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“The Thrill of Victory” Photo Gallery

Congrats to the Milwaukee Brewers!

The 2026 World Series is over, and the Milwaukee Brewers have won the first World Series championship in franchise history. This Cub fan was pulling for them all the way. They have a great team and a great manager, and they put on a clinic on how to play winning baseball. It was a joy to watch from start to finish. 

A Unique World Series

The 2026 World Series was rightfully dubbed the “Small Market World Series,” as the Brewers and Rays ranked 17th and 21st, respectively, in team payroll. It was also the sixth World Series in the Wild-Card era (1995–present) to feature the two best records in each league, and was the fourth World Series to feature two expansion-era teams.

Watching the Brewers celebrating after recording the 27th and final out in the five-game Series, I’m reminded again of the great line by Hall of Fame manager, Tommy Lasorda:

“The best possible thing in baseball is winning the World Series…and the second best thing is losing the World Series!”

I’ve always enjoyed looking at raucous clubhouse celebration scenes after World Series victories. Even more so from the old days – before the advent of the big bucks – when baseball was played more for the love of the game than anything else.

We’ve all seen it many times. There just doesn’t seem to be anything else like a World Series victory that’s capable of bringing out such uninhibited emotions, such complete and utter joy. You see guys in the clubhouse celebrations doing all sorts of crazy things they normally would never do…like mussing each other’s hair and even planting kisses on each other!

All the clubhouse cliques, grudges, jealousies, and resentments that had built up over the long season are cast aside once a World Series victory rolls around. Guys who hated each other and probably weren’t even on speaking terms during the season are now routinely seen hugging and embracing! All is forgiven and forgotten. Everyone is happy and smiling.

And things really haven’t changed much over the years. Even in today’s game, where money has become such a huge factor, we still see the same genuine emotions on display year after year.

In the photo above, we see the normally quiet and reserved Joe DiMaggio in a very uncharacteristic moment after the Yankees won the 1947 World Series. He’s about to plant a “smooch” on winning pitcher Frank Shea. Almost hard to believe! Other photos in the gallery above depict Dizzy Dean with a lampshade on his head as he hugs Frankie Frisch in 1934; Phil Rizutto planting a kiss on Billy Martin in 1952; and Duke Snider, Don Newcombe, and Johnny Podres getting a champagne shower in 1955.

What else besides a World Series victory could possibly bring out such pure, uninhibited, childlike emotions, especially from a straight-laced guy like Joe DiMaggio? It’s a side of him we don’t see very often in old photos.

Maybe that’s one of the reasons why we love this game so much. Like all the players shown in the photo gallery above, we also can revert to our childhood for a brief period of time, basking in sheer emotional joy, when our team wins the Fall Classic! And no one can blame us!

Again…Congrats to the Brew Crew! Enjoy your day in the sun at the top of the baseball world!

Gary Livacari

Photo Credits: All found on Google search

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