Mike Caldwell Pitched With A Mountainous Chip On His Shoulder

Mike Caldwell was nicknamed ‘Mr. Warmth.’ But let’s be clear: the name was dripping with irony. It was sort of like calling the 6’6” guy ‘Tiny.’ Caldwell was called many things during his playing days, including mean, fierce, nasty, obnoxious, and passionate. He is one of the finest pitchers ever to wear a Brewer uniform. 

Ralph Michael Caldwell was born in Tarboro, NC, on January 22, 1949. 

He went to North Carolina State University in 1968, had an outstanding collegiate pitching career, and graduated with a degree in sociology. But he was not a major pro prospect because he lacked loud skills and, thus, upside. He was selected in the 12th round pick of the 1971 amateur draft by the San Diego Padres. As a result of the lowly selection, Caldwell would have a chip on his shoulder - which would drive him relentlessly to succeed. 

As an advanced college pitcher, the right-handed Caldwell was promoted to the big leagues the same year he was drafted, after only 19 games in A ball. He never returned to the minors.

Caldwell showed promise early on as he moved between starting and relieving. He had a great sinker, a good curve, and solid control. He spent two seasons in San Diego before being dealt to San Francisco in 1974. A breakout year he followed as he went 14-5 with a 2.95 ERA as a starter. Things were looking pretty good.

However, the following year, Caldwell faltered as he struggled with bone spurs in his elbow. He soon returned to the reliever and spot starter role - and his numbers suffered. After the 1976 season, he was dealt to the Cardinals, who flipped him to Cincinnati.

The book seemed to have been written on the 28-year-old Caldwell. He did whatever he was asked. He ate up innings but didn’t strike out a lot of batters. He showed flashes of being special but never enough to sustain real success. It led to mixed results. He had the trappings of a journeyman. 

No one, however, doubted his passion or competitiveness. Manager Don Zimmer said this of Caldwell: “He’s one of the fiercest competitors you’ll find in this business.”

Caldwell worked 14 games as a reliever for the Reds in 1977 before being dealt to the Milwaukee Brewers for two minor leaguers. With the Crew, he remained in his typical role as a reliever and spot starter, with typical middling results.

And then, in 1978, everything changed for Mr. Warmth. The team suffered some injuries early on to Moose Haas and Bill Travers - opening up a rotation spot. Caldwell got the nod - and what followed was one of the greatest seasons in Milwaukee Brewer history.

Caldwell was brilliant. He posted a 22-9 record and a sparkling 2.36 ERA. He tossed an astounding 293 innings pitched, including 23 complete games. He was voted second in the Cy Young race and earned the American League Comeback Player of the Year Award.

How did this happen? How did a journeyman pitcher turn into one of baseball’s best starters? The answer was Caldwell’s devastating sinker. It became the reliable ‘out’ pitch that he had never possessed. 

Caldwell credited manager George Bamberger with helping him refine his sinker - but the whispers behind the scenes said that Bamberger, a former pitching coach, had taught Caldwell how to master the spitter. Caldwell and Bamberger denied such allegations, which were never proven. 

1978 was a fantastic year for Caldwell and the Brewers. The team was on the rise as Bambi’s Bombers threatened to bludgeon into submission opposing pitching staffs. 

But the year was also the high water mark for Caldwell. Bamberger was known to ride his starters long and hard and throwing nearly 300 innings took a toll on Caldwell’s arm. He loved the workload, but he was never the same again.

Caldwell settled in as a serviceable starter for the Brewers for the next five years, always throwing more than 200 innings in a season, except for once. He was a solid but not elite starter, which was important for one of the hardest-hitting teams of the era. 

During his time in Milwaukee, Caldwell butted heads with others, especially manager Buck Rodgers. The two reportedly hated each other and some labeled Caldwell a cancer. He was thrilled when Rodgers was let go - for Harvey Kuehn - early in the 1982 season. Caldwell went on to have a memorable postseason that year, winning two games in the World Series. His first start was a shutout, while he gave up 14 hits over 8.1 innings in his second game. However, he gave up two hits in relief in the fateful game seven loss.

Caldwell continued to take the ball every five days for Milwaukee until time and injuries began to catch up with him. 

A nagging ankle injury dogged Caldwell, and in 1984, he was limited to only 19 starts. It didn’t help that Caldwell’s name, along with Paul Molitor’s, came up in an investigation of drug use in the majors. No action was ever levied against Caldwell after a two-year investigation.

In January of 1985, the Brewers elected to waive Caldwell. 

At 36, Caldwell still hoped to catch on with another major league team but no offer came. Perhaps it was his reputation as a clubhouse cancer. Or the drug allegations. But it was probably just that he was aging and falling apart, having worked more than 1,500 innings over the past seven years. 

And with that, Mike Caldwell’s career as a major league pitcher was over. He left Milwaukee as one of the best starting pitchers in franchise history, a position he still holds today.

In his 7+ seasons in Milwaukee, Caldwell had a 102-80 record and a 3.74 ERA. He had double-digit wins for six consecutive seasons. His name is all over the leaderboards for the franchise. He is second in wins, innings pitched, and shutouts. He is in the top 10 of many other categories, including 5th in bWAR with 17.3. Caldwell holds the franchise record with an astounding 81 complete games, not likely to be broken. 

His 1978 season is one of the franchise’s best as he produced six shutouts and a bWAR of 8.2, the second most ever behind Teddy Higuera. 

During his career, Caldwell was known as a Yankee killer. From 1977 to 1982, he was 12–5 with a 2.66 ERA against the Bronx Bombers. Caldwell is also famous for brawling with Yankees star Reggie Jackson. Caldwell went inside on Jackson several times during a game after the Yankees had done so with the Brewers. Jackson took issue, and the resulting scrum lasted 12 minutes.

After his major league career, Caldwell stayed active in the game, working for more than 20 years in the minor leagues as a pitching coach before retiring. He was inducted into the North Carolina State Hall of Fame in 2013 and the Brewers Wall of Honor in 2014. 

Please share your memories of former Brewer starting pitcher Mike Caldwell. 

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