Ben Oglivie

Brewers Win in Kuenn Debut

Brewers 5, Mariners 2
Brewers now 24-24 (5th)
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It didn't take long for Harvey Kuenn's new managerial style to pay off.

SEATTLE — There’s no way to know if switching managers after 47 games will make a difference over the long haul for the Milwaukee Brewers. We don’t have a time machine. But today, in Harvey Kuenn‘s managerial debut, it did.

It’s possible that whether Kuenn or Buck Rodgers managed this team today, the offense would have performed the same. The Brewers jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the second on an RBI groundout by Ben Oglivie. They increased the lead to two when Marshall Edwards scored on a Little League home run, a triple that led to a run due to a Mariners error. Cecil Cooper made it 3-1 with an RBI single in the sixth, and after the Mariners pulled to within one Cooper added a two-run homer in the eighth.

That’s what you’ll see in the box score. You’ll also see that the Brewers didn’t commit an error in this game, a rarity under Rodgers. But what you won’t see — or might miss — is what happened to Mike Caldwell in the sixth. Or, more precisely, what didn’t happen to him.

Richie Zisk opened the frame with a double to left and Al Cowens followed with a single up the middle to put runners on first and third with no one out in a 3-1 game. Former manager Buck Rodgers was notorious for taking out pitchers early when they got into trouble, often prematurely. He earned the nickname “Captain Hook” as a result.

Harvey Kuenn stuck with Caldwell. He induced a Gary Gray double play ball that scored Zisk, and Todd Cruz flied out to right to end the inning. Piece of cake.

Caldwell pitched the rest of the game, throwing three hitless innings and retiring nine of 10 batters. He retired 11 of 12 since the two consecutive hits in the sixth.

It was Caldwell’s third complete game of the season and the first time he’s pitched into the ninth since May 8. Yesterday, Rodgers referred to two “cancers” on the team, and many believe one of those players is Caldwell. You cannot underestimate the emotional lift a change in leadership can have on a player like Caldwell.

“As far as I’m concerned, it’s a new season right now,” said Caldwell. “I’m going to be busting my tail and hoping I can add to what I think is a new team spirit.”

Is today’s game a sign that Harvey will go longer with the starters?

“I would say yes,” he said. “I would say they have to have confidence they can get somebody out in a tough situation. To me, if they’re throwing the ball as well in the eighth inning as when they started, there’s no reason they can’t get the guy out. To me it doesn’t make any difference than if you don’t get the guy out in the second in a tough situation. What difference does it make in the eighth? They wouldn’t be in that situation if they didn’t get them out in the second.”

Follow that? It could be brilliant or it could be gibberish. But today, it worked.

Kuenn continued: “I think Mike was throwing the ball exceptionally well. I think he was throwing as well in the eighth and ninth as he was early in the ball game.”

That’s tough to argue. Through yesterday, the Brewers were a team in disarray, lacking leadership and overflowing with discontent. They were a tight, excitable bunch that lacked execution and accountability. But they were talented.

Today, we saw a new team. We saw a confident team. We saw a team that was loose and able to execute. We saw a complete team.

Will it only last a day? Only time will tell. But this was a good start.

Game Notes: Gorman Thomas‘ shoulder is getting better, and he hit a couple of homers during batting practice. No decision yet on whether he’ll be put on the disabled list … Moose Haas’ elbow tendinitis is well enough to pitch in the June 4 series opener against the A’s … Pitching coach Cal McLish, who has been dealing with health problems, will rejoin the team next week.

Card of the Day: 1982 Donruss Ben Oglivie

June 2 Leave a Comment

Every trade seemed to go the Brewers’ way in the late ’70s and early ’80s, and the Oglivie acquisition was no exception. Benji was acquired from the Tigers in 1977 for pitchers Rich Folkers and Jim Slaton. Slaton spent one season with the Tigers before returning to the Brewers as a free agent.

[VIEW THE FULL 1982 BREWERS DONRUSS SET]

Brewers Are Loose in Win

May 30 Leave a Comment

Brewers 7, Angels 3
Brewers now 22-23 (4th)
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Cecil Cooper went 2-for-4 with his sixth homer of the season.

ANAHEIM — After blowing three-run leads in back-to-back games, it was nice to flip the script on the Angels today.

Down 3-0 in the fifth, the Brewers busted out for four runs on starter Bruce Kison, highlighted by a two-out, two-run homer by first baseman Cecil Cooper. Knowing the team’s recent history of giving back leads, it was also comforting when the Crew tacked on three more runs via a single by Marshall Edwards and homers by Ted Simmons and Ben Oglivie.

Were the Brewers loose? Apparently. Closer Rollie Fingers walked out to the mound for the ninth, but Jamie Easterly, who had come on in the eighth, was already there. Fingers looked at Easterly with a straight face and said, “Hey, Rat. I’m the pitcher,” referring to Easterly’s nickname.

“Did Buck forget to tell me?” Easterly asked. Fingers laughed and trotted back to the dugout. It was all a set-up.

It was only one win, and only the sixth in their last 19 games. But that only makes you appreciate it more.

Game Notes: Gorman Thomas, who injured his shoulder diving for a ball on May 28, is unable to move his arm more than a few inches. Team says he could be out up to three weeks, though Thomas thinks he’ll be back in seven to 10 days … Since Charlie Moore is also out with a jammed thumb, the Brewers are without a reserve outfielder … If Thomas is put on the disabled list, the Brewers may call up Kevin Bass or make a trade for an outfielder … In the four games against the Angels, Cecil Cooper had seven hits, including three homers and six RBI.

Vuke Returns, Brewers Top Angels

May 27 Leave a Comment

Brewers 4, Angels 3
Brewers now 21-21 (4th)
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Pete Vuckovich made his first start since May 6.

ANAHEIM — It’s been speculated that today marks the start of a 10-game road trip that could very well determine the fates of manager Buck Rodgers and a handful of Brewers players. Coming into this game 7 1/2 games back in the AL East, this is desperation time.

Finally, the Brewers played like it, ending a four-game losing streak.

Paul Molitor led off the game with a home run over the 386-foot sign in left center off of starter Ken Forsch. Charlie Moore would drive in a run on a second inning ground out and Cecil Cooper hit a two-run homer in the third, his sixth. The offense finally showed up.

Pete Vuckovich made his first start since May 6 and pitched a solid five innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on four hits and four walks. Jamie Easterly and Rollie Fingers combined to hold the Angels to one run the rest of the way.

Beyond the numbers, we saw heart. In the fourth, Fred Lynn hit a drive to deep right field. Charlie Moore raced back, leaped and snagged what would have been a home run for the first out of the inning. Ben Oglivie would make a similarly spectacular catch in left to rob Lynn in the sixth. Then, with two down in the ninth and the tying run at first, a ground ball was hit to Paul Molitor. Molitor threw wide to first, but Cecil Cooper stretched just far enough to both catch the ball and record the game’s final out.

Maybe it was partly luck. But bad luck has gone against this team far too often. We’ve seen the alternate ending, where Cooper stretches only to see the ball go into the outfield as the tying run scores. It was nice to be on the right side of this thing.

Of course, not everything was roses today. The Brewers committed three more errors, a recurring theme. While bad defense accounted for only one run, the glovemen continue to make life difficult for the pitchers.

But today, progress was made. Jobs appear safe for another day.

Game Notes: Roy Howell made his first start since April 25, hitting second as the Designated Hitter. He went 1-for-2 and scored a run before being pinch hit for by Don Money in the fourth … Gorman Thomas played with a stiff neck that has bothered him the past few games.

It is Time for Change at the Top

May 24 Leave a Comment

Buck Rodgers is a bad fit for this veteran team.

In 1981, the Brewers were a loose, professional and happy bunch. They also won, and whether the former bred the latter or vice versa, the personality of the team and the results were starkly different last season than through May 23 of this season.

Far too much is going wrong:

Two players have demanded a trade already at some point in 1982. Charlie Moore started the trend in spring training and only agreed to stay once he was assured playing time in right field. Roy Howell requested his trade during the spring as well and continues to be unhappy about his role as the third third baseman. Yet there are no takers of his paltry batting average.
Rollie Fingers, who won both the AL MVP and Cy Young awards in 1981, has been less than perfect in 1982. He has lost five times when entering tied games. He’s also shown his displeasure with the way that he has been used.
Pete Vuckovich injured his ankle either when sliding down a slick hill behind Royals Stadium in a rain storm prior to the game or when a video game fell on it. Either way, his absence caused immediate problems on the staff (Jerry Augustine started that game in Kansas City and allowed 12 earned runs in five innings) and Vuke threatened to take legal action when rumors surfaced that he was less than forthcoming about the source of his injury.
Bob McClure was hit on the elbow by a line drive and missed time as well. The Brewers’ brass made a serious miscalculation when neither pitcher was replaced on the roster and the Brewers instead went with an eight-man staff while they awaited their return.
While there are some offensive players performing well (Paul Molitor is hitting .301, Robin Yount .291 and Cecil Cooper .340), others are downright offensive. Gorman Thomas went the entire month of April without a home run and is hitting .228. Ben Oglivie is hitting .224 and catcher Ted Simmons is hitting .203 and continues to look like his best days are behind him.
The Brewers aren’t getting consistent pitching. The staff is led by Moose Haas with a 3.22 ERA, but Mike Caldwell‘s is 4.45, Bob McClure’s is 5.14 and Randy Lerch‘s is 5.36, all pitchers who have made several starts. Pete Vuckovich may have a 3.79 ERA, but he hasn’t pitched since May 6.

The biggest problem, though, is a lack of leadership. Whether Buck Rodgers is a poor leader or simply a bad fit for this team, his players do not have his back. They routinely call him out in the press and refuse to sugarcoat their feelings about the man in charge.

And that, along with the swirling rumors that former team captain Sal Bando is ready to take over, are the main reasons that it is time to make a change. Even when they win, the team isn’t happy. They aren’t loose. And they aren’t professional.

It is time that the Brewers find a leader, as Bud Lea of the Milwaukee Sentinel said, who is more of a den mother than a major league manager. They need a leader who will stroke egos and let his players play instead of micromanaging with strategies that many of his players aren’t comfortable carrying out.

The Brewers need a player’s manager, and they need him now.

Bad Luck, Execution Lead to Another Loss

May 23 Leave a Comment

Mariners 6, Brewers 5 (11)
Brewers now 20-19 (3rd)
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MILWAUKEE — A couple of wins may have quieted the storm in the Brewers’ clubhouse, but two losses later and the winds are howling once again.

Prior to the game, Roy Howell spouted off about his lack of playing time. He hadn’t played in 12 days and it is evident that he no longer wants to be part of the team. Problem is, no one wants him to be part of any other team.

“What the hell is going on here?” Howell asked anyone willing to listen. “At this point, it looks like I shouldn’t have even bothered going to spring training.”

That’s an interesting suggestion since most Brewers fans would agree. Howell has been a negative force on this team. He rarely plays, and he isn’t willing to accept his role. Yet, with a .176 batting average, how can he demand more?

Howell came up in the 11th with an opportunity to be the hero. Runner on first, one down. Gorman Thomas had just walked, so it would appear to be a time to test whether Bill Caudill could throw strikes. Instead, Howell swung at the first pitch and popped out to the mound.

Sheesh. Just let the guy go. Put him, the team and the fans out of their collective misery.

Speaking of misery, the fact that this game had to come down to Roy Howell in the first place is enough to make a person miserable. The Brewers led 5-2 through five innings. In the sixth, starter Mike Caldwell allowed a Dave Henderson ground ball single that scored Al Cowens. With runners on first and second and one out in a 5-3 game, manager Buck Rodgers made a call to the bullpen.

A bit premature? Probably. Rodgers is fighting for his job at this point, so excuse him if he’s a bit jumpy. He saw Caldwell losing his grip on the game so he made the call for Dwight Bernard. Bernard promptly allowed his inherited runners to score on a ground ball double and a groundout, and the game was tied.

Caldwell joined Howell among the disenchanted, frustrated about being pulled so early. “I don’t know,” he said. “I’m just a player. I’m just trying to do my job. I don’t know if I’m getting a chance to do it.”

Neither team scored from that point until the 11th. And given Rollie Fingers’ history when entering tied games this season (one win and five losses), it should be no surprise that the Mariners scored on his watch.

That said, this loss can’t be pinned on Rollie. The run scored was more due to luck than skill.

Dave Henderson led off the inning with a broken bat single to left field off of the handle. He moved to second on a Jim Maler bunt, bringing up pinch hitter Manny Castillo. Fingers threw a good pitch on 0-2 and again jammed the hitter, Castillo’s bat broke, and his bloop hit went over Robin Yount’s head for the eventual game winning run.

The Brewers certainly suffered from a bout of bad luck in this game. Not only in the 11th, but in the sixth when all of the Mariners’ three runs scored that inning came on ground balls that found holes.

But the Brewers also failed to produce in key situations. With runners at first and third in the second, Mark Brouhard broke for second on a delayed steal and what should have been the front end of a double steal. Catcher Bud Bulling made a high throw to second, but Brouhard pulled up standing and did not slide. Had he slid, Brouhard would have been safe and Ben Oglivie would have scored from third. Instead, Brouhard walked into the tag for the final out of the inning.

Jim Gantner led off the Brewers’ seventh with a double and Paul Molitor reached on a bunt single. With runners on first and third and no one out, Robin Yount struck out and Cecil Cooper hit a fly ball to center. Henderson caught it, Gantner tagged and was thrown out at the plate.

Today’s run total was the team’s highest in nine days. Not sure that five runs is much to be proud of. The Brewers have now lost nine of 13 games to fall to 20-19 and into a tie with the New York Yankees for third place. They now trail the Red Sox by seven games, their largest deficit since 1980.

The winds are blowing. The egos are fragile. The slightest turbulence puts the team on edge. Time has come for change.

Game Notes: Paul Molitor’s strained shoulder is now well enough for him to play in the field, but he was the designated hitter today.