Nyjer Morgan relives old magic before throwing out the first pitch for the Brewers' Game 2

On a win-or-go-home Wednesday, who better to bring back for some good Game 2 vibes than Nyjer Morgan?

It was Morgan – aka "Tony Plush" – who delivered one of the most memorable moments in Milwaukee Brewers history almost 12 years ago to the day when he singled up the middle to beat the Arizona Diamondbacks in Game 5 of the National League Division Series, 3-2, in 10 innings at then-Miller Park.

The Diamondbacks are back in town for an NL wild-card series matchup and took a 1-0 lead after a 6-3 victory on Tuesday, so the Brewers were hoping that by Morgan throwing out the ceremonial first pitch beforehand will help revive some of that old magic.

It was the first time since the 2018 Morgan has done done so, and he was sure to point out the Brewers beat the Colorado Rockies that time.

"Just excited. Really excited," Morgan said before the game. "The memories – words really don't explain the feelings of being back in Milwaukee. All the love I'm getting from fans, I'm getting from you guys. It's amazing and I'm just really thankful to be back and be in this position."

Morgan was a late-spring, under-the-radar acquisition in 2011 and went on to play a major role on a Milwaukee team that ended up finishing two games shy of advancing to the franchise's second World Series.

In 119 games Morgan hit .304 with with a .778 OPS, serving as a catalyst at the top of the lineup and as one of the biggest fan favorites in team history.

His star waned in 2012, however, and Morgan moved on after that season.

But the love affair between Morgan and Brewers fans has never died.

"All the time," Morgan said when asked how often he thinks of that magical 2011 run. "Now that I've had a chance to let it settle down and simmer and now I understand what it really meant, to this magnitude.

"It still really hasn't hit me all the way, but there are certain things where I'll catch myself going back to 2011 when I made it happen."

That famous play saw Morgan single past the outstretched foot of Arizona reliever JJ Putz, with the ball rolling into center field as Carlos Gomez raced home from second base and slid in.

As the crowd exploded, Morgan could barely be contained as he celebrated on the infield with his teammates in the aftermath.

"The hit and the roar of the crowd," is what Morgan remembers most about the moment. "The roar of the crowd basically told me everything. I still hear it to this day in my sleep.

"It was an amazing, awesome experience."

Morgan was regarded as a mercurial player for most of his seven-year career, bouncing from the Pittsburgh Pirates to the Washington Nationals to the Brewers and then to Japan for a year before finishing up his playing days with a 15-game stint in Cleveland.

But he never fit in better than in Milwaukee.

"This feels home. This really feels home," Morgan said. "I feel like I came up in this organization even though I came up with the Pirates. Besides that, to me this is home. Even though I had two years here, I made a lasting impression on everybody and everybody's made a lasting impression on me, and that means everything in the world just to be in this position and be loved by so many different people."

What is Morgan up to these days?

"I'm 'T-Businessman' now," said the Miami resident. "I own a couple AirBnBs and I'm doing my thing on the platform. I'm a businessman now and I keep the approach definitely like I played my ball."

Morgan shared a big hug with former teammate Jim Henderson – now Milwaukee's bullpen coach – in the dugout well before the game and continued to make the rounds as time ticked down prior to stepping back into the spotlight.

He made certain to hug it out with rookie Sal Frelick, the Brewers rookie phenom who in many ways is reminiscent of Morgan in the take-no-prisoners approach with the way he plays.

"I love Sal Frelick. I'm a huge fan of Sal Frelick," he said. "I just got a chance to meet him for the first time so I definitely told him, 'I love the way you play. I love your energy and I just love the heart that you bring to this organization.'"

Morgan also has admiration for how the Brewers performed this season, finishing 92-70 and winning their third NL Central Division title in six years.

"They grinded it out," he said. "With that nucleus, and it seems like Uncle Craig (Counsell) is making it work. He's doing a wonderful job at the helm."

What kind of advice would he give a Brewers team facing elimination?

"It's basically, you've got to win," he said. "Don't put too much pressure on yourself. Do what you do, stay within yourself, stay within the moment, take care of what you can and everything's going to fall in place.

"You've just got to let it go and play your best."

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Nyjer Morgan relives 2011 Brewers magic before Game 2 vs. Diamondbacks