Bob McClure

Brewers Lose Four Straight

A’s 7, Brewers 2
Brewers now 20-21 (4th)
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Bob McClure couldn't get out of his own way in today's loss.

MILWAUKEE — Remember during the spring when we had grand visions of a division title and World Series championship? Yeah, it’s time to shift those expectations.

7,503 Brewers fans sat through a mist and fog that only got worse as the game went on today at County Stadium. The weather mimicked the Brewers’ season so far.

As tends to be the case, the Brewers lost this game more than the A’s actually won it. Fans were probably booing, but there weren’t enough there for anyone to pick up an audible response.

Charlie Moore hit a one out homer in the first, but the Brewers would manage only two more hits the rest of the game on a fifth inning double by Robin Yount and a one-out homer by Don Money in the ninth. The offense made an appearance today as spectators only.

Not that Bob McClure was harmed by the lack of run support. He harmed himself plenty. With two down in the second — after retiring the first five batters of the game — McClure walked the next three batters he faced. Then, when you thought he couldn’t self destruct anymore, he balked in a run.

McClure would pitch 6 1/3 innings, allowing five runs (three earned) on three hits and a ridiculous six walks. Of course, you could argue that all five runs were “earned” since the two unearned runs were due to his own error.

It was the Brewers’ fourth straight loss, dropping below .500 for the first time since April 22. Having lost 11 of 15 games, this is the team’s worst slump since 1977.

Buck Rodgers played the part of the desperate manager, fruitlessly arguing a called third strike on Cecil Cooper in the sixth. Rodgers received his first ejection of the season, an apparent attempt to fire up his players. He knows the end up the rope is coming.

If this Brewers’ season has been a rain storm, progressively getting worse throughout the year, we’re approaching the eye now. It can’t get much worse than this.

Game Notes: Rickey Henderson stole three bases in the game and now has 45 on the season … The Brewers will conduct six tryout camps around the state in June and July for players aged 16-21.

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.

McClure, Fingers Shine on Wet Day

May 21 Leave a Comment

Brewers 4, Mariners 1
Brewers now 20-17 (3rd)
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Rollie FIngers — Fingers struck out five of the seven batters he faced.

MILWAUKEE — Nothing had been going right for the Brewers heading into yesterday’s game against the Angels. After losing three straight, rumors of manager Buck Rodgers‘ dismissal were reaching full steam.

Then they won consecutive games by a 4-1 score, yesterday against the Angels and today over the Mariners after a 96-minute rain delay in rain-soaked County Stadium. While Brewers players found reason to complain after yesterday’s win, the clubhouse could be classified as quiet satisfaction today.

Until recently, it was the Brewers who failed to hit. It was the Brewers whose pitchers were roughed up time and time again.

Not now. For the second consecutive game, Brewers’ pitchers allowed only a run. Bob McClure, who hadn’t pitched since May 9 due to an elbow injury, had possibly his finest outing of the season. For the first time in 1982, he pitched into the sixth inning, allowing only a run on four hits in 6 2/3 innings, striking out six.

Bob McClure was only the opening act for Rollie Fingers. The reigning AL Cy Young and MVP retired all seven batters he faced, striking out five including the side in the ninth. There was a time this season when we were concerned about Rollie. Those days seem silly and primitive. He’s allowed only one hit in his last six innings of work, striking out nine and walking one.

At 20-17 and five games back in the AL East, it’s not time to declare a corner turned. It’s a good start, but much work needs to be done.

Game Notes: Ted Simmons his a two-run double on a 3-0 pitch from Gaylord Perry in the fourth for his first hit in 21 at bats and first RBI since May 7 … Pete Vuckovich, who would have taken his normal turn in the rotation today, will try to throw tomorrow. He may pitch in relief before making his next start … Marshall Edwards, still in Mount Sinai recovering from a bleeding ulcer, is expected to return on May 25 … Rock Arroyo, a local Bruce Springsteen impersonator, did not perform prior to the game because of the weather.

Brewers Earn County Stadium Boos

May 19 Leave a Comment

Angels 7, Brewers 2
Brewers now 18-17 (3rd)
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Don Money was the extent of the Brewers' offense.

MILWAUKEE — Boooo!

Through eight innings today, the Brewers were held scoreless on five hits. Bruce Kison. Skinny little Bruce Kison. Then Don Aase came in and the Brewers pulled two runs out of their Aase in an effort to regain some dignity.

Boooooooooooooooo!

It was the third Brewers loss in a row. They’ve dropped seven of nine and have scored a grand total of four runs over the last three games. They hadn’t scored a run in 14 innings before Kison left with a strained back and Don Money lucked into a two-run homer.

Booooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

If there are only 10,000 fans that attend your game, no one sticks around to see the end of it and someone boos, does it make a sound?

Jim Slaton was roughed up in his start, but do we blame him? The Brewers are still working with an eight-man staff while they wait for Pete Vuckovich and Bob McClure to get healthy. What a terrible miscalculation.

This is embarrassing. Somehow, the Brewers are still over .500. But at only a game over, Brewers fans may not be able to cling to that fact much longer.

We were told that this team was a contender. We expected greatness. All we have seen is inconsistent pitching, poor offensive production and pathetic defense.

Changes need to be made.

Game Notes: Don Money batted clean-up and the struggling Ben Oglivie and Gorman Thomas moved down a slot … Paul Molitor‘s shoulder injury is not a tear, only a strain. Held out of the lineup today.

Renko Needs 93 Pitches to Dispose of Crew

May 18 Leave a Comment

Angels 4, Brewers 1
Brewers now 18-16 (3rd)
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EdwardsFront — Here is the extent of your Milwaukee Brewers' offense.

MILWAUKEE — The Brewers collected three whole hits today. Angels starter Steve Renko retired the last 20 batters he faced.

Yeah, it was one of those games. The Angels scored a run in each of the first two innings, but even though the Brewers made it a one-run game in the third, the game seemed strangely out of reach.

If you’re looking for positives, Mike Caldwell recovered from an embarrassment last time on the mound to look passable as a starting pitcher. He allowed nine earned runs on 13 hits in five innings in a 13-2 loss to the White Sox May 13, and he allowed four runs (three earned) on 10 hits in 7 1/3 today. Not great, but better. Makes the last debacle seem more like a hiccup than an illness.

The only pitcher that mattered, though, was 37-year-old Steve Renko. It took him all of 93 pitches to finish this game. The Brewers were lucky to score one. Even luckier that it was light-hitting Marshall Edwards, who smacked his second homer since being called up from Vancouver a little over a week ago.

Are you worried? I’m worried. This team has won two of their last eight games. They’re still playing with a short bullpen, refusing to replace Bob McClure and Pete Vuckovich on the roster. While McClure appears close, Vuke isn’t. He tried throwing today and couldn’t land on his injured foot.

Paul Molitor left today’s game with an injured shoulder. He first hurt it making a throw on May 16. He is not a player the Brewers can stand to lose.

Nearly the entire middle of the Brewers’ order is struggling. Since starting their current slide against the Royals, Ben Oglivie is 4-for-29; Ted Simmons is 3-for-24; and Gorman Thomas is 4-for-31.

So the offense is down. Vuke and McClure are still hurt and the bullpen is scuffling. Now Paul Molitor is hurt. It’s bound to get better, right?

It needs to, and fast. Down four games in the AL East, the Brewers can’t stand to lose more ground.

Pitching a Problem for Crew

May 17 Leave a Comment

The Brewers have a day off today, which gives us an opportunity to take a closer look at how the team stacks up with the rest of the league. Let’s focus on the dreaded “P” word: PITCHING.

I don’t think anyone needs to tell you that the Brewers have pitching problems. They’ve lost games in the past week by scores of 17-3, 9-7 and 13-2. Part of it is due to injuries. Both Pete Vuckovich (ankle) and Bob McClure (elbow) are out, and they haven’t been replaced on the staff. So not only is the team lacking two of it’s more dependable pitchers, but there is no depth to be found.

Once you look at the pitching leaders, you see just how dire the situation is. Mike Caldwell has one shutout, technically putting him in the top four (tied with several pitchers) in that category. Rollie Fingers is third in saves. But otherwise, no Brewers pitcher gets a sniff of the top.

The fourth best qualifying ERA in the American League is 2.15. The best qualifying ERA on the Brewers is 3.62, from Moose Haas. For goodness sake, Rollie Fingers is tied with Haas for the team lead in strikeouts with 23. The closer leads the team in strikeouts! By comparison, the fourth most strikeouts in the AL comes from starter Dennis Eckersley, with 42.

You can complain until you’re blue in the face about the offense. But this team needs more consistent pitching to win.

Stats through 5/16/82

AL Wins
1. La Marr Hoyt (CHW) – 7
2. Ron Guidry (NYY) – 5
3. Jack Morris (DET) – 5
4. Geoff Zahn (CAL) – 5

NL Wins
1. Don Sutton (HOU) – 6
2. Dickie Noles (CHC) – 5
3. F Valenzuela (LAD) – 5
4. Bruce Berenyi (CIN) – 4

Brewers Wins
1. Pete Vuckovich – 4
2. Randy Lerch – 3
3. Jim Slaton – 3
4. Dwight Bernard – 2

AL ERA
1. L Hoyt (CHW) – 1.43
2. Geoff Zahn (CAL) – 2.07
3. Don Aase (CAL) – 2.11
4. J Matlack (TEX) – 2.15

NL ERA
1. S Rogers (MON) – 1.93
2. S Sanderson (MON) – 2.34
3. B Berenyi (CIN) – 2.35
4. Mike Scott (NYM) – 2.36

Brewers ERA
1. Moose Haas – 3.62
2. Pete Vuckovich – 3.79
3. Mike Caldwell – 4.12

AL Strikeouts
1. Floyd Bannister (SEA) – 49
2. Gaylord Perry (SEA) – 47
3. Ron Guidry (NYY) – 42
4. Dennis Eckersley (BOS) – 41

NL Strikeouts
1. Mario Soto (CIN) – 66
2. Steve Carlton (PHI) – 63
3. Steve Rogers (MON) – 43
4. Tim Lollar (SDP) – 41

Brewers Strikeouts
1. Rollie Fingers – 23
2. Moose Haas – 23
3. Pete Vuckovich – 20
4. Dwight Bernard – 18

AL Saves
1. Salome Barojas (CHW) – 9
2. Dan Quisenberry (KCR) – 9
*3. Rollie Fingers (MIL) – 8
4. Rich Gossage (NYY) – 8

NL Saves
1. Bruce Sutter (STL) – 11
2. Neil Allen (NYM) – 9
3. Tom Hume (CIN) – 8
4. Gene Garber (ATL) – 7

Brewers Saves
1. Rollie Fingers – 8
2. Dwight Bernard – 1
3. Jim Slaton – 1

AL Innings
1. Ken Forsch (CAL) – 71.0
2. S McGregor (BAL) – 69.7
3. Rick Langford (OAK) – 68.0
4. Gaylord Perry (SEA) – 65.0

NL Innings
1. Steve Carlton (PHI) – 65.0
2. F Valenzuela (LAD) – 63.0
3. Mario Soto (CIN) – 62.7
4. Jerry Reuss (LAD) – 61.0

Brewers Innings
1. Moose Haas – 49.7
2. Mike Caldwell – 48.0
3. Pete Vuckovich – 40.3
4. Randy Lerch – 35.7

AL Hits Allowed
1. Rick Langford (OAK) – 73
2. Scott McGregor (BAL) – 69
3. Gaylord Perry (SEA) – 66
4. Mark Bomback (TOR) – 62

NL Hits Allowed
1. Steve Carlton (PHI) – 67
2. Bob Forsch (STL) – 60
3. J Eichelberger (SDP) – 59
4. Nolan Ryan (HOU) – 59

Brewers Hits Allowed
1. Mike Caldwell – 56
2. Moose Haas – 55
3. Pete Vuckovich – 40
4. Randy Lerch – 39

AL Shutouts
1. Dennis Eckersley (BOS) – 2
2. Dave Stieb (TOR) – 2
3. Geoff Zahn (CAL) – 2
*4. Mike Caldwell (MIL) – 1

NL Shutouts
1. Mike Krukow (PHI) – 2
2. Tim Lollar (SDP) – 2
3. Rick Mahler (ATL) – 2
4. Jerry Reuss (LAD) – 2

Brewers Shutouts
1. Mike Caldwell – 1

AL Complete Games
1. Ken Forsch (CAL) – 5
2. Rick Langford (OAK) – 5
3. Jack Morris (DET) – 5
4. Dennis Eckersley (BOS) – 4

NL Complete Games
1. F Valenzuela (LAD) – 4
2. Mike Krukow (PHI) – 3
3. Rick Mahler (ATL) – 3
4. Steve Rogers (MON) – 3

Brewers Complete Games
1. Mike Caldwell – 2
2. Pete Vuckovich – 1