Dan Ford

Brewers are AL East Champs!

Brewers 10, Orioles 2
Brewers finish 95-67 (1st place)
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Robin Yount was the MVP of the most important game of the season.

BALTIMORE — The Milwaukee Brewers are who they are, and we love ’em for it. They hit, mash homers and score run after run. Their pitching is inconsistent, but they are anchored by three All-Star caliber veterans. And, most importantly, the Milwaukee Brewers are exciting.

We know this. These are the ingredients that have made for a dramatic season. And how exciting would it have been to clinch the American League East before traveling to Baltimore for the final four games of the season? Or even clinch in games one, two or three?

No, it came down to the final game. For us. For our enjoyment. Though it would have been a painful loss, the final week of turbulence added an exclamation point to this final game. Victory could never feel so sweet.

If the Brewers have proven anything to us fans throughout the season, it’s that they can handle adversity. They overcame a rough start and managerial change to unexpectedly take, and hold, the divisional lead. Did you think the Brewers would fail to overcome this little obstacle? Shame on you.

By any account, this was Major League Baseball’s regular season game of the year. The drama could not possibly be greater, deciding a division on the final game of the season. Potential Hall of Famers Don Sutton and Jim Palmer faced off in Orioles manager Earl Weaver’s final game.

Fantastic.

Orioles fans were confident, strolling through the turnstiles in droves with signs that exclaimed “Sweep!” and dancing with brooms as they mocked their downtrodden opponents. They could taste a division title.

But of course, this was the stage for Robin Yount to again remind us why he is the runaway American League Most Valuable Player. On the final day of the season, in enemy territory, when his team needed a leader to step forward.

With one down in the top of the first inning, Yount made a statement to the Orioles and their fans with his solo home run: The first three games are forgotten. Today is a new day. This game will not be so easy.

Yount’s statement set the tone, but it was how the bottom of the first inning ended that made it clear that the Brewers were a motivated and focused bunch. With two down and runners at first and second, John Lowenstein smacked a single to right field. Glenn Gulliver ran through third base coach Cal Ripken Sr.’s stop sign and Brewers right fielder Charlie Moore accepted the challenge, throwing a pea to catcher Ted Simmons that easily nailed Gulliver at the plate.

The Brewers’ momentum carried over into the top of the second when Gorman Thomas led off with a walk, and a flustered Jim Palmer threw an errant pick-off throw into right field. The gaff landed Thomas on third base with no one out. When Thomas stepped on home plate after a Roy Howell groundout, it was a 2-0 Brewers lead heading into the bottom of the second.

This was new ground for the Orioles, who had scored at least three runs by the end of the second inning in each of the first three games of the series. Down 2-0, it was also the first time during the series that the home team had been down by as many as two runs.

The Orioles needed to counter the Brewers’ emotion, but they had no answers early. Sutton disposed of the opposition rather easily in the second, and the Brewers were ready once again to strike in the third.

With one down, Jim Palmer faced a familiar foe. For the second time in three innings, Robin Yount drove a solo shot into the right field bleachers to extend the Brewers lead to 3-0.

The Orioles’ Glenn Gulliver responded with a solo home run of his own in the bottom of the third, but the run was only a minor annoyance for Sutton and the Brewers. And once the Orioles failed to capitalize on a bases loaded opportunity with two outs in the fifth, loyal Brewers fans began confidently preparing champagne glasses in Milwaukee.

Cecil Cooper, the Brewers’ presumed runner up for team MVP this season, led off the top of the sixth with a solo home run. After a Ted Simmons walk, Jim Palmer was unceremoniously removed from the game in favor of Tippy Martinez. By knocking Palmer out of the game, the Brewers had already won.

Don Sutton mowed through Orioles batters inning after inning. Ben Oglivie hit a well-placed single in the top of the eighth to score — who else? — Robin Yount from third after a lead-off triple.

In the bottom of the eighth, Baltimore provided one final scare for fans back in Milwaukee. A temporary bout of Sutton wildness put two runners on via the walk in the eighth, leading to a one-out, run-scoring single by Terry Crowley.

Harvey Kuenn then trotted out to the mound and put Sutton’s fate in his own hands: Talk Kuenn into leaving him out there, or be removed. Kuenn left Sutton on the mound.

Then, with runners on first and third and two down, pinch hitter Joe Nolan hit a slicing fly ball into left. Ben Oglivie ran it down, sliding into the corner to make an amazing, inning-ending grab.

It was likely the most important catch in Milwaukee Brewers franchise history. Oglivie saved two runs on the play, and possibly more since a hit would have extended the inning. The catch preserved a comfortable three-run lead for the Brewers with only one inning to go.

Through the eighth, the Brewers had provided a large dose of pitching and defense to put themselves in position to win. The only ingredient yet to be displayed was the one that has made them famous this year: Offense.

Don Money led off the top of the ninth inning with a double. Dennis Martinez retired Charlie Moore and Ed Romero, and then all hell broke loose. Molitor hit a ground ball single up the middle that scored Marshall Edwards (who had come in to run for Moore). Yount was hit by a pitch. Cooper greeted new pitcher Mike Flanagan with a double that scored both Molitor and Yount. And to cap it off, Ted Simmons — by all accounts the leader of this team — hit a two-run homer.

Five runs came across for the Brewers in the top of the ninth. The score, with the Orioles coming to bat for the final time, was Brewers 10 and Orioles 2.

John Shelby led off the final inning with a single to left off of Bob McClure. Dan Ford popped out to Yount on the infield. Benny Ayala flied out to Gorman Thomas in center. Eddie Murray hit a single up the middle.

Then, the moment we Brewers fans may cherish for generations: Gary Roenicke hit a lazy fly ball that fell safely into the glove of left fielder Ben Oglivie.

Pop the champagne! Dance in the streets! The Brewers have won the American League East!

The Brewers have won as a team all season long. It was only fitting that this final regular season win would be a team effort. Don Sutton was sharp on the mound. Robin Yount hit two home runs and a triple. Cecil Cooper hit a home run and a double. Ted Simmons hit a crucial two-out, two-run homer. Ben Oglivie made a sliding catch into the left-field corner that may have saved the team’s season. Paul Molitor and Roy Howell knocked in runs. Charlie Moore threw out a runner at home to end the first. And Bob McClure held the lead in the bullpen.

Enjoy this feeling, Brewers fans. Our Brewers are AL East Champions. The American League Championship Series begins on October 5 in Anaheim, where your Milwaukee Brewers will participate in a best of five for rights to play in the World Series.

So, how do you plan to celebrate a Brewers appearance in the playoffs?

Vuke is Wild, Red Sox Take Finale

June 28 Leave a Comment

Red Sox 9, Brewers 7
Brewers now 40-31 (2nd)
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BOSTON — After winning the first three games of this series, it was easy for Brewers fans to get greedy. We have Pete Vuckovich on the mound for the final game, and he had won eight straight games. The offense had scored 27 runs on eight homers in the first three games. We didn’t only see the fourth win as possible, we expected it.

Well, the offense actually held up its end of the bargain. The Brewers hit two more home runs as Gorman Thomas slugged his 18th and third of the series and Roy Howell slugged his second of the season. With seven runs on 10 hits and the ace on the mound, it should have been enough for the four-game sweep that would have pulled the Crew to within a game of first place.

Well, first place will have to wait. Pete Vuckovich was not on his game. Not even close. In 6 2/3 innings, he allowed eight runs (five earned) on nine hits. Most alarming was that he walked seven. In the pivotal seventh, Vuke walked two and hit a batter to load the bases with two outs before Jerry Remy hit a bases-clearing double.

Sure, the defense also didn’t do its job. An Ed Romero error led to two unearned runs and a Ted Simmons passed ball led to another. But still. When you walk eight (Jim Slaton walked one) in addition to 10 hits, you can’t expect to win many games.

While we could leave disappointed knowing that a winnable game got away, the Brewers can hold their heads high. They outplayed the division leaders for most of the four games on foreign soil. This was a statement series.

The Brewers aren’t going away.

Game Notes: Jamie Easterly pitched for the first time since allowing a Dan Ford grand slam 13 days ago … Jim Gantner has a rotator cuff bruise and won’t throw for five days. Not yet known if he will go on the DL.

Robin Yount Stars in Brewers Win

June 15 Leave a Comment

Brewers 6, Orioles 3
Brewers now 31-29 (4th)
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BALTIMORE — Today’s win was a full team effort.

Bob McClure started and held the potent Orioles offense to three runs (two earned) on six hits in seven innings. Jim Slaton went the rest of the way and did what Jim Slaton does, allowing only a hit in two scoreless innings.

The Brewers got off to a good start in the first when Paul Molitor led off with a walk and Robin Yount then launched a homer to stake his roommate McClure to a 2-0 lead.

The Orioles would take the lead in the third when Dan Ford struck again with a two-run single. It was Ford who hit a grand slam yesterday to put that game out of reach.

The pitchers took over from that point until the eighth when a surprising defensive miscue gave the Brewers an opportunity. With two down, Mark Brouhard hit a routine grounder to rookie vacuum Cal Ripken, Jr.. Brouhard would reach safely when Ripken threw high to first, committing his first error in 44 games. After Molitor singled, Yount came through again with a triple off of the wall in right to give the Brewers a 4-3 lead.

The Brewers got some nice insurance runs in the eighth when Gorman Thomas led off with a booming home run to left and Marshall Edwards brought home Ben Oglivie with a sacrifice fly. But with Jim Slaton on the mound, those runs were merely recreational.

As has been the case so many times this season, Robin Yount was the star of this show. He went 2-for-5 and drove in four of the Brewers’ six runs. He is now hitting .313 with eight home runs and 36 RBI.

“If Robin Yount is not the starting All-Star shortstop,” said manager Harvey Kuenn, “then there’s something wrong with the balloting.”

Well, there’s likely something wrong with the balloting. As it currently stands, Yankees part-timer (and owner of a .153 batting average) Bucky Dent is leading all shortstops in the voting. Robin Yount sits third. Helplessly.

It’s okay. The Yankees can play in the meaningless All-Star Game. The Brewers will just keep winning the games that count.

Game Notes: The Brewers are considering calling up reliever Pete Ladd or starter Frank DiPino from Vancouver. Ladd is 9-1 and has allowed 32 hits in 40 2/3 innings. DiPino is 7-4 with a 3.17 ERA … Ted Simmons is second among catchers in the All-Star voting behind Chicago’s Carlton Fisk. Cecil Cooper is fifth among first basemen behind California’s Rod Carew. Molitor is seventh among third basemen behind Kansas City’s George Brett. Ben Oglivie is sixteenth among outfielders … Reliever Rollie Fingers (back spasms) may be available for tomorrow’s game … Cecil Cooper, who had been out of the lineup for five games with a hamstring injury, returned and couldn’t get the ball out of the infield in four at bats.

Dan Ford Slams Brewers

June 14 Leave a Comment

Orioles 9, Brewers 4
Brewers now 30-29 (4th)
Box Score | Season Schedule

The ineffectiveness of relievers like Jamie Easterly is why Harry Dalton needs to make a move at the deadline tonight.

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.