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Milwaukee Hates Jesse Winker, and Apparently the Feeling is Mutual

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Milwaukee Brewers fans made it abundantly clear how they felt about Jesse Winker when he was in town last week with the New York Mets for the NL Wild Card series, booing the slugger loudly every time he stepped into the batter’s box at American Family Field.

Turns out, the feeling is mutual.

“As far as Milwaukee goes,” Winker told Mark W. Sanchez of the New York Post, “I’ll hate them forever.”

Jesse Winker Hates Milwaukee Back

The spat between Winker and Brewers fans goes back a long way, starting when Winker played for the Cincinnati Reds, one of Milwaukee’s NL Central Division rivals.

Winker was notorious for crushing Brewers pitching during that portion of his career, especially when the Reds visited Milwaukee, where he slashed .344/.440/.592 with a 1.013 OPS in 32 games.

That offensive output was one of the reasons the Brewers sent second baseman Kolten Wong to the Seattle Mariners in a trade for Winker in December 2022, despite an unimpressive slash line of .219/.344/.344 due to a series of injuries.

Not the Ideal Fit

Milwaukee, though, failed to provide the bounce-back environment the Brewers and Winker had envisioned. Plagued again by injuries, Winker appeared in just 61 games last season, batting just .199 with a home run, 23 RBI, and a .567 OPS.

Even with those abysmal numbers, Winker still landed a spot on the Brewers’ postseason roster for their NL Wild Card series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. He appeared as a pinch-hitter in each of Milwaukee’s two games, striking out and grounding out, to cap off an overall miserable experience.

“I had two surgeries. And I hate making excuses because ultimately, I gave the green light and said I was ready to compete,” Winker said during his return to Milwaukee as a member of the Washington Nationals earlier in the season. “Looking back on it, I probably overshot my expectations of where I was at. And that falls on me. I have to live with that.

“It was my decision. It was a new organization. They trusted everything I was telling them. And I feel bad because as a player you want to play well. Especially when you go to a team for the first time – you want to leave a lasting impression. And I didn’t play well. So, there’s no excuse for that other than I didn’t do what I was supposed to do.”

Hatred Reignited

Winker earned more of the fans’ wrath in the Mets’ 8-4 victory in Game 1, driving in a pair of runs with a second-inning triple. But it was what happened during that play that really rankled the home crowd.

As he rounded second, Winker appeared to have a heated exchange with Brewers shortstop Willy Adames, to the point an umpire had to break up the discussion before things escalated.

“I don’t know what was going through his head, but he just started saying some stuff and I just said something back,” Adames said. “I think that’s the kind of player he is. It is what it is.”

Winker wouldn’t elaborate on what was said during the exchange. “If you think I’m able to run and talk, you don’t know my athletic abilities,” he said. “Can’t do that.”

Winker said nothing more was said in the ensuing games, and he has no intention of discussing things any further with Adames. But he apparently still has plenty to say.

“It’s part of sports, these fans. They can react to you however they want,” Winker said. “They pay for the tickets. They’re the veins and the lifeblood of our sport … but I’ll hate the city of Milwaukee forever.”

While Winker and the Mets eliminated the Brewers and are now moving on to the NL Championship Series, fans can enjoy at least one silver lining. Milwaukee’s Broken Bat Brewery is offering pints of its beer for $1.99 all day Thursday, in honor of Winker’s batting average with the Brewers.

 

Photo Credit: © Jovanny Hernandez / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The post Milwaukee Hates Jesse Winker, and Apparently the Feeling is Mutual appeared first on Last Word On Baseball.