Charlie Moore

Brewers Outlast Indians, 9-8 in 10

April 13

Brewers 9, Indians 8 (10)
Brewers now 3-1 (1st)
Box Score | Season Schedule

Today’s game was an old fashioned shootout. And more often than not, when the Milwaukee Brewers are involved in a shootout, it’s their opponent who ends up bloodied.

Such was the case today. There was no pitching early. The Brewers scored at least a run in each of the first four innings. After building an 8-4 lead, Randy Lerch and the Brewers’ bullpen couldn’t hold it. The Indians scored in five of the first seven innings, including two in the seventh that would put this one into extra innings.

Fingers Slips, Brewers Lose in 10th

April 10

Blue Jays 3, Brewers 2 (10)
Brewers now 1-1 (2nd)
Box Score | Season Schedule

Barry Bonnell — This is the powerful force who went 5-for-5 and drove in the winning run off of Rollie Fingers.

After the Brewers’ demolition of the Blue Jays in Toronto on Opening Day, it was easy to get a bit cocky. The Brewers, after all, proved to be the superior team last season. And after one game, we were pretty certain nothing had changed.

One important detail did change, however. Rollie Fingers was beatable.

From June 2 on last year, Fingers allowed a grand total of three earned runs in 43 1/3 innings pitched for a ridiculous 0.65 ERA. If Rollie came into a game with the lead, that game was over. If he came in with a tie, he’d hold on until the Brewers scored, which rarely took long.

April 9-11 Series Preview @ Toronto

April 9

Finally, the season is here! Following a season-opening snow-out, the Brewers travel to Toronto to get their first taste of regular season baseball during the 1982 season.

Match-ups
April 9 at 2:30 pm: Pete Vuckovich (14-4, 3,55 ERA) vs. Mark Bomback (5-5, 3.89 ERA)
April 10 at 12:30 pm: Mike Caldwell (11-9, 3.93 ERA) vs. Dave Stieb (11-10, 3.19 ERA)
April 11 at 12:30 pm: Moose Haas (11-7, 4.46 ERA) vs. Jim Clancy (6-12, 4.90 ERA)

1981 Records
Milwaukee Brewers: 62-47 (1st in AL East)
Toronto Blue Jays: 37-69 (7th in AL East)

We’ve waited three extra days, but Opening Day is finally here. Like Brewers fans, Blue Jays fans have waited an extra series due to winter weather postponements before finally getting under way.

Let’s do this.

Moore Drops Trade Request

March 1

Sun City, Ariz. — Charlie Moore‘s happy, and that’s a ray of sunshine on the Brewers’ spring. Moore previously demanded a trade to a team willing to make him a starting catcher, but dropped that request according to a report from Tom Flaherty of The Milwaukee Journal.

So why did Moore change his tune? He and general manager Harry Dalton met Sunday in an effort to clear the air. Dalton assured Moore that he would be given a shot at an outfield spot, most likely right field. [Read more…] about Moore Drops Trade Request

Charlie Moore Demands a Trade

January 6

If you were hoping the Brewers would ride the wave of a playoff run in 1981 into a harmonious season without controversy in 1982, you’re about to be disappointed.

Charlie Moore has demanded to be traded.

Moore, unhappy that Ted Simmons has cut into his playing time, wants to go to a team that will allow him to be a regular. General manager Harry Dalton has said that he will try to accommodate Moore.

“We’ll talk around,” said Dalton, “but at this point there is not a great amount of interest. The trade market usually dies every year around this time.”

It’s too bad, really. We all love Charlie. He’s been a Brewer since he was drafted in the fifth round in 1971. He made his debut two years later. He’s been around ever since as a catcher, outfielder, designated hitter, even a second baseman. He wasn’t a regular, but a key part of the team.

But in 1979 and 1980, Charlie Moore played really well. He played 111 games in each season, hitting .300 in 1979 and .291 in 1980. It appeared he was the catcher of the present and the future.

Then, the Brewers turned the trade of all trades. They acquired Rollie Fingers, Pete Vuckovich and Ted Simmons from the Cardinals.

Last season, during that confusing yet exciting campaign, Simmons took over as the starter. Moore, meanwhile, hit .301 as the back-up and occasional DH and outfielder.

It was only natural that Moore would want to be a larger part of this team. And it probably didn’t help that Simmons, a one time offensive force, hit only .216 in his Milwaukee debut.

It was a bit confusing to Brewers fans, too. We know the history of Ted Simmons. We know that he’s on a Hall of Fame pace. But he didn’t hit anything like Charlie Moore, a fan favorite, did a year ago. Yet Simmons gets the playing time, and all signs from manager Buck Rodgers indicate the depth chart won’t be changing anytime soon.

So now we’re in a pickle. Moore wants to be traded to a team that will allow him to play every day — or close to every day. The Brewers have to decide if they’re better off with Simmons, who may be declining at the age of 31, or Moore, who seems to be entering his prime at the age of 28.

It’s a difficult call. Simmons is a veteran presence who brings a leadership element to this team, and he is the better catcher. And who knows? Maybe the shortened 1981 season was a fluke. Moore is now emerging as a very good offensive catcher, though not a great defender.

Ideally, the Brewers would have perhaps the game’s greatest catching tandem if Moore stuck around. But that may not be possible. Do we stick with Simmons and trade Moore? Do we switch back to Moore and trade Simmons? Or do we stick with them both, even if it means upsetting one of them?

There are some other possibilities floating around, but I won’t get into those yet. What do you think?
[polldaddy poll=4573016]