Charlie Moore

Tigers, Umpires Spoil Strong Start

September 6

Tigers 6, Brewers 5 (10)
Brewers now 81-56 (1st by 3.0 games)
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1982 Donruss Doc Medich — Doc Medich no-hit the Tigers for six innings but took the loss in 10.

MILWAUKEE — For six innings, Brewers starting pitcher Doc Medich no-hit the Detroit Tigers. Staked to a 3-0 lead in the seventh, it all came apart at the seams.

Glenn Wilson led off the seventh with a single to left to break up the no-no. Then Larry Herndon hit a grounder to Ed Romero at second for what appeared to be a sure double play. Romero flipped to Robin Yount at second who gunned to Cecil Cooper at first, but first base umpire Al Clark ruled Herndon safe.

Jim Turner would then hit a double to score two, including Herndon, to make it 3-2. The Tigers then took the lead in the eighth when they scored three more runs on three hits to make it 5-3.

This was only the start of an aggravating few innings for manager Harvey Kuenn and the Brewers. Ben Oglivie would tie the game at 5 in the bottom of the eighth with his 27th home run of the season, but the Brewers nearly won the game in the bottom of the ninth when two more controversial calls stood in their way.

After Marshall Edwards led off the inning with a walk, Ed Romero laid down a bunt. Feeling lucky, pitcher Milt Wilcox picked it up and fired to Alan Trammell at second. Jim McKean ruled Edwards out, and manager Harvey Kuenn stormed out of the Brewers dugout to express his displeasure.

But instead of two on and no outs, there was one on and one out. Paul Molitor bunted and Wilcox threw the ball away to put runners on first and third. Robin Yount then grounded to short and, instead of trying for the double play, Alan Trammell fired home.

It appeared Ed Romero got in. Of course, nothing was the way it appeared today, and home plate umpire Jim Evans ruled Romero out. Kuenn again charged out of the dugout to find his rightful place on the field, and third base coach Harry Warner joined him in voicing his disgust.

“I got my leg in between his legs,” Romero explained after the game. “I was going on any ground ball. I thought I had a good jump but maybe I didn’t have a big enough lead. It was a very close play. When I started my slide the ball was just getting there. I don’t think he blocked the plate.”

Doc Medich was left in to pitch the 10th, presumably because Rollie Fingers was unavailable, and Tom Brookens promptly hit a solo home run to give the Tigers the lead.

Would you believe there was yet another controversial call in the Tigers’ favor? Of course you would. With Ben Oglivie on first and one out in the bottom of the 10th, Charlie Moore hit a grounder into the hole at short. Trammell fired to Lou Whitaker at second and Oglivie was ruled… Well, you know what he was ruled.

Kuenn stormed out, Warner was angry, you’ve heard this story before.

“I told [McKean] it was the second call he’d missed,” Kuenn said. “He didn’t say anything back so maybe he realizes he missed it too.”

It was one of those games. The Brewers should have won. Doc Medich was terrific through six innings and while he wasn’t great thereafter, he certainly didn’t get help from the umpires.

“We played our butts off,” Kuenn said, “but it’s a little tough when you battle 13 players. Maybe I shouldn’t say 13 players. Let’s say nine players and you can take your guess at the other four.”

Don Sutton is on the mound for his second Brewers start tomorrow.

Game Notes: The Brewers are now just three games ahead of the Baltimore Orioles, their smallest lead since August 18. … Rollie Fingers will be examined on August 8 to see if he can travel with the team on the upcoming road trip. … Gorman Thomas missed the game after getting a shot in his right arm yesterday for inflammation. He is expected to play tomorrow. … Outfielder Bob Skube was added to the roster due to the injury to Thomas. … Jim Gantner sat out the game after being hit by a pitch on the wrist yesterday. He is day to day with swelling.

Brewers Pile on in Sixth

September 5

Brewers 8, Angels 5
Brewers now 81-55 (1st by 4.0 games)
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The Brewers won, but Gorman Thomas' injured arm is a concern.

MILWAUKEE — Entering the sixth inning, the Milwaukee Brewers could get nothing done in support of another terrific start by Mike Caldwell. Geoff Zahn was shutting them out on two hits and carried a 1-0 lead.

It all started when Jim Gantner led off the inning with a hit by pitch, taking a high fastball off of his wrist. Gantner would be replaced by Rob Picciolo, and x-rays revealed only a deep bone bruise.

Molitor singled to left, Robin bunted both runners over, and then Cooper hit a harmless groundout to short.

So there it was. The Brewers had runners at second and third with two outs, trailing 1-0. It’s where pennant contending teams cash in. It’s where others do not.

The Brewers cashed in. Zahn threw a wild pitch, plating Picciolo. Gorman Thomas then hammered a rare opposite field single to score Molitor. Don Money hit a looper into the corner in right that Reggie Jackson couldn’t cut off for an RBI triple. And then Mark Brouhard, filling in for the injured Ben Oglivie, launched a three-run homer to make it five two-out runs in the inning.

The Angels would battle back with a two-run homer by Reggie Jackson in the top of the seventh, but the Brewers then put their collective foot on the throat with three runs on four hits in the eighth. Every offensive player other than Gantner got into the act, collecting either a hit, run score or RBI.

Caldwell allowed all five runs in eight solid innings of work to pick up his 14th win and sixth in his last seven starts. Caldwell has been a revelation since Kuenn took over, going 9-3 with a 3.63 ERA since early July and 7-1 with a 2.70 ERA since August 1.

Pete Ladd, the temporary closer while Rollie Fingers nurses a slight tear in his right forearm, allowed only a single in a scoreless ninth for the save.

If there was anything to worry about as a Brewers fan following this game it was Gorman Thomas’ health. He injured his arm in the second making a throw and struggled with the pain for the rest of the game.

Thomas originally hurt the arm 12 days ago in Anaheim making a diving catch. Manager Harvey Kuenn says it’s something that most players would miss time with, but Thomas simply treats it with ice.

Thomas was in so much pain that he asked Charlie Moore, who was playing right, to go after anything close.

“I was shading everyone to center more than I usually would,” Moore said. “He also told me if a ball got through to get ready to make a throw for him. You know he’s really hurting when he says something like that and is showing pain on his face.”

The Brewers need to get healthy because their rivals are getting stronger. The Baltimore Orioles and Boston Red Sox each won to remain 4 and 4 1/2 games back respectively.

Game Notes: Moose Haas has officially moved to the bullpen, thereby granting the fifth spot in the bullpen to Doc Medich.

Caldwell Cruises Again

August 31

Brewers 8, Mariners 2
Brewers now 77-53 (1st by 4.5 games)
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MILWAUKEE — The Brewers lost yesterday’s game because of poor defense and an inability to get the big hit. Today, they won because of both.

Locked in a 1-1 tie in the bottom of the third with two outs, Ted Simmons singled home Robin Yount to make it a 2-1 game. Mariners pitcher Bryan Clark then walked Gorman Thomas, bringing Ben Oglivie to the plate with runners at first and second. Oglivie hit a tapper in front of the mound, a routine play, but first baseman Gary Gray couldn’t handle Clark’s throw.

Gray’s error loaded the bases. Don Money then hit a ground ball to shortstop that Todd Cruz bobbled after Gorman Thomas ran by and possibly distracted him. One run scored.

Twice the inning should have been over. Then Charlie Moore knocked a single to right, plating two more runs. Three unearned runs that inning in all.

And that is all the Brewers would need. They scored eight in all, led by Ted Simmons’ 3-for-5, two runs scored and two RBI. But the real story was once again Mike Caldwell.

Caldwell was sharp again, allowing only two runs on eight hits in seven innings for his third straight win and sixth in his last seven starts. Now 13-11, he was the “much maligned Mike Caldwell” prior to the managerial change in June.

“When you are left in a situation where you have to go get ’em and you get out of them,” Caldwell explained, “it builds confidence.”

Rollie Fingers and Dwight Bernard pitched a perfect inning apiece to close it out.

Now that Don Sutton is on the staff (YES! WE GOT DON SUTTON!), the Brewers suddenly look very impressive with a 1-2-3 of Pete Vuckovich, Sutton and Caldwell. And Bob McClure has looked awfully good lately as well.

Speaking of Sutton, the Brewers were forced to make a move today to make room for him on the roster. They chose to designate Jerry Augustine for assignment. Augustine was 1-3 with a 4.88 ERA this season in 19 appearances, two of them starts and one complete game.

“Looking at the overall make-up of our pitching staff,” GM Harry Dalton explained, “it just seemed the most sensible move to make.”

It’s tough to argue. Since spring, Augustine has been hanging on to his spot by the skin of his teeth. It’s surprising he’s lasted this long.

Augustine’s best season with the Brewers was in 1979 when he went 9-6 with a 3.45 ERA.

McClure and Brewers Dominate A’s

August 29

Brewers 8, A’s 1
Brewers now 76-52 (1st by 5.5 games)
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Bob McClure threw the game of his career.

MILWAUKEE — If you were expecting a let-down after yesterday’s frustrating 7-6 loss to the A’s, you may have been surprised to see today’s dominating performance by the Brewers.

“They got beat in a tough game last night,” manager Harvey Kuenn told the Milwaukee Sentinel, “and many people would expect them to come out flat. But each day they say today is the day and damned if they aren’t right.”

All-Star first baseman Cecil Cooper, who set a career best with his 26th home run, wasn’t surprised: “To put it simply, we believe we can win. We lose one or two in a row and it doesn’t matter. We know we can win.”

This was one of those total team wins that have transformed Brewers fans and casual observers into believers. Pete Vuckovich is established as the team’s sure-fire ace, and Mike Caldwell has carved out a role as the clear number two pitcher since Kuenn took over. If Bob McClure can have more performances like this one, the Milwaukee Brewers won’t just be a dangerous team. They’ll be a dominating team.

How great was McClure today? He threw eight no-hit innings, seven of which were perfect. The only three hits he allowed were all in the fifth inning. He didn’t walk anyone, but hit a batter. And he retired 19 of the last 20 batters he faced, the one straggler being the hit batter.

To make this game even more one-sided, the Brewers mashed the ball on offense to the tune of eight runs on 17 hits. Ted Simmons, Cecil Cooper and Robin Yount combined for 10 of those hits while Paul Molitor, Roy Howell and Charlie Moore hit two each.

The A’s had no relief. They were baffled at the plate by McClure. They had no response to the Brewers on offense. It was complete team domination.

With a .594 winning percentage, the Milwaukee Brewers have the best record in all of baseball. If you listen closely, you’ll hear whispers from old Milwaukee fans who dare to compare this team to the World Series champion 1957 Braves.

Of course, don’t say that to Earl Gillespie, former voice of the Braves. Gillespie claims that the Braves were so much better than the current Brewers that such a comparison is laughable.

“He should know, I guess,” chuckled Kuenn. “He saw all the games.”

And maybe Gillespie is right. It’s too early to compare. There appears to be something special about this team, but until they make the playoffs and beyond there’s no reason to start the discussion.

Game Notes: Rickey Henderson missed his second straight game with a sore shoulder since breaking Lou Brock‘s single season stolen base record. … The second place Boston Red Sox beat the California Angels 9-3, keeping pace at 5 1/2 games back of the Brewers in the AL East.

Ninth Inning Rally Comes Up Short

August 28

A’s 7, Brewers 6
Brewers now 75-52 (1st by 5.5 games)
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1982 Topps Paul Molitor — Paul Molitor struck out with the tie run in scoring position to end the game.

MILWAUKEE — This game seemed to be in hand for the Brewers. And just as it was falling out of hand, they nearly made a miraculous comeback.

Starting pitcher Moose Haas was perfect for three innings: nine up, nine down. Meanwhile, the Brewers had built a 2-0 lead. It felt like, the way Moose was going, two runs could be enough.

Of course, it wasn’t. The next 2 1/3 innings were not kind to Haas. He’d allow four runs on seven hits and two walks. Pete Ladd relieved him with one out in the sixth and two on and allowed his one inherited runner to score. After six complete innings, the game was tied at four.

Two home runs off of Ladd appeared to put the game out of reach. Mitchell Page led off the top of the eighth with a solo shot and with one down in the ninth, Wayne Gross launched a two-run shot to make it 7-4.

But the Brewers didn’t quit. Gorman Thomas and Ben Oglivie singled to lead off the bottom of the ninth, bringing the tie run to the plate. Charlie Moore flied to right for the first out, but Roy Howell and Ted Simmons then hit back-to-back singles to make it a one-run game with runners at the corners and one out.

Suddenly, it seemed inevitable that the Brewers would at least force extra innings. Instead, the A’s turned to reliever Bob Owchinko. Jim Gantner grounded to second, and Dave McKay threw out Roy Howell trying to score. Paul Molitor then struck out to end the game.

“I thought we were going to come back,” manager Harvey Kuenn told the Milwaukee Sentinel. “We battled all night but just couldn’t get it done.”

A team that has made a name for itself with monster rallies and offensive heroics came up short this time. But there’s always a next time.

The second place Boston Red Sox beat the California Angels in 10 innings to pull back to within 5 1/2 games of the Brewers. The third place Baltimore Orioles also won and are now six games back.

Henderson Steals Record, Brewers Win

August 27

Brewers 5, A’s 4
Brewers now 75-51 (1st by 6.5 games)
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1982 Topps Rickey Henderson — Rickey Henderson stole four bases en route to the single season record.

MILWAUKEE — Members of the media from far and wide descended onto Milwaukee County Stadium to witness history. In the process of watching the great Brewers win again, Rickey Henderson broke a record.

Okay, okay. They came to see Rickey Henderson break Lou Brock‘s single season stolen base record. And he didn’t only break it. He shattered it, stealing four bases in the game to give him 122 on the season with 33 games remaining.

But the A’s, at 57-72, are little more than the great Rickey Henderson. The Milwaukee Brewers, as proven again tonight, are a great team.

Henderson walked in the third, stole second, hoisted second base over his head, blah, blah, blah… The A’s didn’t score that inning, but the Brewers struck for two thanks to a Dan Meyer error and a Ted Simmons sacrifice fly.

The A’s took the lead with three runs in the sixth, though the Brewers quickly tied it at three on a costly two out error in the bottom of the inning. Henderson’s speed then resulted in another run in the eighth when he led off with a walk, stole second and third, and scored on a sacrifice fly. But the Brewers weren’t done.

Ben Oglivie singled and Gorman Thomas walked to lead off the bottom of the eighth, chasing starter Preston Hanna. After a perfect Don Money sacrifice bunt, Charlie Moore was intentionally walked to load the bases, bringing up Jim Gantner. Gantner singled home two, giving the Brewers the lead for good.

Ho hum, really. Doc Medich, the scrap heap fifth starter, had tossed 12 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings before allowing two runs in the sixth. Rollie Fingers, who had been nursing a sore pitching elbow, pitched for the first time in six days and set down the side in order in the ninth, striking out two for his 301st career save.

But the focus of this game was on the fearless Rickey Henderson. He may end up with 130 or even 140 stolen bases this season. But while he’s stealing bases, the Milwaukee Brewers are stealing hearts. This team is winning games that will lead them to the postseason.

The second place Boston Red Sox lost to the California Angels 7-6, and are now 6 1/2 games behind the Brewers in the AL East.

Game Notes: At 34 home runs, Gorman Thomas is on pace to surpass his 1979 total of 45, which led the league. … The Brewers have won seven of their last eight games.