Jerry Mumphrey

Lead, Season Slipping Away

September 13

Tigers 4, Brewers 3 (11)
Brewers now 84-60 (1st by 2.0 games)
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DETROIT — The news coming in from Tiger Stadium kept getting worse and worse.

After Gorman Thomas hit his 35th home run to give the Brewers a 3-2 lead in the top of the 11th inning, Pete Ladd took the mound for the bottom half of the inning.

You know Pete Ladd. He’s the rookie filling in for Rollie Fingers who allowed a home run to Jerry Mumphrey in the 10th inning in New York three days ago to lose to the Yankees.

Well… It happened again. But worse.

This time, Ladd had a lead. This time, he walked Larry Herndon to lead off the inning to bring the winning run to the plate. And then he allowed the home run, this time a two-run shot by Lance Parrish.

The Brewers miss Rollie Fingers. It’s painfully obvious. Three of the team’s last four losses could have been prevented with Fingers on the mound.

A diplomatic Harvey Kuenn understands the impact of Fingers: “He could have made a difference. Anytime you have Rollie in the pen and you’re ahead by one run, you certainly have the edge.”

Then Harvey dropped a bomb: “At this point, we really don’t know if we’ll have him or not. We’ll have to move things around if he doesn’t pitch anymore. He have to have someone pick up the slack.”

WHAT??!! First, Fingers was out for a few days. Then a week. Then another week. Now for possibly the season? What have we seen that tells us the Brewers have anyone who can step up and come even close to picking up the slack?

Jim Slaton? He’s a long reliever. Jamie Easterly? Jerry Augustine? Dwight Bernard? Please, please, PLEASE! Not even close.

Then, the trifecta of bad news. The Baltimore Orioles came from behind to beat the Yankees 8-7 and pull to within two games of the Brewers.

Kuenn tried to stay calm: “All I can say is we have to come back and beat them tomorrow. We still have a two game lead.”

Sure. Now. But without Fingers, does anyone think this team can hold off the Orioles for 19 more games?

I don’t.

Brewers Win with Moore Offense

September 10

Brewers 5, Yankees 3
Brewers now 84-57 (1st by 4.0 games)
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BRONX, NY — Two words: Charlie Moore.

The Brewers struck first on this day with a run in the top of the opening inning, but things turned ugly quickly in the bottom of the frame. The first three Yankees reached base to load the bases. Mike Caldwell was lucky to allow only two runs.

But then… Charlie Moore.

Following two scoreless innings for both teams, Moore launched a solo home run to tie the game in the fourth. It remained that way until Jerry Mumphrey drove in a run with a double to right in the fifth to give the Yankees a 3-2 lead.

And then… Charlie Moore.

With runners at the corners in the sixth, Moore hit a drive to center that was deep enough to score Gorman Thomas and once again tie the game at three. It remained that way until the eighth.

And finally… Charlie Moore

With runners at the corners again, Moore hit a high chopper over third baseman Roy Smalley‘s head to score Don Money and knock starter Ron Guidry from the game.

“I looked into the dugout on my way to the plate,” Moore explained, “and they were calling for Smalley to come in. So, I drove straight into the ground and it got over his head. Had he been playing at normal depth that may have been a double play ball.”

Moore has gone 5-for-7 in the two games in New York to raise his average from .237 to .246. “It’s fun to find your hitting stroke in the middle of a pennant race,” Moore laughed.

Ned Yost would drive in one more that inning, but the Brewers had all the runs they needed.

Why? The unheralded hero in this game and this Brewers’ season, Mike Caldwell. After a rocky first in which he allowed two runs and threw 25 pitches, Caldwell would need only 75 more pitches to complete the game.

It was Caldwell’s 10th complete game of the season and he’s won eight of his last nine decisions to improve to 15-11.

The Brewers maintained a four game lead over the Baltimore Orioles, who also won, though they extended their lead over the Boston Red Sox to six.

Brewers Lose Game of Inches in 10

September 9

Yankees 5, Brewers 4 (10)
Brewers now 83-57 (1st by 4.0 games)
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Ben Oglivie's three-run homer wasn't enough.

BRONX, NY — This was a game of inches. Or feet. Either way, they didn’t go in the Brewers’ favor in the opening game of a four-game series with the Yankees.

In the third inning, the Yankees took a 4-0 lead. But it could have just as easily remained scoreless.

With one down and two on, Ken Griffey hit a pop-up to left. Robin Yount headed out and Ben Oglivie crashed in, but it fell in between them for a two-run double. Then Dave Winfield blasted a two-run homer off of the right field foul pole.

“Give me three feet,” general manager Harry Dalton said after the game, “and we are out of that inning with no runs.”

Even so, the Brewers didn’t give up.

Down 4-0 with two outs in the top of the eighth, Gorman Thomas cashed in on his own luck with a squib base hit off the end of his bat that scored a run. Then Ben Oglivie threw luck out the window with a monstrous three-run homer to tie the game.

Pete Vuckovich threw for the first nine innings, and other than the third was excellent. When he ran out of steam, Pete Ladd relieved him in the 10th. With one out, Jerry Mumphrey launched a 1-1 pitch into the bleachers in right center for the game winner.

“I didn’t think it was a home run at first,” lamented Ladd. “Then it carried, then I thought Thomas had a shot at it and then it went out.”

Of course, Ladd likely would not have been in that position if not for the injury to closer Rollie Fingers. Out with a slight tear in his pitching forearm, Fingers is expected to be out at least another week.

“I know the sun will come up tomorrow,” Ladd said. “Fingers came right up to me and said not to worry as it has happened to him 25 times.”

Maybe. But that doesn’t keep Brewers fans from worrying.

Stormin’ Gorman Brings Thunder to Yankees

June 30

Brewers 9, Yankees 7 (12)
Brewers now 42-31 (2nd)
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NEW YORK — What started out as a rout ended up as a thriller. But the Brewers kept their composure and again won in impressive fashion on the road.

The Crew sent Yankees starter Tommy John to the showers early, scoring one in the first and five on six hits in the third. Holding a 6-1 lead midway through the seventh, the lead appeared safe.

But that’s about the point that the clock strikes midnight for Brewers starter Randy Lerch, even on a good day. He quickly hit the wall, allowing three consecutive hits after a leadoff fly out by Graig Nettles. Dwight Bernard and then Rollie Fingers came on to try and stop the bleeding, but by the end of the inning it was a one-run nail-biter.

The drama was a bit unexpected, particularly after a Ned Yost RBI single gave the Brewers a two-run lead heading to the bottom of the ninth with Rollie Fingers still on the mound. Then, Rollie lost grip of the lead again and blew his fifth save, allowing the Yankees to tie the game on two sacrifice flies.

The game was nearly ended in the tenth when Roy Howell hit a two-out single to left with Ben Oglivie on second. But Dave Winfield pegged him out at the plate on a perfect throw, and the game continued.

Gorman Thomas, who previously in the game exacted revenge on Dave LaRoche by smacking a “LaLob” for a single (LaRoche had struck out Thomas on the same slow-pitch softball-styled looper during the playoffs last season), had power in mind in the twelfth. After Cecil Cooper led off the inning with a single, Gorman smashed a booming shot over the left field wall off of reliever Shane Rawley to give the Brewers a two-run lead.

Of course, this was a game filled with dramatic twists and turns, so the bottom of the twelfth wouldn’t be easy. After Rollie Fingers reached the end of his line (he went 4 2/3 innings for his longest outing of the season), Jamie Easterly took the mound. Oscar Gamble and Jerry Mumphrey reached to start the frame, and the Brewers appeared to be in big trouble. But Graig Nettles failed to get a bunt down and would then strike out. Roy Smalley singled to load the bases with one out, and then Dave Collins hit a swinging bunt that Easterly would field and tag out Oscar Gamble at the plate. With two down and the bases still loaded, catcher Juan Espino flied to center to finally end the game.

It was a marathon game, a roller coaster of emotions. But as the Brewers have repeatedly shown under Harvey Kuenn, this team is a powerful, strong-minded and resilient bunch.

The Brewers go for the sweep tomorrow.

Game Notes: After Boston’s 12-3 loss to the Tigers, the Brewers now trail the Red Sox by two games for the AL East lead. … Gorman Thomas now has 19 home runs, tying him with teammate Ben Oglivie and Cleveland Indian Andre Thornton for the league lead. … Thomas is 13-for-24 with five home runs and 13 RBI on the six-game road trip. … Jim Gantner, nursing a sore shoulder, is making improvement and will try to throw in a couple of days. … Don Money has a sore hamstring, but still played.

Brewers Buckle to Distractions

June 23

Yankees 3, Brewers 2
Brewers now 37-30 (2nd)
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Mike Caldwell — Caldwell threw well enough to win, but one bad pitch cost him the game.

MILWAUKEE — The Brewers lost the final game of a three-game series with the Yankees today because of one pitch. And that one pitch may have been off target due to one, ridiculous distraction.

With the Brewers leading 2-0 in the fifth, the Yankees mounted a rally. Jerry Mumphrey led off with a walk and John Mayberry singled to right. But Mike Caldwell, who was fantastic on this day, was primed to get out of the jam. He got Butch Wynegar to fly out to right and struck Graig Nettles out looking on a pitch that just clipped the outside corner.

Well, Nettles didn’t think it clipped the outside corner. He thought it was a ball. And when Yankees don’t get their way, they throw a fit. So Nettles threw a fit and his bat, nearly propelling into the stands. Umpire Dan Morrison immediately tossed him, and Nettles went into bar room tough guy mode, screaming and beating his chest, proclaiming he’d kick Morrison’s tail if not for the fact that manager Gene Michael and third base coach Joe Altobelli were holding him back.

As Nettles threw his annoying tantrum, Caldwell stood on the mound waiting. And waiting.

Finally, Roy Smalley stepped to the plate with two on and two down. It was a good match-up for Caldwell. Smalley, a switch hitter, was hitting a mere .159 from the right side.

The first pitch from Caldwell was launched into the left field seats, giving the Yankees a 3-2 lead. It was the only run-scoring hit for the Yankees on the day, and the Brewers, too, would be done stepping on home plate.

Once the Brewers were unable to break through in the seventh, it was essentially over. Goose Gossage came in and strangled every bit of life out of the offense. With two on and one out in the seventh, Gossage came on and induced fly balls from Robin Yount and Cecil Cooper. When the Brewers reached on a walk by Ted Simmons and a single by Ben Oglivie to open the eighth, Gossage started throwing his notorious slurve to strike out Gorman Thomas and Roy Howell.

It’s a shame that the offense couldn’t score runs because Caldwell deserved better. He pitched a complete game, allowing only the three runs on four hits, though he did walk six. But it was that one hit — that one pitch — that would cost him.

Caldwell simply let a distraction get to him. Unfortunately, the Yankees are full of distractions and the Brewers have to know how to handle them.

Although recent news may present a significant distraction for the Brewers that could be New York Yankee caliber. It was announced that three or four local sports figures, including at least one member of the Milwaukee Brewers starting lineup, have been interviewed by federal investigators in recent months in connection with purchase of drugs from a local man. While no member of the team appears to be in any legal trouble, the Brewers aren’t talking. And as many as five Brewers were contacted during the investigation, though one was cleared.

You think Graig Nettles’ tantrum was a distraction? That’s nothing. This could change the direction of the team if they don’t handle it properly.

Game Notes: The loss ended the Brewers’ seven-game winning streak … The Brewers had seven hits, but six of them were by Ben Oglivie and Marshall Edwards, who each had three … Ben Oglivie hit his 17th home run in the fourth inning, his sixth in four games.

Steinbrenner Protests Brewers Win

June 22

Brewers 3, Yankees 2
Brewers now 37-29 (2nd)
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Pete Vuckovich — Vuckovich has been the game's most successful pitcher since the start of the 1981 season.

MILWAUKEE — Following today’s game, Yankees owner George Steinbrenner was fuming. He was so steamed that he is protesting the results and sent a videotape of two plays to league president Lee McPhail.

In other words, the Yankees lost and George needed someone to blame. The plays in question were of little consequence. Had they gone another way, there is little guarantee the Yankees could have found a way to score.

The truth is that had the Yankees taken advantage of a first inning opportunity, George would be happy. After nine pitches and no outs, New York had loaded the bases on Brewers starter Pete Vuckovich, who had thrown only two strikes. Somehow, some way, Vuke escaped that inning by only allowing a single run. It would be important in what would become a low scoring game.

Cecil Cooper quickly made the Yankees pay for failing to score more runs when he hit a booming two-run home run to right in the bottom of the first. The Yankees would tie it up on a Roy Smalley solo homer in the top of the second, but Marshall Edwards would give the Crew the lead for good in the bottom of the inning with a run-scoring, infield single.

That’s right. Each team scored at least one run in each of the first two innings, but that was it. Of course, that doesn’t mean the following innings lacked controversy.

Willie Randolph led off the top of the third with a bunt in front of the plate. Vuckovich made an athletic play to get to the ball and throw a bullet to first. Randolph was called out, and he showed his disapproval. George, too, griped about the call.

Ken Griffey would follow with a walk, but the Yankees would fail to get a hit that inning. So there is little reason to believe that a close call at first would have changed the game in the third.

In the eighth, Yankees left fielder Dave Collins popped up a foul behind the plate. Ted Simmons went back to the screen and made the catch. Steinbrenner claimed Simmons trapped the ball against the screen. This dispute borders on ridiculous. Had Simmons actually trapped the ball, Collins still needed to reach base. Vuke had retired the Yankees in order in the eighth, so this was far from a game-changing call.

What isn’t in dispute? Rollie Fingers‘ dominance. After Jerry Mumphrey singled to lead off the top of the ninth, Fingers was summoned from the bullpen. Eight pitches and two strikeouts later, the inning and game were over.

Covering his last two outings, Rollie has thrown 18 pitches, 17 for strikes. He’s retired all six batters he’s faced and five were via the strikeout.

The Brewers keep winning, and they’re having fun. “We were a squabbling, bickering bunch of guys for a while,” first baseman Cecil Cooper said of the days under former manager Buck Rodgers. “I think [Kuenn] deserves a lot of credit just for creating that type of atmosphere. It’s fun. I think that’s the way it should be. Come out and have fun.”

It’s this type of atmosphere that is lacking in New York. It’s why the Yankees are losing, and it’s why George Steinbrenner needs someone to blame.

Game Notes: It was the Brewers’ seventh straight win, remaining four games back of the Red Sox … At 23-6, Pete Vuckovich has won more games than any pitcher in baseball since the start of the 1981 season. He’s won eight straight, tying Mike Caldwell for the club record … Rollie Fingers recorded his 16th save … Yankees shortstop Bucky Dent announced after the game that if he is selected to start the All-Star Game that he would decline. Robin Yount is currently second in the balloting.