Vuke went 6-0 last May, en route to a sparkling 14-4 debut with the Brewers in a strike-shortened 1981 season.
Pete Vuckovich
Simmons Blunder Leads to Tie
Brewers 2, Orioles 2 (will be replayed)
Brewers still 31-29 (4th)
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BALTIMORE — Brewers catcher Ted Simmons forgot how many outs there were. As a result, today’s game will need to be replayed.
It was a game they didn’t know would be played. Raining on and off, play was delayed in the third for 43 minutes. When the clouds momentarily cleared, the unthinkable happened.
With one out and runners at first and second in the bottom of the third inning, Pete Vuckovich struck out John Lowenstein. It was the second out.
Problem was, Ted Simmons thought it was the third out. Simmons tossed the ball to umpire George Maloney and headed for the dugout. Vuke, suddenly wondering if he were the one who didn’t know how many outs there were, took a second look at the scoreboard to make sure. The bewildered umpire, realizing he shouldn’t have caught the ball, dropped it to his feet. Meanwhile, the Orioles baserunners moved up to second and third base with two outs.
When Simmons finally returned to his spot behind home plate, Joe Nolan lined a single to center that was just out of Gorman Thomas‘ reach. It was a hit that would have scored one had there been runners at first and second. Instead, it scored two runs to give the Orioles a 2-0 lead. Nolan was out trying to extend the single to a double.
The Brewers would score one in the fifth on a sacrifice fly by Marshall Edwards and another to tie it in the sixth on a Robin Yount home run, but that would be it. Once Vuckovich retired the Orioles in order in the ninth, the two teams prepared for the tenth.
But no pitch would ever be thrown in extra innings. It poured. And poured. The tarps were brought back onto the field. Sixty-five minutes later, umpires called off the game.
It will go into the books as a tie, and the stats of the game will count. But the game will be played over in its entirety on a date to be determined. The Brewers next return to Baltimore on the final weekend of the season.
It’s a shame. Vuckovich allowed one earned run in nine innings and deserved the win. The team deserved the win. But the win won’t count because Simmons couldn’t.
Game Notes: Simmons refused to talk with reporters after the game … In his last 11 games, Roy Howell has raised his average from .167 to .253. Yet, he’s unhappy that he hasn’t been traded … The Brewers have committed 18 more errors at this point through 60 games than last year. Team ERA is also up from 3.67 to 4.20, and the team has allowed 21 more home runs.
Will Brewers Make a Deal?
With talk of upgrading the Brewers roster continue to float about, is a deal imminent?
While few specific rumors have surfaced, we can speculate on which players may be available and what needs the team may want to fill. So let’s have at it, shall we?
Needs
If the Brewers make a deal, it will likely address one of the following areas:
Bullpen: Rollie Fingers has been banged up and less dependable than he was last year, making the contributions of the other relievers all the more important. Other than Jim Slaton, can the Brewers count on Jamie Easterly, Jerry Augustine or Dwight Bernard? No. The Brewers could use at least one dependable addition to the bullpen.
Starting Rotation: It’s been a sticking point all season. Pete Vuckovich is the undisputed ace, but then what? Mike Caldwell, when not throwing a fit about whatever it is that ticks him off this week, can be good on occasion. But at 3-6 with a 5.04 ERA, he’s far from dependable. Moose Haas has been up and down, but overall he’s been the second best starter on the staff with a 4.05 ERA. Bob McClure is the “other” lefty in the rotation (along with Caldwell) with a bloated 4.56 ERA. Randy Lerch is the true definition of a number five starter with a 5.25 ERA. In other words, the Brewers have one ace, a number three or number four starter in Haas, and three number five starters. One trade probably won’t be enough to make the changes that are necessary here.
You Can Have Him
There’s one player the Brewers would just assume give away, but they’ve been trying unsuccessfully since the spring. No one wants him.
Roy Howell: Howell’s tirades have become tired. Granted, while playing under Kuenn he’s been quieter since he’s actually getting playing time. But he’s third on the depth chart at third base, and could easily be dealt if the Brewers can get a need in return.
Oh, you want him?
These are players who likely aren’t the centerpiece of any trade discussion, but could come up as a throw-in or minor deal:
Marshall Edwards: He’s a valuable defensive replacement in the outfield, but offers little else.
Ed Romero: He’s nice to have in case Gantner needs a breather, but that’s about it.
Mark Brouhard: Still young and with promise, but the Brewers have depth in right field.
Ned Yost: If the Brewers keep Simmons, there’s really no need to have three catcher-capable players on the roster.
Rob Picciolo: Recently acquired from Oakland to fill a perceived need, but he rarely plays.
Jerry Augustine: His 6+ ERA is a bit misleading due to the 12 runs he allowed in Kansas City on May 11, but he’s rarely used.
Randy Lerch: Sometimes passable, sometimes awful. Easily replaceable.
Jamie Easterly: With a 3.32 ERA, he actually has been pretty good this year. But the Brewers may not trust those results if an offer comes their way.
Dwight Bernard: Like Easterly, his results (3.66 ERA) haven’t been particularly bad, but he’s also a body that shouldn’t be very difficult to replace or upgrade.
Likely discussion starters
If the Brewers do make a deal, don’t be surprised if it involves one of these players. They not only are available, but may be attractive to other teams:
Ted Simmons: He’s yet to live up to his reputation as a catcher with a big bat since putting on a Brewers uniform in 1981. The Brewers have three players capable of catching, and Simmons may be seen as the veteran presence that another team needs as a final piece of the puzzle. His name’s been floated around for a while now, and he’d likely already be gone if Buck Rodgers were still around.
Charlie Moore: It comes down to depth. While it would be helpful to have Moore around to split right field duties with Mark Brouhard, he’s one of three players who can catch. And he’s capable of hitting .300, so other teams may covet him. He also demanded a trade during the spring before being assured he’d get a shot in the outfield.
Mike Caldwell: He’s not performing for the Brewers, but other teams will think a change of scenery could light a fire under him. And they may be right.
Moose Haas: Would only be dealt in a package deal that would give the Brewers an upgrade to the rotation.
Don Money: Very valuable as a designated hitter, but the Brewers could take a hit on offense to improve their pitching staff. One of three third basemen.
Bob McClure: Like Haas, he could be dealt in a package deal to improve the rotation.
Could be available, but at a price
It would seem highly unlikely that any of these players would be traded unless the Brewers received an offer they couldn’t refuse:
Jim Gantner: Seemingly too valuable as a defender, but not irreplaceable. Ed Romero could be slotted in at second if the Brewers could add a nice piece to the pitching staff.
Paul Molitor: His age (25) and production would make him very hard to deal, but given the depth at third base a trade would have to be considered if the Brewers could get a young, top of the rotation starter in return.
Unavailable
There would seem to be no way the Brewers would trade these players due to age, depth or value to the team:
Cecil Cooper: He may not get the credit he deserves around the league, but fans in Milwaukee know he’s been the best first baseman in baseball the past few years. The team has no back-up plan for him.
Robin Yount: Like Cooper, Yount may be the best in the league at his position. He’s 26 and the drop-off from Yount to Rob Picciolo is downright silly.
Gorman Thomas: He’s a leader and a big power bat in the middle of the lineup. Most importantly, there just isn’t a viable back-up plan.
Ben Oglivie: See Gorman above. Benji isn’t going anywhere.
Pete Vuckovich: The team’s only dependable starter. No way he’s going anywhere.
Rollie Fingers: The heart and soul of the bullpen, if not the team. Fingers may be having a down year, but his experience in the postseason makes him irreplaceable.
Jim Slaton: He can start, pitch long relief or get saves when Rollie is unavailable. And he’s productive. He can’t be replaced.
What do you think? Which players should the Brewers be looking at trading and what areas should they upgrade?
Wallbangers Sweep A’s
Brewers 7, A’s 2
Brewers now 27-24 (3rd)
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OAKLAND — These are the Brewers we predicted to fight for an AL East title this season.
In four games under Harvey Kuenn, the Brewers have won all four. They have a five-game winning streak dating back to Buck Rodgers‘ final day as the team’s skipper. That day seems like years ago. It was a completely different team.
Same faces, different team. Different attitude. Different atmosphere. Different results.
Those results continued today.
Pete Vuckovich may not have had his best stuff, but he allowed only two runs through eight innings on seven hits and four walks. He didn’t pitch a clean inning until the eighth. At least two baserunners reached base in four different innings. But Vuke, as Vuke typically does, would bend and not break.
Pete Vuckovich is now 7-2 on the season. Even more impressive, he is 21-6 in a Brewers uniform.
But of course, these are “Harvey’s Wallbangers.” The offense gets all the glory. Actually, that’s why I started with Vuke. The pitching deserves props, too, as it is a big reason this team is winning. During the five game winning streak, Brewers pitchers have given up a total of nine runs.
And the offense keeps on mashing. For the third straight game, the Brewers scored 10 runs or more runs. For the fourth straight game, the Brewers reached on at least 12 hits (14 hits today). The Wallbangers walloped 42 hits in the three-game series against the shell-shocked A’s, including 19 for extra bases and eight home runs.
How locked in are the Brewers’ hitters right now? They lead the league with 67 home runs, 22 of which came on this trip. That’s approximately one third of their home runs in one fifth of their games.
Don’t look now, but one of the team’s supposed “cancers” has a hot bat. Ted Simmons went 2-for-5 with his eighth home run. He was 12-for-37 on the road trip, raising his average to a more respectable .239.
The one dark cloud in this game is that Cecil Cooper, the league’s second best hitter with a .360 average, sat out with a hip pointer. But have no fear, Brewers fans, Harvey says it isn’t serious.
“He told he he was ready to go, but I’ll just give him a day of rest,” Kuenn said. That’s a relief. We need Coop. Because this team is bound to cool off sooner or later.
Game Notes: Jim Gantner hit a solo home run in the sixth inning, his third of the season … Rollie Fingers, who hadn’t pitched in five days, allowed one hit in a scoreless ninth … The Brewers finished their road trip with seven wins in 10 games.
Brewers a New Team under Kuenn?
A day off today? Not fair for any pundit trying to gauge this team. It is far too easy to take this down time to proclaim the Brewers a new team under interim manager Harvey Kuenn.
So I won’t do it.
What do we know? We know that Buck Rodgers was a bad fit. We tried to accept him for a while. We blamed a bad attitude here, bad luck there. But Brewers fans have collectively come to the realization that the reason for their team’s under performance may have been much easier to explain than we thought.
When rumors surfaced of Rodgers’ demise weeks ago, you couldn’t find a player who had their manager’s back. And whether it was Rollie Fingers, Ted Simmons, Mike Caldwell, Pete Vuckovich, Roy Howell, Jim Gantner or the countless other malcontents, someone was always spouting off.
Players weren’t happy. They didn’t respect their manager. The inmates were running the asylum, and they were plenty crazy. Should it be any wonder that they played below expectations?
Roy Howell is a role player. He never understood his role. As a result, he was never happy when each day passed by and he wasn’t on the lineup card. Isn’t this a communication issue? Howell should never be surprised about when he will or will not be playing.
Buck Rodgers lacked confidence in his starting pitchers, often giving them the hook rather than letting them fight their way through jams. Based on complaints from Mike Caldwell, it’s also possible that he lacked respect for pitchers in general. Is it any wonder that the rotation as a whole has been shaky?
In steps Harvey Kuenn, destination unknown. He’s known as a loose leader, one who wants his players to relax and have fun. He’s a communicator. He’s everything that Buck Rodgers wasn’t.
The change, whether directly or indirectly, resulted in a win. One win in one game. But what we saw were things we had seen rarely during the past two months. A starter fought through his own jam and pitched a complete game, shutting down the opposition during the final three innings. The offense was timely, collecting 12 hits. And the defense didn’t commit an error.
Most importantly? The players are happy. For the most part, that was rarely the case under Rodgers, even after a win.
Soon after being fired, Rodgers didn’t hold back when referring to two cancers on the team. Given the time to cool off, he hasn’t backed down: “I can’t say too emphatically how good this club is, except for a couple of players. I know who they are, the players know who they are and the front office knows who they are. They may have tried to stab me in the back, but they didn’t get me fired. They’ve stabbed everyone they’ve been involved with in the past, and they’ll do the same in the future.”
We shouldn’t be surprised about reports surfacing that Mike Caldwell, during a card game on the May 30 flight after a 7-3 win over the Angels, said, “I hope we lose 10 games in a row just to get rid of that sucker.”
The Brewers are littered with strong personalities. They need someone to lead them. They don’t need someone who is paranoid, constantly worried about who is trying to stab them in the back. This happens when a leader fails to communicate or loses the respect of his team.
Does one win mean that the Brewers are World Series bound? Absolutely not. At .500 and in fifth place in the AL East, it may be too late to completely repair the damage. But there is every reason to believe that the atmosphere in the Brewers clubhouse is going to improve. The results should follow.
In other words, I just wrote an entire article doing what I said I wouldn’t in the opening paragraph. I have proclaimed the Brewers a new team after one game.
That’s what a day off will do to you.
Buck Rodgers Sounds Off
SEATTLE — Contacted for his comments on being fired as manager of the Milwaukee Brewers today, Buck Rodgers tried to be diplomatic.
On whether he feels like he failed: “Sure, there’s a little sense of failure. I thought this club could win. I’ve never failed in my life. I don’t like to fail. But that’s all part of the game, you know that. It wasn’t exactly unexpected. I’ve had my mind made up for the last two weeks it might happen.”
Then Rodgers decided that if he were going to go down, he’d take someone with him. He went down swinging.
“I think there are a couple of cancers on the club,” he said, not mentioning their names. “I think you’ve got 18 or 19 players who want to win. You’ve got three or four who will go any way the wind blows. I’m not going to name the cancers, and I’m not going to name the ones who blow with the wind.”
If you’re going to go down swinging, you might as well throw the full punch. We’re left guessing about the two players he’s speaking of, but those following the team tend to believe they are Mike Caldwell and Ted Simmons.
Caldwell was often a critic of the way Rodgers handled pitchers. In fact, as recently as May 23, he made this comment to the press following a loss to the Mariners: “I don’t know. I’m just a player. I’m just trying to do my job. I don’t know if I’m getting a chance to do it.”
The Brewers also tried unsuccessfully to trade Caldwell during the winter. Knowing that the team didn’t want him likely didn’t make relationships with management or his performance on the field any easier. Caldwell is sporting a disappointing 2-4 record and 4.70 ERA.
While Ted Simmons didn’t provide the juicy quotes like Caldwell, he and Rodgers did not see eye-to-eye. Rodgers, a former catcher who prided himself on his defensive ability, was thought to prefer Ned Yost and Charlie Moore as defensive backstops. Simmons has yet to live up to the hype as an offensive producer either, and Rodgers may even prefer Don Money or Roy Howell as the DH.
In other words, Simmons was forced upon him, and Rodgers wanted him off of the team. Some believed that if Simmons stayed with the team all season, Rodgers would quit.
If Rodgers wasn’t referring to one or both of Caldwell and Simmons, he may also have been talking about Roy Howell. Howell has received very little playing time and has been a thorn in the side of the team since spring training. Unable to trade him, Howell has sulked and thrown tantrums while producing very little.
Not Howell? It could also be Gorman Thomas, Rollie Fingers or Pete Vuckovich. But at this point, we’re reaching. And to be honest, it’s why making the comment without naming names is a cowardice act. We’re left guessing who it is he was talking about and now we’re dragging potentially innocent names through the mud.