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The Brewers' Jackson Chourio makes history with two home runs in Game 2

Posted on by Vanessa
The Brewers' Jackson Chourio makes history with two home runs in Game 2

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“Ignorance is bliss.”

When Rhys Hoskins said that about his teammate, the youngest player in Major League Baseball, in a cheering clubhouse in Milwaukee on Wednesday night, let us be clear: He was in no way discrediting Jackson Chourio. It's exactly the opposite. Hoskins has a lot of respect for the newcomer.

But oh, to be 20 years old. Free to just be out there and play.

Chourio had nothing to do with Milwaukee's abysmal recent playoff history – 1-10 in its last 11 playoff games before Game 2 of the National League wild-card game against the New York Mets. And that's why Chourio didn't have to carry any of that baggage with him in these postseason games.

Chourio hit two game-winning home runs, a leadoff throw that tied the game at 1-1, and another solo home run that tied Milwaukee's 5-3 victory at 3-3 in the eighth inning.

But this is just surreal:

Chourio joined Babe Ruth as the only players in MLB history to hit two game-winning home runs in the same game. Ruth made it in Game 4 of the 1928 World Series in St. Louis.

“The pressure will always be there,” Chourio said through his translator. “As players, our job is to control it as best we can. Go out there and find the moments where we can control it and keep going out there and doing what we do.”

Ok, you've seen all the highlight reels by now.

But do you know what Chourio did in the clubhouse after he hit those two historic home runs and helped the Brewers even win the series?

He sat quietly in his chair next to his locker and checked his phone. I'm not looking for more compliments in the room. He didn't appear the least bit tired or exhausted, even though he had to be at American Family Field five hours before game time to attend a news conference.

When he was called after a few minutes, Chourio did a quick hair check on the way to the conference room – everything was good – and that was that. Totally normal 20 year old stuff.

It conveys a similar feeling – dare we say it – of Giannis Antetokounmpo, who at age 19 was spotted moving in the mirror after a Milwaukee Bucks practice. Of course, Milwaukee got to see the Greek Freak grow into his own team, and now Milwaukee gets to watch Venezuela's Chourio spread his wings.

Chourio made so much history on Tuesday night. He is the youngest player in MLB history with two hits in a postseason game. He has now done it twice.

Chourio was 2 for 4 with two RBI with two home runs.

His home run in the first inning was the second postseason leadoff home run in franchise history. The other came from Corey Hart in Game 6 of the 2011 NL Championship Series.

Chourio also became the second-youngest player in MLB history to hit two home runs in a postseason game; Andruw Jones of Atlanta was the youngest.

If only we could all speak Spanish so we could talk to him more and get his thoughts. Chourio has taken some English lessons, but he has spoken publicly throughout the year with a translator. That may be another reason why he seems pretty quiet at times – there's just a language barrier.

But there's another interesting thing about these Brewers and Chourio. They make sure they communicate with him, and not just by asking a bilingual teammate like Willy Adames to do so.

Brice Turang said players talked in the dugout in the second game about continuing to push after falling behind 3-1 in the third inning or when they got within a run, and then continuing to push after Chourio in the eighth Inning the equalizing inning.

“Keep going. Carry on. Carry on. Keep fighting,” Turang said. “We are right there. Just keep going.”

Lori Nickel: Here's what drives Jackson Chourio, the Milwaukee Brewers phenom and youngest player in the majors

But how is this message passed on to those who do not speak the language?

“Regardless of any language barriers, I've somehow been around the game for so long that it's pretty easy to still talk about baseball with someone you might not speak the same language with,” Hoskins said. “For us Americans too, right? Like we’ve been in professional baseball long enough to learn enough.”

“In the dugout there are definitely conversations between people who don’t speak the same language. You know enough words, we know enough words, to kind of put it together.”

One day, Chourio's world will open even wider when he can easily speak English with teammates on topics beyond baseball. At the moment, however, his worldview is pretty simple. Smash the ball and win the game.

“It’s just been an incredible year,” Chourio said through the translator. “There’s nothing more to say.”

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