Brewers Win Their First World Series, Beating the Rays 4-1 in Game 5. The Race Is Not Always to the Rich.

The facts come first below. My opinion follows in the section marked as opinion.

The Milwaukee Brewers are World Series champions for the first time in franchise history. They beat the Tampa Bay Rays 4-1 in Game 5 on Wednesday night at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, the Associated Press reported. The AP described them as the small-ball Brewers, playing in the smallest market in the majors.

Young ace Jacob Misiorowski threw 5 2/3 scoreless innings of two-hit ball before leaving with a right calf cramp. Rookie shortstop Cooper Pratt, 22, had two more hits and two RBIs and set a Series rookie record with six straight hits, and Jackson Chourio set a five-game Series record with 11 hits, according to the AP.

A long wait ends

The title comes in the 58th season for a franchise that began as the Seattle Pilots in 1969 and moved to Milwaukee the next year. The Brewers' only earlier World Series trip, in 1982, ended in a Game 7 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals after they blew a 3-1 lead in the sixth inning, the AP noted.

It is Milwaukee's first World Series title since the 1957 Braves, MLB.com reported. The Brewers won a franchise-record and major league-best 103 games, beat the Padres in the division series, swept the Dodgers in the league championship series and lost only twice in 11 postseason wins. They also shook off a painful Game 4 loss in which they were three outs from the title. About 31,000 fans filled American Family Field back home to watch the clincher on the scoreboard, 1,200 miles away.

Before Wednesday, five current franchises had never won a World Series: the Brewers, Mariners, Padres, Rays and Rockies. Now four remain, MLB.com noted.

What they said

"I'm just really, really grateful, really thankful that we did it. Like who believed it?" said manager Pat Murphy, 67, according to MLB.com. He said last year's elimination by the Dodgers "was a blessing, because we learned from it and we grew, and we came in with a different attitude."

Captain Christian Yelich, who arrived in 2018, said, "I can't tell you how many people have told me, 'I've waited my whole life for this,'" MLB.com reported. Pitcher Brandon Woodruff, who skipped season-ending shoulder surgery in August to try to pitch in the Series and did, said, "I gave Murph a big hug and I was crying."

The championship parade is set for Friday at 10 a.m. Central in downtown Milwaukee, ending at the Summerfest grounds, according to MLB.com.

Opinion: The small market reminds us who really keeps score

When we wrote about this team in Brewers Lead Rays 2-0 in World Series After Game 2 Comeback, the point was that a club that does not quit is worth watching. Days later, it finished the job. The smallest market in baseball beat a sport that often seems built for the biggest payrolls.

The wise man of Ecclesiastes saw this long ago: "the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong." Money and size matter, but they are not the last word. A rookie shortstop, a young pitcher and a captain who stayed put for years did not need to be the richest team. They needed to be ready when their time came.

I also noticed how the men talked afterward. The manager's first words were about gratitude. He called last year's loss a blessing because it taught them something. That is a lesson for more than ballplayers. The defeat you hate today may be the thing that shapes you for tomorrow, if you are humble enough to learn from it.

Then there is the city. Thousands of fans traveled to Florida, and about 31,000 more filled their own empty ballpark to watch a scoreboard. That kind of loyalty is not bought. It is built over decades of losing seasons and near misses. Enjoy the parade, Milwaukee. You waited a long time, and you earned it.

Just remember that the trophy will tarnish and the banner will fade. Give thanks for a good game well played, and keep the gratitude long after the confetti is swept up.