Cal McLish

Brewers Baffled by Knuckleball

July 26

Rangers 3, Brewers 1
Brewers now 55-40 (2nd)
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Mike Caldwell was out-pitched by Charlie Hough.

ARLINGTON, Tex. — Last time the Brewers met knuckleballer Charlie Hough, the Rangers pitcher was knocked around and out in the third inning. Today… Well, today was a different story, as Hough led the Rangers to a 4-1 win.

The secret? He had less movement on his knuckler.

“If it’s really moving,” Hough explained to the Milwaukee Sentinel, “I end up walking six guys and throwing 2,000 pitches. It’s a funny pitch. You just can’t predict which way it will go, which is good since the hitter can’t either.

Hough kept Brewers hitters off balance all game, mixing in an occasional 70 MPH “fastball” with his famed knuckleball. He limited the Crew to only a run on four hits in nine innings while walking only one.

Mike Caldwell was the victim of another opposing pitcher’s gem as he pitched plenty well enough to win. Caldwell scattered nine hits over eight innings while allowing only two earned runs.

The loss was the Brewers’ second in a row and fifth in their last seven games. This has been the team’s most challenging stretch under Harvey Kuenn.

Is Harvey worried? “I’m not worried in the least,” he said. “These guys are too good of players not to snap back.”

Well, the Red Sox beat the Blue Jays 3-2 today to retake first place in the AL East by a half a game. So hopefully fortunes will change quickly.

Game Notes: The Rangers had come into the game having lost 10 of their last 12 games. … Pitching coach Cal McLish visited the club after missing nearly two months with myasthenia gravis, a chemical imbalance resulting in a weakness in the muscles. No decision has been made on his role with the club for the remainder of the season. … Robin Yount was named the American League Player of the Week along with Baltimore’s Tippy Martinez by batting .460 with four homers and six RBI. … Randy Ready, the third baseman for the Brewers’ El Paso farm club, was named the Topps AA Player of the Month for the second straight month. He hit .388 with two homers and 18 RBI. … Brewers general manager Harry Dalton hinted that he wouldn’t mind picking up a starting pitcher with big league experience for the stretch run, but wouldn’t name any names.

Unwanted Blast From the Past

June 7

Orioles 7, Brewers 2
Brewers now 27-25 (3rd)
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MILWAUKEE — Brewers VP of Marketing Dick Hackett is trying to obtain a trademark for “Harvey’s Wallbangers.” Hold up just a second there, Dick.

The nickname is only two days old. The manager after which it is named has been at the helm for only five games. We all got a bit giddy in those first four games. But let’s pull back just a little on the enthusiasm.

Remember when the Brewers had an inconsistent offense, a pitching staff that couldn’t be depended on and a defense that made you cringe on every ball in play? You know, that team that we thought was dead once Buck Rodgers was fired? Yeah, that team came back today.

Orioles starting pitcher Jim Palmer, he of a 6.02 ERA prior to the game, threw 91 pitches en route to a far too easy complete game victory over those “Wallbangers.” While the Brewers did manage two home runs (Ben Oglivie and Robin Yount each contributed late inning meaningless blasts), they were able to connect on only five base hits all game.

Meanwhile, we thought that Mike Caldwell was a new man. Labeled as a “cancer” by his departing manager (whether he meant to peg Caldwell or not), he seemed reborn with a complete game victory in Harvey Kuenn‘s debut. Today, the Caldwell of old returned.

Havey Kuenn, loved for allowing his pitchers to fight through their own struggles, probably left Caldwell in too long. He allowed six runs on eight hits in 4 2/3 before Kuenn finally put him out of his misery.

The bullpen was fine, allowing one run the rest of the way, but by that point it was too late. Caldwell had already given the Orioles a 6-0 lead.

Jim Palmer pitched a complete game. The same guy who isn’t speaking to the media because of rumors he’s on his way out of Baltimore. The same guy whose name has come up as potential trade bait for Bucky “Freaking” Dent, he of a .165 batting average. Awesome.

Okay, maybe I’m overreacting to one loss. But I can’t help but think we were overreacting to four wins. Can a manager really change a team that much?

I guess we’ll get a better sense tomorrow.

Game Notes: The Brewers are now 10-13 at County Stadium and 17-12 on the road this season … Cecil Cooper, who hit .476 with four home runs in six games last week, was named the AL Player of the Week … Pitching coach Cal McLish hopes to return to uniform tomorrow. He’s been suffering from myasthenia gravis, which affects nerve endings of the muscles … Three substitute umpires worked the game filling in for the crew that normally works with Lou DiMuro, who was killed when he was hit by a car yesterday in Arlington.

Brewers Win in Kuenn Debut

June 3

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.

Brewers Start with Bang, End with Whimper

May 28

Angels 6, Brewers 5
Brewers now 21-22 (4th)
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ANAHEIM — Through 6 1/2 innings today, it had appeared that the Brewers we’ve all been waiting for had finally arrived.

Tied 2-2 in the top of the sixth, Cecil Cooper, Don Money and Gorman Thomas led off the inning with back-to-back-to-back home runs, a franchise record. Through six innings, Mike Caldwell had allowed two runs on five hits and no walks. And the defense behind him sparkled. Gorman Thomas made a diving catch on a line drive by Bob Boone in the third, then jumped up and doubled off Rod Carew at first.

It was all going so well. Maybe too well.

Then the Angels scored three runs off of Caldwell and Dwight Bernard in the seventh to tie up the game. Don Baylor would add the clincher in the eighth on a solo home run off of Bernard.

It was a loss. It was a painful loss. The Brewers have now dropped 12 of 17 to fall to 21-22 and 7 1/2 games back of the Boston Red Sox in the AL East. There were signs of hope, but we need more than signs right now.

The Brewers need results.

Game Notes: Charlie Moore will miss a couple of games with a jammed thumb, suffered in the first inning of yesterday’s game … Ted Simmons has hit safely in six straight games, his longest streak as a Brewer … Minor league pitching instructor Pat Dobson will replace Cal McLish as the team’s pitching coach until he’s healthy enough to return.

Brewers Fall to .500

May 25

Athletics 10, Brewers 5
Brewers now 20-20 (4th)
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Mark Brouhard couldn't do anything right today.

MILWAUKEE — For the first time since April 23 when they were 6-6, the Brewers have lost as many games as they’ve won. There is now no way around it.

The Brewers are incredibly average.

And really, that may be putting it nicely. As has been the case lately with this team, everything possible went wrong.

The A’s came into Milwaukee with a six-game losing streak. The Brewers were all they needed to cure their ills.

In the first inning, right fielder Mark Brouhard bobbled Dan Meyer‘s run scoring double, Meyer went to third and then scored as a result of the error.

In the second, first baseman Cecil Cooper fielded a Tony Phillips bunt with a runner on third and made a wild throw home allowing a run to score.

In the fourth, Brouhard made a throw to second instead of third, allowing speedster Rickey Henderson to score from first on a single.

In the sixth, Paul Molitor dropped a perfect throw from catcher Charlie Moore that should have nailed Phillips at third on the front end of a double steal. As a result of Molitor’s drop, Phillips was safe and later scored.

In the eighth, Charlie Moore ran through third base coach Harry Warner’s stop sign when Henderson bobbled the ball in center. Henderson recovered and threw out Moore at home.

You get the point. It was a sad, sad display. And the fans responded accordingly with boos. Boos upon boos upon boos.

It was the Brewers’ 10th loss in 14 games. They have tumbled to fourth place, a half game ahead of the fifth place Orioles and remained seven games back of the first place Red Sox.

This should have been a bounce-back series for the Brewers. The A’s, it appeared, were in worse shape than the Brewers. Instead, Oakland snapped a six-game losing streak, ended a streak of 17 games committing at least one error and tied a team record with six doubles.

On the bright side, world frisbee champion dog Ashley Whippet will put on a show before tomorrow’s game.

Game Notes: Brewers starter Moose Haas was removed after three innings due to tendinitis in his right elbow … Pitching coach Cal McLish, bothered by dizziness and blurred vision, left before the game and will not make the next trip … The Brewers will make up their opening season two-game series with the Indians in a September 2 double header.

Thomas, Slaton, Fingers Star in Win

May 14

Brewers 2, White Sox 1
Brewers now 17-14
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CHICAGO — You might think that a game won by the score of 2-1 may be lacking heroes. You, my friend, would be wrong.

First, I present to you Gorman Thomas. In the first inning with two outs and Ron LeFlore on second, Greg Luzinski hit a towering drive to the deepest part of Comiskey Park in centerfield. Gorman Thomas raced it down, making an amazing running catch to save a run.

Soon after, with two down in the Brewers’ half of the second inning, Thomas hit a homer off of the facing below the upper deck in left field to give the Brewers a 1-0 lead.

With two down in the top of the fourth, Gorman Thomas and White Sox starter Richard Dotson faced off again. On a two balls, two strikes pitch, Dotson threw ball three up around Gorman’s head, knocking him to the ground. Thomas dusted himself off, glared at Dotson, and stepped back into the batter’s box.

Gorman Thomas fouled off the next three pitches before launching the fourth into the second row of the upper deck in left.

But you can’t win a game 2-1 without pitching heroes. You may recall that this should have been Bob McClure‘s day to pitch. But he has been out with a bruised pitching elbow, so long man Jim Slaton took his turn on the mound. Slaton did more than could have possibly been expected of him against the hard-hitting (now) 20-11 White Sox. He held them to one run on six hits in 5 2/3 innings, striking out six.

Need a third hero? How about the mustachioed one, Rollie Fingers? Our valiant closer entered with two down and the tying run on third base in the seventh inning. Fingers got Luzinski to tap back to the mound to end that threat, and he then retired the final six White Sox batters to end the game. Perfection.

Sure, the Brewers made a couple of errors again on defense (Yount committed his seventh and Yost his first). But this is the type of hard fought game we’ve been waiting to see from the Brewers against one of the league’s top teams.

We know you have it in you, Brewers. Do it again tomorrow.

Game Notes: Today’s win ended the Brewers’ four game losing streak … Thomas now has six home runs, all hit during the month of May … Fingers recorded his seventh save … Infielder Rob Picciolo has been acquired from the Oakland A’s for minor league first baseman John Evans and pitcher Mike Warren. Warren had been drafted from the A’s last December. Picciolo, 29, will be a back-up at second, shortstop and third … Kevin Bass, who celebrated his 23rd birthday two days ago, was sent down to make room for Picciolo … Brewers pitching coach Cal McLish has been experiencing blurred vision and dizziness and is not with the team … Mark Brouhard is expected to be out a few more days, recovering from a tight calf … Jerry Augustine is being prepared for the possible signing of pitcher Dave Goltz. Augustine, who has two years left on his contract, is expected to be the odd man out.