Like 2008's Nail in the Coffin series, 2009's Walk Toward The Light aims to memorialize the eliminated teams that are gone and will likely be forgotten.

Milwaukee Brewers

Current Record 76-78

Season highlight Though the Brewers didn't have much go right for them after June 1, fans did get the pleasure of watching Prince Fielder(notes) continue a season-long tear that affirmed his superstar status (and probably assured that he'll eventually leave Milwaukee, but that's another worry for another time.) Anyway, on Sept. 19, Fielder collected his 127th RBI, breaking the franchise record held by Cecil Cooper, who was then managing the Astros across the field.   

Season lowlight Apart from featuring a pitching staff that made grown men cry in their Pabst, the 2009 Brewers were also known for getting into a disagreement with an opponent or four. The most memorable of incidents came in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, when Fielder took umbrage with a HBP by the Dodgers' Guillermo Mota(notes) and decided to pay the opposing clubhouse a little postgame visit. The angry Fielder was diverted by quick-thinking teammates and security guards, but the bum rush painted a perfect picture of a  season full of frustration for the defending NL wild card champs. 

We knew the Brewers were done for when ... CC Sabathia(notes) headed for the Bronx and Ben Sheets(notes) headed off to the injured wild. Yovani Gallardo(notes) pitched well for the Crew in his first season as the team's ace, but good performances from the other starters were few and far between. No team can afford to lose two top line pitchers and expect to dodge the damage. (Go up to Milwaukee and mention Jeff Suppan's(notes) name. Go ahead, we dare you.)

The Stew's favorite posts featuring the Brewers ...

Fielder registers 7.6 on Richter scale After hitting a walkoff homer against the Giants on Sept. 6, Fielder unleashed a seismic celebration with his teammates at home plate. San Francisco didn't take too kindly to the revelry and the first game between the two teams in 2010 will be one to circle on our calendars.

Ryan Braun wages war against reality television The dreamy Brewers outfielder may be the stuff that "The Bachelor" is made of, but he told the show's producers that he's doing just fine with the ladies on his own, thank you.

Braun wages war against Doug Melvin By early July, everyone was imploring the Milwaukee GM to go out and get some pitching and Braun decided he had no choice but to join the chorus. After a defeat to the Cubs, Braun said it'd be nice if Melvin got off his rear and added an arm or two, which didn't make the front office very happy. Braun later backed off and Melvin later got even when he did absolutely nothing. (Sure showed him!)

Prince dethrones King of St. Louis Albert Pujols(notes) wasn't up to the challenge for his hometown Home Run Derby, so Fielder stepped in and won the thing, outdueling Texas' Nelson Cruz(notes) in the final round. The post-contest press conference was something to behold as an ill-informed reporter asked if Prince had "gotten any advice from his dad" before participating in the derby. ("Uh, no," said Prince.)

Haunted hotel frightens Fish Thanks to some very scared Marlins, the baseball world learned about one of the Brewers' secret weapons — Milwaukee's haunted Pfister Hotel.

Casey McGehee's son leads team to motivational win For feel-good stories, it was hard to beat a first pitch from three-year-old Mack McGehee and then his dad's important home run later in the game. Mack has cerebal palsy and the moment shared by the two before the game was something that was very heartwarming to watch. 

What the team needs to do for 2010 Milwaukee faces some tough decisions with their current players this offseason and they'd do well in ensuring that Trevor Hoffman(notes) and Mike Cameron(notes) return next season. There's a possibility for some drama in the Alcides Escobar(notes)-J.J. Hardy bog at short and we can also expect a lot of ink to be written on Mat Gamel's(notes) quest to be an everyday player. However, if the Brewers don't go out and get Gallardo some help, all of those storylines will be moot and we'll be able to expect the same obit at the end of the next season. By the end of this year, over 3 million Milwaukee fans will have turned out to support their team — good for ninth in the bigs — and owner Mark Attanasio needs to reward that loyalty with some upgrades.

Related: Walk Toward The Light