The Black Baseball Mixtape

Black Baseball Mixtape

Black baseball insight through the lens of a hip-hop culture enthusiast.

  1. 3d ago

    The Rays Live to Fight Another Day...Tonight

    They were down to their last three outs. It was the 12th inning. The Brewers had the lead and the momentum. It didn’t matter. The Rays met the moment and scored two in the bottom of the 12th to survive for at least one more day. The attendance at the Trop was listed at 40,514; I’m thinking 40% of them were Brewers fans. And those fans were elated after 22-year-old Copper Pratt hit what we all thought was the go-ahead, championship-winning homer in the top of the 12th. Pratt had four hits in the game, the first 22-year-old to have four hits in the World Series since the day before; that’s right, Jackson Chourio collected four hits the night before, but it is still very rare. Brewers’ Skipper Pat Murphy started Dustin May in Game 4 with the idea of throwing a bullpen game. He turned to the pen in the fourth and rolled Romero, Uribe, Hall, Megill, and Ashby to the 12th. In the 12th, he turned to Antonio Senzatela and Shane Drohan. It did not end well. Caminero reached first on a lead-off error. The Rays tied the game on a Johnny DeLuca single, and then walked the game off on a Ben Williamson pinch-hit single. Chandler Simpson had a big day: 3 for 5, 1 RBI, and a stellar catch against the wall in the 12th. Simpson is becoming a Black Baseball Mixtape breakout star this postseason. Kevin Cash made it clear that their big three: Diaz, Aranda, and Caminero, have to get going if the Rays have a shot at a comeback. Tonight, the Brewers will start their ace, Jacob Misiorowski, on his normal rest. Would you consider this game a must-win game for the Brew Crew?

  2. 4d ago

    It’s Time to Truly Celebrate the Brewers!

    I can already hear Mixtape Senior Contributor Flobo Boyce yelling, “I told you so, Cheats!” And the truth is, he did. The Brew Crew is one win away from not just their first World Series Championship, but also a truly dominant MLB season that has honestly flown way too far under the radar for them to be this good. The Brewers destroyed the Rays 10-1 in a must-win game for the Rays. They sealed the victory in the 5th inning with a two-out, seven-hit, eight-run rally that really ended any hope for the Rays to win the game - and maybe the series. The Brewers’ starter Robert Gasser pitched six shutout innings, lowering his postseason ERA to 0.60 over 15 innings. His teammates call him Bobby Gas, and he has been in rare form all postseason. Gasser, 27, a 2021 second-round draft pick from the University of Houston, was 5-5 in the regular season, but has elevated every phase of his game in the postseason. Last night, he became the first lefty to face the minimum over at least six innings of a World Series since Sandy Koufax in 1965. Jackson Chourio had another tremendous game. He paced the Brewers with four hits, 1 RBI, 2 R, 1 SB. The 22-year-old Venezuelan is batting 286/308/429 this postseason with 2 home runs and 9 RBIs. In closing, I have to give a nod to the Brewers fans. They showed up and showed out at the Trop. The TV broadcast said it was cheaper to fly to Florida, get a hotel, and buy a ticket at the Trop than to go to American Family Field. If that is true, that is unbelievable, but given the number of Brewers fans at the game, I wouldn’t doubt it. Game 4 is tonight at the Trop. Will this be the end of a magical season for Milwaukee?

  3. Oct 24

    The Brewers Hold Court in Intense Game 1 Win

    There were no real surprises in Game 1 of the World Series. The Brewers and Rays are known for their version of small ball: timely hitting, amazing defense, and a strong bullpen — especially in Milwaukee. All of that was on display in Game 1. The Brewers got timely hitting from William Contreras and Jackson Chourio. They got amazing defense from David Hamilton at third base, and a stellar game from Contreras behind the plate. The Brewers bullpen locked down the Rays, despite a threat in the top of the 9th, and they won a very intense 3-2 game. The Rays were basically one swing away from a win all game, but that swing didn’t come. The vibe at American Family Field was excellent. From the ceremonial first pitch delivered by Robin Yout in a Bob Ucker jersey, to the final out of the game by Brewers closer Trevor Megill, the game was a true thriller. Yelich, Contreras, and Chourio delivered the RBIs for the Brewers. Liam Hicks had both RBIs for the Brewers. Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski went 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3Ks. He threw several pitches over 100 mph, and his 103 mph pitch is the fastest in World Series history. The Rays’ Nick Martinez did his job: 5 IP, 2 ER, 5Ks, but it was not enough as the Brewers bullpen was rock solid. Game 2 is tonight. Start time is 8 PM EST. I still don’t believe this is a “must-win” game for the Rays, but with their ace Drew Rasmussen on the hill, they really do want this one in their win column.

  4. Oct 16

    The Brewers Win the NL Pennant!

    For the first time in 44 years, the Milwaukee Brewers are going to the World Series. They are the first team in MLB history to be swept out of the NLCS the previous year and come back to sweep the same team the following year. The Brewers were down 4-0 after Shohei Ohtani hit his first home run of the postseason. The Dodgers faithful were hoping the 3-run blast would exorcise some of Shohei’s postseason woes and get the Dodgers back on track, but the Brew Crew had other plans. NLCS MVP Jake Bauers doubled in two runs in the fourth, and the comeback was on. In the 5th, David Hamilton, the only African American on the Brewers’ NLCS roster, hit an RBI single to cut the lead to one. After that, in the same inning, Bauers drew a bases-loaded walk to tie the game. Garrett Mitchell homered in the 6th, and Hamilton homered in the 9th, and the final score of the game was 6-4. Aaron Ashby got the last nine outs of the game, and before that, JoJo Romero was lights out in the fifth and sixth innings. Following the game, Dodgers veteran Miguel Rojas announced his retirement. The 13-year veteran, a native of Venezuela, appeared in 1,401 games for the Marlins and the Dodgers. He batted 260/313/363, with 61 HR and 386 RBIs—no homer or RBI bigger than his heroics in the 2025 World Series. The Dodgers were down to their last out; Rojas hit a dramatic game-tying solo home run in the 9th inning of Game 7. The Dodgers went on to win the game and secure back-to-back championships. Where do the Dodgers go from here? There’s plenty of time to discuss that. Keep following the Black Baseball Mixtape Substack, podcast, and Discord. To Cleveland: The Guardians took a 2-1 series lead, following their 3-2 win in Game 3. The big blow came off the bat of Guardians’ center fielder Petey Halpin. His go-ahead, two-run homer in the fifth put Cleveland up for good. Guardians’ ace Gavin Williams took the ball to start the game. He struck out nine over five innings. Nathaniel Lowe got the Guardians on the board in the second inning with an RBI double. The Rays only mustered three hits. Gold Glove finalist Chandler Simpson hit a two-run triple in the 4th for the Rays’ only runs. Game 4 is not a must-win for Tampa, but it’s starting to feel like it. The Rays and the Guardians take the field tonight at 8 PM EST.

4.9
out of 5
70 Ratings

About

Black baseball insight through the lens of a hip-hop culture enthusiast.

You Might Also Like