The perils facing young baseball stars in the Dominican Republic with Gus Garcia-Roberts, plus the 2026 minor leagues in review with Spencer Michaelis
Milwaukee Brewers MicrobrewShow Notes
The Milwaukee Brewers are among the teams that have had a lot of success building talent through its international pipeline, including players like Jackson Chourio and Jesús Made. But the process has its flaws, including predatory lenders who look to take advantage of families promised bonuses years before they're able to officially sign. Gus Garcia-Roberts (9:10), an investigative reporter from ProPublica, traveled to the Dominican Republic to get a sense of what young star ballplayers and their families face in that fraught period between being identified as a talent and signing day. He joined host JR Radcliffe to discuss what he saw, the forces at work and what Major League Baseball could do about it. Then, JR chats with Brewers minor-league guru Spencer Michaelis of Backfield Brew and Brewer Fanatic (30:45) to review the 2026 Brewers minor-league season, which just wrapped with Biloxi's loss in the Southern League Championship Series. They discuss the top players in the system, including those with massive upside even if the numbers don't suggest it, the remarkable offensive season of Andrew Fischer, Made's immediate future and more.
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After some tense moments in the ninth inning, the Milwaukee Brewers prevail with a nail-biting 3-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 1 of the 2026 World Series. Brewers reporter Curt Hogg and host JR Radcliffe give the game a breakdown, from the craziness of the ninth to the big performances by William Contreras, Jackson Chourio and others. What about the news that Brandon Woodruff made the World Series roster, even though he hasn't pitched in a game since July? How do we rate Jacob Misiorowski's five innings? Can you believe you just got to see the Brewers in the World Series?
You've made it to see the Milwaukee Brewers play in the World Series again in your lifetime. It'll be Jacob Misiorowski against Nick Martinez tonight as the Brewers and the Rays square off for all the marbles, starting with Game 1 at American Family Field. Before the moment Milwaukee has waited for, Thursday marked media day, where players chatted about the challenge ahead. Hear from Christian Yelich, Brandon Woodruff, Aaron Ashby and Garrett Mitchell, but before that, host JR Radcliffe sits down with announcer Jeff Levering to discuss his already-unforgettable NLCS clincher call, how he got here, how he's preparing for the big moment and how Bob Uecker lingers over everything this franchise does.
The Milwaukee Brewers know their opponent in the World Series: The Tampa Bay Rays, a fellow small-market (ish) team that has yet to win a World Series in franchise history. Brewers reporter Curt Hogg and host JR Radcliffe take a look at the matchup, including two key familiar names in starting pitchers Drew Rasmussen and Freddy Peralta. They look at the hitters, the vibes and more with Game 1 of the World Series on its way Friday. Then, take a stroll back in time to hear some recent history from past episodes, including a 2023 episode in which the duo discussed the hiring of Pat Murphy (and initial trade for Jake Bauers), the 2024 post-mortem after the wild-card loss to the Mets and the 2025 episode in which the Dodgers swept the Brewers in the NLCS.
The last time Milwaukee won a World Series, it took seven dramatic games, an otherworldly performance from a starting pitcher and even a walk-off home run. But they weren't the Brewers. Rich Schabowski, a driving force in the Milwaukee Braves Historical Society, offers a look back at the 1957 championship, and 1958 World Series runner-up finish and the general legacy of the Braves, who never had a losing season in 13 years in Milwaukee but left for Atlanta anyway.
Remember when the Milwaukee Brewers clinched a spot in the 2026 World Series? Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporter Curt Hogg is back from Los Angeles and looking back at the team's incredible four-game sweep of the Dodgers. He and host JR Radcliffe discuss Aaron Ashby, Brandon Woodruff, Jake Bauers and plenty more. Soak it all in as the week off begins.