It had been 26 years since the Milwaukee Brewers had played October baseball.  That changed Sunday afternoon.

CC Sabathia and Ryan Braun almost single-handedly carried the Crew to a 3-1 victory and a postseason berth against the Chicago Cubs.  What a fantastic day to be a Brewers fan.  Let me reflect a little bit.

This win goes out to all the fans who stuck through the bad times throughout the season.  The fans who were not afraid to harbor some hope after the Brewers got swept by the Boston Red Sox at Fenway.  The fans who spoke reason and pulled friends back from the ledge after the devastating sweep at Miller Park at the hands of the hated Chicago Cubs.  The fans who still believed in the Crew after blowing a five-game Wild Card lead in September.  The fans who knew it was going to be alright after Ben Sheets came down with what appears to be a season-ending injury.

This win also is a culmination of all the great things that happened in Brewers baseball in 2008.  Remember Russell Branyan's mammoth pinch-hit, game-tying home run in the bottom of the ninth inning?  How about Ryan Braun's walk-off grand slam against the Pirates the other day?  Do you remember the controversial one-hitter thrown by CC Sabathia?  The jump in ticket sales once CC officially became a Milwaukee Brewer?  Gabe Kapler's walk-off home run late, late in extra innings?

The lists can go on and on, but the moment cannot.  Cherish the exuberance felt by Brewers fans all over the globe.  Many younger folks like myself have not even sniffed October baseball, much less experienced it in real life.  I cannot even imagine what the atmosphere will be like on Wednesday. 

Who will take the hill Wednesday afternoon?  Can Salomon Torres revert back to his mid-season form and hold down the closer's role?  Will the Brewers be able to make the postseason berth worthwhile?  Or will they simply fizzle in the first round against the Phillies?  Can the Crew compete for a playoff spot again next season?

Those are fantastic questions...but not right now.  I don't want to think about who will pitch Wednesday, about next season.  I simply want to sit back, rewind the DVR, and relive the moment again.  There is a lump in my throat that won't go away.  I don't want it to.

Brewers fans, clear your schedules for Wednesday, October 1.  We have some baseball to watch.