Hope Springing Eternal, Way Too Early Overreactions & the 1994 Brewers

Let’s set the stage. I was a freshman in college. The biggest things on my mind were "Busch Light or Stroh’s?" What team would I choose for a season of Tecmo Super Bowl? Would Saved by the Bell: The College Years be renewed for a second season? Some of the top songs in early April of 1994 were Gin & Juice and Whatta Man (contrary to popular belief, this was not written about John Jaha). The top movie was Major League 2. It certainly did not live up to the original, but it did contain one of the greatest movie villains of all time in Jack Parkman.

The 1994 MLB season was underway. Brewers fans were gutted when Paul Molitor left after the 1992 season. The great Robin Yount retired after the 1993 season. Fan-favorite Jim Gantner was also gone. It indeed was a new era for Brewers baseball.

I did not go into the 1994 season expecting much from the Crew. I was more concerned about my late-night weekend Taco Bell orders. But then something happened.

The Brewers opened the season, putting up 11 runs in a win against the A’s. They followed that up with a 12 run performance in game two. They then beat the Angels 5-1 to start the season 3-0, scoring 28 runs in those games. No Molitor? No Yount? No problem.

The Brewers offense was dominant. Was it possible that names like John Jaha, Turner Ward, Dave Nilsson, and Jody Reed would turn into a murderer's row? Sure, the pitching was suspect, but that didn’t matter. The offense dominated the first three games. The problem is, it was just three games. The offense slowed down, and in May, the Crew lost 14 games in a row. They finished the strike-shortened season 53-62, hardly the dominant team that showed up for the first three games.

So what’s the lesson in this? It’s early on. The baseball season is a grind. There will be ups and downs, strikes, and gutters. Let’s not overreact to the good or the bad. Did I think that Turner Ward would make me forget about Molitor & Yount? I don’t think I did, but who knows? My memory of my college years is hazy. Enjoy the season!