Future of the Franchise

Christian Yelich is a two-time Milwaukee Brewer, and was more than happy to wear the Brew-Crew jersey once again after he was traded in 2017. His fondest memories of his elite youth baseball league occured when he was only 14, wearing the gold and blue. 

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Yelich's association with jersey's runs even deeper though. His great-grandfather was the forward looking thinker to decorate the Los Angeles NFL team's leather helmets with ram's horns. This began a now long-standing tradition of decorating helmets with logos. His great-grandfather however had even more to contribute than merely drawing logos. Tired of breaking his nose and getting hit in his face throughout a football game, he invented the full face mask to attach to the front of the helmet, thus preventing facial damage. 

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Yelich was born out of this legacy of greatness, even though he decided early on that he would ply his craft on the baseball diamond rather than the gridiron. 

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But Yelich now has a new jersey to add to his closet. Washington plans on having him roam the outfield for many years to come as he is locked down with a NTC. As long he doesn't lose his glove, his defense will stay great; as long as his bat isn't broken, he will still hit; and as far as NTC'es go, Yelich seems to be a comfortable one to sign for the long-term and hand over the keys to the franchise. 

Team MVP

For a man who studied 4 years to be a priest, he sure can throw the baseball hard. Growing up, a local priest would spend Sundays with him, guiding him, playing bumper cars, and taking him to baseball games. Church was a big part of his life. "For me, it's God, family and then the Cardinals." Go Cards!!! But baseball did eventually take over his life and he devoted the rest of his career to pitching. 

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Life has always taken a front seat in his life however, while baseball has been secondary. And for Carlos Martinez, creating relationships and dealing with hardships has come often for him. "When Oscar Taveras died, I lost a brother, a friend. It was almost like losing a twin." But the loss and grief didn't stop there. The deaths of fellow teammates, Yordano Ventura, Jose Fernandez and Andy Marte, likewise impacted him greatly.

How he has reacted, matured, and grown is the larger part of the story however. "But life has taught me that you can remember the good things and that's what I focus on, the good memories. So, when I am asked about my friends who have died, and you see me smile, it's because I am thinking of the joy we shared"

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So as he leads the team at the front of the rotation, and becomes a leader in the clubhouse, it's always important to remember that growth and maturity take many paths, and for Carlos Martinez, that path was not easy. 

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