Opening Day in ‘The House That Ruth Built’

[Michael Trzinski]

On Thursday afternoon, the Milwaukee Brewers open their 2025 season, facing the defending American League champion New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. This will be the third time that the Brewers have made their season debut in the Bronx, the other two coming back in 1977 and 1979, respectively, when the Brewers were still fierce competitors with the Yankees in the AL East.

Image courtesy of © Brad Penner-Imagn Images

1977 (Catfish, Reggie, and the Toy Cannon lead Yanks to victory)
The Yankees were coming off the losing end of a World Series sweep at the hands of ‘The Big Red Machine’ the previous October and had something to prove. The Brewers, on the other hand, finished dead last in the AL East with a record of 66-95, 32 games behind New York.

Von Joshua led off the first with a single but never moved as Robin Yount, Cecil Cooper, and Sal Bando all flied out to left fielder Roy White. In the bottom of the second, Jim Wynn slammed his first and only AL home run (in his first AL at-bat), a blast that carried some 430 feet to dead center to give the Yankees a 1-0 lead. Reggie Jackson scored the final two runs on a fielder’s choice and a wild pitch by Milwaukee starter Bill Travers.

Joshua led the Brewers with a double and two singles while Cooper and Don Money each had base hits. For the Yanks, Mickey Rivers, Jackson, and Wynn each had two hits.

Catfish Hunter got the win, going seven innings and allowing just three hits while striking out five. Sparky Lyle allowed two hits in two innings for the save, the first of 26 in his AL Cy Young season. Travers went 7.2 innings and gave up 11 hits and three runs. After the game Bando said, “When we didn’t get to ‘Cat’ in the first inning, I knew he’d be tough.”

1979 (‘Yankee killer’ Caldwell tosses complete game gem)
The Brewers came into the season after their first 90-win season (93 wins), facing the two-time defending World Series champions on April 5 at Yankee Stadium.

Fans that were expecting a pitcher’s duel weren’t disappointed as Yankee starter Ron Guidry set down the first 16 batters he faced, while Brewers lefty Mike Caldwell scattered five hits and one run as the Brewers trailed 1-0 going into the sixth.

Guidry got the first out and then imploded, as the next seven Brewers that came to the plate had four singles, two walks, and scored four runs, knocking ‘Louisiana Lightning’ out of the game in favor of reliever Dick Tidrow. The Brewers added their final run on an RBI single by Charlie Moore in the seventh inning.

Caldwell — who had three complete game shutouts against New York in 1978 — allowed seven hits total. Guidry took the loss after looking invincible the first five frames. Don Money had a hit and two RBI, while Cecil Cooper, Sixto Lezcano, and Moore all had RBI singles.

“It’s a tremendous thrill to beat the two-time World Series champs,” Caldwell said. “I got psyched up when they ran up the World Series flag [up the flagpole]. I’d sure like to see that thing go up in Milwaukee next year.”

2025
For the third time (and first in 46 years), the Brewers will take on the defending AL champion New York Yankees in an Opening Day contest at Yankee Stadium. How will it turn out?

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[Jopal78]

Technically “the House that Ruth built” in 1923, was torn down in 2008.

[Joseph Zarr]

And here I thought I was clicking on an article about Babe Capra. Sigh.

Click bait!

[Michael Trzinski]

14 hours ago, Jopal78 said:

Technically “the House that Ruth built” in 1923, was torn down in 2008.

Technically, you are correct. But generally, each of the three iterations of Yankee Stadium (I, II, III) use (or used) the moniker, 'The House That Ruth Built.'

But other than that, did you enjoy the trip down late 1970s AL East memory lane? 

[Michael Trzinski]

13 hours ago, Joseph Zarr said:

And here I thought I was clicking on an article about Babe Capra. Sigh.

Click bait!

Haha, not, just a catchy title. Did you enjoy the history?

[Joseph Zarr]

1 hour ago, Michael Trzinski said:

Haha, not, just a catchy title. Did you enjoy the history?

Indeed. Tho, I certainly hope and pray we Brewers fans are even further removed from that 1977 record spiritually and psychologically. I'm kind of into this post-season contending thing. The current Yankees have a banged up pitching staff. So do the Brewers but I think the Crew have more horses to handle it in the interim. Here's hoping for an entertaining series win.