FanPost

Goodbye Old Friend


Sad Honk, sad honk!

Sometimes life is hard. You feel like you are living like a vessel of love and yet bad things still happen. You all know what I'm talking about, the Brewers parted ways this week with a player who made the team fun. In addition to being a valuable member of the bullpen he put a smile on the faces of those around him, and his presence from a team and a fan perspective will be sorely missed.

Baseball is a business, and sometimes the best business decisions aren't the ones that the fans, players, and / or management want. This was clearly one of those times.

I'm talking, of course about Jandel Gustave. His non-tender this week shook the Brewer faithful, and shows how heartless a game that this can be.

Sure he wasn't what you would call "good", but he brought so many intangibles to the game and clubhouse. Who could forget how he wore his hat real high on the top of his head like it would blow off at any second (although it never did!). And what about the time that he pitched in that one game and he struck that guy out? Everyone always forgets about that one!

Did you know that he was nominated (and won) the Brewers' Joe Winkelsas award the last 2 years? What is the Joe Winkelsas award you ask? It's not well publicized like the Roberto Clemente award, but it is a big deal anyway. The JWA is awarded to the Brewers reliever that exemplifies financially sound innings eating and teamwork while displaying limited baseball acumen. The award is named after Winklesas, the former garbage man turned pitcher that managed to pitch in 7 games for the Crew in 2006, all of which the Brewers lost.

Jendal, or Goose, ( A nickname that I was trying to make happen, but just didn't) not only ate 28 innings for the Brewers in 2022 (one of which he balked in the winning run), he did the most selfless teammate thing of all, he went on the fake IL. Coincidentally, at the trade deadline, and with the Brewers needing roster spots for big time contributors like Trevor Rosenthal, he went on the 15 day IL with "Right forearm discomfort", right. Incredibly, this forearm discomfort lasted all the way to October 6th, well after the Brewers' season was over and Goose couldn't pitch additional meaningless innings.

Now he's just cut loose with no minor league options remaining to join the land of misfit toys. Look for there to be an influx of #31 jerseys at your local Goodwill and for season ticket sales to plummet.

There's still a chance he could return in 2023 as I have started an online petition with over 12 signatures to date, but I'm not counting on it. Goodbye Goose, parting is such sweet sorrow.

Hold on, they let Suter go too? WHAT THE FUCK!!!!!!!!!!