Rollie Fingers

Grading the Brewers: Pitchers

Don Sutton gets the only straight A among Brewers pitchers.

Now that we’ve had a month to absorb the finality of the 1982 season and dust off the painful ending, it’s time to take a balanced look at what went right and what went wrong. We’ve gotten our pencils out and are going to grade three main categories: Offense, Starting Pitching and Relief Pitching. Under each section, we will grade players individually. Today we’ll start with pitchers. An average result will be a C, so such a grade should be the typical expectation. We will not grade more loosely or harshly based on expectations.

Additionally, note that we will not grade players who are no longer with the team (like Randy Lerch). Minimal number of plate appearances to receive a grade is 100 and pitchers must log at least 25 innings pitched. Anyone else will be given an Incomplete grade.

Starting Pitching
Despite the big names of Pete Vuckovich, Don Sutton and Mike Caldwell, the Milwaukee Brewers starting rotation was very average until Don Sutton arrived. In fact, one could argue that the Brewers were not a playoff caliber team without Don Sutton on it. The Brewers’ starting pitchers were at or a bit above the league average in several key categories: complete games (fifth with 34), shutouts (seventh with six) and quality starts (fourth with 84). They also led the American League in wins (76) and innings pitched per games started (6.7). While the Brewers had difficulty finding consistency at the back end of the rotation, the Sutton-Vuckovich-Caldwell trio was one of the best in the game, and the starting five finished as one of the better groups in the AL.
Overall Grade: B

Relief Pitching
While the starting rotation got a boost near the end of the regular season, the bullpen took a major hit when Rollie Fingers went down. The Brewers could not replace the 1981 AL Cy Young and MVP winner. In fact, not close to adequately, as the bullpen threw several key games down the stretch to make the regular season conclusion much more interesting than it should have been. While the relievers were a surprising bright spot in th ALCS, it’s quite possible the Brewers are World Champs with a healthy Rollie Fingers in the World Series. Jim Slaton was a rock in the bullpen, but otherwise a Fingers-less relief corps was far below average. And while Fingers would make this group a B- by himself, it’s all about how the team finished.
Overall Grade: D+

Don Sutton, SP
Sutton was everything Harry Dalton could have asked for when he pulled the trigger on a late season trade with the Astros. In seven regular season starts with the Brewers, Stutton went at least seven innings in all but one, when he went 6 2/3. The Brewers won five of his seven starts, including all of his final four. It was Sutton who stopped the bleeding in Baltimore on the final day of the season, where Vuckovich and Caldwell could not. Sutton’s regular season ERA was a shiny 3.29. If that trade was not made, the Brewers would not have made it to the postseason.
Grade: A

Pete Vuckovich, SP
Vuke just wins games. In 30 starts, he won 18 and lost only six. His 3.34 ERA was lowest of any regular starter on the team, he led the Brewers with 105 strikeouts and was second in complete games (9) and innings pitched (223 2/3). While he never made it easy on himself by walking an excessive number of batters, Vuke will also be remembered for his big 11-inning complete game win over the Red Sox in a crucial game in the final month in Boston. Then again, he’ll also be remembered for not winning another game from that point forward through the end of the postseason.
Grade: A-

Rollie Fingers, RP
This evaluation is nearly incomplete since Fingers missed the final month and change due to an injured forearm. It’s difficult imagining what the Brewers could have done with a healthy Rollie Fingers. Rollie was on his way to another fantastic season, posting a 2.60 ERA and 29 saves before being lost for the season. Fingers was leading the league in saves at the time of his initial injury, and is still the premier closer in the game when healthy. Fingers only gets a minus here because of factors outside of his control, as we wonder what could have been.
Grade: A-

Mike Caldwell, SP
The unsung hero on this staff. Pete Vuckovich gets the attention as the Cy Young winner and Don Sutton as the savior, but Mike Caldwell was the team’s iron man. He led the Brewers in starts (34), complete games (12), shutouts (3) and innings pitched (258), and was second with 17 wins.
Grade: B+

Jim Slaton, SP/RP
Slaton was used as an all-purpose pitcher for the Brewers in 1982, used in high leverage situations out of the bullpen as well as an occasional spot start. His 3.29 ERA was the best of any reliever not named Fingers, and other than a blip in his final regular season appearance in Boston, Slaton was solid from August on while his bullpen-mates were coughing up games regularly.
Grade: B

Moose Haas, SP/RP
Haas was solid overall, but imploded in June (6.96 ERA) and August (5.49 ERA). Still, Moose finished strong with a 2.22 ERA in September and October, and was also solid in the postseason. Haas was third on the team in innings pitched (193 1/3) and second in strikeouts (104). Yet, his lack of consistency kept him from being a dependable pitcher for the Brewers.
Grade: C+

Dwight Bernard, RP
Bernard’s final 3.76 ERA isn’t bad, but he was worst when the Brewers needed him most. He actually had an ERA of 2.92 on September 2, but then fell apart. Bernard allowed 10 earned runs in his final eight regular season appearances, which covered most of the final month. Harvey lost confidence in Bernard and used him sparingly from that point forward.
Grade: C

Doc Medich, SP
A late season addition for the Brewers from Texas, Medich was not what the doctor ordered. Hoping he’d be a stabilizing force as a veteran starter in the rotation, the Brewers signed Medich and let go of Randy Lerch. Medich (5.00 ERA in 10 starts) wasn’t any better than Lerch (4.97 ERA).
Grade: D+

Jerry Augustine, SP/RP
He’s been a Brewer since 1975, but Jerry Augustine was not a fan favorite in 1982. While injuries may have contributed to and shortened his season, Augustine was ineffective and did not play a major role on this staff. A May 11 start against the Royals resulted in 12 earned runs on 15 hits in five innings, and was used primarily out of the bullpen from then on. Augustine was a non-factor after the All-Star break, partly due to injuries and partly due to ineffectiveness. In his final 12 innings pitched, Augie allowed 14 earned runs.
Grade: D

Jamie Easterly, RP
Like Augustine, injuries and ineffectiveness limited Easterly’s role on the Brewers in 1982. He started well, posting a 3.27 ERA through June. But as seems to be the case with many of the Brewers’ relievers, Easterly fell apart when the injury to Fingers required production. Easterly allowed six earned runs in two appearances against the Yankees in September and his ERA ballooned to 5.27. He was a mop-up man from then on.
Grade: D

Pete Ladd, RP
While Ladd wasn’t spectacular in his 16 regular season appearances (4.00 ERA) in 1982, he did show glimpses of what may be to come, particularly in the ALCS when he retired 10 batters in a row.
Grade: Inc.

Chuck Porter, RP
Porter spent most of his 1982 season in Vancouver, but is expected to have a much larger role on the Brewers in 1983.
Grade: Inc.

Doug Jones, RP
The 25-year-old rookie allowed five hits and three runs in his only 2 2/3 innings pitched with the Brewers this season. It’s unlikely that he has a long term future with the club.
Grade: Inc.

’82 World Series: Game 6 Preview

October 19 Leave a Comment

[UPDATE as of 4:30 p.m. CT: It appears as if some heavy weather could move through the St. Louis area. Temps are dropping rapidly and they’ve issued a tornado watch. It could wreak havoc with Game 6. Follow our tweets at @tweetsfrom1982 for the latest news.]

ST. LOUIS — With the chance to grab history, what will the Milwaukee Brewers do in Game 6? Will Don Sutton and the Crew ride off into the dim sunset of late autumn as champions of the baseball world; or will they be drowning their sorrows in a St. Louis hotel bar wondering why they’re playing a Game 7?

Yount’s been on fire and could help capture the Crew’s first Series title.

If it’s the latter, you know why: they’re our Milwaukee Brewers, a group of men for whom nothing comes easy. Baltimore. California. They must be hanging by a thread before they spring into action. They don’t steam roll, they rock-and-roll.

But the Crew would be wise to step to the plate and act like Game 6 is Game 7. Not that they couldn’t win an ultimate contest (and probably do it in the ninth with Rollie Fingers miraculously appearing from the bullpen to shut down any Cardinal rally), but why give the Cards life? Why give them hope?

There’s no reason to and there’s no reason to believe Sutton will provide that hope. After the Game 2 debacle where he gave up four runs all with two outs, Sutton should be in lockdown mode for Game 6. As for the offense, an encouraging sign has been its relative awakening. Save for Gorman Thomas, who’s trying to get it done on one wheel, the rest of the Crew has been smacking the pellet around the park. None more so than the Crew’s MVP candidate Robin Yount, who with four hits in four trips to the plate in Game 5 became the first man to have two four-hit games in the same World Series.

“It’s nice to set a record, whatever it is,” Yount said to reporters in a postgame press conference. “But again, I’m not out to set records. I’d be happy to come out with a world championship with no record being set. I’m only interested in winning the World Series. That’s the only goal I ever set and the only one I’m striving for.”

Yount earned the “M-V-P” chants that rang throughout the Stadium in Game 5 even if he was uncomfortable with them. He couldn’t have been as uncomfortable as Cards pitchers, however, as the Crew continued to deliver timely hitting in Game 4 and 5.

The Crew will again look to knock around John Stuper early in Game 6 as they did in Game 5. After two weekend mid-afternoon games, the Series goes back to a 7:20 p.m. CT start.

As always, if you can’t watch the game or listen to it, you can follow our tweets at @tweetsfrom1982

Brewers Blow Lead, Game 2

October 13 2 Comments

Cardinals 5, Brewers 4
World Series now tied 1-1
Box Score | Season Schedule

Don Sutton allowed four runs with two outs.

ST. LOUIS — Up one game to none on the Cardinals, the Brewers had a chance to stomp on their opponents’ throats with a win before going back to Milwaukee for two, maybe three games. Instead, they blew such an opportunity by blowing a three-run lead and falling to the Cardinals 5-4 tonight.

With the series tied at 1-1, now it will be three games in Milwaukee.

Early on, it appeared the Brewers would continue the dominance that led to a 10-0 opening win on Tuesday by whooping on starter John Stuper. Charlie Moore hit an RBI double in the second inning, and two more runs were scored in the third on a Robin Yount groundout and Ted Simmons‘ second homer of the series.

All was going the Brewers’ way. After two and a half innings, Milwaukee had scored three runs, and the Cardinals had yet to touch home plate in the series. Don Sutton had yet to allow a baserunner. But then, with two down in the third, Tommy Herr smacked an RBI double and Ken Oberkfell laced a single to right just out of reach of a diving Jim Gantner to make it a 3-2 game.

There are moments in a series that immediately strike you as pivotal. This was one of those such moments. If Sutton gets that third out, the Brewers hold a 3-0 lead and maintain their stranglehold of the series. Instead, the Cardinals score their first runs and gain confidence.

The Brewers would score one more run on a Cecil Cooper single in the fifth to make it a 4-2 Brewers lead. But the Cardinals kept battling.

Porter’s two-out, two-run double in the sixth was a crushing blow.

Again with two down, former Brewer Darrell Porter hit a two-run double down the left field line that tied the game in the sixth. Why was the third out so difficult to secure? It cost the Brewers this game.

By all accounts, Pete Ladd was the Brewers’ MVP of the ALCS, and they needed him in a key spot of a tie game in the eighth. With one down, Bob McClure had put two Cardinals runners on. To this point, Ladd had retired all 10 batters he had faced in the playoffs.

The World Series may be a different story. Ladd delivered a letters-high fastball on a 3-2 count to NL MVP candidate Lonnie Smith, the first batter he faced, that was called a ball to load the bases.

“Did you see the big smile on my face heading down to first?” a knowing Smith asked after the game.

Ladd then walked the second batter, journeyman Steve Braun, on four pitches to bring in the go-ahead and eventual winning run.

“It rattled me,” Ladd admitted. “It shouldn’t have. This is not the time to get rattled. But it did rattle me. I was upset, not at myself but at the umpire.”

Inexplicable. But understandable, considering Ladd is an untested young pitcher. Rollie Fingers would have been perfect in this position.

Oh, yeah. So wasn’t Rollie available?

“Rollie was well enough to pitch,” said Kuenn, “and no, I didn’t consider using him. I’ve used Rollie when we’re ahead, not in tie situations or when we’re losing.”

It’s starting to sound like a bluff, Harvey. This is when the Brewers needed their best pitcher on the mound. And Rollie’s comments didn’t help verify Harvey’s claim.

“I couldn’t have pitched today,” said Fingers. “I’m a little stiff from not pitching for a month, not from the injury. It’s like the fifth or sixth day of Spring Training.”

I came into this hoping the Brewers would win one of two in St. Louis. After yesterday’s win, I wanted two but didn’t need it. I was fine with a loss here.

But not like this. The Brewers had this game. The Cardinals scored four with two outs and the final was a gift. The Cardinals didn’t win Game 2, the Brewers lost it. And that’s not how you win a World Series.

“Of course we would have liked to have won two,” said Kuenn, “but I’m not worried.”

Apparently not. Or you would have used Fingers.

On the bright side, Cecil Cooper had three hits to break out of his playoff funk. Gorman Thomas, however, went hitless to drop his playoff batting average below .100.

At some point, we may need to accept that Gorman simply isn’t himself on one leg. If Thomas isn’t going to hit, you don’t lose anything by putting Marshall Edwards out there. Or you can roll the dice by putting Moore or Oglivie in center and Mark Brouhard in one of the corners. I love Gorman, but he’s half of a player right now.

What do you think? Should the Brewers bench Gorman Thomas? And how big was this loss?

Brew-phoria!

October 11 Leave a Comment

MILWAUKEE — Cecil Cooper must have been floating on air. I was too, though, my feeling of weightlessness was aided by a Serta Sleeper mattress.

As soon as Robin Yount‘s throw landed in the webbing of Coop’s glove, I jumped off the bed in my parents’ room and landed in my dad’s arms, yelling and celebrating the Crew’s first trip to the Fall Classic and the first Milwaukee team to play in the World Series since my dad was a 10-year-old in 1958. Never have I been so happy to see a routine 6-3 putout in all my life.

There were so many great moments (which far outweighed the lousy ones — four errors?) in Game 5, but I’ll have no problem remembering them.

Molly’s baserunning. Moore’s hose of Reggie Jackson at third base. Benji’s tater. Moore’s infield bloop. Coop signaling for the ball to drop from the sky like an apple falling from the tree. And, of course, the dangerous Rod Carew grouding into the final out. Good lord, I could have crapped diamonds during that final inning. Instead, my only sense of disappointment came from not being able to rush onto the diamond with Loomer and celebrate on sacred ground.

Scratch that. I am a little disappointed in another outcome from the weekend. I should be basking in this euphoric afterglow (at least I think it’s afterglow…). Yet, I can’t help but think the Crew, though triumphant, was shorted in the hardware department. Pete Ladd, our hulking closer, should have been named MVP of the ALCS, not the Angels’ Fred Lynn.

Granted, Lynn played stellar ball, hit .611 and had a sick slugging percentage of .889. But here’s the important point: his team lost the series. That should automatically disqualify any player from winning MVP. Whenever Lynn looks at the award, it will mock him and the Angels’ failure to win one more game with three chances to do so. He’ll probably mock the award in return and use it as a doorstop.

Ladd, meanwhile, had big shoes to fill as Rollie Fingers is the greatest fireman of all time. Ladd, with his size-15 feet, more than did the job. He saved two of the three most important games of the season: Game 3 and Game 5. He didn’t give up a hit. He didn’t walk an Angel. He struck out five of the 10 batters he faced. He was perfect. He was the MVP.

That’s quibbling though. The Brewers are headed to the World Series to face the St. Louis Cardinals, the team with the most world championships this side of the Yankees (22) and the vagabond A’s (eight). But they’re none of our concern today. Tomorrow, in St. Louis, yes. Today, no. Our joy belongs to us. This feels new and fresh and filled with relief. The Crew had been dead in Baltimore. They were buried in California.

Yet today, they live and breathe and quite possibly will be favored in this series despite the Cards having four of the seven games at home because the Crew’s pitching is equal to that of St. Louis and the offense is far better. The Brewers don’t have the Cards’ team speed (no one does), but that may be the only other place where St. Louis has an advantage.

The Crew even has the advantage when it comes to beer. Bud blows. Give me a Miller High Life (or my grandpa, a Pabst Blue Ribbon, of which he has a half barrel in his basement bar) any day. We’ll give you the Clydesdales. They’re pretty cool.

But the World Series isn’t horse play. It’s serious business and the Cards are a serious foe. Still when the final out is recorded, I have a feeling the Crew will ride off into the sunset. Possibly on those Clydesdales and more than likely with the Champagne of Beers in their hands and Champagne in their eyes.

Until then, however, October 10, 1982 will be a day that will captivate the Brewers fan in me for the rest of my life.

Quotes from the American League Champs

October 10 Leave a Comment

The following quotes were taken by the Milwaukee Sentinel on the field and in the clubhouse following the Milwaukee Brewers’ 4-3 win over the California Angels today to advance to the World Series. Recap of the game can be found here.

Cecil Cooper on seventh inning hit: “When I walked up there all I could think about was getting another chance. You have to go up there thinking about staying under control, going the other way. I thought I might see (left hander Andy) Hassler in that situation.”

Cecil Cooper: “I’m just so excited I got a base hit and we won. It took me away from being a goat.”

Cecil Cooper: “For a minute I thought it would be caught because when you hit line drives they have a tendency to hang, especially with the wind blowing in like it was. I was motioning for it to go down. It got down.”

Jim Gantner on scoring go-ahead run: “I think I flew most of the way home. When Cecil walked up there, I had a feeling he was going to get a hit and I knew I was going to score from second. I had already made up my mind that I was going to score.”

Bob McClure on Marshall Edwards’ eighth inning catch of Don Baylor fly ball: “I thought it was out when he hit it. I just stood on the mound and said stay in, stay in and then I saw it go in his glove.”

Marshall Edwards: “I knew I had to jump. You know how tall I am.”

Harvey Kuenn: “We haven’t done things easy all year and that was just another example of it.”

Pete Ladd, who saved the game: “Pure ecstasy. I don’t ever think I’ve ever jumped for joy like that when I saw the ball hit Cecil’s glove. I didn’t care who was up in that situation. I wanted the ball in that kind of an opportunity. I’ve faced (Carew) three times now, and I’ve gotten him out three times. I’m sure in the future he’ll get his hits off me, and that’s fine – as long as he didn’t get one in that situation.”

Charlie Moore on his throw to nail Reggie Jackson at third in the fifth inning: “It turned out to be a big play because it kept them from scoring another run. Inside I was cheering myself on.”

Bob McClure on throwing one pitch to Reggie Jackson in the eighth: “I wasn’t even trying to get him to hit into a double play. I was trying to get a strikeout and see what would happen to the next hitter (Lynn). But it worked out.”

Paul Molitor: “I think what happened today typifies t he character of this team. Today was a great example. We were down, but not out. We came back.”

Pete Vuckovich, on if the Brewers are invincible: “That’s a heavy word. There are too many good teams and good players for anyone to be invincible. But we’re a very confident team. I’m so proud to be a part of this unit.”

Cecil Cooper on tagging Bob Grich with an empty glove: “I didn’t argue. I knew I had made a bone headed play. I simply panicked. Realized I couldn’t reach him with the ball in my bare hand, so I tried to do it that way. I turned to Bobby at first base and told him I screwed up. And I told the guys when I got to the dugout, ‘Just give me another chance to redeem myself.'”

Bud Selig, on comparing this win to final day win against Orioles: “I don’t know. Last weekend was gut wrenching. I’ve never been filled with such anxiety. I called it an ordeal. That’s what it was.”

Bud Selig, pointing to swarming fans on the field: “Look at that scene. That makes it worth it. It’s like living a dream.”

Paul Molitor: “One of the more gratifying things has been playing for Mr. Selig. Some of it goes back to Baltimore last week when he told us ‘win or lose’ he was proud of us. That’s why it was so great to go full cycle and win it for him.”

Harvey Kuenn, on his pick for ALCS MVP (Fred Lynn won it): “Why, I would have to pick Pete Ladd. And why would you have to say why?”

Pitching coach Pat Dobson on Ladd: “When he came here (July 15) he was a one pitch pitcher. He had no slider. But he’s very easy to instruct. He learned the slider and it’s helped him 100%. It’s a pitch he needed for his career.”

Rollie Fingers on Ladd: “What he did was no surprise to me. If he has his control you know he’ll be ok. This just goes to show you that one guy doesn’t win it for you.”

Don Sutton on Harvey Kuenn: “The man is like a conductor of an orchestra. He can’t play a single instrument but he sure blends everyone else together. He’s much like Walter Alston. He doesn’t believe people come to watch manager’s manage. He believes they come to see the players play.”

Harvey Kuenn: “Words can’t express how I feel. I’ve had a lot of thrills in this game, and this is the biggest of my whole life. This is a club molded of 25 guys and coaches. Everybody loves everybody else. They don’t care who gets the winning hit or who’s the winning pitcher as long as we win.”

Ben Oglivie: “We knew we couldn’t give up. We knew we had to be stalwart. We’ve had to fight a continuing battle all year. This club always battles.”

Gorman Thomas: “I could care less about my knee right now. I’m going to go out and get smoked tonight.”

Charlie Moore on his dance in right field: “I couldn’t stand still. I guess when you’ve never been there before, you don’t know how to react. I guess I kind of reacted stupidly. But there are no regrets. Not one regret.”

Brewers Take Game 3

October 8 1 Comment

Brewers 5, Angels 3
Angels now lead ALCS 2-1
Box Score | Season Schedule

MILWAUKEE — The Brewers came into Game 3 of the ALCS in do-or-die mode. Win, and there’s another day. Lose, and you’re dead. Figuratively speaking, at least.

Don Sutton and The Crew were up to the challenge, as they were in full control of the game from start to finish. Sure, it finished as only a two run margin, a 5-3 Brewers win. Yeah, the Brewers only managed six hits. But there was a positive feel in this one.

Yes, it’s a feel we haven’t had in some time. Control. Most importantly, they had a pitcher on the mound who wasn’t giving an inch, at least until a charitable fan decided to give that inch late.

Up until Friday, Brewers pitchers had repeatedly given up early runs, putting their offense in an immediate hole. An offense that has looked nothing like the Harvey’s Wallbangers of most of the regular season.

But you can’t always count on your offense to score bunches of runs. That is what makes solid starting pitching so important. And that is why Harry Dalton went out and traded for Don Sutton. For games just like the one on the final day of the regular season against the Orioles. And like this one.

Backs against the wall.

Don Sutton is the man, people. He allowed a hit and a walk in the first inning, but not another baserunner until a DeCinces single in the fifth. Prior to the eighth inning, Sutton had only allowed more than one baserunner in an inning once, that opening frame. Yes, Sutton was in supreme control.

The Brewers offense didn’t collect a hit until the fourth inning, but they did so in style. The Brewers hadn’t scored three runs in an inning since that last time Sutton was on the mound. The Crew collected three runs on three hits and a walk in the fourth, breaking through a massive funk at the plate.

Paul Molitor then added the exclamation point, hitting a much-needed two-run homer in the seventh making it 5-0. At the time, it seemed just like piling on. But it turned out to be crucial run production.

The Angels finally figured out Sutton in the bottom of the eighth, with a jump start from the aforementioned fan. Bob Boone led off the inning with a deep fly ball to left. Ben Oglivie headed to the track, leaped, and as the ball was about to enter his glove…

A fan reached over the wall and snagged it. Replays showed it clearly to be the case. It shouldn’t have been a home run, and it was probably going to be an out. Left field umpire Larry Barnett disagreed, however, and that’s all that mattered.

The Angels would score three runs on four hits in the inning, including the leadoff snafu. But by then, it was too late. They weren’t coming back.

Sutton allowed three runs on eight hits and struck out nine in 7 2/3 innings of mound work. He was the stopper the Brewers needed.

“We were shut down for seven innings by one of the best pitchers in baseball in the last 15 years,” said Angels manager Gene Mauch. “He’s very clever… very clever.”

The clever Sutton was relieved by Pete Ladd, who provided a much needed spark from the bullpen. Ladd went the final 1 1/3 innings without allowing a hit, striking out two. Ladd, who blew two late season games with big home runs, has struck out five of the seven batters he’s faced in this series.

“Relief is something that you already better be equipped to handle the pressure and go out there,” said Ladd, “or you might as well stay in the bullpen.”

How things can change for Ladd and this Brewers bullpen. The one thing you can say about this ALCS so far is that the bullpen has not been the problem. While they may not have been dependable as a group ever since Rollie Fingers went down, the bullpen has allowed only one earned run and three hits through 6 1/3 innings pitched.

Are the Brewers back? I think so. I hope so. They have a significant test on Saturday, skipping the struggling Mike Caldwell in the rotation in favor of Moose Haas. He’ll be up against veteran Tommy John, who dominated the Brewers in Game 1.

But the game is at home, and if they tie up the series at two apiece, the Brewers suddenly become favorites in Game 5, in Brew Town as well.

Am I confident? That may be a stretch. But I’ve perked up a bit. Don Sutton and the Brewers gave us a playoff victory, which is somewhat satisfying. And being down 2-1 feels nowhere near as hopeless as 2-0. It also means the Brewers are two home victories from the World Series.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. One win at a time. It starts with Moose Haas on Saturday at 3:45 CDT.

What do you think? Do the Brewers have a realistic chance of winning with Moose Haas on the mound?