Brewers to channel 2008 vibes with ceremonial first pitch in Game 1 of 2025 NLDS

2008 was one of the most magical seasons in Milwaukee Brewers history. After nearly three decades of missing out on the postseason, the young core of Ryan Braun, Prince Fielder, and Rickie Weeks and the best mid-season trade acquisition in franchise history, CC Sabathia, brought playoff baseball back to Milwaukee.

In many ways, the 2025 squad mirrors the '08 team that so many Brewers fans have fond memories of. A young core of homegrown stars, Sal Frelick, Jackson Chourio, and Brice Turang, who came up together, has played an integral role in the success of the team, while trade acquisition Andrew Vaughn will likely go down as the second-best mid-season acquisition in Brewers' history.

And let's not forget how that 2008 regular season came to an end. In game 162, the Brewers defeated the Chicago Cubs thanks to a dramatic 8th inning homer from Braun and a triumphant complete game from Sabathia to give them a chance at their first postseason berth since 1982. When the Florida Marlins eventually defeated the New York Mets, the Brew Crew officially punched their ticket to the playoffs.

Fast forward 17 years, and the Brewers are hoping to channel the same energy that led them to one of the most important wins in franchise history back in game 162 of the '08 season. They are doing so by electing to have another key piece of that 2008 squad throw out the ceremonial first pitch in tomorrow afternoon's NLDS opener.

Brewers' 2008 closer, Salomón Torres, to throw out first pitch before Game 1 of the NLDS

Salomón Torres served as the Brewers’ primary closer during the 2008 season, playing a necessary role in the franchise's long-awaited return to the postseason. Torres converted 28 of his 35 save opportunities in a Brewers uniform back in 2008, including a save in the team's postseason win over the Philadelphia Phillies.

While Torres' Brewers tenure was brief, with 2008 being his only season in Milwaukee, his playing career was anything but. Torres debuted in 1993, beginning his career as a starting pitcher for the San Francisco Giants. He bounced around the league, converted to a relief pitcher, took three years off, played in Korea, and established himself as an effective high-leverage reliever with the Pittsburgh Pirates before finally landing in Milwaukee at the end of his career.

Some Brewers fans might be quick to question the choice of having Torres throw out the first pitch in the team's first playoff game of 2025, but those same fans don't remember just how electric Torres was during the Brewers' 2008 pep rally before their postseason run began. Thankfully, a Twin Cities newspaper known as the "Pioneer Press" maintains its written documentation of Torres' speech at said rally.

In front of a packed crowd on the Summerfest grounds, Torres exclaimed, "26 years you've been waiting. 26 years! You can wait no more!" Torres continued saying, "I know it's been a very, very hard season for all of us. At times, a lot of people thought, 'We're not going to make it.' But here we are!" as reported by the Pioneer Press.

That same message rings true for the 2025 squad. It was a very hard season, with the Crew scuffling out of the gates and not recovering until the end of May. Many people did think that the Brewers weren't going to make it, especially before the season began. But despite all of the noise about losing Willy Adames and Devin Williams, despite the countless injuries to starting pitchers to begin the season, despite everyone in the national media counting them out and continuing to do so even as the team enters the postseason as the top overall seed, the Brew Crew persists, and that's exactly what Torres communicated on that day back in 2008. In that way, Torres is the perfect former player to kick off the Brewers’ 2025 postseason run.

However, there's one pretty big difference between the 2008 and 2025 squads. The '08 Brewers barely squeaked into the playoffs, and were the clear underdogs in the National League once it began. This year's squad, on the other hand, set the pace in the NL and will compete with a "1" next to their name through the NL playoffs. So while there are some similarities between the squad that Torres closed games for 17 years ago and the current Brew Crew, there are some important differences that suggest this postseason will end differently than it did back in 2008.