James Zumstein

Another candidate is Paul DeJong of the White Sox. He's only under contract through this season at $1.75 M, can play all three infield positions, and has 16 HR and a OPS+ of 92. The White Sox just called up one infield prospect in Brooks Baldwin, and have SS of the future Colson Montgomery coming right behind him. DeJong is not having a stellar season defensively, and has reverse splits this season and for his career, so he wouldn't help much against lefties, but he still is a proven veteran who wouldn't cost much of value to pick up. Maybe a trade for him and Eric Fedde?

Another Indiana high school pitcher that I would love to see us draft is southpaw Brayton Thomas. 6' 4", 220 lbs., mid-90's FB, a plus slider, along with a curve and change. Plus he's already pitched at AmFam last September at the Prep Baseball Report All-American event. Unranked by MLB.com, but Future Star Series had him at #189 in their last update before the draft. Like Tobias, an Indiana recruit.

Great call here. I think we'll have a better idea in the coming days and weeks as we draft and sign newcomers into the fold as to who might be considered for such a move.

Some great choices here, Jamie. I'd be happy if the Brewers were able to get a high upside HS arm at #34 like they did last year with Knoth, and Oakie and Levonas are good options. If I had to choose one right now, I might lean towards Dasan Hill, as 6' 5" lefties who have a four-pitch mix and throw in the mid-90's don't grow on trees. Another southpaw I feel is undervalued is Mike Gutierrez from UC - Santa Barbara. In three years at UCSB, against quality competition, he went 23-3 with an ERA under 4.00 each season and had a great BB/K ratio. And as a senior, we could probably sign him for very little, like we did last year with several guys to invest in more young talent.

Great write-up as always, Joseph. I went to the T-Rats game last night in Beloit, and your description of the game was spot-on. Hunt was absolutely dominant, and I'm also stoked for what the future holds for him, As for Arienamo, you had already convinced this reader to jump on his bandwagon before last night. After seeing him in person, I'm even more convinced. This kid just knows how to play ball, period. I wouldn't be shocked to see Pratt get brought up to Wisconsin to replace Barrios, which would open a spot for Bitonti at Carolina. They both appear to be ready for those next steps.

One of my favorite things about baseball is its history. I love analyzing the game as it progressed through the ages and comparing how players from one generation would have fared while playing in a different generation. This led me to inquire about which Brewers players have had the best individual season at each position since the franchise's inception and to attempt to construct a 26-man roster of these seasons to see how such a team would look, at least on paper. I like this exercise because you could do it with every team, and it sort of levels out the playing field. For example, when choosing a roster of greatest seasons by Yankees players, you can select only one season from Babe Ruth and only select one season from all Yankee right fielders. Suddenly, our Brewers can hang with anyone! One stipulation, of course, is that a player can only appear once on the roster. This means that only one of Robin Yount’s MVP seasons could be used, so 1982 was chosen (sorry, 1989 Robin). The same goes for Prince Fielder’s franchise-record 50-homer season in 2007, missing the cut, among other notable seasons. After digging through my memories and Baseball Reference, I came up with 26 individual seasons that reflect what are, in my opinion, the best individual season by a Brewer at each position. Here are the 14 position players that I selected: PLAYER/SEASON/POSITION AVG. OBP SLG OPS OPS+ HR RBI R SB WAR (DWAR) PAUL MOLITOR 1987 DH (RH) 0.353 0.438 0.566 1.003 161 16 75 114 45 6.0 (-0.4) CHRISTIAN YELICH 2019 RF (LH) 0.329 0.429 0.671 1.1 179 44 97 100 30 7.0 (-0.9) RYAN BRAUN 2011 LF (RH) 0.332 0.397 0.597 0.994 166 33 111 109 33 7.7 (-0.4) PRINCE FIELDER 2009 1B (LH) 0.299 0.412 0.602 1.014 166 46 141 103 2 6.3 (-1.0) ROBIN YOUNT 1982 SS (RH) 0.331 0.379 0.578 0.957 166 29 114 129 14 10.6 (1.9) TOMMY HARPER 1970 3B (RH) 0.296 0.377 0.522 0.899 152 31 82 104 38 7.4 (0.5) CARLOS GOMEZ 2013 CF (RH) 0.284 0.338 0.506 0.843 128 24 73 80 40 7.6 (3.6) JONATHON LUCROY 2014 C (RH) 0.301 0.373 0.465 0.837 131 13 69 73 4 6.4 (1.7) DON MONEY 1977 2B (RH) 0.279 0.348 0.47 0.819 122 25 83 86 8 5.1 (1.3) CECIL COOPER 1980 1B/DH (LH) 0.352 0.387 0.539 0.926 155 25 122 96 17 6.8 (0.0) BILL HALL 2006 2B/SS/3B (RH) 0.27 0.345 0.553 0.899 125 35 85 101 8 5.8 (2.2) BEN OGLIVIE 1980 OF (LH) 0.304 0.362 0.563 0.925 153 41 118 94 11 6.5 (0.9) LORENZO CAIN 2018 OF (RH) 0.308 0.395 0.417 0.813 119 10 38 90 30 6.9 (2.4) TED SIMMONS 1983 C (S) 0.308 0.351 0.448 0.799 126 13 108 76 4 4.0 (-0.1) T O T A L S 0.31 0.381 0.536 0.917 146 385 1316 1355 284 94.1 (11.7) This is, as expected, a pretty impressive roster. There are multiple MVP award winners, several Gold Glove winners, three separate 30-30 seasons (Christian Yelich, Ryan Braun, and Tommy Harper), and almost all the players were All-Stars for that season (and those that weren’t probably should have been). There were, of course, some tough decisions, not only between players but also for some individuals. Choosing between Yelich’s 2018 and 2019 seasons is, and probably always will be, open to debate as to which was more remarkable, but Yelich played primarily left field in 2018 and right field in 2019. Considering Braun had his fantastic 2011 MVP season as a left fielder, this made the decision easy for me, despite its meaning of leaving an MVP season off the team. Speaking of Braun, the same argument could be made for his 2012 versus his 2011 season. I could not bring myself to leave two MVP seasons of the roster (three, if you count Yount’s 1989 season), but anyone who feels differently and would select the 2012 version of Braun over 2011 won’t get much of an argument from me. Finishing up the outfield, when I saw Carlos Gomez had a defensive WAR of 3.6 in 2013, I researched the greatest defensive seasons by center fielders ever, and he was near the top (Kevin Kiermaier in 2015 is the best all-time at 4.6). Choosing Paul Molitor and his .353 batting average, along with the 39-game hit streak, was a pretty easy selection as DH. The always-underrated Don Money played mostly at 2B in 1977 and smacked 25 dingers while playing his usual excellent defense. In 2014, Jonathon Lucroy became the first catcher in AL/NL history to lead the league in doubles with 53, which also tied the franchise record. His 46 that season as a catcher is also the AL/NL record. Having a bench with 1980 Cecil Cooper (.352 AVG., .926 OPS), 2006 Bill Hall (35 HR, .899 OPS), 1980 Ben Oglivie (41 HR, .925 OPS), 2018 Lorenzo Cain (.308 AVG, 30 SBs, 2.4 DWAR), and 1983 Ted Simmons (.308, 108 RBI) provides plenty of quality depth as well. Throughout history, the Brewers have generally been better at producing position players than pitchers. However, that doesn’t mean there haven’t been some fantastic individual seasons by some great pitchers in the rotation and the bullpen. Here are the five starters and seven relievers I selected as the best seasons in Brewers history: PITCHER/SEASON/SP OR RP W L ERA ERA+ WHIP BB K (K/9) IP CG/SV WAR TEDDY HIGUERA 1986 SP (LH) 20 11 2.79 156 1.208 74 207 (7.5) 248.1 15 CG 9.4 BEN SHEETS 2004 SP (RH) 12 14 2.7 162 0.983 32 264 (10.0) 237 5 CG 7.2 MIKE CALDWELL 1978 SP (LH) 22 9 2.36 160 1.064 54 131 (4.0) 293.1 23 CG 8.2 CORBIN BURNES 2021 SP (RH) 11 5 2.43 176 0.94 34 234 (12.6) 167 0 CG 5.6 CC SABATHIA 2008 SP (LH) 11 2 1.65 255 1.003 25 128 (8.8) 130.2 7 CG 4.9 DAN PLESAC 1987 RP (LH) 5 6 2.61 176 1.084 23 89 (10.1) 79.1 23 SV 2.6 JOSH HADER 2021 RP (LH) 4 2 1.23 348 0.835 24 102 (15.6) 58.2 34 SV 3.4 KEN SANDERS 1970 RP (RH) 5 2 1.75 215 0.964 25 64 (6.2) 92.1 13 SV 4.6 DEVIN WILLIAMS 2020 RP (RH) 4 1 0.33 1375 0.63 9 53 (17.7) 27 0 SV 1.3 JEREMY JEFFRESS 2018 RP (RH) 8 1 1.29 317 0.991 27 89 (10.4) 76.2 15 SV 3.3 COREY KNEBEL 2017 RP (RH) 1 4 1.78 248 1.158 40 126 (14.9) 76 39 SV 3.7 ROLLIE FINGERS 1981 RP (RH) 6 3 1.04 333 0.872 13 61 (7.0) 78 28 SV 4.2 T O T A L S 109 60 1.83 229 1.059 380 1548 (8.9) 1564 50CG/152 SV 58.4 It’s easy to forget just how dominant Teddy Higuera was early in his Brewers career, but he was among the best in the AL for a few years. His 1986 season would typically have easily won a Cy Young award, except for Roger Clemens’ season for the ages. Luckily for Corbin Burnes, in 2021, he was able to claim the NL Cy Young award. Helped by pairing with Josh Hader, another 2021 season represented on the team, to pitch the second no-hitter in franchise history, Burnes was dominant all season, despite only throwing 167 innings. Ben Sheets played on many bad teams in the early 2000s, thus not garnering the national attention he deserved. His 2004 season, with its franchise-record 264 strikeouts, was one of the bright spots in the early years of Miller Park. Mike Caldwell was a very average pitcher for most of his career, but in 1978, he looked like one of the best pitchers on the planet. Somehow he was not an All-Star in a season that he went 22-9 with 23 complete games and 293.1 innings pitched. What’s a guy have to do? Perhaps it was cheating a little by putting CC Sabathia on the team when he was only a Brewer for half a season. However, that half-season was so dominant that it made him a Brewers legend. Brewer fans will discuss it for the next 50+ seasons, so I figured it had to make the list. The same could be said for Devin Williams’ 2020 Covid-shortened season, but he was almost unhittable for the entire 60-game season. Winning NL Rookie of the Year sealed the deal. Rollie Fingers won every possible award in the strike-shortened 1981 season, including AL MVP, from a relief pitcher. However, his 4.2 WAR wasn’t the best in franchise history from a reliever. That belongs to Ken Sanders in 1970, with his 4.6 WAR. 2017 Corey Knebel (39 saves, 1.78 ERA) and 2018 Jeremy Jeffress (8-1, 1.29 ERA) round out the bullpen with their All-Star seasons. Of course, some tough calls and terrific seasons by some great players had to be passed over. Some of these include: 1B George Scott’s 1973 season (6.7 WAR, .306 BA, 107 RBI, GG) 3B Jeff Cirillo’s 1998 season (5.9 WAR, .321 BA, .402 OBP, 2.0 DWAR) CF Gorman Thomas’s 1982 (5.0 WAR, tied for league-lead with 39 HR) or 1978 seasons (4.8 WAR, league-leading 45 HR, 123 RBI, .895 OPS) RF Sixto Lezcano (5.6 WAR, .987 OPS, 101 RBI, GG) in 1979 LF Greg Vaughn’s 1993 season (6.7 WAR, .850 OPS, 30 HR) OF/DH Larry Hisle (5.3 WAR, 34 HR, 115 RBI, .906 OPS) in 1978 RHP Jim Colburn’s 1973 season (4.7 WAR, 20-12, 3.18 ERA, 314.1 IP) RHP Chris Bosio (5.4 WAR, 15-10, 2.95 ERA) in 1989 RHP Derrick Turnbow in 2005 (2.9 WAR, 7-1, 1.74 ERA, 39 SV, 1.084 WHIP). Other notable seasons not making the cut were 1982 AL Cy Young winner RHP Pete Vuckovich (2.8 WAR, 18-6, 3.34 ERA), 1992 AL ROY SS Pat Listach (4.5 WAR, .290 BA, 54 SB), and 2003 NL ROY runner-up CF Scott Podsednik (3.6 WAR, .314 BA, 43 SB). The breakdown of players by decade is as follows: 1970s = Four (Two position players, two pitchers) 1980s = Eight (Five position players, three pitchers) 1990s = Zero 2000s = Four (Two position players, two pitchers) 2010s = Seven (Five position players, two pitchers) 2020s = Three (Three pitchers) Overall, I think this roster would be very balanced, and it represents the history of the Brewers very well (except for the black hole that was the 1990s). Let me know what other seasons by individual players you would put on your team of all-time Brewer seasons. View full article

Thank you for noticing that. At the time I wrote it, his numbers were okay but not great. Then he absolutely exploded last week and made me look foolish. He even made MLB.com's All-Prospect list for last week, which shows how much he has not only settled into A+ ball, but is now excelling.

In the first of this three-part series on the state of the Brewers Minor Leagues, we looked at where the experts at MLB.com have some of our individual players as well as the organization as a whole compare to other organizations. Part two looked at how some of the individual players fit into the Brewers future in the OF and IF. In part three, we will now look at the Brewers pitchers and catchers listed among the Brewers Top 30 prospects. For the past few seasons, the Major League team has relied heavily on its strength: their pitching. While the MLB team has experienced almost unprecedented success (for the Brewers anyway) with both their starters and relievers in recent years, they are currently struggling to replicate that success in the minor leagues. Of their current Top 10 prospects, only one, RHP Jacob Misiorowski, is a pitcher. This year’s second-round pick is only 20 years old, but has shown enough promise with his two-pitch arsenal (70-grade fastball, 55-grade slider) that he vaulted all the way to the top of the Brewers pitching prospects. The next pitcher on the list is a recent addition to the Brewers system, LHP Robert Gasser (#11). He arrived via the infamous Josh Hader trade with San Diego, as the front office really liked his abilities (55-grade fastball, slider, and changeup, 50-grade control). Right behind Gasser at #12 is 2019 first-rounder for the Brewers, LHP Ethan Small. Small has fallen recently, as he has not been able to take that final leap from AAA Nashville and establish himself at the MLB level. His 55-grade fastball and 60-grade changeup give him two really good pitches, which he uses to get lots of strikeouts, but he also has walked way too many batters in his minor league career. This might spell future relief pitcher if he can’t find the solution to this ongoing problem. Next is the Brewers other Carlos Rodriguez, the right-handed pitcher at High-A Wisconsin. The 2021 sixth-round pick has been very impressive in his first year of pro ball, using a three-pitch mix (55-grade fastball and changeup, 45-grade slider) to show promise of a real future with the Brewers. Two other players in the Top 30 that must be talked about are likely pure relief pitchers, but don’t let that fact fool you. RHP’s Abner Uribe (#26) and Cam Robinson (#27) are legitimate threats late in games, and each could be contributing at the MLB level sooner rather than later. Uribe has had some injury issues the past two seasons, both times with meniscus tears. When healthy, he might have the most potent fastball in the minors (80-grade), which routinely hits triple-digits. Pairing that with his 60-grade slider, if he can learn to harness those two pitches consistently, he could be a dominating force out of the bullpen. Robinson is a completely different animal, showing a much-more traditional low- to-mid-90’s fastball (55-grade), a 12-to-6 curveball (55-grade), and even an occasional cutter (45-grade). His control problems (45-grade) are what is keeping someone with a three-pitch mix in the bullpen, but he has thrived the past two seasons working primarily as a closer, earning 38 saves across all four full-season levels. Last but not least, let’s move our focus to the Brewers catching prospects. While only two players cracked the Top 30, one of those players has a chance to make a real impact at the Major League level someday. Seventh-ranked prospect Jeferson Quero, who doesn’t turn 20 until early October, is already playing at High-A Wisconsin, although he has struggled in his short time there. He is already a defensive stalwart, throwing out 30 percent of baserunners so far in his two seasons. His 60-grade arm and field show that defense is going to be a strength for Quero as he moves up the system. However, he also has the ability to be a strong offensive player as well. A 50-grade for both hit and power for a catcher with stellar defensive abilities shows why the Brewers are so high on him, and why he may be pushed a little as he continues his climb towards the Majors. The other catcher listed in the Top 30 is a newcomer to the Brewers, 2022 fourth- round pick and #29 prospect, Matt Wood . The left-handed hitter is probably more of an offensive-minded catcher (45-grade hit, 50-grade power) than defensive, but he has strong enough defensive skills (50-grade arm, 45-grade field) to stay behind the dish. It’s been exciting to watch the Brewers Minor League prospects, as both individuals and as a collective group, climb their way back to respectability. Not only have they accomplished that in a rather short period of time, they have several players that appear ready to contribute in a big way at the MLB level right now, or at least in the very near future. Let me know your thoughts on the Brewers Top 30 prospects. View full article

In my previous article, I wrote about how the Brewers Minor League system has climbed up the rankings of MLB.com's experts. Let’s take a closer look at the individual players and their potential to make it to the show and how each can help the Brewers in the future. We’ll start by analyzing the outfielders and infielders. The Brewers have put a significant emphasis in recent drafts and international signings on speed, defense, and prioritizing contact over power. Much of the growing talent in the minor leagues is at the lower levels, which along with the near-MLB ready talent at AAA Nashville, should provide the Brewers with a consistent influx of talent for years to come. This optimism is supported by MLB.com player ratings about our new Top 30 rankings. Using the 20-80 grading scale, of all 30 MLB teams, the Brewers Top 30 prospects rank number one in both average Run (56.0) and Field grades (54.8). The average age of their Top 30 is also the fourth youngest at roughly 21 years, 4 months at the time the new rankings were released. All of this emphasis on speed and defense is great in one way, but could create problems down the road when it comes to actually finding a permanent position for everyone. Positions that are generally thought of as being “power” positions, mostly your corner infield and outfield spots, could possibly be manned regularly by those with less power than what is traditional at the MLB level. The outfield corners should actually be fine in the future, with right fielder Joey Wiemer providing excellent power potential (60-grade). Current center fielder, but likely left fielder in the future, Jackson Chourio also has well-above average power potential (also 60-grade). However, it’s the infield that may struggle to provide a lot of punch. There are multiple options for center field in the future, including back-to-back first-round picks (and recently promoted) Garrett Mitchell (2020) and Sal Frelick (2021). Both excel across the board, especially with their speed (70-grade run for both) and defense (60-field for Mitchell, 55 for Frelick). However, Frelick (60-grade hit, 45-grade power) is projected to be a slightly better offensive threat than Mitchell (50-grade hit, 45-grade power). Regardless, the Crew looks set at center field for years to come. Further down the rankings, outfielders Hendry Mendez (#15) and Hedbert Perez (#18), both at Low-A Carolina, and #28 Carlos Rodriguez, currently at High-A Wisconsin, also have a chance of contributing at the Major League level in the future. Becoming a starter ahead of the group in front of them may be difficult, but Rodriguez especially has the tools (50-hit, 60-run, 60-field) that may translate into a nice career as a bench player. The Brewers’ lack of a true prototypical first or third base prospect in recent years has been well documented. There are currently zero players in the Top 30 playing either spot regularly. Despite this, with some creativity, there are some very good prospects in the system that may be quality candidates for these positions, even if they are currently playing at other positions. There are a couple of candidates among our Top 30 prospects that I would like to see get an opportunity at first base in the future. The first of those is 2B Tyler Black. Our #6 prospect played solid infield defense both in college and so far as a pro, but he has a fairly weak throwing arm (45-grade) due to some shoulder injuries. With his good infield hands, his size (6’2”, 190 lbs.), and his well above-average bat-to-ball skills (60-grade hit), he should still produce enough both offensively and defensively at that position, even with his 45-grade power. Another candidate that I would give a shot at first would be the aforementioned Mendez. Like Black, Mendez would also provide a good target at 1B (also listed as 6’2”), he throws left-handed (always an advantage at first base), and while he is already only a 45-grade runner now, he is expected to slow down even more as he ages. At 18 years old currently, (he turns 19 in November) and having a nice season at Low-A Carolina, there is plenty of time to teach our #15 prospect and his 55-grade hit, 50-grade power how to play first base adequately. Third base could be a bit easier to find potential everyday players that fit the profile. This year’s first-round pick, Eric Brown Jr. should be a solid offensive producer (50-grade hit, power, and run), and good defensively no matter where on the infield he plays (55- grade field and throw). If he produces the way the Brewers envisioned when they drafted him 27th overall in July, he could be a solid third basemen at the Major League level. With SS Wily Adames set at the Major League level for several years yet, #4 prospect and 2018 first-rounder shortstop Brice Turang will likely be shifted to second base starting next year, as he is ready to prove himself at the MLB level. Other middle infield options likely to contribute at some point include 2B Felix Valerio (#14), SS Freddy Zamora (#22), and this year’s Comp-B pick, IF Robert Moore (#17). There are many others at the lower levels that could continue to progress in the coming years and become legitimate Major League-caliber players as well. Let me know what your thoughts are about the Brewers’ future in the outfield and infield. Next time, we’ll look deeper into the top pitching and catching prospects. View full article

Now that both the draft and the trade deadline have come and gone, MLB.com has updated their rankings of all 30 teams' Minor League systems, their Top 100 overall prospects, as well as each team’s Top 30 prospects. Let’s take a closer look at what the unbiased experts have to say about the state of the Brewers farm system. Overall, the Brewers jumped from number 25 in the 2022 preseason poll all the way up to number 19 in their midseason rankings. This is a fairly significant leap, with a large chunk of that jump due to the emergence of OF Jackson Chourio (Brewers #1/MLB.com #11) and his meteoric rise in the individual rankings. However, the continued stellar play of OF Sal Frelick (#2/#49), OF Joey Weimer (#3/#89), SS Brice Turang (#4), OF Garrett Michell (#5), and others have also contributed to the climb. As for newcomers to the Crew, spots eight through 11 in the Top 30 are all recent additions to the system. At #8, OF Esteury Ruiz is yet another speedy outfielder on the verge of contributing at the major league level after coming over from San Diego as part of the Josh Hader trade. RHP Jacob Misiorowski (#9), drafted in the second round this year, is now our top pitching prospect, followed closely by #11 LHP Robert Gasser, who also came over from the Padres in the Hader deal. Sandwiched between these two hurlers at #10 is our first round pick this year, SS Eric Brown, Jr. While the immense talent currently present on the AAA Nashville roster is well-known, I believe that another reason that the Brewers climbed up six spots in the rankings is the promising amount of talent at the lower levels. Eighteen of the Top 30 have yet to make it to AA, with five of those still being in Rookie ball. Plus, if you read the incredible work done daily by Jim Goulart, Joseph Zarr, and Daniel Mueller (tip of the cap, my good sirs) on the Minor League Report, you know that there are multiple players at the lower levels not on MLB.com’s current Top 30 that easily could be, and likely will be soon. Several of those at the lower levels have been international signings, which the current Brewers front office has made a top priority in their efforts to help rebuild the farm system over the past few years. These efforts are shown by the fact that 11 of the Top 30 were signed by the Brewers during the players’ international signing periods. One potential “problem” (though it’s a good problem to have) is that, in recent drafts and international signings, the Brewers have focused on accumulating speed and athleticism, an increased emphasis on strong up-the-middle defense, as well as prioritizing bat-to-ball skills over power. Watch for my follow-up to this article with my thoughts on how that may play out in the future. While following the Brewers Major League team this year has definitely had its ups (the first 50 games) and downs (pretty much everything since then), it has been extremely gratifying watching the progression of the Minor Leaguers this year and dreaming of how they will be able to contribute to the Brewers in both the near- and long-term future. It is also exciting to see a minor league system objectively trending in the right direction, even as they continue to compete for a postseason spot in the majors. Want to keep up to date on all Brewers prospects? Check out the Brewer Fanatic Top 20 prospect list with stats and splits updated nightly and up-to-date scouting reports! View full article

The start of the 2001 season was one that many Brewers fans had been looking forward to for a long time. Well, actually, the 2000 season was supposed to be the one they had been waiting for, but due to the infamous crane accident lifting part of the roof of new Miller Park into place, we were made to wait one more year to finally settle into our new home. To coincide with our shiny new toy, we also had something else that we had been waiting for (or should I say someone else). Top-10 draft pick two years prior and 2000 Olympic gold medal game hero Ben Sheets also made the team out of spring training, and fans were already dreaming of All-Star games, Cy Young awards, and beyond for the young righty. Before any of that could happen though, he would still need to get career victory number one, which he hoped to do on a Saturday afternoon at Miller Park against the Expos. While this game featured two teams that would end up with identical 68-94 records on the 2001 season, each team had legitimate big-league hitters up and down their respective lineups. The Expos starting nine had HOF’s at each corner outfield spot in Tim Raines and Vladimir Guerrero, along with Orlando Cabrera, Jose Vidro, Fernando Tatis Sr., and Milton Bradley. The Crew countered with a slew of players that were All-Stars at some point in their careers, with the likes of Ronnie Belliard, Richie Sexson, Jeromy Burnitz, Tony Fernandez, Jeffrey Hammonds, and Jose Hernandez. However, this day came down to the herculean efforts of one Brewer bat in particular, and that was leftfielder Geoff Jenkins. Batting in his familiar three-hole, Jenkins announced to the crowd of 40,877 that he came to play right away that day. In the bottom of the first, following Belliard’s one-out walk, Jenkins hit a two-run blast to right, his fifth of the year, to tie the game at two. Both lineups went silent over the next couple frames, until Jenkins led off the fourth with a solo shot to give the Brewers a 3-2 lead. It only stayed that way for one inning before the Brewers put up a four-spot in the fifth. It all started with a two out, bases empty rally ignited by the expert batting eye of none other than…Sheets? That’s right, a walk by Sheets, two wild pitches, a hit batter, and a single brought in one and left two on for the man with two dingers on the day already. He couldn’t make it three-for-three, could he? And how! Jenkins crushed a 1-2 pitch to the opposite field, off the facing of the second deck in left-center for a three-run shot to give the Brewers a 7-2 lead. That gave Jenkins six RBI on the afternoon, and it was only the fifth inning. The other key component of the home team that day continued to do his part as well. Through six innings, Sheets had given up two unearned runs on only four hits, facing the minimum in innings two through five. He ended up going 6 1/3, giving up four runs (two earned), walking one and striking out five in his 105 pitches. With the Brewers holding a 7-4 lead going into the bottom of the seventh, the victory had not been secured yet, so the Crew looked to add on some more insurance runs. In this game, that meant get Geoff Jenkins to the plate. Not only did they do just that, but they did it in a manner that gave Jenkins the potential to do something that had never been done in MLB history. With a solo shot, a two-run blast, and a three-run homer already in his pocket for the afternoon, Jenkins came up to bat in the bottom of the seventh with the bases loaded. A four-homer game was not unprecedented, but hitting for the “home run cycle,” one each of a one, two, three, and four-run homer, was. Alas, it was not to be, as Jenkins struck out looking. That had to be some serious pressure to hit a home run in that at-bat, and if it was nerves that caused him to not get the bat off his shoulder, who could blame him? Regardless, it was one of the most impressive single-game performances in Brewer’s history. However, Jenkins wasn’t done with the Expos (even if they were more than done with him). He came back the next day and went four-for-six, with a single, a double, and two more home runs, and another six RBI. That tied an MLB record of five homers in a two-game span, and gave him back-to-back six RBI games. Following up an almost-home run cycle game with an almost cycle game is unthinkable, but that’s exactly what Geoff Jenkins did the final weekend of April 2001. Over the final two games of the homestand, he had seven hits in ten AB’s, with five homers, twelve RBI, and 23 total bases. Unfortunately for Jenkins and the Crew, he injured his thumb diving for a ball in left field in the first game of the road trip in Atlanta, and it lingered for much of the season, thus preventing him from building on his incredible start to the year. He hit nine home runs in April alone, but ended the year with only 20. A fully healthy Jenkins would have likely led to a few more victories, and many more positive memories for Brewers fans that season. Being in Miller Park for the Brewer’s 8-4 win that afternoon was extremely special for me. I got to see our new gem of a stadium, witness the first career victory for the pitcher that many felt had perhaps the most talent of any young pitcher in franchise history, as well as the first of a two-game stretch that should be considered to be among the greatest in MLB history. Not a bad way to spend a Saturday afternoon. View full article

Josh Hader is chasing a workhorse, but also a prodigy. We as Brewer fans have not often had the ability to boast about having the best player in the game at his position. Fortunately, we currently do have the player widely regarded as the best closer in the game in Josh Hader. Hopefully we all are not too humble to boast about this fact. In fact, Hader is likely on his way to becoming the Brewers all-time saves leader in franchise history before season’s end. With career save number 120 against the Rays on Wednesday afternoon, Hader moves to within thirteen saves of tying the man who has been the leader in saves as a Brewer since 1989, Dan Plesac. With his 33-year reign as the franchise record holder for saves potentially coming to an end soon, this is a great time to look back on Plesac’s career. Plesac was born and raised in Gary, Indiana, where he was a terrific all-around athlete. In fact, he was originally recruited to play basketball at North Carolina State, where his older brother Joe Plesac was a pitcher on the baseball team. Joe was a two-time first team All-ACC selection, and was drafted in the second round by the San Diego Padres in 1982. While Joe never made it past Double A, his son Zack Plesac has pitched for the Cleveland Guardians since 2019. During Dan’s senior season, his high school team had a lack of pitching, so his coach asked him to come in from the outfield and give pitching a shot. Despite having no prior formal coaching on pitching, Plesac was absolutely dominating hitters, including one game totaling 15 punchouts. Before anyone knew what was happening, Plesac was the 41st player selected in the 1980 draft by the St. Louis Cardinals. Instead of signing, Plesac decided to attend N.C. State, but now on a baseball scholarship instead of basketball. Here, he could focus on learning how to pitch, which he did, leading him the be taken in the first round (26th overall) by the Brewers in 1983. Working mostly as a starter in the minors, Plesac made the big league team out of spring training in 1986 as a reliever. In 51 appearances out of the bullpen that year, he went 10-7 with a 2.97 ERA, had 14 saves, a 147 ERA+, and a 3.2 bWAR in 91.0 innings. It is still one of the best seasons by a reliever in franchise history, and it was a harbinger of things to come for the rookie. Plesac made the AL All-Star team each of the next three seasons, while tallying 86 combined saves during that stretch. He also had an ERA+ between 165 and 176 each season, and struck out exactly one batter per inning during those years. His 33 saves in 1989 broke Ken Sanders ’ single-season franchise record of 31, set in 1971. On September 16, 1989, teammate Robin Yount ’s 34th birthday, Plesac recorded his 31st save of the season. This not only tied him with Sanders for the single-season Brewers save record, but he surpassed Rollie Fingers’ career record of 97 saves in a Brewer uniform in the 5-3 win over the Texas Rangers at County Stadium. He continued to pitch for the Brewers through the ’92 season, but was never as effective as he was in his first four seasons. He lost his closer’s role in 1990, and was given minimal save opportunities after that. All told, he pitched seven seasons in a Brewer uniform, going 29-37 with a 3.21 ERA (which is the franchise record), an ERA+ of 128, and the distinction of being the first Brewer pitcher to make three consecutive All-Star teams. After his tenure with the Crew, Plesac continued to be a reliable lefty out of major league bullpens for another 11 seasons, many of those years being used primarily as a left-handed specialist. In 2002, while pitching for the Philadelphia Phillies, Plesac became the seventh pitcher in MLB history to pitch in 1,000 career games. Plesac retired after the 2003 season. He finished his 18-year career with a record of 65-71, a 3.64 ERA, 158 saves, pitched in 1,064 games, sported an ERA+ of 117, and struck out 8.7 batters per nine innings of work. Despite his delayed introduction to pitching and the voluminous workload in his career, he never spent a single day on the injured list in his career. Not too bad for a basketball player. View full article

Like many Brewers fans of a certain age, the ’82 season cemented my childhood love of baseball in general, and the Brewers in particular. I had been a fan of the game for as far back as I can remember, but there was just something special about that team. Perhaps it was that we had been watching them grow together through the past few seasons, and all of the names were like old familiar friends. Molitor. Yount. Coop. Oglivie. Stormin’ Gorman. Simba. Caldwell. Rollie. After making the playoffs for the first time in franchise history the prior season, expectations were high going into the ’82 season. However, things did not start the way many had hoped. Maybe the pressure to excel had gotten to them, or maybe it was something else, but they were sub-.500 on June 1st when Manager Buck Rodgers was let go. He was replaced with Milwaukee native Harvey Kuenn. It seemed to be just what the team needed, and they responded to the tune of 72 wins after the change, and won the American League East title on the last day of the season. There was one game in particular that season that I will always remember, and that was July 3rd against the Red Sox at County Stadium. This was the game that our family chose to go to for our one-game-a-year tradition in our family, as we didn’t live all that close to Milwaukee. This game was perhaps the greatest confluence of events in Brewers promotional history: a Saturday night, a holiday weekend, a team with high expectations that has come alive and is playing amazing baseball, and…it was Mountain Dew replica bat night! That’s right, an actual, full-size (if you were seven, like I was), usable bat. I vividly remember seeing the ad for this game on TV, and immediately went running and telling my parents that we NEED to go to this game! The Brewers marketing department sure knew how to take advantage of the beneficial calendar, as the paid attendance of 55,716, the second highest in County Stadium history at the time, proved. To go along with an amazing promotional item on a holiday weekend, the Brewers also were playing a Red Sox team that had three future Hall of Famers (Jim Rice, Carl Yastrzemski, and a young Wade Boggs) on it, matching our own three future HOF’s in Paul Molitor, Robin Yount, and Ted Simmons. Add to that the fact that the Crew had a soon-to-be Cy Young award winner in Pete Vuckovich as the starting pitcher that night, and it’s no wonder that every seat in the house was filled with cheering fans. Fortunately for all of us fans in attendance, the pressure of playing in front of a packed house didn’t get to the Crew, as they dominated from the word “Go”, and won easily 7-0. Molitor led the game of with a home run, and Cecil Cooper hit the first of his two on the night two batters later. Coop also hit an RBI double, giving him 10 total bases and three ribbies on the night. If you were ever at County Stadium whenever he came up to bat, you know how loud the chants of “COOOOOOP” could be. Needless to say, more than fifty-five thousand yelling it after that performance was almost deafening. Not to be outdone, Yount also got in on the action with a three-run shot in the fourth. It was performances like that that led Yount to winning the first of his two AL MVP awards after that season. The icing on the cake (or mud in the eye, if you were the Red Sox) was that Vuckovich pitched perhaps the best game of the season for the Brewers, a complete game three-hit shutout. Hindsight being what it is, Vuck probably shouldn’t have won the Cy Young award that year, but for that night, he definitely looked the part. As we near the 40-year anniversary of that game, as well as (sigh) of the Brewers only trip to the World Series, it has made me think a lot about that team, and the July 3rd game that was the most special to me of my entire childhood. I will always remember not only the action on the field, but just the overall feeling inside the stadium that night. I may have only been seven years old, and I think it was probably only my fourth or fifth baseball game I had ever been to in person, but even I could sense there was something different happening. That team, and that game, were both special, and both would only become even more special over time. For most of my life, I have always kept the ticket stub of any baseball game I went to as a souvenir. Unfortunately, I didn’t keep the stub to that game. I do, however, still have the bat. View full article