Brewers 1982

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

Sax Wins NL ROY

Steve Sax
Sax is one of the game’s most exciting young players.

Steve Sax of the Los Angeles Dodgers has been named the National League’s Rookie of the Year by the Baseball Writers Association of America, edging out Pittsburgh’s Johnny Ray by six points.

It’s become an award reserved only for members of the Dodgers, who have now won in four consecutive seasons. Other members of the Dodgers Rookie of the Year Club include Rick Sutcliffe (1979), Steve Howe (1980) and Fernando Valenzuela (1981). So, which new member of the Dodgers will win in 1983? Mike Marshall?

Sax squeaked by with only nine of a possible 24 first place votes. Five different players received first place votes with Ray (six), Willie McGee of the Cardinals (five), Chili Davis of the Giants (five) and Ryne Sandberg of the Cubs (one) receiving the other votes.

The honor is, however, not unanimously recognized. Ray has been named Rookie of the Year by The Sporting News, with Sax taking second.

Player – Tm Pts 1st AVG HR RBI W ERA SV
Steve Sax, LAD 63 9 .282 4 47      
Johnny Ray, PIT 57 6 .281 7 63      
Willie McGee, STL 39 5 .296 4 56      
Chili Davis, SFG 32 3 .261 19 76      
Luis DeLeon, SDP 10 0 .091 0 0 9 2.03 15
R Sandberg, CHC 9 1 .271 7 54      
S Bedrosian, ATL 4 0 .038 0 0 8 2.42 11
Dave LaPoint, STL 1 0 .053 0 1 9 3.42 0
Eric Show, SDP 1 0 .146 0 0 10 2.64 3

Murphy Wins NL MVP

Dale Murphy
The baseball writers voted Murphy the NL’s Most Valuable Player.

The votes are in from the Baseball Writers Association of America, and Dale Murphy of the Atlanta Braves has been named the National League’s Most Valuable Player for the 1982 season.

The announcement isn’t particularly surprising, given that Murphy received 14 of 24 possible first place votes. Murphy, 26, had the best season in his young career, batting .281 with 36 homers and 109 RBI. Murphy becomes the first Braves player to win MVP since Hank Aaron in 1957 when the Braves played in Milwaukee.

“I think it was more a tribute to how our team did,” said a humble Murphy, “our team doing that well is really the reason I was being considered.”

Cardinal outfielder Lonnie Smith finished a bit closer than many speculated, getting 218 votes to Murphy’s 283. The results may have been even closer had two first place votes not gone to closer Bruce Sutter, Lonnie Smith’s teammate.

What do you think? Did the award go to the right player?

Player – Tm Pts 1st AVG HR RBI W ERA SV
Dale Murphy, ATL 283 14 .281 36 109      
Lonnie Smith, STL 218 8 .307 8 69      
P. Guerrero, LAD 175 0 .304 32 100      
Al Oliver, MON 175 0 .331 22 109      
Bruce Sutter, STL 134 2 .125 0 1 9 2.90 36
Mike Schmidt, PHI 54 0 .280 35 87      
Jack Clark, SFG 53 0 .274 27 103      
Greg Minton, SFG 44 0 .176 0 1 10 1.83 30
Steve Carlton, PHI 41 0 .218 2 8 23 3.10 0
Bill Buckner, CHC 38 0 .306 15 105      
Bill Madlock, PIT 37 0 .319 19 95      
Gary Carter, MON 35 0 .293 29 97      
Ozzie Smith, STL 25 0 .248 2 43      
G. Hendrick, STL 20 0 .282 19 104      
T. Kennedy, SDP 20 0 .295 21 97      
Joe Morgan, SFG 17 0 .289 14 61      
K. Hernandez, STL 12 0 .299 7 94      
J. Thompson, PIT 12 0 .284 31 101      
J. Andujar, STL 6 0 .158 0 4 15 2.47 0
Gene Garber, ATL 6 0 .133 0 0 8 2.34 30
A. Dawson, MON 3 0 .301 23 83      
F. Valenzuela, LAD 3 0 .168 1 9 19 2.87 0
C. Chambliss, ATL 2 0 .270 20 86      
Gary Matthews, PHI 2 0 .281 19 83      
Ray Knight, HOU 1 0 .294 6 70      

NL Gold Gloves Announced

Ozzie Smith
The Brewers discovered first hand that Ozzie Smith is a Wizard in the field.

AL Gold Glove Winners

The Rawlings Gold Glove winners were announced today, as voted on by managers and coaches. Note that managers and coaches cannot vote for a player on their own team. Keith Hernandez of the Cardinals was the only player from either league to be voted in unanimously.

I’m not going to claim that anyone on this list isn’t deserving. Defense is difficult to measure, outside of counting errors. But it’s always the case that those who put up big offensive numbers generally have a better shot at the Gold Glove, even if they two should be judged separately. It was the eighth Gold Glove won by Garry Maddox and seventh for Mike Schmidt. Of this year’s winners, only Dale Murphy had not previously won the award.

Pitcher: Phil Niekro, ATL
Catcher: Gary Carter, MON
1st Base: Keith Hernandez, STL
2nd Base: Manny Trillo, PHI
3rd Base: Mike Schmidt, PHI
Shortstop: Ozzie Smith, STL
Outfield: Dale Murphy, ATL
Outfield: Andre Dawson, MON
Outfield: Garry Maddox, PHI

Yount’s Glove Golden

Robin Yount
Yount won his first Gold Glove.

NL Gold Glove Winners

The Rawlings Gold Glove winners were announced today, as voted on by managers and coaches. Robin Yount adds yet another award to his trophy case with his first Gold Glove.

Yount committed 24 errors as the Brewers’ shortstop for a .969 fielding percentage, and he was part of 94 double plays. It was Robin’s first career Gold Glove, but his eighth major award in recognition of an historic 1982 season.

It was also the first Gold Glove for pitcher Ron Guidry and first baseman Eddie Murray. Second baseman Frank White won for the sixth time, while outfielder Dwight Evans (five), third baseman Buddy Bell (four) and the trio of catcher Bob Boone and outfielders Dwayne Murphy and Dave Winfield each won for the third time.

Pitcher: Ron Guidry, NYY
Catcher: Bob Boone, CAL
1st Base: Eddie Murray, BAL
2nd Base: Frank White, KCR
3rd Base: Buddy Bell, TEX
Shortstop: Robin Yount, MIL
Outfield: Dwayne Murphy, OAK
Outfield: Dwight Evans, BOS
Outfield: Dave Winfield, NYY

Yount Wins AL MVP

Yount’s amazing season was rewarded with an AL MVP award.

MILWAUKEE — It started with a single voice. One prescient, informed voice.

“M-V-P! M-V-P!”

Or maybe it started as a joke. Maybe it was some two-fist slopper in the grandstand, soused to the gills and slurring.

“M-V-P! M-V-P!”

Whether it started as an honest examination of the season or whether it started in jest, Brewers fans birthed and owned the chant of “M-V-P!” in 1982. Though it wouldn’t count, it was the Brewers’ fans vote for their hero, The Kid, Robin Yount.

Today, the Baseball Writers of Association America made it official, but shockingly not unanimous. Yount won 27 of 28 of the first place votes and 385 total points to win the American League Most Valuable Player award. Of course, the BBWAA is the same prestigious group who have never unanimously elected anyone to the Hall of Fame, including Hank Aaron earlier this season. (Really, the guy hits 755 home runs, and there are a few who don’t think he’s a Hall of Famer? Idiots.)

Yount missed becoming the AL’s first unanimous selection since Reggie Jackson. In a bitter irony, Jackson received the other first-place vote. Who knew it was like Heisman Trophy voting where past winners get a chance to cast a ballot? (That’s a joke, just like Yount not winning unanimously.)

“It’s quite an honor,” said a humble Yount. “I feel it’s the type of award you couldn’t win without the help from everybody else.”

Robin is the ultimate teammate, and it’s his humility that may have kept Golla from voting for him. As Yount says, he couldn’t have done it without his teammates.

But those teammates and his coaches love him. And ultimately, Robin doesn’t care about that one vote or the award.

“I’m very happy for him because he’s definitely deserved being named Most Valuable Player,” said manager Harvey Kuenn. “As far as I’m concerned, he’s the best shortstop I’ve ever seen play.”

That great shortstop far outpaced Baltimore’s Eddie Murray, who finished second with 228 points, and California’s Doug Decinces was third with 178. Jackson was fourth.

The Crew’s amazing season was rewarded in the voting as five Brewers received MVP votes: Cecil Cooper finished fifth, Gorman Thomas finished eighth, and Paul Molitor, Pete Vuckovich and Rollie Fingers also received votes.

Except for one moronic voter, there was no other choice. But the voices inside County Stadium rang true. They knew, and soon so did everyone else.

“M-V-P! M-V-P! M-V-P! M-V-P!”

Player – Tm Pts 1st AVG HR RBI W ERA SV
Robin Yount, MIL 385 27 .331 29 114      
Eddie Murray, BAL 228 0 .316 32 110      
Doug DeCinces, CAL 178 0 .301 30 97      
Hal McRae, KCR 175 0 .308 27 133      
Cecil Cooper, MIL 152 0 .313 32 121      
R. Jackson, CAL 107 1 .275 39 101      
Dwight Evans, BOS 57 0 .292 32 98      
G. Thomas, MIL 44 0 .245 39 112      
D Quisenberry, KCR 39 0   0 0 9 2.57 35
R. Henderson, OAK 38 0 .267 10 51      
Dave Winfield, NYY 33 0 .280 37 106      
Paul Molitor, MIL 29 0 .302 19 71      
Lance Parrish, DET 26 0 .284 32 87      
Brian Downing, CAL 22 0 .281 28 84      
Willie Wilson, KCR 16 0 .332 3 46      
Bob Boone, CAL 12 0 .256 7 58      
Rollie Fingers, MIL 12 0   0 0 5 2.6 29
P. Vuckovich, MIL 11 0   0 0 18 3.34 0
Jim Rice, BOS 10 0 .309 24 97      
Harold Baines, CHW 9 0 .271 25 105      
George Brett, KCR 9 0 .301 21 82      
Toby Harrah, CLE 9 0 .304 25 78      
Don Baylor, CAL 8 0 .263 24 93      
A. Thornton, CLE 8 0 .273 32 116      
Bob Stanley, BOS 6 0   0 0 12 3.1 14
Rod Carew, CAL 5 0 .319 3 44      
D. Garcia, TOR 5 0 .310 5 42      
Jim Palmer, BAL 5 0   0 0 15 3.13 1
Bill Caudill, SEA 4 0   0 0 12 2.35 26
Buddy Bell, TEX 3 0 .296 13 67      
Cal Ripken, BAL 3 0 .264 28 93      
C. Lansford, BOS 1 0 .301 11 63      
Rick Sutcliffe, CLE 1 0   0 0 14 2.96 1
Gary Ward, MIN 1 0 .289 28 91      

Cooper, Yount are Silver Sluggers

Cecil Cooper
Cecil Cooper proved that he is the top hitting first baseman in the AL.

NL Award Winners

The votes are in from the American League managers and coaches, and the Brewers’ Robin Yount and Cecil Cooper were named the best offensive players at their respective positions.

Yount is being recognized seemingly every day for another award following his historic 1982 season. It is the second time he has been a Silver Slugger, winning it first in 1980.

Cecil Cooper is a three time Silver Slugger winner, taking the honors in each of the last three seasons. Often overshadowed by Yount this year, Cooper was spectacular. Second only to his amazing 1980 season, Cooper hit .313 with 32 homers and 121 RBI.

It’s not surprising that multiple Brewers would make the list. And not to get greedy, but you could make an argument for Paul Molitor, Gorman Thomas, Ben Oglivie and Ted Simmons as well. Though to be fair, all winners were deserving, and are probably more deserving than the Brewers just mentioned.

What do you think? Were any Brewers snubbed?

Pos: Player, Tm AVG HR RBI H 2B 3B SB
C: Lance Parrish, DET .284 32 87 138 19   2   3
1B: Cecil Cooper, MIL .313 32 121 205 38   3   2
2B: Damaso Garcia, TOR .310 5 42 185 32   3   54
3B: Doug DeCinces, CAL .301 30 97 173 42 5 7
SS: Robin Yount, MIL .331 29 114 210 46   12   14
OF: Reggie Jackson, CAL .275 39 101 146 17 1 4
OF: Willie Wilson, KCR .332 3 46 194 19 15 37
OF: Dave Winfield, NYY .280 37 106 151 24 8 5
DH: Hal McRae, KCR .308 27 133 189 46   8   4