Brewers manager has funny comment about gum being key to Christian Yelich home run

Brewers manager Craig Counsell had a funny comment about some chewing gum helping Christian Yelich at the plate.

Yelich has struggled this season but slugged a 3-run home run off Chicago Cubs starter Alec Mills in the sixth inning on Friday. Yelich, who was serving as Milwaukee’s designated hitter in the game, struck out in his other three at-bats. He decided to pop in some gum before his at-bat in the sixth to loosen up mentally, and it worked.

“I’m gonna put gum in my mouth and chew that and not think about how s—ty my at bats have been…so I stopped thinking about it, and then I swung cause I hadn’t swung all night so I swung, and then change up, and homer,” Yelich said of his at-bats.

Counsell was asked about the gum after the game and had a funny joke.

On chewing gum making the difference for Christian Yelich, #Brewers manager Craig Counsell said, "Well, this is a high-tech organization, guys. Guys are coming up with some new and innovative methods." No word on what the analytics department had on Yelich's chew rate.

— Tom (@Haudricourt) August 15, 2020

Though the gum worked for that at-bat, Yelich struck out in the eighth inning. He said after the game that he was no longer going to use the gum as a good-luck charm since it failed him in his next at-bat.

“The gum’s out, but it was a nice go-to. Will have to think of something else tomorrow,” Yelich said.

Maybe Counsell will have the analytics team working hard on a possible substitute.

The Brewers won the game 4-3 to drop the Cubs to 13-4. Despite his putrid start, Yelich has four home runs since August 6.