Marcus Hanel spent years working as a bullpen catcher for the Milwaukee Brewers before returning to coach young players in Racine County.
He still keeps hats, goggles and T-shirts from the club's earlier push for a championship, a run that ended without the title the team was chasing.
Watching the current postseason, Hanel said the goal now looks reachable. He pointed to the depth of Milwaukee's pitching staff and described its relievers as having electric arms.
He singled out the late-inning group of Abner Uribe, Aaron Ashby and Trevor Megill, noting that several Brewers relievers throw in the mid-90s and that each pitcher appears to understand his role. He also cited Megill, who pitched for other clubs before becoming Milwaukee's closer, as an example of how the organization finds and develops arms it cannot simply buy.
As a former catcher, Hanel also credited William Contreras. He said pitchers trust Contreras to block balls in the dirt, which gives them confidence to throw any pitch in any situation, including with a runner on third.
His advice to fans was to take in the moment, noting that many people have waited a long time for a run like this.
