For Brewers fans, a 57-year wait finally ended with a championship and a clubhouse ritual. Before games, hitters lit cigarettes in the batting cage, believing those rally heaters could spark victories. As October unfolded, the shared ritual became part of the Milwaukee Brewers’ remarkable postseason journey. From sweeping the Dodgers to winning the World Series, the Brewers kept giving fans reasons to believe.
“You walk by the cage and see the cigs lit, and you’re like, the boys are ready to rock,” said Brewers Captain Christian Yelich.
Before the Brewers’ postseason began, hitters lit cigarettes in the batting cage, calling them rally heaters. Their motto promised, “If we smoke heaters in the cage, we will smoke heaters in the game.”
As October unfolded, fans watched that clubhouse ritual become part of every celebration. For Brewers supporters, every cigarette seemed to carry one familiar hope: maybe this year would finally be theirs. The Brewers finished 11-2 in October, bringing home a championship after 57 years of waiting.
That long wait reached its final chapter against Tampa Bay, where the Brewers won the World Series 4-1.
The Brewers’ bats came alive. They scored 25 runs across five games, batting .280 with a .745 OPS. In Game 3 alone, they scored 8 runs in a two-out fifth-inning rally. Even after Tampa Bay stole Game 4 in 12 innings, the Brewers returned and finished the job. Game 5 carried the weight of generations, but Jacob Misiorowski gave Brewers fans reason to believe, pitching 5.2 scoreless innings.
The celebration was not only about one October, but about decades spent hoping for this moment. Before facing the Rays, the Brewers had swept the Dodgers, ending their bid for a third straight championship.
The Brewers swept the Dodgers 4-0, with Brice Turang’s Game 1 homer setting the tone. Milwaukee overcame three deficits in Game 2 and scored three home runs in Game 3, ending LA’s bid for a third straight title. But their postseason journey began against San Diego, where the Brewers won the NLDS 3-1.
The Brewers beat San Diego 3-1 in the NLDS, with Jackson Chourio’s walk-off single in Game 2 and Garrett Mitchell’s diving catch in Game 4 providing the pivotal moments. Their championship journey continued, while rally heaters and individual routines became part of October’s story.
Jake Bauers reportedly switched socks, putting his right sock on his left and vice versa. Garrett Mitchell followed a careful order with his equipment, wearing the exact same belt, arm sleeve, and wrist tape, and precisely strapping on his batting gloves and safety guards. Cooper Pratt used breath work with rap, pop, or country music. Jacob Misiorowski kept one gum piece throughout starts; changing it once in Triple-A had brought trouble. After giving up a grand slam and a single, he said, “Screw it, I’m never doing that again.”
Although the Brewers haven’t used any such cigarette rituals before games, Baltimore Orioles pitcher Mike Cuellar smoked during games, believing his routine helped maintain his pitching rhythm.
Baseball rituals often emerge when athletes face pressure and outcomes feel beyond their control. Sports psychology research suggests superstitions can ease anxiety, build confidence, and create a sense of control during uncertain moments. For teams, shared rituals also strengthen bonds, giving players something familiar to lean on when stakes rise. But baseball has seen team rituals before, and the Brewers’ became tied to a championship and a 57-year wait.
Other crazy team rituals in MLB
Before Milwaukee’s rally heaters became a championship story, baseball teams had embraced shared rituals for generations.
In 2010, Giants first baseman Aubrey Huff wore a leopard-print red thong during San Francisco’s late-season push. Teammates embraced his superstition, and Huff later displayed the underwear during the championship parade.
Earlier, the 1894 Baltimore Orioles reportedly drank warm turkey gravy before batting practice, alongside questionable tactics. These rituals gave teammates something familiar to share when pressure grew and winning became harder.
Other teams carried strange charms, turning individual habits into clubhouse traditions that fans could follow.
In 2013, Dominican closer Fernando Rodney brought a large green plantain into the World Baseball Classic dugout. The fruit became a team mascot as the Dominican Republic finished undefeated, winning all 8 games. Fans and plantain farmers joined the celebration, sharing photos and sending support from home. Postseason beards and unwashed uniforms followed similar beliefs, with players fearing laundry might wash away winning momentum.
Like Huff’s thong and Rodney’s plantain, the rally heaters became a symbol of team belief—not proof that cigarettes changed results, but a shared moment that captured Milwaukee’s spirit as they finally brought a championship home.