Brewers' Andrew Fisher may be the only Team Italy player who should avoid espresso

In recent years, the Milwaukee Brewers have made a point of drafting and acquiring players with a certain mentality. Brewers manager Pat Murphy frequently talks about how baseball is a sport about people, not numbers on a page, and to be successful, it requires a team full of the right type of people. He wants his players to be hungry, passionate about the game they love, and fueled by a desire to win that supersedes all other motives.

The strategy has led Milwaukee to drafting players like Sal Frelick, Garrett Mitchell, and Tyler Black, who play the game like their hair is on fire. Additionally, the front office has acquired players like Caleb Durbin and Jett Williams, two players who have proven that they won't let doubts stemming from their short statures prevent them from having successful professional careers.

Over the course of a 162-game season, having a roster filled with players who care about winning and put forth their best effort night in and night out can be the difference between qualifying for the postseason and missing out on October baseball.

As previously mentioned, this strategy has pervaded the Brewers' draft strategy. Not only do Frelick, Mitchell, and Black fit the mold, but 2025 first-round pick Andrew Fischer also appears to have a passion for the sport that bodes well for the future of his professional career. Fischer's intensity was on full display in his World Baseball Classic debut with Team Italy over the weekend, leading to some comical concerns about his partaking in Italy's fitting home run celebration.

Andrew Fischer's passion for baseball on clear display during his epic World Baseball Classic debut

Team Italy's home run celebration during the 2026 WBC involves going through a gauntlet of high fives before Kansas City Royals' first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino hands you a shot of espresso at the end of the line. The ritual pays homage to Italy's culture and involves the team having an espresso machine in their dugout at all times.

The celebration has caught on quickly, but there may be moments when the magnitude of the situation and a player’s excitement make it better to pretend to take the shot rather than actually do it. Such was the case when Fischer arrived in the dugout following his solo homer, which got Team Italy on the board in their Sunday afternoon matchup against Great Britain. After crushing a home run off Great Britain starter Owen Wild in his first at-bat of the WBC, Fischer was understandably fired up after a quick trip around the bases, leading to the following post from Jomboy Media.

Though Fischer may not have needed an espresso shot, his energy in the dugout woke up a previously dormant Team Italy offense. In fact, just moments after his celebration, catcher J.J. D'Orazio crushed another solo homer to tie the game at two runs apiece.

Fischer's intensity continued throughout the contest. In the inning after his towering home run, the first-round pick beat out an RBI infield single to give Team Italy the lead. For an organization that prides itself on players who genuinely love to compete and bring passion to the field every day, Fischer’s performance, and the emotion that came with it, only reinforced the belief that he could be a strong culture fit as he continues to develop in the organization.

Team Italy is back at it on Tuesday night, with an 8:00 p.m. CT matchup with Team USA. After his impressive performance over the weekend, Fischer should be back in the lineup against the Americans, giving Brewers fans another reason to tune in for the WBC contest.