Kent Hrbek

Ripken Wins AL ROY

Cal Ripken, Jr. has been announced as the runaway winner of the American League Rookie of the Year Award by the Baseball Writers Association of America.

Ripken, who received 24 of 28 possible first place votes, hit .264 with 28 homers and 93 RBI. The voters undoubtedly considered factors other than offensive numbers since Minnesota’s Kent Hrbek (.301, 23 homers, 92 RBI) was equally as impressive with the bat.

This is a point that did not go unnoticed by ornery Twins owner Calvin Griffith who called the result “an out-and-out travesty.”

Griffith said that he thinks Ripken is a good player, but “by no stretch of the imagination is he the all-around baseball player that Hrbek is.”

The voters disagreed. And, really… The stats did as well.

Ripken’s Orioles team was more involved in the pennant race, though they lost the division to the Brewers on the final day. And Ripken is also a shortstop, which is a much more demanding position than first base, which is Hrbek’s position.

What do you think? Did the award go to the right player?

Player – Tm	Pts	1st	AVG	HR	RBI	W	ERA	SV
Cal Ripken, BAL	132	24	.264	28	93
Kent Hrbek, MIN	90	4	.301	23	92
Wade Boggs, BOS	10	0	.349	5	44
Ed Vande Berg, SEA	9	0		0	0	9	2.37	5
Gary Gaetti, MIN	4	0	.230	25	84
D Hostetler, TEX	3	0	.232	22	67
Von Hayes, CLE	2	0	.250	14	82
Jesse Barfield, TOR	1	0	.246	18	58

Brewers, Twins Brawl

July 20 Leave a Comment

Twins 5, Brewers 3
Brewers now 53-37 (1st)
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1982 Donruss Robin Yount — Robin Yount's slide started the brawl.

MINNEAPOLIS — When you open your newspaper and look at the box score in the morning, you’ll see that the Twins beat the Brewers 5-3, beating the Crew for the second straight time and forcing a first place tie with the Red Sox. But if you focus on that, you miss the story.

This wasn’t a baseball game. It was a brawl. During breaks from the brawl, they played some baseball.

It all started in the bottom of the fifth inning when Kent Hrbek slid hard and high into Jim Gantner in an unsuccessful attempt to break up a double play. Gantner was sent sprawling and would be removed from the game with a deep thigh bruise.

“I don’t care when they slide low,” Gantner told the Milwaukee Sentinel after the game, “but when they hit me up here [upper thigh] they were in the air.”

Brewers manager Harvey Kuenn was furious about the slide. He immediately charged the field to come to his second baseman’s aid. On the way off the field, he was seen jawing at Hrbek.

“You can quote me,” Kuenn said later. “I called him a no good SOB for taking a cheap shot at my second baseman. He told me he was just sliding but he’s full of it. You might be able to slide like that in A ball but up here’s a different story. He’s a big boy in a big man’s game. It was a cheap shot. Period.”

Hrbek watched the tape after the game and admitted it was a poor slide. “I am a poor slider and I guess that proved it.”

Kuenn didn’t buy it. “If he’s a bad slider,” he said, “get some sliding lessons.”

The Brewers would get their revenge in the sixth. With Paul Molitor on second and Robin Yount on first, Cecil Cooper hit a double play ball to second baseman Juan Castino. Castino flipped to shortstop Lenny Faedo for the force and Yount went far outside of the baseline to take out Faedo and knocked him on the temple with his forearm.

“I knew something would happen,” said Faedo, “but I never thought he’d come after me. I was just going for the force. The next thing I know he was on the turf trying to get me.”

Castino and centerfielder Bobby Mitchell then charged Yount while Brewers first base coach Ron Hansen tried to break up the fracas. It was too late as both benches cleared for a 10-minute brawl. Players were seen pushing and shoving across the field. Kent Hrbek and Brewers pitcher Bob McClure would emerge from the pile throwing punches. Ben Oglivie, Charlie Moore and Ted Simmons then came to McClure’s aid and ambushed Hrbek.

“I figured something was going to happen,” said Hrbek. “He [Kuenn] told me he was going to get me. I guess they got me.”

Hrbek and McClure would be ejected from the game.

When order was finally restored, a game was played. Jack O’Connor limited the Brewers offense to two runs on five hits through 6 2/3 innings. Mike Caldwell allowed five runs on 11 hits in the same length of time.

But the game was the side show. Everyone who witnessed this game will forever be talking about the brawl. Though the Brewers lost, it could be a moment that further brings them together as a team.

The first test is tomorrow, as they look to avoid the sweep.

Mighty Wallbangers Shut Out

July 8 Leave a Comment

Twins 3, Brewers 0
Brewers now 45-35 (2nd)
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1982 Topps Stickers Pete Vuckovich — Pete Vuckovich wasn't perfect, but perfection wouldn't have been good enough in this shutout.

MILWAUKEE — What? The Brewers have been shut out? The mighty Harvey’s Wallbangers?

It happened. For the first time in 137 games, it happened. And the last time they were shut out, on June 8, 1981, it was also at the hands of the Twins.

The loss was Pete Vuckovich‘s fourth this season and eighth in two seasons with the Brewers. He still shares the AL lead in wins with 10. He wasn’t perfect, but he allowed only three runs in a complete game loss.

The thing is, this game could have easily swung the Brewers’ way. Twins starter Jack O’Connor was fantastic, but the Brewers were inches away from swinging this game the other way. In the first inning with two on and two out, Gorman Thomas launched a fly ball to left field that was snagged at the wall by Bobby Mitchell. In an identical situation in the fifth with two on and two out, Robin Yount hit a shot to the warning track in right.

It was a painful loss, one that dropped the Brewers to two games back of the AL East lead (the Red Sox won), but it wasn’t meant to be.

But what was meant to be? Cecil Cooper and Rollie Fingers in the All-Star Game. Reserves were announced today, and the deserving duo join shortstop Robin Yount on the squad. That’s nice. All three have played at an All-Star level. But what about Gorman Thomas, who leads the AL in home runs? What about Pete Vuckovich, who leads the AL in wins? What about Ben Oglivie?

It’s okay. It’s just an exhibition game and a popularity contest. Not like the game actually counts. The Brewers will get back to winning the games that matter tomorrow.

Game Notes: Twins super rookie Kent Hrbek had four hits. … Brewers reliever Jamie Easterly was noticeably limping on a sore right knee prior to the game. If it is not better by July 11, he will undergo an arthroscopic exam. It is the same knee he had surgery on seven years ago. … Ned Yost and his wife Debbie became first time parents of a baby boy this morning. … A huge tailgate party to benefit the MACC fund will be held prior to tomorrow’s game starting at 3:00 in the parking lot near center field. Tickets are $15 and include a game ticket. Tickets for just the tailgate are $10.

Twins Blast McClure

July 7 1 Comment

Twins 11, Brewers 8
Brewers now 45-34 (2nd)
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MILWAUKEE — It’s pretty easy to boil today’s 11-8 loss to the Minnesota Twins down to one inning and one player: The second inning and Bob McClure.

After neither team had a hit in the first, the Twins came out swinging in the second. After retiring rookie Kent Hrbek for his fourth consecutive out, McClure endured the following:

Engle (walk)
Laudner (walk)
Ward (single)
Gaetti (home run)
Castino (single)
Mitchell (single)

Dwight Bernard then relieved McClure and got the final two outs, but not until his inherited runners scored.

Down 6-0 in the second inning, the Brewers offense didn’t give up. They never do. They played up to Harvey’s Wallbangers standards, scoring eight runs on 13 hits, including home runs by Ed Romero (1), Robin Yount (14) and Ted Simmons (12).

Of course, even if your offense scores eight runs, when you spot the opposition six you have to expect your bullpen to allow fewer than two runs over 7 2/3 innings. That didn’t happen.

And not to bag on the bullpen, but other than Bernard they didn’t do their job. After Bernard held things together with only one earned run over 4 2/3 innings, Jamie Easterly allowed two runs in two innings and Rollie Fingers allowed two more in one inning. So, if you want to get technical… Really, all the Brewers needed was for Easterly and Fingers to shut out the Twins over the final three innings. If you want to assign some blame there, feel free.

The loss was the Brewers’ second in three games and their third in six. Not awful. But the Red Sox beat the Rangers 8-5, so the Brewers now trail by a full game.

Game Notes: Robin Yount, Ted Simmons and Charlie Moore each had three hits.

Win is a Game of Firsts

May 2 Leave a Comment

Brewers 11, Twins 4
Brewers now 11-8 (3rd)
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MINNEAPOLIS — Today’s game featured several firsts. Brewers pitcher Randy Lerch decided to wear glasses on the mound for the first time. During the spring, it was discovered that he had an astigmatism. He finally decided to try out pitching with some ocular assistance. Lerch wasn’t perfect (6 IP, 3 ER, 5 H, 5 BB), but his struggles were largely in the early going. We’ll attribute that to getting used to the new specs.

Considering how the Brewers hit today, Lerch had some time to break his glasses in. Ben Oglivie hit an RBI single and Ted Simmons hit a three-run homer (his first) in the first inning, so Lerch was given an early cushion.

Gorman Thomas, who hit his first home run of the season yesterday after going power free in the month of April, followed up that first with his second shot in the third to give the Brewers a comfortable 6-1 lead.

Brewers Come Back, Beat Twins

May 1 Leave a Comment

Brewers 6, Twins 5
Brewers now 10-8 (3rd)
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Gorman Thomas finally hit his first home run of the season, but it couldn't have come at a better time.

MINNEAPOLIS — What a start to May!

Through seven innings, the Brewers’ offense was lifeless. The Crew’s boppers were at the mercy of Twins starter Brad Havens.

Through seven innings, the Brewers managed only three hits and six total baserunners.

On the mound, it seemed to be an early mismatch for the Brewers. The Twins had seven baserunners in the second and third innings off of Brewers starter Pete Vuckovich and scored four runs.

But Vuke held on and straightened himself out. Neither team scored from the fourth through seventh innings. Entering the eighth, the Twins held onto a comfortable 4-1 lead. And while the Brewers had Rollie Fingers to keep the Twins at bay, Minnesota turned to Doug Corbett and Darrell Jackson.