Jacob Misiorowski's tall tales -- and talent -- hit World Series - ESPN

MILWAUKEE — Jacob Misiorowski is a human tall tale, Paul Bunyan in navy and yellow, Bill Brasky with a baseball. The Milwaukee Brewers right-hander does things that do not sound real, only they are. Misiorowski is 6-foot-7 and throws the baseball consistently harder than any man before him. He will start Game 1 of the World Series on Friday at 8 p.m. ET, every eye in American Family Field on him, the first Fall Classic game for the franchise in 44 years literally in his hands.

What comes out of Misiorowski's mouth is also the stuff of lore inside the Brewers' clubhouse. Almost every Brewer can recount a Miz story with glee and laughter. Some of them are, with strict adherence to the definition of the word, unbelievable. Others strain credulity. There might be exaggerations. All of them are pure, free of malice, stream-of-consciousness musings that make people love him for more than his fastball.

«It's such an endearing quality,» said Bob Zimmermann, Misiorowski's longtime pitching coach from the Kansas City area, where he grew up. «He's a humble, innocent guy. I always think it's funny when he says, 'My speed was down today,' like it's a car. One time he called me and said he was only 97. And I'm like, 'You're worried about your velo? Miz, it's your first spring training bullpen. I don't want you throwing 104 now.'»

On 22 occasions this season, Misiorowski threw a pitch at least 104 mph, his need for speed as acute as Maverick's in a fighter jet. And that speed — an average fastball of 100.5 mph this season, smashing the previous record for a qualified starting pitcher by 1.6 mph — propelled the 24-year-old Misiorowski to a revelatory first full season. He led Major League Baseball with a 1.80 ERA, struck out 252 batters