Brewers 1982

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

Randy Lerch

Brewers Knocked Down, Get Up and Win

Brewers 5, Tigers 2
Brewers now 33-29 (3rd)
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Paul Molitor
Paul Molitor escaped injury after being hit on the helmet by a Milt Wilcox fastball.

DETROIT — Look out!

Not the words you want to hear Bob Uecker belting out on the radio when Paul Molitor is at the plate. Up 3-2 in the top of the ninth, we heard those exact words. Molitor took a Milt Wilcox fastball just above the ear flap.

Brewers fans breathed a sigh of relief as Molitor quickly bounced up and trotted to first base.

“When Paulie went down,” said manager Harvey Kuenn, “the first thing I thought about was I hoped he wasn’t hurt.”

Up to that point, Molitor was 2-for-4 with a home run, two RBI and a near miss home run into the depths of dead center field of Tiger Stadium.

“The second thing,” Kuenn continued, “was that he was throwing at him.”

Damn straight, he was.

Look out!

Wilcox then went up and in on Robin Yount. This time, Robin avoided being knocked upside the head. Some players may have reacted by charging the mound. Yount hit a single to center field to score Molitor, who had moved up to second on a wild pitch.

Wilcox was then removed from the game, replaced by Kevin Saucier. Yount would score and the Brewers would hold on to win 5-2.

Wilcox threw three wild pitches in the game and hit two batters, also pelting Ben Oglivie in the eighth. Was Wilcox just wild? Maybe. But Kuenn thinks some of the wild pitches had intent.

“The only thing I can say is that every dog has his day,” said Kuenn. “Every dog has his day.”

Game Notes: It was the fourth consecutive good start for Randy Lerch, who allowed two runs in 5 2/3 innings and went the first 4 2/3 innings without allowing a hit … Molitor may have avoided serious injury thanks to the ear flap, which became mandatory for all hitters this season … Jim Gantner, who strained his shoulder on a diving play yesterday, will miss the final two games of the series … Dwight Bernard extended his scoreless innings streak to 7 2/3 … Gorman Thomas was removed from the game in the eighth with a stomach muscle pull. He is questionable for tomorrow’s game … The Brewers are now five games back of the Red Sox in the AL East, the closest they’ve been to first since May 21.

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

Ted Simmons
Is Ted Simmons on the trade block?

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?

Brewers Bats Silent

Orioles 4, Brewers 2
Brewers now 27-26 (3rd)
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Paul Molitor
Paul Molitor accounted for four of the Brewers' six hits in this game and six of the team's 11 hits in the first two games of this series.

MILWAUKEE — You don’t want to overreact about a loss. And you don’t want to overreact about two losses…

But at what point do we think we may have overreacted about Harvey Kuenn‘s glorious start? At what point do we realize it’s ultimately the players who win or lose a game and the manager has little impact on the results?

For the second straight game, an Orioles starting pitcher went the distance against the Brewers in Milwaukee. Yesterday it was the over-the-hill Jim Palmer and today it was Scott McGregor, who retired 15 of the last 16 batters he faced.

For the second straight game, “Harvey’s Wallbangers” were held to only two runs. For the second straight game, Paul Molitor was trying to carry the offense. In those two games, Molitor collected six of the team’s 11 hits. He went 4-for-4 today.

And really, the Brewers didn’t even earn their runs today. No, they technically didn’t, as both runs were off of a Benny Ayala error in the first. The offense was nonexistent.

The one bright spot was Randy Lerch. He was terrific, doing much more than any Brewer fan could ever expect. Lerch went seven innings, allowing three runs on five hits. He deserved the win.

Two games ago, Brewers fans were walking on air. A new atmosphere. A new team. A new direction.

Two games later, has anything changed? Back to seven games back, now tied for third with these Orioles. Offense still inconsistent, pitching not dependable.

Tomorrow’s game will help answer some questions. The real Milwaukee Brewers need to step forward.

Game Notes: Scott McGregor entered the game with a career record of 1-5 against the Brewers.

Reggie Sends Crew to Fifth Place

Angels 5, Brewers 4 (10)
Brewers now 21-23 (5th)
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Reggie Jackson
Reggie Jackson was quite proud of his game winning home run, as he tends to be.

ANAHEIM — Today’s game between the Brewers and Angels was nationally televised. The entire country was able to see for themselves just how flawed these Brewers are.

A blown 4-1 lead in the seventh, the second consecutive three-run lead lost. Fourteen hits, but 10 runners left on base. A blown save by the league’s pre-eminent closer. A Reggie Jackson home run in the bottom of the 10th to end the game. Only one win in six extra inning games. Two straight losses and six losses in the last seven games. Two games under .500 and fifth place for the first time since the Brewers were 4-6 on April 21.

And, of course, the controversy that follows losing. Manager Buck Rodgers and several Brewers are rumored to be fighting for their jobs. Today, All-Star closer Rollie Fingers made his dissatisfaction known.

Fingers relieved Randy Lerch in the seventh with runners on second and third and no outs, nursing a 4-1 lead. In eight previous starts, Lerch had lasted seven innings only once. So it should have been no surprise when he was unable to retire a batter to open the seventh.

Fingers felt the same, and wondered out loud why he hadn’t been brought in to start the inning rather than try to clean up Lerch’s mess. Bob Boone singled in two to make it a 4-3 game. With two down in the ninth, Fingers allowed an RBI single by Bobby Grich to send the game to extra innings.

Then, of course, came the shot the whole world saw. The booming drive by Reggie Jackson to left center field. Jackson swung mightily and posed, admiring his shot while he kissed his biceps and shouted to all who would listen: “That was me! I did it! Reggie Jackson! Me! Look at me!” Easterly put his head down in shame and scuffled back to the dugout.

The game may have ended dramatically to some, but it was no surprise to anyone who has been following this team closely. Drama implies the unexpected. We’ve seen this happen before.

The question all Brewers fans want answered: How many times do we need to see the same game end in the same painful way before changes are made?

Game Notes: Centerfielder Gorman Thomas injured his shoulder making a diving catch in yesterday’s game and did not play. He is considered day-to-day.