Surpassing the 1982 Brewers in 2008?

[lcbj68c]

The Brewers currently stand at 77-55. The 1982 Milwaukee Brewers went 95-67. Can this Milwaukee Brewers team surpass the win total from that 1982 Brewers team, making it statistically the greatest team in Brewers history? I really dont want to turn this into a debate over which team was better as we may need the post-season to play out to determine that. But I think it'll be fun seeing if this team can finish out 19-11 to win 96 games.

[RockCoCougars]

I'm too lazy to look it up, but I believe the 1979 team had a better record than the 1982 team.

[lcbj68c]

Better winning percentage, same wins.

[colbyjack]

If the 2008 Brewers win the World Series, therefore becoming without a doubt the best team in the history of the franchise, 26 years from now we can still talk about it incessantly while obsessing about the team's current uniforms, which the team of the future of course will wear on Friday nights while handing out bobblehead dolls of Ned Yost and Ted Simmons, making sure no one forgets about 1982.

[1992casey]

If this team wins 96 games, it'll surpass both the 1979 and 1982 records.

 

If it wins 95 games, it'll almost certainly play the full 162-game slate, leaving 1979 as the season with the best W-L percentage.

 

Here's the team W-L history.

[SeriesFinale]

Here's the team W-L history.

I don't know if I'm happy or sad that this Brewers team has already, with 30 games to go, tied or surpassed the win total in 25 of the franchise's 38 previous seasons in Milwaukee.

[BrewCrewRising]

The '82 Crew didn't get their 77th win until August 31st of that year. At that time they were 77-53-1 (that's right, a tie). While it's a few days earlier on the calendar now than when the '82 gang did it, they did it in fewer games (Current record 77-55).

 

FWIW.

[jhart05]

Man I hope the current version of the Crew can do some damage in the playoffs and win the WS in the next few years.

 

I enjoyed those Brewer teams of the late 70s and early 80s, just as much as anyone. I was in that 10 to 14 year old range where baseball was all I lived during the summer.

 

But I'm so tired of celebrating a WS loss and the old logo. I refuse to wear anything with the old logo these days. I feel it's time to move on.

[wisportswriter]

I'm so tired of celebrating a WS loss and the old logo. I refuse to wear anything with the old logo these days. I feel it's time to move on.

Thank God there's at least one other Brewer fan who feels the same way.

[bork]

It's kind of like the Badgers, with 30 years of talking about the Rose Bowl they almost won. Once they won one, the past was forgotten. Hopefully, the Brewers can do the same thing.

[SeriesFinale]

I'm so tired of celebrating a WS loss and the old logo. I refuse to wear anything with the old logo these days. I feel it's time to move on.

Thank God there's at least one other Brewer fan who feels the same way.

Plenty of people here feel that way. At any rate, I don't think wearing the old logo means one is "celebrating" the 1982 team any more than an Astros fan wearing a throwback rainbow jersey is celebrating Nolan Ryan. Some people just like the old school look.

[Invader3K]

I don't have a problem with the old logo, but I do get a bit tired hearing about the '82 team, since I was only two years old at the time and obviously don't have any memories of that era.

[dlk9s]

But I'm so tired of celebrating a WS loss and the old logo. I refuse to wear anything with the old logo these days. I feel it's time to move on.

Except that the old logo is one of the greatest logos in the history of sports and should have never been eliminated.

[hawing]

At any rate, I don't think wearing the old logo means one is "celebrating" the 1982 team any more than an Astros fan wearing a throwback rainbow jersey is celebrating Nolan Ryan.

 

I can't say I think of Gorman, Robin and of course Rob Picciolo every time I don something bearing the ball-glove logo, nor am I specifically trying to be old-school (though admittedly, as I get older, more of what I do seems to be interpreted as old-school).

 

Visually I just prefer the ball-glove logo to the modern-day M. Player tees are an exception; with those, I prefer the modern, Cheers-style script Brewers to the retro block-ish letters. Fortunately, both shades of blue look decent on me. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

 

Getting back to the original question, though...96 wins would definitely be heady territory, not to mention kind of sad if that turned out to be good for "only" the wild card.

[SeriesFinale]

I really like the new logo too (well, at least the font and the hat), and am glad we might see some positive history made with it.

[Invader3K]

But I'm so tired of celebrating a WS loss and the old logo. I refuse to wear anything with the old logo these days. I feel it's time to move on.

Except that the old logo is one of the greatest logos in the history of sports and should have never been eliminated.

Well, at least not eliminated for that mid-'90s abomination of a generic logo. I hated that thing. I do like the current unis and logo, though.

[SeriesFinale]

Getting back to the original question, though...96 wins would definitely be heady territory, not to mention kind of sad if that turned out to be good for "only" the wild card.

Yeah, I can imagine the wailing and gnashing of teeth we'll hear around here if the Brewers win the wild card and they don't get homefield advantage against a lesser team in the opening round. But I guess history dictates that hasn't been as much of a hindrance for the wild card teams.

 

Man oh man, I feel like there have been a lot of "counting chickens before they hatch" threads here lately, but it's hard not to be excited.

[SoCal Brew Crew Fan]

Agreed...it's time to move on. I love the old logo and the new logo, but after the '82 reunion last year I was tired of hearing about '82. That was the best sports fan moment of my life, but it was a long time ago and I'm not 15 anymore. I want some new memories. Even the old players were saying that. It felt the way it did when my parents would tolerate how bad the Packers were because they remembered the sixties and still loved Bart even though he wasn't that good of a coach.

 

I do think there are differences between that time and now. The AL East was amazingly competitive back then...more than the NL is now. There also seems to be a widening gap right now between the haves and have nots. While the Brewers pick up CC or the Dodgers get Manny...the Pirates and Reds each gave up arguably their best hitters. I think that is turning some 90-92 win teams into a 95-96 win teams.

[pitchleague]

I'm actually rooting for the Brewers to tank the rest of the season. If they have success and make the playoffs and are out in the mainstream, I feel for all those rap artists and other cool people who will have to get rid of their "M" with a barley stalk hats and get something else that is different and un-mainstream.

[lcbj68c]

15 replies about hearing about 1982 and zero replies on if they team can reach the win total from the 1982 team. I sure picked a winner of a topic.

[SeriesFinale]

15 replies about hearing about 1982 and zero replies on if they team can reach the win total from the 1982 team. I sure picked a winner of a topic.

it's kinda like just mentioning Ned or the Cubs in a thread about something else...the '82 team is a bit of a hot-button!

 

Anyway, I don't think it's possible with the Philly/Chicago roadtrip, but they'll come awfully close.

[SoCal Brew Crew Fan]

OK...I'll play along.

 

@ St.L (1) - 0-1

@ Pit (3) - 2-1

v. NYM (3) - 2-1

v SD (4) - 3-1

v. Cin (3) - 2-1

@ Phi (4) - 2-2

@ Chi (3) - 1-2

@ Cin (3) - 2-1

v. Pit (3) - 3-0

v. Chi (3) - 2-1

 

That the path to 96 wins. Very doable, but probably takes one of those 6-8 game winning streaks (v. Cincy, Pit or SD) to make up for any stumbles like @ Philly or @ Chicago.

[bucks2281]

I think it's a lot to ask for them to win 95 games. They'd have to sweep the crappy teams they play (SD, PIT, CIN) because the Philadelphia and Chicago series are going to be tough.

 

Here's what I'll say for the rest of the year:

@STL: 0 wins

@PIT: 2 wins

NYM: 2 wins

SD: 3 wins

CIN: 3 wins

@PHI: 2 wins (frightening series)

@CHC: 1 win

@CIN: 2 wins

PIT: 3 wins

CHC: 2 wins (Cubs resting players)

 

My optimistic guess says 20-10, which speaks volumes about the crappiness of some of the teams they play. That would put them at 97 wins (97-65). If they continue to play well, I'd predict 94-68 or 93-69. As you said, the postseason will determine this team's place in history.

[lcbj68c]

5 of 6 over the last two series may be tough. I think we have the WC sewed up by Chicago and throw a bunch of AAA callups out there.

[BrewCrewRising]

5 of 6 over the last two series may be tough. I think we have the WC sewed up by Chicago and throw a bunch of AAA callups out there.

 

But I think Chicago would do almost the same thing. So I think that series might be close as well.

 

But I don't think we'll have the WC sewn up by then anyway.