Brewers 1982

Covering the Milwaukee Brewers throughout the 1982 season, in real-time, as it would have happpened.

NL Dominates AL Again

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National League 4, American League 1
Box Score

Robin Yount
Robin Yount played the entire game, but went hitless.

MONTREAL — Considering the Brewers were represented in this year’s All-Star Game by four players (Robin Yount, Cecil Cooper, Ben Oglivie and Rollie Fingers), you’d think that at least one of them would provide us with some juicy memories.

Nope.

Instead, it was yet another relatively easy win for the National League, knocking off the American League for the 11th straight time and 19th of the last 20. It’s not even fair.

I could put you to sleep with details of Brewers exploits. Yount went 0-for-3 with a walk, but struck out to end the AL’s first inning rally with runners on first and third. Cecil Cooper recorded his first All-Star hit in that same first inning, but it was a soft chopper for an infield single. Ben Oglivie had one at bat and flied out to right. Rollie Fingers pitched a scoreless eighth, but allowed two hits.

Snore. At least this game didn’t matter.

After the AL took a 1-0 lead in the first on a sacrifice fly by Reggie Jackson that scored Rickey Henderson, the NL struck back with a two-out, two-run home run by All-Star Game MVP Dave Concepcion over the left field fence off of Dennis Eckersley.

“It was a slider up and in and I don’t think it broke,” said Concepcion. “I was able to hit it really good.”

Indeed. While the two runs were all the NL would need, they scored another on a sac fly… in the….

…snore…

I’m sorry. This is just getting to be such a tired story. Nineteen times in the last 20 games? Eleven in a row? Give me a freaking break. I’m tired of hearing about it. I’m tired of writing about it. It’s painful to watch.

“All of this stuff about the National League being better will probably come up again next year,” said Yount. “Hopefully, I’m here to listen to it.”

Hopefully.

The 1982 All-Star Game Rosters

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The All-Star Game is tomorrow in Montreal, where four members of the Brewers will look to put on a show. The National League has won 10 in a row and 18 of the last 19 in an unbelievable display of dominance. Will this be the American League’s year?

Let’s take a look at each roster…

American League Starting Lineup

1. Rickey Henderson – LF (OAK)
2. Fred Lynn – CF (CAL)
3. George Brett – 3B (KC)
4. Reggie Jackson – RF (CAL)
5. Cecil Cooper – 1B (MIL)
6. Robin Yount – SS (MIL)
7. Bobby Grich – 2B (CAL)
8. Carlton Fisk – C (CHW)
9. Dennis Eckersley – P (BOS)

American League Reserves

First Base: Rod Carew (CAL), Kent Hrbek (MIN), Eddie Murray (BAL)

Second Base: Frank White (KC)

Third Base: Buddy Bell (TEX), Toby Harrah (CLE)

Catcher: Lance Parrish (DET)

Designated Hitter: Hal McRae (KC), Andre Thornton (CLE), Carl Yastrzemski (BOS)

Outfield: Ben Oglivie (MIL), Willie Wilson (KC), Dave Winfield (NYY)

Pitchers: Floyd Bannister (SEA), Jim Clancy (TOR), Mark Clear (BOS), Rollie Fingers (MIL), Rich Gossage (NYY), Ron Guidry (NYY), Dan Quisenberry (KC)

National League Starting Lineup

1. Tim Raines – LF (MON)
2. Pete Rose – 1B (PHI)
3. Andre Dawson – CF (MON)
4. Mike Schmidt – 3B (PHI)
5. Gary Carter – C (MON)
6. Dale Murphy – RF (ATL)
7. Dave Concepcion – SS (CIN)
8. Manny Trillo – 2B (PHI)
9. Steve Rogers – P (MON)

National League Reserves

First Base: Ray Knight (HOU), Al Oliver (MON), Jason Thompson (PIT)

Second Base: Steve Sax (LAD)

Shortstop: Ozzie Smith (STL)

Third Base: Bob Horner (ATL)

Catcher: Tony Pena (PIT), John Stearns (NYM)

Outfield: Ruppert Jones (SD), Dusty Baker (LAD), Leon Durham (CHC), Lonnie Smith (STL)

Pitchers: Steve Carlton (PHI), Steve Howe (LAD), Tom Hume (CIN), Greg Minton (SF), Phil Niekro (ATL), Mario Soto (CIN), Fernando Valenzuela (LAD)

Brewers Sweep into First at Break

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Brewers 8, Royals 5
Brewers now 48-35 (1st)
Box Score | Season Schedule

1982 Topps Paul Molitor
Paul Molitor goes into the break with 10 home runs, already a career high.

MILWAUKEE — Prior to their game with the Mariners in Seattle on June 2, the Milwaukee Brewers were scuffling in fifth place with a 23-24 record, seven games back in the AL East. That was the day that Buck Rodgers was fired and Harvey Kuenn took over on an “interim” basis.

Today, the Brewers wrapped up the first half of the season with a sweep of the Kansas City Royals, a team that was in first place in the AL West before the series began. In 36 games after Kuenn took over, the Brewers go into the All-Star break as the AL East leaders, up by percentage points over the Boston Red Sox after they fell to the Twins today.

How did the Brewers do it? Much in the way they won today’s game: The long ball. Today, “Harvey’s Wallbangers” launched four more home runs, one each by Paul Molitor (10), Charlie Moore (4), Ted Simmons (14) and Gorman Thomas (22). Molitor has already eclipsed his career high of nine, done twice before.

Before Rodgers was let go, the Brewers had hit 58 home runs in 47 games for 1.2 per game. Since Kuenn took the helm, they’e hit 67 in 36 games, or 1.9 per game. That’s downright silly. The 1982 Milwaukee Brewers, on pace to hit 244 home runs, are now being mentioned in the same breath as the 1961 New York Yankees, who set the team record with 241.

It hasn’t just been the home runs, though they’ve helped. The Brewers have also gotten much more consistent pitching, both from the bullpen and the starting rotation. The team that was a game under .500 36 games ago has been 25-11 ever since.

Is it all the manager? Maybe not. But the roster has remained the same. Kuenn’s approach has a relaxing influence on the team. They play looser and have more fun. Do they have more fun because they’re winning or the other way around? Who knows. But it’s working.

Game Notes: Rod Carew announced he would miss the All-Star Game due to tendinitis in his right hand. Cecil Cooper is a back-up, but Carew’s starting replacement has not been named. … The Brewers had 10 hits, the 13th time in the past 16 games that they’ve reached double digits.

Randy Lerch Shuts Out Royals

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Randy Lerch
Randy Lerch recorded his second career shutout

Brewers 7, Royals 0
Brewers now 47-35 (2nd)
Box Score | Season Schedule

MILWAUKEE — The Brewers have been hitting home runs at a record pace since Harvey Kuenn took over, but it’s games like this one that leave little doubt that they are a serious contender for the AL East title and more.

Sure, the offense was fantastic again. The Brewers scored seven runs on 19 hits. Seven of the nine Brewers hitters had multiple hits. Paul Molitor, Robin Yount and Ted Simmons all hit home runs. Ho hum.

But starting pitcher Randy Lerch was the real story today. Coming in at 5-5 with a 5.38 ERA, Lerch is the clear weak link of the rotation. Yet he shut out what is probably the league’s number two offense, after the Brewers. Nine innings, nine hits, three walks, six strikeouts. No runs.

It was Lerch’s first shutout of the season and the second of his career (his first was in 1979 with the Philadelphia Phillies). Was today’s performance unexpected? You bet. He hadn’t thrown more than seven innings in a game all season, and he reached seven only twice in 15 outings.

But what makes this win most impressive isn’t the offensive explosion or Randy Lerch’s performance. It’s that it was done against the Royals, the AL West’s best team. And the offense teed off on Vida Blue (an accomplished starting pitcher who entered the game with a 3.40 ERA) for four runs on 10 hits, knocking him out before he could get an out in the fourth inning.

The Red Sox beat the Twins 5-4 today to keep the Brewers a game back. But they won’t be able to hold off this impressive Crew forever.

Improbable 2-out Rally Carries Crew

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Brewers 9, Royals 6
Brewers now 46-35 (2nd)
Box Score | Season Schedule

Ben Oglivie
Ben Oglivie started an improbable two-out, seven run rally in the fourth with a harmless single.

MILWAUKEE — Bottom of the fourth inning. Two outs. Two strikes. Bases empty. Paul Splittorff on the mound for the Royals. Ben Oglivie at the plate for the Brewers.

There is no reason to write about anything that happened in this 9-6 Brewers win over the Kansas City Royals other than that one-third of an inning. It was incredible. Glorious. Improbable. Breath-taking. Baffling.

All the Royals needed was one strike or one out, whatever came first. But Ben Oglivie singled to center. Don Money walked. Ed Romero singled to left to bring in a run. Charlie Moore singled to right to bring in another run. Paul Molitor walked to load the bases. Robin Yount hustled out an infield single to score another run. Cecil Cooper drove in two with a double to center.

Seven straight baserunners? With two outs and the bases empty? You’re kidding?

Well, that wasn’t all. It was all for Splittorff, but the Brewers weren’t quite done. Former Brewer Bill Castro came on to intentionally walk Ted Simmons to load the bases and face Gorman Thomas. Gorman then doubled in Yount and Cooper. Ben Oglivie then came up again and was also intentionally walked. Don Money then struck out to finally end the inning.

Ten batters. Seven runs. Six hits. Four walks. All with the bases empty and two outs.

“With two out,” Gorman Thomas reflected, “you more or less resign yourself to thinking the inning is over.”

Well, that “you” Gorman referred to is apparently anyone other than these Brewers.

“You never figure to score that many,” Gorman continued, “much less with two outs, much less with two outs and nobody on, much less with two outs and two strikes on the hitter.”

Gorman the philosopher is correct. “You” never figure that. But again. These are the Brewers.

Harvey Kuenn has only led this team for a shade over a month, and even he is bright-eyed regularly by the offensive production from this team. “I can’t remember ever seeing an inning like that one,” he said. “It just goes to show you how these guys are capable of battling, especially against a club as good as the Royals.”

Harvey Kuenn was a .303 career hitter who has seen a lot of baseball. This is not the first time this month when he has said that his team did something he had never seen before.

So the Brewers took a 7-1 lead that inning, the Royals battled back to make it somewhat interesting, Mike Caldwell pitched just well enough to hold on, and Rollie Fingers threw 10 of 11 pitches for strikes to get all three batters he faced. That was pretty much the story of the game other than that one-third of an inning.

Oh, and the Twins beat the Red Sox 4-1 in Boston today, meaning the Brewers are back to within a game of first place.

Game Notes: Jim Gantner received a cortisone shot in his ailing throwing shoulder and will not return until after the All-Star Break. … The Brewers and Chicago White Sox will make up their July 6 rainout on July 15 as part of a double header in Milwaukee. Although the originally scheduled game was played in Chicago, there are not any remaining games scheduled between the two teams there.