseason games instead of like eighteen or nineteen.
Because this took a lot out of the city, man. I've never. I just feel like. When the Bucks won, and we're doing a lot of comparisons, when the Bucks won, that was a big joyous celebration. I still think a lot of that was aided by we just came out of the pandemic.
People wanted somewhere to go. There was no Summerfest that year. The underage drug consumption—that's why people went to the Deer District was to was to smoke weed and get drunk at 19 years old. That's why they were down there.
Okay, nobody gave a shit. Um. But for the Brewers, it just felt like it felt like everybody was experiencing the same thing. You know, we like when Euchre passed away, everyone shared their Euchre memories. We all the same memories because we're all we're all the same with the Brewers.
And when the Brewers won the World Series, yes, there was a oh no against the Dodgers and oh we lost against the Rays. But for the most part. We felt good. We were excited. We weren't the normal pessimistic fan.
We were. We were joyous. We celebrated the team. We celebrated the city. We celebrated ourselves.
We celebrated Milwaukee, our fandom. It just felt like everybody was on the same page collectively. And what a ride it was, man! What an absolute ride it was. It was when they lost Game Four to Tampa, and they got down three-one.
Losing in that heartbreaking fashion, I'm telling you, I felt like, and I said this in my post game report that I felt like the Brewers had lost Game Seven of the World Series. They were still up three to one, but that's how everybody was. They were because it was just so close. Yeah, because they were so close. It was like they were three outs away, and the season hung on Shane Drone.
Nothing against Shane Drone, but I think we all wanted Misuraccy to pitch there. And I remember seeing Murphy. We're waiting in line to get in the locker room after game, after game four, and you would expect that Murphy to just been like breaking things. He walks us past us in the in the line there to wait and get the, and they get in the locker room and he goes, "Hey, fellas, how you guys doing?" You know, and he's got a smile on his face. He's got his drink in his hand, you know.
Water and carbonated water, and he's just like bad. You wouldn't, you couldn't have told, you couldn't have told that this guy had just lost like an absolute heartbreaking game. Same guy, and then he ends up winning the next game. Do you think they would have done this with counsel still? Just counsel.
There was just a different. I don't think there's a shot in hell. That they win the World Series with counsel. What what I what what is odd? Bart is I I and I've said this on my podcast and other shows.
How how did not nobody not figure out that this guy Pat Murphy could manage a team, right? How how did this guy wait to? How come people waited till he was sixty five to figure out?
Well, this guy could run a baseball team, even when he was hired. They had Ricky Weeks on the podium with him. Right, yeah, like it was like Murphy's going to get the job, but this guy right here, Ricky Weeks, is going to be the manager in waiting.
So any moment that Murphy slipped up, would give fans the chance to say, "Hey, let's get that, let's get Ricky Weeks in the air," because we know who Ricky Weeks was. We didn't know Pat Murphy, but Murph, hey, he didn't flinch, and he proved that he deserved this job. And like I said, how did How did people not long ago know that Murphy was such a good manager? It's got to be weird getting hired when nobody at your company believes in you, right? And you're like, though, oh, that's why they called it Chuck and Winkler instead of Chuck and Wicket.
Always comes back to us, doesn't it?
Well, we out of that, but yeah, but he was like the guy. They gave him a token interview.
Now let's talk this. Bench coach has been around here, and we got other guys in mind, Steve Voit, and all these other guys. But let's talk to, let's talk to Murphy, and then he won him over. And when he was named manager, even when the news first came out, it was just kind of, eh, okay. And then you heard about Ricky Weeks.
Now, I mean, this guy. This guy's done Hall of Fame managerial material after three years. Three years, World Series. He's gonna win Manager of the Year, three years in a row. He won a World Series with the Milwaukee fucking Brewers.
Unreal. And your your videos were great. I love the one you got a little emotional on the field there. Um, and and I do I do think it's like, especially if they passed on, you know, to think about. Games I went to with my grandpa or dads or whatever, but one of the things I've also been saying is, let's not let's not wax too poetic about the old crew, because I mean you especially you've seen it all, you've pretty much seen all the Brewers.
Bart, I want to get your opinion on this. I haven't heard it yet, and maybe you've talked about this before. I love the parade. I think the parade and and the turnout fantastic. I just thought maybe a little bit too much eighty two brewers part of that because this is twenty twenty six's moment.
You will be stunned by my answer. I've never liked the eighty two brewers more. Oh wow! Because they put the twenty twenty six brewers over. Is that what that was?
I just think, like, for the 1982 Brewers, and I have shit on them constantly.
Okay, like I love them. Don't get me wrong. Sure, and I do too. I don't think we need to celebrate them every year, which we've done. I don't even think we need to celebrate, like, hey, the team made the World Series.
Okay, 20 year anniversary, 40 year anniversary. We don't need to do thirty-five. We don't need to do thirty. Yeah, but then we're doing thirty-seven and third. Like basically, it was once a summer, and this nineteen eighty-two movie comes out, and everyone's fawning over themselves to interview these guys, and it's like pass.
And then oh, another Yoker movie. It's just like okay, we get it, we get it. But when the Brewers won, yes, now.
Now, because I'm experiencing this team, I do understand how people felt about that team in '82, and the fact that they were up, and then did—I don't want to say blow it—but they were up three-two. The fact that they didn't win, and just how close that team was. Like, I don't know if it's a symptom of getting to the World Series, and then it feels like the team's more. Part of the community, but like Fielder and Braun and Weeks and that crew was great, and you know the '92 crew I love was great, and even some of these other teams that we've covered. But this team feels like it is a; they are in the spirit of '82.
They they feel like a natural progression to me, and so to see. Ted Simmons and Molitor and Yount and any of these guys to see them back to make that connection. Yeah, I I can't get enough now of the '82 Brewers because it feels like that was a like when Cody Rhodes came back. Yeah. So now you can appreciate Stardust more, okay?
Because the American Nightmare won.
Okay, now I can appreciate '82 more because '2026 won.
Well, the '2026, I don't think we fully got the full gist of the personality and fans. Felt this team until they started playing postseason games. Yeah, see Sal Frelick running around out there. You know, and and these post games, these celebrations. We see Trevor McGill, and this team with its own personality.
And it's like, yeah. You can identify with some people. Identify with Sal Frelick. They they can identify with Christian Yelich. You're seeing these guys exposed with their personalities, taking the baseball completely out of it, and that's what I thought.
I thought with the 2026 Brewers, that's what I just wanted about. Yeah, I love the 82 Brewers, but the 82 Brewers didn't have to put over the 2026 team because they have their own identity.
So you didn't like that they were there? I just thought maybe a little bit too much, and and I and I yet you know Corey Conable said the same thing. How are we opposite on this? I should be the one shitting on them. I well, not I'm not crapping on them any.
They're yes, they have five Hall of Famers and all that, but the parade is for the 2026.
So next year, if the Brewers win it again, are we bringing back all the alumni?
Okay, I don't mind the '82 Brewers there. Then I saw Eric Thames in the parade. I was like, "What the fuck are you doing here?" Well, that's the point too. Yeah. Okay, it's like Corey Canabel.
He was asked, "Why didn't you go to the parade?" He goes, "Oh, I got an invite, but this is about the 2026 Brewers." And I say, "Yeah, I agree with that." But that's the other thing too, because I saw that with Canabel, and I think for Brewers fans, like at least for me. Again, everything's gotten better, and I want to celebrate all of it. I'm not just celebrating the 2026 Brewers. I'm celebrating my fandom. I'm celebrating that the team stayed here.
I'm celebrating every every random summer night that you live close enough. You're like, hey, I'll go to the game tonight, or it's a big thing and you've looked forward to it for months, like. I'm even celebrating the Wisco jerseys. I like those all of a sudden now. I love all of it.
I just don't even care. I love, I love it. What I think when these guys, I love the fact that I go in the press box and they look like they've seen a ghost. I don't even care about that. What I do like, what I thought was fantastic, is when these guys play parts.
Morgan, you know, being being around. Braun, Braun, with grabbing the mic and getting the fans fired up. I love when they play those kind of roles and do that. And Robin, yeah, yeah, a lot. You know, being interviewed, Robin, I guess too, yes.
But I, I will say the the motorcycle thing is that's playing. Yeah, we don't need the motorcycle again. Raleigh fingers, okay. Rolly Fingers didn't even go into the Hall of Fame wearing a Brewers jersey. Or yeah, he felt like he was here for the free hotel.
You know, I it was forty two years ago. Um, I just think it's all about twenty twenty six to me. It's all about these guys, this legacy. And what they're creating, and fans, you know, he talked about merchandise a little while ago. How many people are ordering brewers merchandise?
How many grandmothers want sell free like jerseys for Christmas? Right, easiest Christmas ever. Easy, actually hard because everyone's. I like this is all stuff I should be putting on my list, but I bought it all.
Well, I every time I want to go down to the store, it's closed because they're restocking the shelves. Yeah, the team store closed the day before the World Series. Who, who, who planned that?
So I went to Rally House. Yeah, and that line was down the door to Dix. But the Dix line is down the door to Rally House.
Well, when you went to the World Series to get in any of the the stores there at the ballpark, there was huge lines. Yeah, incredible. That's why you had to buy stuff in Tampa because you could just steal stuff off the shelves. They didn't give a shit. I do like that stadium.
I don't care. I like it.
Well, I what I did like about it, well, media wise, which the fans don't care about, the media access, the locker rooms were near each other, the interview room was near each other, to get down to the field it was easier. That was easy. But I mean, it looked kind of antiquated. What did you like about it? I I went there in like 2004.
Okay, and I've always wanted to go back. And in 2004. The way I described it was like if you built a baseball stadium at the Cow Palace on the fairgrounds in Fond du Lac. That building—that's what it feels like. Yeah, I can see that.
The Cow Palace, the Cow Palace, and the Fond du Lac County Fairgrounds. Yeah, the the where they have the 4-H shit. Yeah. And Wade always broadcasts live with his hand. Yeah, with Ranelle Halber.
Yeah, still they still do it. Except Wade's not part of KFI. Yeah, Sean Kaiser does it. Yeah, Kaiser S K. Wade's over in Beaver Dam.
So what's next? They won.
Now what? I mean, there's gonna be a lockout.
Well, yeah, there's going to be a lockout. I don't think they're going to have any games canceled. They're they're not dumb enough to cancel any games. They're going to get this figured out. It's funny how the owners said, "Well, we're going to postpone the salary cap to 2028," and the players' association said, "Ah, we're good.
Yeah, that's fine. We're good. We're we're that doesn't do anything for us." But do you like thirst for another title? You know, I miss watching these guys play. Yeah, I just want to watch them.
It was a heck of a journey because I just enjoyed their style of play. I just enjoyed their style of play, and I've always have throughout the season. And it was a heck of a journey. As you know, I was in San Diego, LA, and Tampa. I'm just catching up on my sleep right now, and I'm still not there yet.
But you know, I I came back on a Early Thursday morning and Friday night, it was broadcasting Lomira against Cambridge, a high school football game. But I was like, man, my my clothes are very barely dry from the champagnes, and I'm out here in 40 degree temperatures. But I mean, I had a fun time doing it. But it's just you just get back to work and get back to doing what you're doing, right?
Well, I don't know. As a sports fan, I'm serious. I don't want for anything. Like I've seen it all. Oh, so you're not saying let's repeat this thing?
Let's run this back?
Well, I would love to repeat. Yeah, but I don't need it. I don't need to see anything. I've seen everything I needed to see in sports. I would love to see the USA win a World Cup, and I would love to get greedy and be like, oh, I want a dynasty or another Packers title or.
I mean, I would love if the Bucks somehow won this year, and you know, but they—I mean, they never would. But well, especially get over thirty wins, right? Yeah, I fuck that. Did you? If you could have one win, if you could, well, if you could cash out, would you do that?
I mean, they might grow toward the end of the season here, or it's early November yet.
Well, Tatum's out tonight. I think people are going to rest their guys against us every single game. Oh, is he? He's already not playing. Yeah, so we're not going to see one star all season.
Even if you want to go to Feist or to be like, I want to see LeBron or Kawhi. Yeah, better watch it on TV because they ain't fucking suiting up here. Yeah, you're right. You're right. Good point.
That's for sure. But like, other than oh, it'd be nice if the Badgers dot dot dot or whatever dot dot dot. But well, we've seen them win a Rose Bowl too. That's National championship—that's such a unique bar. But even seeing the Badgers win a Rose Bowl, I put that in the conversation of you know the big three you're talking about: the Super Bowl, NBA title, and the World Series.
I put the Rose Bowl right there. But I felt like as improbable because the way you just alluded, it's like oh well, the Badgers are never. That's how I felt about the Brewers. Like this was never going to happen. Yeah, and now this happened, and.
One thing that I've been like not struggling with, but I'm yeah, I'm almost like scolding him for it. My seven year old, seven years old already. I know. Jeez, like he's going nuts for all this, and all his buddies are going nuts, and they're all wearing Brewer stuff, and they do Little League ball, and they're chanting "Let's go Brewers!" and it's like, son, I waited 24 years in my life to see them in the playoffs. Yeah, you got a World Series as your memories are forming.
So maybe for him, I still want titles, but I've seen it all. Like I'm good. I'm just you know, I just enjoy watching. Like I said, the Brewers play. I just enjoy watching their style of play.
And of course, I want them to win and and continue this thing going. But I like all the fandom. I like all the fact. You know, we kind of alluded this earlier that. People are buying jerseys, wearing jerseys, talking about the Milwaukee Brewers, seeing the Brewers on Saturday Night Live.
Hello, what? The Brewers on Saturday Night Live? That I mean, I don't watch SNL like I once did. I grew up at the show, but right, I'm still an iconic program. It's Saturday Night Live.
Saturday Night Live. It's one of the more iconic programs in our country's television history. You think these guys have gotten any sleep yet? Like the next morning, then Yelich is serving up chicken sandwiches.
Well, look at that tour. Look at they—they came back Thursday. They went to Lambeau. They came back for the parade. They went the Marquette games.
They went everywhere. They went to today's show. I Murph was on the today's show. He stayed overnight because he was on SNL. I mean, these guys are making hey the Victor.
And I've said this. Whatever these guys are celebrating, and whatever we celebrate, isn't enough because these guys deserve anything they get. They won the World Series. It's oh, not even a week later. I feel like it happened a lifetime ago.
It was like last week. I will like where there should be another parade. Every town around here should get its own parade. Like Fourth of July, like you don't need to send Sal Frelick over to Shorewood. Even give us like Bo Naylor.
I don't give a shit.
Well, you should see when the news crews send someone to Shorewood parade. It's always like the new weekend post on TMJ4. Sure, on like your third weekend, you don't know what's going on. Oh sure, I remember Bart in the time in Fond du Lac, like Brewers would do their winter caravan tour. And they'd send up like Jeremy Burnett's.
Nobody would show up in the like late nineties.
Now, if you did the winter caravan tour and you had Yelich show up, I mean, he's showing up at at Cains. People are showing up the night before.
Now, I got this question for you: How many people, if if Yelich would have been at Cains on Monday morning at 10 a.m., what kind of crowd would he have drawn if the Brewers would have been bounced out by the Padres? What kind of crowd does he draw? I mean, not as big, a couple of dozen, fifty. They're not waiting up the night before. I mean, it's not like Bart Winkler doing a Saturday at the '70s remote at Verizon.
It's a little more than that. Going to be like the equivalent to your tailgate party, though. Yeah, a good fifty people. Yeah, I guess I'll see this guy. Yeah, I go.
I'll make a trip down to Canes. I'll leave Ricardo's Pizza and go over to Canes. Yeah, yeah. I grew up in Greendale. Right across, it's right across street from my high school.
I went to high school at Martin Luther. Is that the one on the Walmart parking lot? The the the Hall of Fame. I'm still not in. Uh, which you know, they got a changing high schools.
I do that. I think I'm thinking. Calling somebody else, Maya, my alum. Thinking of, thinking of, kind of forgetting I even went to Martin Luther. I forgot I went to Fondulac.
Oh, don't forget Fondy. Fondy, they're more loyal to me than my high school. I have a better shot going in the Fondy Hall of Fame than I do the Martin Luther Hall of Fame. Yeah, I do. That is probably true.
I have a better shot, Martin Luther. No, we're good. Fondy. I mean, the people are there are great. What do you think?
Because we've been Brewers fans our whole lives. Yeah, and some would say we were born a Brewer. How do you be a Brewer guy your whole life, Craig Council? Leave. What on earth is he trying to process emotionally?
I wonder if Murph and Council had a phone call since the champ. Like, would Council call Murph and say, "Hey, congrats." Has there been? I wonder if there's any any communication. There has, because they're still friends, are they? I think they are.
You don't think there's been any any convo between those two? I don't know. I I I don't know. I don't know that. I think Murph would send Craig a text saying congrats.
I don't think Craig. I don't know. I don't. I don't know. I think I know a lot about who Craig is as a person.
Do you think Craig at all is thinking, "Man, that could be me"? Or does he think, "Well, I don't think I could have done what Murph done"? I don't think he would let himself admit that. For one, yeah, Craig Council's very high on Craig Council. He really thinks he's somebody, and and I'm not saying that he's not smarter, but he's not.
He's not what he thinks he is. Certainly not as a manager.
Well, Cub fans don't think so. No, and for Stearns to leave too, like these guys both left this this this process. Yeah, bites of the apple. We have we have made fun of it a lot, but it worked. It took a while.
Sure. I mean, they traded Josh Hader. They traded Corbin Burns. They traded Freddie Peralta. Every year they trade a big piece of their team.
They traded Jonathan Vr. Oh wow! Now you're going back, my guy. For Jonathan Scope. Scope, that was 2018, right?
Not my guy. Yeah. For Scope hitting a home run off Baumgartner. He hit a grand slam. It was his own.
And then he had like no emotion. Yeah, it was a Sunday afternoon game. He's like, fine, I'll. I'll do what I got traded for. God, he hated it here.
Not as much as Colton Wong, who was basically like, "Hey, remember when I was a Cardinal? Every single play." You thought that? Oh yeah, remember the Cardinals? He played the Cardinals. He was like tickling David Freeze at third base or some shit.
I don't remember that part. Oh yeah, I'll take your word for that. Yeah, but I don't. I don't know. I don't know what Council would think.
We don't. Yeah, I don't know, but I'm sure Cup fans. Irate, you know, or I mean, it's got to get that the fact that the Brewers win the division every year, and now this—I know they won their title in 2016, but big market Cubs by the system should be dominating this division, and here, small Milwaukee winning a World Series championship—I think it's fantastic.
Now I keep seeing like some of these guys in the scouting department, or like, oh yeah, I don't. That they're losing guys every day. The Brewers are. They're going to lose guys, of course. Surprised it didn't happen a long time ago.
I'm not going to get worked up over like Gabe Grossman or some shit.
Well, these guys are all. But the thing is, Bart, these guys are all part of it. These guys all. But there's a hundred of them. That parade was never ending.
Now, see, those guys should be in the parade.
Now, the guys who are in the front office of the Brewers. They all because it's a whole organization. Those guys had no problem. I just they got like we thought that Foxconn was going to bring all these jobs. No, those jobs came.
It's just in the Brewers analytical department. That's that's what the jobs came. They came. It's just all Brewer number crunchers. It's funny.
The next I I got back from covering the championship game. You know when they clinched the championship. I got up on Thursday morning, and the first thing I saw on my phone is so and so is leaving for the Oakland A's organization from the front office. I'm like, oh, it's starting already. The the ink isn't even dry, and they're already leaving the Brewers.
Dustin May. It's like the business. It just they're just looking at 2027 right away. Is there anything that because this happened, like? If you could change anything in Brewer history, would you?
I wouldn't. I would leave it all the same. I would have maybe got Sunny Gray. I was a big Sunny Gray. I know you were.
We've talked about that for hours on end. No, of course you would have liked to win the title in 2018. I I think in 2018, Barb. I think they win the championship. I think they win the World Series championship if they beat the Dodgers in the pivotal game.
I don't think people talk about this enough. When they lost that like 14 inning game, up two to one on a Tuesday night, and they lost that game. If they win that and go three one up on the Dodgers, I think they beat the Dodgers in 2018.
Well, maybe that's why people are freaking out when Shohei hit that home run. Yeah, lost one game to the Rays.
Well, I was, I certainly was, man. When he hit that home run, I'm thinking, all right, Friday night we'll be right back here again. Lot other teams have folded, not this edition of the Milwaukee Brewers. Man, they will always, always, always be part of our fabric in the city. Imbassus, this yesterday, if you could get one more title from any of the teams.
Who is it? That's Milwaukee Brewers. That's my team. Do you want it immediate? Do you want it in like ten years?
Do you want to take it right now? Group of guys. I'll just take it right now. Yeah. Valid question, but I'll just take it.
I'll take it right away. Yeah. If you were to tell me, well, we're not going to win our title for another ten years, I don't. I don't want to think that way. I want to think that they're going to come back and and run it back.
I just enjoyed the. You know. You know, we always talk in sports. We're to enjoy the ride. I have.
I've enjoyed this whole thing. This is the first ride I ever decided to enjoy. But I think that they had to at least get to the World Series this year. They couldn't bow out against the Padres. They had to be competitive with the Dodgers.
But you had to get to the World Series. God, what if they did lose to the Padres? They could have. What if Gary Sanchez swings inside instead? And yeah, right.
I mean, they could. What if that ball that Machado hit goes over the fence? Then we got—we're going back for a game five, probably. One bad Packers loss can hang over your week. Many guys were taught to tough it out.
Talking to someone isn't weakness; it's part of being strong. Talkspace lets you text, call, or video chat with a therapist. You deserve to take up space. Talkspace is in network with most major insurers, and most insured members have a zero dollar copay. No insurance?
No problem.
Now get eighty dollars off of your first month when you go to talkspace. dot com and enter promo code space eighty. One word. That's S P A C E eighty. Match with a licensed therapist today at talkspace.
dot com. A lot of good comments here as we're live. People love us. Duh. Mitch says, "Chuck, how did you settle Bart down?" Mitch, is that our former boss?
Mitch, no.
Okay, how did I settle Bart down? Settle Bart down for like, like I'm not spazzy or going crazy on you.
Well, why would you? I don't know. Chuck's uncomfortable, but I love Chuck Freeman. I love him. Wait, I'm uncomfortable.
That I love you. Oh, I just know a lot of bro hug from you. I know where your hands have been. Yep, down my pants. Not today yet.
Probably not. No, no, no, no. I mean, it's it's all like I've said before on our podcast. Yeah, you and I had our had our battles behind the scenes on the shows, but at the end of the day, you know, we're still radio brothers and friends. We are brothers.
We are radio brothers.
So people are watching us today. Oh yeah, the the Winkler versus. We're doing good over here. Good. Yeah.
I think catch it. I think this is it for me. Your final show. Maybe that too. I don't know.
What do you mean? This is it? Like what? Like I'm doing podcasts. I'm not trying to go back into radio.
Well. Four years ago, I know when you started doing this. Was it four years ago? I was like, yeah, podcasting. What are we gonna get out of podcasting?
My opinion on it has changed. This is needed to change. It has changed because, but I, I wanted the change. Same boat I am. It needed to change.
It needed to change. But I like it. I, I like. I, I do it. I like the podcasting era.
I didn't think it would take off like it did, but it has. And it's incredible. I love it. I think this is the way. Yeah, it's the way to go.
Now it's inspired a lot of guys out there. I mean, I get messages. I'm sure you do too. Hey, you know what? I'm doing this.
Doing this job, I just can't stand it. How do how do you do the podcast thing? Right? You get that. I get that.
It's just I always tell people: you be consistent and have a gimmick. You know, have a have a topic you want to talk about. Just wasn't here on the radio for ten years prior and never built an audience. That which you got, yeah.
Well, you two. I mean, that yeah, yeah, we got that. Yeah, it helps. But that's what I tell them. You know, just if you're going to do it on being a high school principal, do it on being principal.
Just talk about that for an half hour, but make sure you're consistent and do make make it entertaining for people.
Well, I'm I'm consistently doing weekday Bucks post games. Yes, which is which is great. I love I love you after Packer games. Oh fuck, I love you after Packers games. I like.
What is what? What I just I just I don't hate the Packers. Certainly, I do not hate the Packers. I love the Packers. We all do, but you hate Lafleur.
I feel like right now I'm kind of like I'm like separated from the Packers. Like, are you? I haven't moved out of the house. Separated, but I'm sleeping downstairs. How?
They're playing well. They're playing well. The Brewers.
Well, the Brewers to me are always number one. Football is shitty right now. I'm way more into college than the NFL. Way am I? Way.
Me too. Me too. Even though the college football season, the world is all screwed up. Oh yeah, yeah. But college football, every decision they make is dumber than the last.
I can't get enough. I'm the same way. I'm the same way. I just love the ratings. I love the schedules.
I love, oh, what game's going to be on Big Noon? Yeah, what game is CBS going to pick? What game's going to be in prime? Like I like the TV aspect of it. Yeah, I like the bowl games that don't matter.
Sure, I don't like the playoff expanding, but I will. Yeah, even though our football team here in the state now it's probably the worst it's been since you know you and I have known each other. Right, I mean, they beat USC, beat USC, and then they come back and lay an absolute egg at Iowa. Awful performance, just an awful performance. Just what do you think Fickle's going to survive?
Badger fans, and he comes out and still can't beat Iowa. I think the thing I'm looking forward to the most again is more Brewers baseball. Like now, now that they've won. I'm almost going to be more into the team, and I don't like a lot of people. Need a World Series, but if there's a game on TV, I'm not letting it go.
Well, I think a lot. That's that's what happens when you win a World Championship. It's the next year you get a bumper crop on on everything, merchandising, ticket sales, viewership.
Now everybody's all in, and that's why when the lockout happens. The Brewers organization has to separate themselves from the players, which I think is a shame because we won a World Series championship. Yeah, you know I've heard that they got to scrub their website. Come on, yeah, come on. You can't, you can't.
Yeah, it's going to be stupid. They did this before a few years ago too. Stupid. Come on, they couldn't like get it together, guys. And let's get both, let's get both sides together and figure this out, man.
You don't think they're going to miss any games? No. I I don't want it. The better not be a sixty-game schedule like it was during COVID, because that doesn't interest me at all. Sixty-game schedule doesn't do it for me.
Well, no, that would be stupid. Just absolutely, yeah. And you know what? We got baseball at an all-time high right now. We got to fix this thing.
There's no doubt about it. What if the Brewers? What if the Brewers lose to the Padres this year? Come back. Play eighty games, win the World Series next year.
Would that have been not the same? Not the same. It is not no. Like if the Bucks would have won in the bubble, not the same. Oh, it would have been so stupid.
Not the same. No, I think they would have won the championship that year if it was if we would have kept on going in twenty twenty if COVID didn't hit. But I think if we like the twenty twenty team. That that was a shame. That's how Braun's career finished off in 2020 in the bubble at Amfam Field.
Yeah, and I Dodgers won the pennant that year. I don't count anything that happened in 2020. They beat the Rays in Texas. Beat the Rays. The World Series was held in Texas.
Texas. Weird, but stupid. We don't want to get down to a shortened season. Right, we don't want sixty, eighty games. I remember the split season of nineteen eighty one, where we had a first half champion, we had a we had a strike in June, didn't start again till August, so we had the first half champion, the Yankees play the second half champion, the Brewers, for the American League's title.
We don't want that again.
So, what are the top three things on your sports? Christmas list. Oh, as far as what entertainment? Like what? What do you need?
What do you want to see in sports now? Anything? Mine would be USA winning the World Cup. Impossible.
Okay. Um. Do I like the Sabers enough that I want to see them win a Stanley Cup? Do I like West Ham enough? See, I have all these peripheral, non-Wisconsin teams and leagues we don't have.
Or do I want to see, like, oh, I want to see the Panther. I want to see Milwaukee make the tournament.
Okay, now we're not talking high school sports here. We're just talking about the professional scene, right? You could be high school, like as a sports fan. Yeah, you've seen your three teams in the last three years win. Yeah, I love the last fifteen years.
So, what do you want anymore? You know, for KFIZ and Fondulike, I do the local scene, and I absolutely just absolutely love it.
So to see some team from that area win a state championship would be, I'd be thrilled at that, absolutely thrilled. When Laconia girls basketball team won a state championship a couple years ago, thrilled about that. Watching the community celebrate, the coaches, the parents, the players, the fans, that I thought was just so cool. That's what I love about high school sports: seeing that community. Plus, I love the community to begin with, but.
Yeah, that. But on the professional, on the college level, to see the strike end, or not the strike, the lockout coming in. I mean, that counts. Yeah, we don't want we don't want the lockout. Um, I would say that, and um, yeah, the Brewers having another great season next year, probably one two, and then you know on that list, not one two, but I'd see like they'll see a team from a.
The Fodilak area win a state championship, whether it's in football, basketball, baseball, any sport. Just I think it's it's really cool. I want to see the United States win the World Cup.
Okay. The Panthers make the tournament. The Panthers, the Milwaukee Panthers.
Okay, yeah. And every current head NFL referee burned at the stake like a witch. Whoa, that's that's deadly. Back to the UWM thing. Oh sure.
I when did you get on board with UWM? I like I like that. I love mid major basketball. Um. Well, I mean, I live right by campus, so sure.
And they they always still invite me to their stuff.
Okay. I saw you do a little thing with Bart. Yeah, I've got to know him a little bit. Yeah. Yeah.
So I root for them. The baseball team. That was a fun run. Yeah. Yes, I can get on board with UWM Milwaukee.
Well, they're the top college baseball team in our state. First of all, sure. Um, and I and I think like the Panthers, like it's not going to be anything near the Brewers. But if if if I keep telling him, if you make the tournament, there'll be all these people that suddenly are Milwaukee Panthers basketball fans, and you're going to be like, "Where were you?" Oh, that of course that happened in twenty old two thousand five with Bruce Pearl. Right when they went to the Sweet Sixteen, that happened.
Yeah, that's always a fun run. I want to see that happen. Yeah, just to see them go down and take on a heavyweight. That's you know just especially in today's basketball climate, where the the rich got richer and the mid majors struggling to stay alive because they're losing their best players to these to high majors because of nil. I'm really worried that after I've seen my all my teams win, I'm worried that I'm going to lose my spark.
Oh no! There's always something there to cheer for. How can you lose your spark? I'm almost a little worried too, Chuck. I'm a little worried.
I'm a little worried. I'm going to lose. Like when some of these teams lost, whether it was the Brewers in 18 or the Pete Alonso moment. The Packers losing the way they have the the Bucks. I'm not just worried that I'm going to lose my spark.
I'm worried that I'm going to lose the agony. I'm I'm worried that I've got everything I want now that I'm not even going to care as much if they lose. I'm not going to be mad. I'm not going to be heartbroken because my life's good. I'm worried that I'm going to lose feeling upset.
Isn't that messed up? That's what makes you you, Bart. Man, that's that's part of being a sports fan. Is the pain? Yes, feeling the pain.
I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all. I think.
Well, it's going to be. It's the Brewers, of course, have it more difficult than anybody else in baseball.
So I think there's a little bit of a. You know, if you need to be prodded a little bit, that's some motivation right there. That's still a difficult journey for a franchise like Milwaukee. And people say, can they run it back next year? You know, you need a lot of things to happen for that to happen.
And plus, they're still working against the system, no matter how great their organization is. Chuck Freeman, locked on Brewers. Look great, man! You provided. Yeah, it's gonna.
I got to pick up my kid. It's early release Wednesday. Early release. What grade is he in? First, second, second grade.
Jesus, been that long since you and I did a morning show together, huh? Yeah, and it's going to continue. It's just going to get longer. Although you are invited, I'm going to do. We just had our 777th episode.
Um, lucky 777. When I hit episode twelve fifty, okay, wow, I'm gonna have a big bash, okay, and you're invited. Who else is invited to this? Pretty much is you. Oh, I'm gonna say any other twelve fifty former twelve fifty employees.
Is there anyone you're asking about specifically? Yes. I don't know who you have in mind, Tom Parker, our boss, our terrific boss. I just read an article about him. He's doing some like student radio in the Adirondacks.
That's not what it's called. The Adirondacks is a chair. I thought he was like living out of his van. I mean, not yeah, but they settled in some campground in New York or something. When I say living out of his van, he's doing that willingly.
He's he's a he's a backpacker. Right. Yeah, him and his wife travel across the country. Yeah, yeah, and just like set up camp and live there for months on end. God, sports radio hasn't been the same since he left.
No, hasn't been the same since he left. I knew it. I knew it. That you know, you heard the story, the song, "The Day the Music Died," the day sports radio died, when Tom Parker decided that he had enough of radio and he was going to do other things. Greatest boss ever.
You're laughing. What are you laughing about? You're right. Oh, okay. You're right.
All right. I don't think he said anything to get you in trouble. No, I didn't. We're starting to teeter close. I didn't talk about any of the other couple of sports radio stations in Milwaukee.
I didn't talk about any of that.
Well, I'm a lover now. You are. What do you mean? The Winkler versus is a place where people come together. Yeah, but you still, you still, you're you hating.
Who do I hate?
Well, Matt Lafleur. Ah, well, he's a piece of shit. Of course, I hate him. That's what I said. I can't fall into your trap.
I don't. I don't hate people if they're bad at their job. I hate them if they're bad. If I think they're bad people. Oh, you don't think you think Matt Lafleur's a bad person?
No, maybe not that. I hate him. I hate people that. Deny who they are. I think Matt Lafleur tries to act like a tough guy.
I think you are when you're when you're a coach or a manager. You are what you're like. Murph is Murph is who he is. Can't be somebody you're not. Yeah, but Lafleur is what he is.
He cosplays as a tough guy. He fakes tough. Lafleur and Giannis like Giannis never wanted to leave, but he felt like he had to. He didn't want to leave. The Bucks weren't going anywhere anyway.
With him, oh, the Heat are. No, the Bucks weren't. No, I don't ever want him back either. Yeah, you don't want Giannis back. He's coming back eventually.
I don't want name of the name of the Raptors. Remember when he cried? He's like, I can't play with my brothers. And then he goes to Miami, and they don't sign either of them. Yeah, yeah.
He um. He had control of the Bucks organization there for a while. He doesn't have it in Miami, I would guess. No, they're losing. All right, now I am.
All right, pick up my kid. Yep. Yeah, you don't want to be last in line on the pickup line there. Kid waiting in the corner. I've taken naps in the afternoon and been late before.
And he's waiting there. Oh, oh, the teacher waiting next to him. He's crying. Oh, heartbreak. That is a brutal moment.
Heartbreaking. Anytime, anytime you want to have me, I appreciate it as always, man. And and you're doing a great job on this Winkler verse. Keep it going. Give me a classic Freeman sign off.
You're doing a nice job. I want the. I'm Chuck Freeman. I'm Chuck. Chuck Freeman.
I'm Chuck Freeman. Thanks for stopping into the Winkler verse. Snoring, gasping for air during sleep, daytime sleepiness. I'm Shaquille O'Neal, and this shouldn't be anybody's experience. Ask your doctor about Zepbound, Trazodone, the first and only FDA-approved prescription medicine for moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea in adults with obesity.
Zepbound is a prescription medicine used with a reduced calorie diet and increased physical activity to help adults with moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and obesity to improve their OSA. Zepbound. Is approved as a 2.5, 5, 7.5, 10, 12.5, or 15 milligram injection. Zepbound contains trazepatide and should not be used with other trazepatide-containing products or any GLP-1 receptor agonist medicines. It is not known if Zepbound is safe and effective for use in children.
Don't share needles or pens or reuse needles. Don't take if allergic to it or if you or someone in your family had medullary thyroid cancer or if you've had multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2. Tell your doctor if you. You get a lump or swelling in your neck. Stop Zepbound and call your doctor if you have severe stomach pain or a serious allergic reaction.
Severe side effects may include inflamed pancreas or gallbladder problems. Tell your doctor if you experience vision changes before scheduled procedures with anesthesia. If you're nursing, pregnant, plan to be, or taking birth control pills, taking Zepbound with a sulfonylurea or insulin may cause low blood sugar. Side effects include nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting, which can cause dehydration and worsen kidney problems. Talk to your doctor.
Call one eight hundred five four five five nine seven nine or visit zebbound.lilly.com.
