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Brewers 1982

Brewers 1982

Covering the Milwaukee Brewers throughout the 1982 season, in real-time, as it would have happpened.

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Fred Lynn

Brew-phoria!

October 11 Leave a Comment

MILWAUKEE — Cecil Cooper must have been floating on air. I was too, though, my feeling of weightlessness was aided by a Serta Sleeper mattress.

As soon as Robin Yount‘s throw landed in the webbing of Coop’s glove, I jumped off the bed in my parents’ room and landed in my dad’s arms, yelling and celebrating the Crew’s first trip to the Fall Classic and the first Milwaukee team to play in the World Series since my dad was a 10-year-old in 1958. Never have I been so happy to see a routine 6-3 putout in all my life.

There were so many great moments (which far outweighed the lousy ones — four errors?) in Game 5, but I’ll have no problem remembering them.

Molly’s baserunning. Moore’s hose of Reggie Jackson at third base. Benji’s tater. Moore’s infield bloop. Coop signaling for the ball to drop from the sky like an apple falling from the tree. And, of course, the dangerous Rod Carew grouding into the final out. Good lord, I could have crapped diamonds during that final inning. Instead, my only sense of disappointment came from not being able to rush onto the diamond with Loomer and celebrate on sacred ground.

Scratch that. I am a little disappointed in another outcome from the weekend. I should be basking in this euphoric afterglow (at least I think it’s afterglow…). Yet, I can’t help but think the Crew, though triumphant, was shorted in the hardware department. Pete Ladd, our hulking closer, should have been named MVP of the ALCS, not the Angels’ Fred Lynn.

Granted, Lynn played stellar ball, hit .611 and had a sick slugging percentage of .889. But here’s the important point: his team lost the series. That should automatically disqualify any player from winning MVP. Whenever Lynn looks at the award, it will mock him and the Angels’ failure to win one more game with three chances to do so. He’ll probably mock the award in return and use it as a doorstop.

Ladd, meanwhile, had big shoes to fill as Rollie Fingers is the greatest fireman of all time. Ladd, with his size-15 feet, more than did the job. He saved two of the three most important games of the season: Game 3 and Game 5. He didn’t give up a hit. He didn’t walk an Angel. He struck out five of the 10 batters he faced. He was perfect. He was the MVP.

That’s quibbling though. The Brewers are headed to the World Series to face the St. Louis Cardinals, the team with the most world championships this side of the Yankees (22) and the vagabond A’s (eight). But they’re none of our concern today. Tomorrow, in St. Louis, yes. Today, no. Our joy belongs to us. This feels new and fresh and filled with relief. The Crew had been dead in Baltimore. They were buried in California.

Yet today, they live and breathe and quite possibly will be favored in this series despite the Cards having four of the seven games at home because the Crew’s pitching is equal to that of St. Louis and the offense is far better. The Brewers don’t have the Cards’ team speed (no one does), but that may be the only other place where St. Louis has an advantage.

The Crew even has the advantage when it comes to beer. Bud blows. Give me a Miller High Life (or my grandpa, a Pabst Blue Ribbon, of which he has a half barrel in his basement bar) any day. We’ll give you the Clydesdales. They’re pretty cool.

But the World Series isn’t horse play. It’s serious business and the Cards are a serious foe. Still when the final out is recorded, I have a feeling the Crew will ride off into the sunset. Possibly on those Clydesdales and more than likely with the Champagne of Beers in their hands and Champagne in their eyes.

Until then, however, October 10, 1982 will be a day that will captivate the Brewers fan in me for the rest of my life.

Filed Under: Commentary Tagged With: Cecil Cooper, Fred Lynn, Pete Ladd, Reggie Jackson, Robin Yount, Rod Carew, Rollie Fingers

Quotes from the American League Champs

October 10 Leave a Comment

The following quotes were taken by the Milwaukee Sentinel on the field and in the clubhouse following the Milwaukee Brewers’ 4-3 win over the California Angels today to advance to the World Series. Recap of the game can be found here.

Cecil Cooper
Cecil Cooper's seventh inning hit was the focus of conversation, but there were multiple heros on this day.

Cecil Cooper on seventh inning hit: “When I walked up there all I could think about was getting another chance. You have to go up there thinking about staying under control, going the other way. I thought I might see (left hander Andy) Hassler in that situation.”

Cecil Cooper: “I’m just so excited I got a base hit and we won. It took me away from being a goat.”

Cecil Cooper: “For a minute I thought it would be caught because when you hit line drives they have a tendency to hang, especially with the wind blowing in like it was. I was motioning for it to go down. It got down.”

Jim Gantner on scoring go-ahead run: “I think I flew most of the way home. When Cecil walked up there, I had a feeling he was going to get a hit and I knew I was going to score from second. I had already made up my mind that I was going to score.”

Bob McClure on Marshall Edwards’ eighth inning catch of Don Baylor fly ball: “I thought it was out when he hit it. I just stood on the mound and said stay in, stay in and then I saw it go in his glove.”

Marshall Edwards: “I knew I had to jump. You know how tall I am.”

Harvey Kuenn: “We haven’t done things easy all year and that was just another example of it.”

Pete Ladd, who saved the game: “Pure ecstasy. I don’t ever think I’ve ever jumped for joy like that when I saw the ball hit Cecil’s glove. I didn’t care who was up in that situation. I wanted the ball in that kind of an opportunity. I’ve faced (Carew) three times now, and I’ve gotten him out three times. I’m sure in the future he’ll get his hits off me, and that’s fine – as long as he didn’t get one in that situation.”

Charlie Moore on his throw to nail Reggie Jackson at third in the fifth inning: “It turned out to be a big play because it kept them from scoring another run. Inside I was cheering myself on.”

Bob McClure on throwing one pitch to Reggie Jackson in the eighth: “I wasn’t even trying to get him to hit into a double play. I was trying to get a strikeout and see what would happen to the next hitter (Lynn). But it worked out.”

Paul Molitor: “I think what happened today typifies t he character of this team. Today was a great example. We were down, but not out. We came back.”

Pete Vuckovich, on if the Brewers are invincible: “That’s a heavy word. There are too many good teams and good players for anyone to be invincible. But we’re a very confident team. I’m so proud to be a part of this unit.”

Cecil Cooper on tagging Bob Grich with an empty glove: “I didn’t argue. I knew I had made a bone headed play. I simply panicked. Realized I couldn’t reach him with the ball in my bare hand, so I tried to do it that way. I turned to Bobby at first base and told him I screwed up. And I told the guys when I got to the dugout, ‘Just give me another chance to redeem myself.'”

Bud Selig, on comparing this win to final day win against Orioles: “I don’t know. Last weekend was gut wrenching. I’ve never been filled with such anxiety. I called it an ordeal. That’s what it was.”

Bud Selig, pointing to swarming fans on the field: “Look at that scene. That makes it worth it. It’s like living a dream.”

Paul Molitor: “One of the more gratifying things has been playing for Mr. Selig. Some of it goes back to Baltimore last week when he told us ‘win or lose’ he was proud of us. That’s why it was so great to go full cycle and win it for him.”

Harvey Kuenn, on his pick for ALCS MVP (Fred Lynn won it): “Why, I would have to pick Pete Ladd. And why would you have to say why?”

Pitching coach Pat Dobson on Ladd: “When he came here (July 15) he was a one pitch pitcher. He had no slider. But he’s very easy to instruct. He learned the slider and it’s helped him 100%. It’s a pitch he needed for his career.”

Rollie Fingers on Ladd: “What he did was no surprise to me. If he has his control you know he’ll be ok. This just goes to show you that one guy doesn’t win it for you.”

Don Sutton on Harvey Kuenn: “The man is like a conductor of an orchestra. He can’t play a single instrument but he sure blends everyone else together. He’s much like Walter Alston. He doesn’t believe people come to watch manager’s manage. He believes they come to see the players play.”

Harvey Kuenn: “Words can’t express how I feel. I’ve had a lot of thrills in this game, and this is the biggest of my whole life. This is a club molded of 25 guys and coaches. Everybody loves everybody else. They don’t care who gets the winning hit or who’s the winning pitcher as long as we win.”

Ben Oglivie: “We knew we couldn’t give up. We knew we had to be stalwart. We’ve had to fight a continuing battle all year. This club always battles.”

Gorman Thomas: “I could care less about my knee right now. I’m going to go out and get smoked tonight.”

Charlie Moore on his dance in right field: “I couldn’t stand still. I guess when you’ve never been there before, you don’t know how to react. I guess I kind of reacted stupidly. But there are no regrets. Not one regret.”

Filed Under: News Tagged With: Angels, Ben Oglivie, Bob Grich, Bob McClure, Cecil Cooper, Charlie Moore, Fred Lynn, Gorman Thomas, Harvey Kuenn, Jim Gantner, Marshall Edwards, Paul Molitor, Pete Ladd, Pete Vuckovich, Reggie Jackson, Rollie Fingers

Brewers are World Series Bound!

October 10 2 Comments

Brewers 4, Angels 3
Brewers win ALCS 3-2
Box Score | Season Schedule

Brewers fans storm the field
Brewers fans storm the field after Game 5 win

MILWAUKEE — Down two games to none just a few days ago, the Brewers had little hope of a World Series. Today, as I stand on the County Stadium infield with Pete Ladd‘s cap in my hand, the fans finally trickling back into the stands, we can say it: The Milwaukee Brewers are American League Champions.

Yes, after yet another heart-stopping, come-from-behind performance on Sunday, the Brewers beat the Angels 4-3 to advance to the World Series against either the Atlanta Braves or St. Louis Cardinals (the Cardinals lead two games to none and play tonight in Atlanta).

Declaring that baseball is a “game of inches” may be cliche, but today’s pennant deciding game was a prime example. There were several plays and non-plays, bounces of chance and clutch displays of amazing skill that led us to this celebratory stage. The game may have lasted three hours and one minute, but it was boiling over with memorable moments to last a lifetime. Let’s break it down…

Defense Early
Poor defense could have played the Brewers out of the game early, committing four errors in the first four innings.

With one out in the first and a runner on second, Reggie Jackson hit a liner at Molitor, who made a nice diving catch. However, Molitor then tried to make a quick throw to second to double up Downing, but no one was covering and the throw hit Downing on the helmet. The errant throw allowed Downing to move to third. The next batter, Fred Lynn, continued to destroy Brewers pitching by hitting a line drive base hit into left field that Oglivie misplayed. His error allowed Lynn to move to second. While allowing Lynn to move up wasn’t damaging (he would not score), Oglivie may have had a shot at Downing at home if not for the combination of the two errors. Frankly, the Brewers were lucky to allow only one run in the first.

With a runner on second and no one out in the fourth, Bobby Grich laid down a bunt towards first. Cecil Cooper picked it up, pulled the ball out of his glove and tagged Grich, who was moving into foul territory to avoid the tag. The problem was that Cooper was holding the ball in his bare hand and tagged Grich with an empty glove. Grich was initially called out, but after the Angels complained, home plate umpire Don Denkinger reversed the call and California had runners at the corners with no one out. Cooper did not tag Grich, this is true. The actual question is whether Grich ran outside of the baseline to avoid the tag. Regardless, it was ruled a sacrifice and an error on Cooper.

It would be a costly error. After Foli popped out to Cooper for the first out, Bob Boone executed his second squeeze bunt of the series to score DeCinces from third. While Boone would be safe on the play, it’s unlikely the Angels attempt a squeeze bunt had Grich been tagged out, making it two outs with Boone at the plate and a runner on third.

That said, it again could have been worse. Brian Downing grounded into an inning ending double play to keep the score at 3-1 Angels.

Defense Later
That double play in the fourth was the start of a new Brewers defense in this game. Up until that point, Milwaukee’s glovemen appeared content to throw the game away. From that poing forward, they did all thew could to save it.

The next big, game saving play came in the fifth. With one down and Reggie Jackson at first, Fred Lynn hit a bouncing ball over Cecil Cooper for a hit. Charlie Moore charged it down the first base line, and made a perfect throw on a line straight into Molitor’s glove without a bounce to nail Jackson. It was an unbelievable throw for the second out of the inning. Don Baylor, the next batter, would get another base hit that would have scored Jackson to make it a 4-2 game. Instead, the Angels did not score, and it remained 3-2. The Angels would have other opportunities to test Moore’s arm throughout the game, and each time they would pass.

The biggest play of the game was made by the most unlikely of heroes. Gorman Thomas is noticeably hobbled by a sore right knee, and it is affecting his play at the plate and in the field. With the Brewers up 4-3 in the eighth, Harvey Kuenn decided to lift Gorman from the game in favor of the speedy Marshall Edwards. The move would pay off almost immediately.

With one down, Don Baylor tested the new fielder with a rocket into the gap in left center. Edwards raced back to the track, leaping and crashing into the wall. The ball would have hit the top of the wall, but instead rested comfortably in the young center fielder’s glove. Doug DeCinces would then connect on a base hit into right that undoubtedly would have scored Baylor. Edwards saved a run.

Between these two plays, the Brewers defense saved at least two runs in spectacular fashion. Without either play, it would likely have been a different conclusion.

Molitor’s Baserunning
Paul Molitor led off the first inning with a line drive base hit into left field. Off the bat of any other hitter, it’s an automatic single. The ball was not in the gap, but was one that Downing charged head on. Molitor, though, was thinking two bases as soon as he hit it. The grass wet from rain, the ball slowed on its way to Downing and Molitor took second easily. Robin Yount then moved Molitor over to third on a ground out.

With one down, Cecil Cooper hit a ground ball to Doug DeCinces at third. DeCinces was distracted by Molitor at third and faked him back to the base before throwing a ball in the dirt to first. Molitor’s presence on third caused the throwing error, and there were runners on the corners and one out. If Molitor had been on second, he would have stayed there with the grounder to the left side, and Cooper is undoubtedly thrown out for the second of the inning.

Then, with one down instead of two, Ted Simmons hit a sacrifice fly that scored Molitor. Molitor’s single that turned into a double not only kept the number of outs to one instead of two, but it allowed him to get to third sooner to be in position for the sacrifice fly. That run was entirely thanks to Molitor.

Missed Opportunities
While the defense began turning things around in the fourth, the offense would not cooperate when given the opportunities in the middle innings. Missed opportunities at the plate — and an unfortunately placed grounder — nearly cost this team the game.

With Molitor and Gantner on 1st and 2nd and no outs in the 3rd, Robin Yount hit a smash right at Doug DeCinces at third, who was a step away from the bag. DeCinces quickly stepped on third and fired to second for a double play. Grich was taken out on a slide by Molitor, but otherwise it was very close to a triple play. It was a well hit ball, but it resulted in two outs and a runner on first. The Brewers would not be able to score in the third, and remained down 2-1.

In the fifth inning and the Angels leading 3-2, Cecil Cooper came up in his first clutch opportunity with two down and runners at first and second. Cooper struck out, and the Angels remained in the lead.

Oglivie Homer
Ben Oglivie didn’t play in Saturday’s game. The decision was likely two fold: Oglivie had gone 1-for-11 in the ALCS, and he injured his ribs in a collision with the wall on a Fred Lynn double in Game 3. The switch to Mark Brouhard for Game 4 proved to be one of the most ingenious moves of the series, as the back-up outfielder would key the Brewers win.

Oglivie returned to the lineup today, and he took several awkward swings that would lead observers to believe that his sore ribs were affecting his play. However, with one down in the bottom of the fourth, Oglivie hit a Bruce Kison changeup over the right field wall to make it a 3-2 game.

The run was crucial for an offense having trouble scoring. It kept the Brewers close and made the eventual win possible.

Relief Pitching
In a series with an unending list of story lines, the emergence of the Brewers bullpen is near the top. It was this group that struggled so mightily during the past couple of months, giving away several leads and wins along the way. But relief pitching was this team’s shining star in the ALCS.

With one down in the seventh, Brewers starter Pete Vuckovich walked Rod Carew. Harvey Kuenn summoned lefty Bob McClure, who induced a Reggie Jackson inning-ending double play on his first pitch. McClure would then cruise through the eighth, aided significantly by Edwards’ play in the outfield.

McClure would give up a lead-off single to Ron Jackson in the top of the ninth with a one run lead. Pete Ladd then came on to replace McClure. Bob Boone bunted over the runner for the first out, and Ladd got the final two batters to ground out to end the game.

The Brewers bullpen allowed one earned run on only five hits in 10 2/3 innings in this series. Pete Ladd was the poster boy of relief success, retiring all 10 batters he faced and striking out five. The impressive performance of the bullpen was a big reason this team is advancing to the World Series.

Clutch Hitting and Lucky Bounces
With one down in the seventh, Charlie Moore hit a jam shot that was falling into no-man’s land behind the pitcher’s mound. Bobby Grich dove and caught it on the bounce. The attempt was correctly called a trap, to Grich’s dismay, and Moore was safe on an infield single. But had Grich caught the ball, there would have been two down.

Gantner then hit a single and Molitor popped out into foul territory. Again, had Grich made the catch, the inning would have been over. Instead, Robin Yount was up with a man on first and two down. Yount took a very close pitch for ball four that could have conceivably been called either way, and Cecil Cooper was then up with two down and the bases loaded.

Had Grich made that catch or a ball been instead called a strike, this inning was over. Instead, Cooper came up and laced a two-RBI single into left to take a 4-3 lead. It was the biggest hit in the history of this franchise. But a hit that needed assistance to be possible.

Destiny
Is baseball a game of inches? Damn right it is. I recognize that had several bounces gone a different way, the Brewers’ season would be over. I also recognize that the incredible skill displayed by the defense (after a bad start) and bullpen as well as some very clutch baserunning and hitting led to this win. The Brewers earned every bit of the American League Championship.

But with each big play that leads to another jaw-dropping win, it’s becoming clear that the Brewers aren’t just a good team. They are a great team. And a team of destiny.

Your American League Champion Brewers will face either the Braves or Cardinals in the World Series on October 12, though it may start later depending on the completion date of the NLCS.

Filed Under: Game Recap Tagged With: Angels, Ben Oglivie, Bob Boone, Bob McClure, Bobby Grich, Brian Downing, Bruce Kison, Cecil Cooper, Charlie Moore, Don Baylor, Doug DeCinces, Fred Lynn, Gorman Thomas, Harvey Kuenn, Mark Brouhard, Marshall Edwards, Paul Molitor, Pete Ladd, Pete Vuckovich, Reggie Jackson, Robin Yount, Rod Carew, Ron Jackson, Ted Simmons

Brouhard Leads Crew to Win

October 9 1 Comment

Brewers 9, Angels 5
ALCS is now tied 2-2
Box Score | Season Schedule

Mark Brouhard was today’s hero

MILWAUKEE — Down two games to one, the Brewers needed a win to stay alive in the American League Championship Series. Thanks to an explosive offense and some solid pitching from starter Moose Haas, the Brewers beat the Angels 9-5 today and will live to see another day.

The story in this one centered on the unexpected wildness of Angels starter Tommy John. John had walked only 39 batters in 221 2/3 innings between the Yankees and Angels this season (a 1.6 per nine innings average), including only two wild pitches in seven starts with the Angels. John walked five in only 3 1/3 disastrous innings on today, throwing more wild pitches (three) than he had previously in an Angels uniform.

The subplot of the game was the offensive performance by back-up outfielder Mark Brouhard. Ben Oglivie bruised his ribs crashing into the wall on a Fred Lynn double yesterday and was unavailable.

“When Benji came in today,” said manager Harvey Kuenn, “he said his ribs were very sore. When he tells me that, I know he’s hurting.” So Kuenn inserted Brouhard, who hadn’t played since September 11.

Well, the move paid off. Brouhard would connect on three hits, driving in three and tying an ALCS record with four runs scored.

With one down and two on in a scoreless game in the second, Brouhard laced a single to center that drove in two. He also scored on the play, thanks to two Angels errors that aided his gallop around the bases. The Brewers led 3-0, but Brouhard’s biggest contribution would come later on.

The Brewers had what appeared to be an insurmountable 7-1 lead heading into the eighth inning, but the Angels finally solved Moose Haas, who had cruised to that point. A Don Baylor grand slam made it a two-run game, and the raucous Milwaukee crowd was silenced.

But with Marshall Edwards on second in the bottom of the eighth, Brouhard calmed the nerves of local fans by delivering a two-run homer to give the Brewers a comfortable four-run lead.

Was Brouhard nervous? “Before the game, we had a flip game in the clubhouse, using a plastic ball. I got in that and just tried to relax.”

Brouhard’s home run gave the Brewers the cushion they needed. Jim Slaton continued the Brewers’ uncharacteristic relief success by not allowing a baserunner in 1 2/3 innings pitched. The bullpen, which struggled through much of the second half this season, has now allowed only one earned run on three hits through eight innings in the ALCS.

Brewers fans had plenty to be happy about in this game. Moose Haas outpitched Tommy John, and looked like a staff ace until his eighth inning collapse. The Brewers’ offense finally put up three runs or more twice in one game, and the bullpen remains rock solid.

What is there to be concerned about if you’re a Brewers fan? Well, Cecil Cooper and Gorman Thomas continued to struggle in the postseason, both going hitless in this game. Cooper is hitting .125 in the ALCS and Thomas .083. Both are critical to this team’s success, and their lack of offense has a lot to do with the Brewers’ recent inability to score runs.

But here we are, facing a Game 5 at home on Sunday. The winner goes to the World Series. The Brewers have Pete Vuckovich on the mound against the Angels’ Bruce Kison. Kison held the Brewers to two runs in Game 2, and Vuke hasn’t been at his best since an inspirational 11-inning win against the Red Sox on September 20.

It’s the most important baseball game in Milwaukee since Game 7 of the 1958 World Series between the Milwaukee Braves and New York Yankees. Will the Crew come through?

Filed Under: Game Recap Tagged With: Angels, Ben Oglivie, Bruce Kison, Cecil Cooper, Don Baylor, Fred Lynn, Gorman Thomas, Harvey Kuenn, Jim Slaton, Mark Brouhard, Marshall Edwards, Moose Haas, Pete Vuckovich, Tommy John

ALCS Game 3 Preview

October 8 1 Comment

MILWAUKEE — He saved the Brewers when the season was on the line in Baltimore. He’ll need to do the same against the Angels today in Milwaukee.

Don Sutton
Help us Obi-Don Kenobi. You’re our only hope.

When Harry Dalton acquired Don Sutton on Aug. 31, he envisioned Sutton helping the Crew to make the postseason. On Friday, Sutton will need to prevent the Crew from being swept out of it. The wily vet and his magic perm takes the hill at 2:15 p.m. CT against Geoff Zahn to save the season once again.

Sutton may need to be close to perfect, though, with the way the Brewers have been swinging the bats: feebly, meekly, weakly. In the first two games in Anaheim, the Crew hit .182 or about 100 points lower than their team batting average over the ’82 season.

In his afternoon press conference on Thursday, Brewers manager Harvey Kuenn was at a loss as how to kick start the Crew offense.

“Maybe I should have Cooper lead off,” Kuenn said, according to The New York Times, “Gorman hitting second, and then Yount and Molitor hitting third and fourth. What good would it do? There wouldn’t be anybody on base for Yount and Molitor, anyway.”

Whoa, that’s pretty cynical even for a guy with a wooden leg. But can you blame him? His Brewers have been bums in six of their last seven games.

Think about that. The Brewers have lost six of their last seven games. It doesn’t exactly inspire confidence that they can reel off three in a row. The wonderful thing though is that they’re not playing a tripleheader. They just need to win one. Without that, there isn’t the question of winning the other two. Win today. That’s the key.

Having Harpo Sutton on the mound helps. Sutton has been nothing short of awesome for the Crew since coming from Houston. He pitched a gem to help the Brewers clinch the AL East on the last day of the season.

He’ll be an asset today as well as the Angels have never seen him. So, not only do the Angels need to deal with Sutton’s veteran savvy and nasty stuff, but they’ve got to try to figure him out for the very first time.

When Game 3 is put into those terms, there may be a flicker of hope for the Crew.

Let’s just hope he can stop that bastard Fred Lynn, who went 2-for-4 in Game 2 and his average dropped to .625. May be time for a little chin music.

Facing the Crew will be Geoff Zahn, who won 18 games but got his brains beat in by the Crew in his two starts. Zahn, a tall, lanky lefty who doesn’t throw hard enough to break an egg, gave up five runs to the Crew in each of his two starts this season.

Let’s hope the Crew follows that precedent in Game 3 because it’s a better one than what the Crew has set in the past week.

# Brewers POS
1 Molitor 3B
2 Yount SS
3 Cooper 1B
4 Simmons C
5 Thomas CF
6 Oglive LF
7 Money DH
8 Moore RF
9 Gantner 2B
Sutton SP
# Angels POS
1 Downing LF
2 Carew 1B
3 Jackson LF
4 Lynn CF
5 Baylor DH
6 DeCinces 3B
7 Grich 2B
8 Foli SS
9 Boone C
Zahn SP

Filed Under: ALCS Preview Tagged With: Angels, Don Sutton, Fred Lynn, Geoff Zahn, Harvey Kuenn

ALCS Game 1 Preview

October 5 3 Comments

ANAHEIM — We’re in Anaheim and properly jet-lagged. The only cure for jet lag is a few brews. Logically, we have been looking for a place to tailgate, but finding nothing. We’re not in Milwaukee anymore, people. Luckily we’ve found some other Brewers fans in a nearby watering hole. Tip another!

Sure, we’re still celebrating that big win against the Orioles. While we may have felt a sense of accomplishment after the Brewers finally clinched the AL East, those feelings will soon be replaced with jitters. How will the Brewers fare on the big stage? It’ll be a nationally televised game, the only game on tonight. The NLCS doesn’t start until tomorrow.

We’ve got Mike Caldwell up against the Angels’ version of Don Sutton, Tommy John. You may recall that John was among the pitchers available in August, and the Brewers struck instead with Sutton. John has been excellent since being acquired from the Yankees, going 4-2 with a 3.86 ERA.

Mike Caldwell has been the Brewers’ iron man this season, throwing 12 complete games and three shutouts. Don Sutton and Pete Vuckovich may get all of the attention, but Caldwell has been nearly as good, going 17-13 with a 3.91 ERA. Caldwell had a rough time in his last start against the Orioles (seven earned runs on 13 hits in seven innings), but he’s also pitched seven innings or more in 14 consecutive starts. Rest comfortably with Caldwell on the hill, Brewers fans.

Caldwell has a tough assignment in the Angels. California finished the regular season strong, winning their final three games against the Rangers and taking 11 of their last 15. This is a strong team, both offensively and defensively. The Angels ranked second in both runs scored and runs allowed, so Harvey’s Wallbangers will have their work cut out for them.

Lynn, Baylor, Jackson and Carew will give Brewers pitching all that they can handle

If you think you can stop the Angels by stopping a single player, think again. Their lineup is loaded, and in many ways an equal to the Brewers’ record-setting bunch. Doug DeCinces (.301, 30 HR, 97 RBI) and Reggie Jackson (.275, 39 HR, 101 RBI) have been the team’s offensive stars, and both will be mentioned in MVP talk. But you can’t overlook other cogs in the lineup, including Fred Lynn (.299, 21 HR, 86 RBI), Rod Carew (.319, 3 HR, 44 RBI), Bobby Grich (.261, 19 HR, 65 RBI), Brian Downing (.281, 28 HR, 84 RBI) and Don Baylor (.263, 24 HR, 93 RBI).

Eesh. That’s a lot to worry about.

Quite frankly, the Angels are just as good as the Brewers. Both teams will score runs. Both teams have solid pitching, thanks largely to late-season additions. Any disparities are minimal.

Big game, Brewers fans. Our team needs this one. The final win of the regular season should provide some momentum. Win this game on the road against the Angels’ best pitcher, and it’ll be smooth sailing.

Here are today’s lineups. Start time is 7:25 PM CT. Go Crew!

# Brewers POS
1 Molitor 3B
2 Yount SS
3 Cooper 1B
4 Simmons C
5 Thomas CF
6 Oglivie LF
7 Money DH
8 Moore RF
9 Gantner 2B
Caldwell SP
 
# Angels POS
1 Downing LF
2 DeCinces 3B
3 Grich 2B
4 Baylor DH
5 Jackson RF
6 Lynn CF
7 Carew 1B
8 Foli SS
9 Boone C
John SP
 

Filed Under: ALCS Preview Tagged With: Angels, Bobby Grich, Brian Downing, Don Baylor, Don Sutton, Doug DeCinces, Fred Lynn, Mike Caldwell, Pete Vuckovich, Reggie Jackson, Rod Carew, Tommy John

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