Moore has been the consummate team player, filling in wherever and whenever the Brewers need him. He was second on the team in average last season, hitting .301.
Charlie Moore
Card of the Day: 1982 Fleer Charlie Moore
Charlie’s gotta dig Fleer’s choice of photos here. A lame batting practice pic of his balding melon.
Dan Ford Slams Brewers
Orioles 9, Brewers 4
Brewers now 30-29 (4th)
Box Score | Season Schedule
BALTIMORE — Well, that sucked.
The Brewers had just tied the Orioles at four in the top of the seventh on two-out clutch singles by Charlie Moore and Jim Gantner. Everyone was feeling good about themselves. Then…
Lenn Sakata led off the bottom of the seventh with a ground ball to third that Paul Molitor mishandled. Al Bumbry attempted to sacrifice himself to the benefit of scoring position, but mistakenly reached first safely for a hit. After a Rich Dauer groundout, the Orioles had runners at second and third with one out and Ken Singleton at the plate.
Instead of facing the .256-hitting Singleton, Harvey Kuenn decided it made more sense to put him on and face Eddie Murray with the bases loaded. I guess the logic there is Murray is a double-play threat. But at .296 with seven homers, he’s also a big play threat.
All it really did was put Moose Haas in the uncomfortable position of needing to throw strikes to a player he didn’t really want to throw strikes to. Haas walked Murray to force in the go-ahead run. Harm may have been minimal, though, since Murray inflicted just one run of damage and the struggling Dan Ford was coming to the plate.
Kuenn shuffled to the mound and replaced Haas with Jamie Easterly. The Orioles faithful, who have little patience with the .237-hitting new Oriole, booed as Ford came to the plate. Moments later, Ford hit a grand slam and accepted a curtain call.
Oh, fans.
Up until that point, the Brewers were neither bad nor spectacular. But it was a game we can expect several times over this season. It was winnable. But you need dependable pitching to win it.
WIth the trading deadline hours away, the results of today’s game is a prime example of why more pitching is needed. Whether it’s an addition to the starting rotation, the bullpen or both, close games that are being lost could be won going forward.
Pull the trigger, Harry. You’re our only hope.
Game Notes: Cecil Cooper missed his fifth consecutive game with a sore hamstring (or buttock). He had told Harvey Kuenn that he was ready. Expect Cooper in the lineup tomorrow.
Will Brewers Make a Deal?
With talk of upgrading the Brewers roster continue to float about, is a deal imminent?
While few specific rumors have surfaced, we can speculate on which players may be available and what needs the team may want to fill. So let’s have at it, shall we?
Needs
If the Brewers make a deal, it will likely address one of the following areas:
Bullpen: Rollie Fingers has been banged up and less dependable than he was last year, making the contributions of the other relievers all the more important. Other than Jim Slaton, can the Brewers count on Jamie Easterly, Jerry Augustine or Dwight Bernard? No. The Brewers could use at least one dependable addition to the bullpen.
Starting Rotation: It’s been a sticking point all season. Pete Vuckovich is the undisputed ace, but then what? Mike Caldwell, when not throwing a fit about whatever it is that ticks him off this week, can be good on occasion. But at 3-6 with a 5.04 ERA, he’s far from dependable. Moose Haas has been up and down, but overall he’s been the second best starter on the staff with a 4.05 ERA. Bob McClure is the “other” lefty in the rotation (along with Caldwell) with a bloated 4.56 ERA. Randy Lerch is the true definition of a number five starter with a 5.25 ERA. In other words, the Brewers have one ace, a number three or number four starter in Haas, and three number five starters. One trade probably won’t be enough to make the changes that are necessary here.
You Can Have Him
There’s one player the Brewers would just assume give away, but they’ve been trying unsuccessfully since the spring. No one wants him.
Roy Howell: Howell’s tirades have become tired. Granted, while playing under Kuenn he’s been quieter since he’s actually getting playing time. But he’s third on the depth chart at third base, and could easily be dealt if the Brewers can get a need in return.
Oh, you want him?
These are players who likely aren’t the centerpiece of any trade discussion, but could come up as a throw-in or minor deal:
Marshall Edwards: He’s a valuable defensive replacement in the outfield, but offers little else.
Ed Romero: He’s nice to have in case Gantner needs a breather, but that’s about it.
Mark Brouhard: Still young and with promise, but the Brewers have depth in right field.
Ned Yost: If the Brewers keep Simmons, there’s really no need to have three catcher-capable players on the roster.
Rob Picciolo: Recently acquired from Oakland to fill a perceived need, but he rarely plays.
Jerry Augustine: His 6+ ERA is a bit misleading due to the 12 runs he allowed in Kansas City on May 11, but he’s rarely used.
Randy Lerch: Sometimes passable, sometimes awful. Easily replaceable.
Jamie Easterly: With a 3.32 ERA, he actually has been pretty good this year. But the Brewers may not trust those results if an offer comes their way.
Dwight Bernard: Like Easterly, his results (3.66 ERA) haven’t been particularly bad, but he’s also a body that shouldn’t be very difficult to replace or upgrade.
Likely discussion starters
If the Brewers do make a deal, don’t be surprised if it involves one of these players. They not only are available, but may be attractive to other teams:
Ted Simmons: He’s yet to live up to his reputation as a catcher with a big bat since putting on a Brewers uniform in 1981. The Brewers have three players capable of catching, and Simmons may be seen as the veteran presence that another team needs as a final piece of the puzzle. His name’s been floated around for a while now, and he’d likely already be gone if Buck Rodgers were still around.
Charlie Moore: It comes down to depth. While it would be helpful to have Moore around to split right field duties with Mark Brouhard, he’s one of three players who can catch. And he’s capable of hitting .300, so other teams may covet him. He also demanded a trade during the spring before being assured he’d get a shot in the outfield.
Mike Caldwell: He’s not performing for the Brewers, but other teams will think a change of scenery could light a fire under him. And they may be right.
Moose Haas: Would only be dealt in a package deal that would give the Brewers an upgrade to the rotation.
Don Money: Very valuable as a designated hitter, but the Brewers could take a hit on offense to improve their pitching staff. One of three third basemen.
Bob McClure: Like Haas, he could be dealt in a package deal to improve the rotation.
Could be available, but at a price
It would seem highly unlikely that any of these players would be traded unless the Brewers received an offer they couldn’t refuse:
Jim Gantner: Seemingly too valuable as a defender, but not irreplaceable. Ed Romero could be slotted in at second if the Brewers could add a nice piece to the pitching staff.
Paul Molitor: His age (25) and production would make him very hard to deal, but given the depth at third base a trade would have to be considered if the Brewers could get a young, top of the rotation starter in return.
Unavailable
There would seem to be no way the Brewers would trade these players due to age, depth or value to the team:
Cecil Cooper: He may not get the credit he deserves around the league, but fans in Milwaukee know he’s been the best first baseman in baseball the past few years. The team has no back-up plan for him.
Robin Yount: Like Cooper, Yount may be the best in the league at his position. He’s 26 and the drop-off from Yount to Rob Picciolo is downright silly.
Gorman Thomas: He’s a leader and a big power bat in the middle of the lineup. Most importantly, there just isn’t a viable back-up plan.
Ben Oglivie: See Gorman above. Benji isn’t going anywhere.
Pete Vuckovich: The team’s only dependable starter. No way he’s going anywhere.
Rollie Fingers: The heart and soul of the bullpen, if not the team. Fingers may be having a down year, but his experience in the postseason makes him irreplaceable.
Jim Slaton: He can start, pitch long relief or get saves when Rollie is unavailable. And he’s productive. He can’t be replaced.
What do you think? Which players should the Brewers be looking at trading and what areas should they upgrade?
Third Straight Win is Impressive
Brewers 10, A’s 1
Brewers now 25-24 (4th)
Box Score | Season Schedule
OAKLAND — After the first win under new manager Harvey Kuenn, we tried real hard not to overreact. It was a nice, tidy win. A complete, team win. But impressive?
Then this happens.
How else do you describe four runs in the first and five runs in the second? How else do you describe three total hits given up by Brewers pitching, equal to their own first inning output? How else do you describe three innings of hitless relief for Jim Slaton?
Impressive, indeed.
The team is not only playing better, the players are getting healthier. Today was a game of happy returns. Pitcher Moose Haas made his first appearance since May 25 due to elbow tendinitis. How did he feel?
“I really didn’t feel good the whole game,” Haas assured us. “My arm didn’t feel sore. It felt dead. I didn’t have the slightest idea where the ball was going.”
Neither did the A’s. Haas allowed one run on three hits in six innings. Sure, he matched his season total of four walks in the game, but I think Haas is just fine.
Gorman Thomas, who had been out five games with a shoulder injury, also returned. How did he feel?
“My shoulder only hurt twice tonight,” said Thomas. “One of them was on the first pitch, when I made that check swing.”
The next pitch after that check swing? The ball ended up deep into the left field bleachers. He had two hits and drove in four. I think that Gorman’s fine, too.
Charlie Moore, out since May 27 with a jammed thumb, returned. He celebrated by going 2-for-5 with an RBI and run scored. Yeah, he’s fine.
The Brewers are healthy and they’re happy. Jim Slaton, when asked about his three inning save that gave him two on the season, looked over at closer Rollie Fingers and said, “I’ve got 281 left to catch you. Watch out.”
Team harmony. Healthy players. Productive offense. Suffocating pitching. Pristine defense. Winning baseball.
The Brewers are now a game over .500 for the first time since May 23. How long can the Harvey Kuenn honeymoon continue? Who knows, but the first two days have been nothing short of impressive.
Game Notes: Ted Simmons hit two doubles and drove in three runs. He now has hits in nine of the last 11 games … Cecil Cooper left in the fourth inning due to a hip pointer injury that is not believed to be serious. He thinks he hurt it in the last game of the Seattle series.
Buck Rodgers Sounds Off
SEATTLE — Contacted for his comments on being fired as manager of the Milwaukee Brewers today, Buck Rodgers tried to be diplomatic.
On whether he feels like he failed: “Sure, there’s a little sense of failure. I thought this club could win. I’ve never failed in my life. I don’t like to fail. But that’s all part of the game, you know that. It wasn’t exactly unexpected. I’ve had my mind made up for the last two weeks it might happen.”
Then Rodgers decided that if he were going to go down, he’d take someone with him. He went down swinging.
“I think there are a couple of cancers on the club,” he said, not mentioning their names. “I think you’ve got 18 or 19 players who want to win. You’ve got three or four who will go any way the wind blows. I’m not going to name the cancers, and I’m not going to name the ones who blow with the wind.”
If you’re going to go down swinging, you might as well throw the full punch. We’re left guessing about the two players he’s speaking of, but those following the team tend to believe they are Mike Caldwell and Ted Simmons.
Caldwell was often a critic of the way Rodgers handled pitchers. In fact, as recently as May 23, he made this comment to the press following a loss to the Mariners: “I don’t know. 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.”
The Brewers also tried unsuccessfully to trade Caldwell during the winter. Knowing that the team didn’t want him likely didn’t make relationships with management or his performance on the field any easier. Caldwell is sporting a disappointing 2-4 record and 4.70 ERA.
While Ted Simmons didn’t provide the juicy quotes like Caldwell, he and Rodgers did not see eye-to-eye. Rodgers, a former catcher who prided himself on his defensive ability, was thought to prefer Ned Yost and Charlie Moore as defensive backstops. Simmons has yet to live up to the hype as an offensive producer either, and Rodgers may even prefer Don Money or Roy Howell as the DH.
In other words, Simmons was forced upon him, and Rodgers wanted him off of the team. Some believed that if Simmons stayed with the team all season, Rodgers would quit.
If Rodgers wasn’t referring to one or both of Caldwell and Simmons, he may also have been talking about Roy Howell. Howell has received very little playing time and has been a thorn in the side of the team since spring training. Unable to trade him, Howell has sulked and thrown tantrums while producing very little.
Not Howell? It could also be Gorman Thomas, Rollie Fingers or Pete Vuckovich. But at this point, we’re reaching. And to be honest, it’s why making the comment without naming names is a cowardice act. We’re left guessing who it is he was talking about and now we’re dragging potentially innocent names through the mud.