Gorman Thomas

Brouhard Leads Crew to Win

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

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?

Brewers Lose Game 1

October 5 3 Comments

Angels 8, Brewers 3
Angels now lead ALCS 1-0
Box Score | Season Schedule

Tommy John held the Brewers’ bats in check.

ANAHEIM — Coming into Game 1 of the American League Championship Series, Brewers fans had a simple request: Take it easy on us this time, Crew.

Enough of the theatrics. We get it, you’re an exciting team. No further need to convince anyone. You like to come back from huge deficits to add a little spice into life’s mixing bowl.

The opening game against the Angels, unfortunately, brought back memories of the opening game in the regular season-ending series with the Orioles. The Brewers lost that opening game against the Orioles, 8-3.

Tonight? The Brewers again lost a critical opening game by the score of 8-3. Here we go again…

Unlike the opening Orioles game, the Brewers were in this one early, despite some defensive jitters. A first inning errant throw and wild pitch by Mike Caldwell led to an unearned run and a 1-0 Angels lead. But the Brewers came right back in the top of the second, scoring two on a home run by Gorman Thomas.

The Brewers extended their lead to 3-1 in the third on an RBI ground out by Cecil Cooper, and suddenly it appeared the Brew Crew was going to win this critical opening game.

Then, in the bottom of the third, the Angels’ offense struck. Caldwell allowed four runs on four hits and a walk, and California retook the lead, 5-3. It was all downhill from there, as the Angels tacked on three more runs while the Brewers’ bats went silent.

Angels DH Don Baylor benefited from Caldwell’s poor outing to the tune of five RBI, tying a playoff record. You may recall that Baylor becomes a free agent at year’s end. A strong postseason can only help his cause.

It’s time to wonder whether Mike Caldwell is gassed. He finished fourth in the AL in innings pitched with 258 and led the Brewers in complete games with 12. Durability is nice, but rest can help as well. In today’s preview, we talked about how Caldwell had gone 14 consecutive games of seven innings or more. That streak ended abruptly today after the third inning. It was Caldwell’s second consecutive disastrous start, so it’s not a positive trend for the veteran hurler.

Of course, we can’t pin this loss entirely on Caldwell when the offense could only muster three runs off of 39-year-old lefty Tommy John, who pitched a complete game for the win.

“When he gets a lead,” Ted Simmons explained, “he’s very difficult to catch. He makes hitters get too aggressive and you end up swinging at bad pitches.”

Swing at bad pitches, they did. The inconsistent offensive output has become far too common of late — almost to the point where this team is consistently inconsistent.

Granted, this was far from a must win game. It would have been a very nice gift to win Game 1 on the road against the Angels’ best pitcher. Such a scenario would have granted Brewers fans a temporary breather. But once again, our team’s collective backs are up against the wall.

On the injury front, second baseman Jim Gantner played through a rib injury that has flared up of late and went 0-for-4. It looks like something that will bother him for the duration of the playoffs, but he’ll play through it.

“It’s not going to get much better,” said Gantner, “so why wait until it does?”

Hopefully this injury won’t become an issue to the point where it’s costing the team outs, runs and wins. Right now, the Brewers need to win.

Is Game 2 a must win? Maybe not. But close. If the Brewers lose an advantageous match-up of Pete Vuckovich vs. Bruce Kison, they’ll need to string off three consecutive wins. Not impossible, but I don’t like the odds.

What do you think? Is Game 2 a must win?

Quotes From the AL East Champs

October 3 Leave a Comment

The following quotes were gathered by the Milwaukee Sentinel in the champagne-soaked visitors’ clubhouse. You can also read the game recap of this epic game here.

Harvey Kuenn, on his visit to the mound in the eighth: “I was close to taking him (Sutton) out,” Keunn recalled. “But when he said he could get the next guy out, and being an honest guy like Sutton is, I certainly wasn’t going to take him out.”

Ted Simmons: “Yesterday, I felt like my heart was wide open and I felt they were ready to pluck it out. But this morning, I woke up and just started thinking about the game. Last year (when the Brewers won the second half title of the strike season) there was an asterisk. But this is what people in this business seek. This is a credential, and I earned it. And it was the hardest thing I’ve ever earned.”

Paul Molitor: “For the last three or four days, all I’ve been talking about is how resilient this team has been all year. If we had lost, I don’t know what I’d be saying right now. But we regrouped one more time. The home run by Robin in the first inning was just a sign to them that we weren’t going to roll over and play dead.”

Bud Selig: “All these kids are so happy and I’m so happy for them. But we still have a long way to go, we still have the Angels in front of us.”

Gorman Thomas: “Damn, this is why I love this game. Down to the last moment. I love it.”

Paul Molitor, about Selig’s talk before the game: “He just came in and told us how much he loved us and if we won or lost it wouldn’t change a thing. We were loose beforehand but that just gave us a little extra incentive to win for the man. He’s lived and died with this, through the good years and all the bad years. This has to be very gratifying to him.”

Harvey Kuenn on team’s chances today: “Honestly, there wasn’t a doubt in my mind and I don’t think there was any doubt in the minds of the guys who put on the uniform.”

Jim Palmer: “Robin’s a fine player, but there are three or four MVP’s on that club. I don’t know why they always single him out.”

Don Sutton on discussion with home plate umpire Don Denkinger prior to the bottom of the third: “He said that somehow a mysteriously scuffed ball had gotten into the game. He asked me not to throw it if I found one. I asked him if I was supposed to play policeman and check all the balls. He said, ‘no, he’d take care of that, but he would certainly be happy if I didn’t find anymore.’ I said, ‘Me too because they sure are hard to throw straight.'”

Don Sutton on accusations: “I’ve never cut a baseball in my life. I’m tired of hearing this stuff. I’m the most accused and least convicted guy in America.”

Don Sutton: “Robin Yount is the best athlete I have ever played with. He’s not an All Star, he’s not an MVP, he’s All World. I’ve played with some great people but he stands taller than the rest.”

Robin Yount, on losing the batting title to Willie Wilson by .00092 points: “The batting title was the last thing on my mind. There were more important things to talk about. If it was up to me, they wouldn’t have that award (MVP). One guy can’t carry a team for 162 games. The only awards that should be given in this game are team awards.”

Harvey Kuenn on Don Sutton: “He had a sore throat this week. He took something for it and broke out in a rash. I don’t think he had a rash today though. He had a good fastball, changeup, slider and curve, but no rash.”

Don Sutton: “I had a sore throat, I took a penicillin shot to get rid of it – something I’ve done my whole life and it kicked back on me for the first time. I took penicillin to get rid of the cold, cortisone to get rid of the penicillin and water to get rid of the cortisone. I guess you could say it was better pitching through chemistry.”

Don Sutton: “The key thing wasn’t what I did, it was the play Benji made (in the 8th). I have thought all along that this club could win with or without me. This is the best collection of talent I’ve ever been associated with. I’m just happy to be along for this ride.”

Harvey Kuenn on Yount: “He’s the best overall shortstop I have ever seen. There’s no question in my mind he’s MVP, and it’s just a shame he didn’t win the batting title. There are not enough words to describe him.”

Brewers are AL East Champs!

October 3 3 Comments

Brewers 10, Orioles 2
Brewers finish 95-67 (1st place)
Box Score | Season Schedule

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?

NED YOST! No, really. NED YOST!

September 29 3 Comments

Brewers 6, Red Sox 3
Brewers now 94-63 (1st by 4.0 games)
Box Score | Season Schedule

1982 Topps Ned Yost — It was one at bat, but Ned Yost had the game of his life.

BOSTON — With two down in the top of the ninth in a 3-3 game and Paul Molitor on second, Cecil Cooper at the plate, and Ned Yost on deck, Red Sox manager Ralph Houk made the reasonable move: He had Mark Clear intentionally walk Cooper to face Yost.

Sigh. Like many Brewers fans, Uecker’s announcement of the intentional walk for the far-from-fearsome Yost nearly drove me back to the kitchen to grab another drink. The inning was over.

You see, typically Ted Simmons would be up in this spot. In that case, Houk would have been less willing to put a second runner on base in a tie game and an extra-base threat at the plate. But Marshall Edwards pinch ran for Simmons when Coach Kuenn went for the win in the eighth, so Yost was then needed to finish the game behind the plate.

Yost hadn’t seen action at the dish since September 11, more than two weeks ago. The back-up catcher, known for his defensive abilities, had nine extra base hits and five RBI on the season. Sure, it’s been Yost’s best offensive season yet in his three-year career, but without a home run he was not seen as a threat to bring home the go-ahead run.

Yost lofted a fly ball to left field that, in any other park, may have been a fly out to end the threat.

“GET UP!”

Could it be high enough?

“Get outta here!”

Could it be deep enough?

“GONE FOR YOST!”

Ned Yost! Oh my GOD, NED YOST! Though it came in a tie game, this may have been the least probable ending of a game all season.

NED YOST!

“(Sal) Bando had told me to be ready when Robin was up, that I was going to win the game for us,” Yost explained. “I was running around like a crazy man because I didn’t bring any bats. I figured we were in a pennant race and that Teddy would do all the catching. I was in my full catcher gear when I ran down to the clubhouse to find a bat. I didn’t find any there so I came running back to the dugout. After a while, I just pulled anything that I could find on the rack.”

That “anything” hit the game winning home run. That “anything” was Charlie Moore‘s bat.

“Hell, he can have it,” Moore said. “At least someone got some use out of it.”

“I can’t explain how it felt out there,” Yost said to a crowd of reporters. “I can’t even say that it happened. It’s like a fairy tale, the kind of moment you spend your whole life dreaming about. I was so overjoyed I wanted to jump up and down, but I figured that wouldn’t be right.”

Oh, we did the jumping up and down for you, Ned. And it felt just fine.

Boston has given the Brewers and their fans their swagger back. With the lead in the AL East trickling away, nothing seemed to go right. Then the 6-3 win with Doc Medich on the mound in Game 1. Then Ned Yost.

Don Sutton on the mound, this was a game the Brewers expected to win. Sutton, though, wasn’t sharp early and put the Brewers in a 2-0 hole in the first inning when Jim Rice hit a two-run homer.

Like they so often do, however, the Brewers battled right back. Don Money smacked a solo shot in the top of the second, and Sutton got himself out of a second inning jam before settling down in the third. From then on, he was untouchable, allowing only one hit until Gary Allenson‘s lead-off homer in the seventh.

But after seven innings and Bob McClure on the mound, the game was all tied up at three. Sutton out of the game, advantage swung to the home team.

It seemed that the Brewers gaffed on failing to cash in on a golden opportunity in the eighth. With one down, Simmons singled to left and the speedy Marshall Edwards trotted in to replace him. After a Gorman Thomas walk and Ben Oglivie strikeout, Don Money walked to load the bases. Charlie Moore, however, popped to first to end the inning.

Bob McClure kept the Brewers in the game, retiring the side in order in the eighth. Thus, the stage was set for Yost and the Brewers in the ninth.

Two down and two on, Ned Yost at the plate. Such an improbable ending. But Yost’s homer adds yet another chapter to this storybook season of a team destined for the playoffs.

And considering what happened in Detroit, that is looking even more possible. The Tigers beat the Orioles 3-2, extending the Brewers’ lead to four games with five to play. The magic number is now two.

A Little Breathing Room

September 29 Leave a Comment

BOSTON — Still holding your breath, Brewers fans?

From the first hit — a single by Paul Molitor to open the game — to the last — Charlie Moore‘s infield squibber to the pitcher in the ninth — it was good to see Harvey’s Wallbangers remembered how to bang walls. Last night, the Crew pounded out 17 hits off three Red Sox pitchers en route to a 9-3 win over Boston at Fenway Park, which means the Brewers and their fans could breathe a little easier.

1982 Topps Don Sutton — Don Sutton takes the hill for the Brewers.

Just as important as the Brewers’ win was the Orioles’ fall-from-the-lead 9-6 loss to the Tigers in Detroit. The Crew now leads the O’s by three games with six to play and Milwaukee’s magic number is now 4 (any combo of Crew wins/O’s losses totaling four means our beloved Brewers are AL East champs).

Really, though, Milwaukee’s magic number — with apologies to the man who wears No. 4, Molitor — is 19. The Kid has been The Man in the AL, and all of baseball, this season. On Tuesday, he showed why he will walk away with the AL MVP.

Yount went 3-for-5 with a homer and three RBI to help power the Crew. It was his 59th multi-hit game of his incredible season and hopefully is the start of a huge week for Yount, who was 5 for his last 24 entering Tuesday night’s game.

Then again, in pounding out 17 hits, everyone — except Stormin’ Gorman Thomas, who took the collar — got well. They can keep it going tonight as John Tudor (13-10) takes the mound for the Red Sox. The Crew kicked the stuffing out of Tudor on June 26 in Boston, banging out five hits, including homers from Charlie Moore, Cecil Cooper and Ben Oglivie, in four innings.

More of the same tonight would be nice. Don Sutton (3-1), who has been dandy since Harry Dalton pilfered him from Houston on Aug. 31, takes the hill for the Crew. Game time is 6:35 CT.