Michael Trzinski

There are many baseball gods, but one of the more obscure is Versatilus, the patron god of utility players. Few players have worshiped at the alter of Versatilus more than former Brewer Eddie Romero , who parlayed his modest skills into a long career as a a player - and then as a coach and instructor. Edgardo Ralph Romero was born in Puerto Rico on Dec. 9, 1957. He was signed as an amateur free agent by the Brewers in 1975 at the age of 17. The slightly built infielder was installed at shortstop and began a steady climb through the minor league system. At the plate, he never scared anybody (no power and an average hit tool), but he took his walks and showed good contact, rarely striking out. In 1977, the Brewers would give the 19-year-old Romero a brief 10-game trial, but he was sent back to minors in short order, and did not return to Milwaukee until 1980. But once he established himself with the Brewers in 1980, he spent the next 11 years in the majors (seven in Milwaukee), and was a key reserve for the great Brewers clubs of the era. Romero's calling card was his versatility (unless you count his impressive mustache). He played, at some point, every position on the field except pitcher and catcher. He hit a modest .254 for the Crew and never had more than 1 HR in a season, but as noted, he limited his strikeouts and took his walks, and was ready to play wherever the club needed him. On average, he had about 200-250 at-bats in a season, the most coming in 1984 when Paul Molitor was injured. After the 1985 season, Romero was dealt to Boston for reliever Mark Clear. He spent nearly four seasons in Boston before returning to Milwaukee at the conclusion of the 1989 season. After a brief stint with Detroit in 1990, then a year in the minor leagues, he was done as a player. Upon retiring, Romero immediately went into coaching. He has served as a manager for more than a dozen minor league seasons, including several for the Brewers. He was the Astros third base coach in 2008, and bench coach the following season under former teammate Cecil Cooper. For his career, Romero had a .247 BA and produced an OPS of just .600. For Milwaukee, the numbers are .254 and .619, respectively. He wasn't a speed guy (only 9 career SBs versus being caught 10 times), and he was - at times - prone to errors (in the minors he had two seasons with more than 40 miscues). Historical stats don't see him as any sort of defensive whiz, but perhaps the constant moving around the field diminished his numbers. His poor hitting and average defense give him a WAR of -5.0 for his career. Romero lamented the perception that he was 'only' a utility player and that he never got the chance to be a full-time player. But his bat never really justified a role other than that of a reserve. His biggest plus was probably that he was viewed as a competent, trustworthy and reliable player who could step up when the need arose. There's value in that. And Eddie parlayed it into a long career which is a pretty amazing accomplishment. Romero married his high school sweetheart in 1977, and they had two children. Their son, Ed Romero, Jr., earned a law degree, and after a stint as a prosecutor, joined the Boston Red Sox organization in 2006. Today he is the team's Executive Vice President and Assistant General Manager. Share your memories of former Milwaukee Brewer utilityman Ed Romero. View full player

Hell, Matt, I would be willing to bet the Brewers didn't analyze this as well as you did. Well done!!

I would say in the 7-10 range. If he was expected to start in the majors, he's gotta be pretty high up.

Yeah, Ronnie Belliard wasn't the greatest fielder in the world. In 2000, he 'led' all NL second baseman with 19 miscues. But on the flip side, he led the NL in range factor and Total Zone Runs in 2001. At the plate, Belliard was a solid hitter who batted over .290 three times in his career. Harold Hutchison's piece in 2023 listed Belliard as one of the top five second basemen in Brewers history. Ronald Belliard was born in 1975 in New York City. He graduated from Miami (Florida) Central High School in 1994 and was selected in that year’s MLB Amateur Draft in the eighth round by the Brewers. Belliard spent five years in the Brewers farm system before getting his first call-up to Milwaukee in September 1998, where he played in just eight games and hit .200 (1-for-5). Ronnie Belliard spent the first month at Triple-A Louisville the following year before getting called up to the Brewers in mid-June. He had a solid season, and it was surprising that he received no Rookie of the Year votes. Belliard’s slash line was .295/.379/.429 across 457 at-bats, including 29 doubles, four triples, and eight home runs. He also knocked in 58 runs and had an OPS+ of 106. In the final season at County Stadium, Belliard played in 152 games and slashed .263/.354/.389 across 571 at-bats. His nine triples led the team with 30 two-base hits and eight round-trippers. His seven steals were a career-high. The stocky (5-foot-9, 210-pound) righty swinger showed some pop in 2001 in the first season at Miller Park, slamming 30 doubles and 11 home runs into early August. But then he suffered a high right ankle sprain when White Sox third baseman Robin Ventura took out Belliard at second base on a double play attempt that caused him to miss eight weeks. His slash line across 364 at-bats was .264/.335/.453. Belliard only started 60 games in 2002 but played in 104 with 289 at-bats; his slash line was a career-low .211/.257/.287. He was granted free agency after the season and signed with the Colorado Rockies in February 2003. He had a decent season for the Rockies, slashing .277/.351/.409 across 447 at-bats. Once again, he was granted free agency after the year and was signed by the Cleveland Indians. The second baseman had two of his best seasons for the Indians in 2004-05. He earned his only All-Star nod for the AL in 1994, batting .282/.348/.426 with 12 homers and a career-high 48 doubles, good for second in the league. The following season was similar, with a batting line of .284/.325/.450 with a career-high of 17 homers and 78 RBIs. Belliard played half of the 2006 season with Cleveland but was swapped to the St. Louis Cardinals at the trading deadline. Once again, Belliard had a solid campaign, slashing .272/.322/.403 with a combined 30 doubles and 13 home runs. After the season, he was signed as a free agent by the Washington Nationals. In addition, Belliard was the victim of an attempted extortion scam where an Illinois man tried to get money from Belliard in exchange for silence in a case where the player allegedly impregnated the man’s daughter. The man was found guilty of a felony fraud count. In 2007, Belliard played every infield spot but made 113 starts at second base. His batting line was .290/.332/.427 across 511 at-bats. He banged out 35 two-base hits and 11 homers. The following season saw Belliard miss a month early in the season due to a left calf strain and another month at the end of the campaign with a strained groin. His final numbers showed a slash line of .287/.372/.473 in 296 ABs. He banged out 22 doubles and 11 homers. Belliard was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers mid-season in 2008. He played well in 24 games with the Dodgers, slashing .351/.398/.636 across 77 at-bats, including seven doubles, five home runs, and 17 RBIs. Belliard played one more year in Los Angeles, but it didn’t go as well, and his .216/.295/.327 slash line saw him released in September. 2011 Belliard played in the Yankees and Phillies organizations, but after 53 games at Triple-A Lehigh Valley, he announced his retirement in June 2011. His final stat line showed 1,377 hits with 328 doubles, 114 home runs, and a slash line of .273/.338/.415 across 5,045 at-bats. Feel free to add comments and thanks for reading! View full article

Ronald Belliard was born in 1975 in New York City. He graduated from Miami (Florida) Central High School in 1994 and was selected in that year’s MLB Amateur Draft in the eighth round by the Brewers. Belliard spent five years in the Brewers farm system before getting his first call-up to Milwaukee in September 1998, where he played in just eight games and hit .200 (1-for-5) The following year, Belliard spent the first month at Triple-A Louisville before getting called up to the Brewers in mid-June. He had a solid season, and it was surprising that he received no ROY votes. Belliard’s slash line was .295/.379/.429 across 457 at-bats, including 29 doubles, four triples, and eight home runs. He also knocked in 58 runs and had an OPS+ of 106. In the final season at County Stadium, Belliard played in 152 games and slashed .263/.354/.389 across 571 at-bats. His nine triples led the team, and he also had 30 two-base hits and eight round-trippers. His seven steals were a career high. The stocky (5-foot-9, 210 pound) righty swinger showed some pop in 2001 in the first season at Miller Park, slamming 30 doubles and 11 home runs into early August. But then he suffered a high right ankle sprain when White Sox third baseman Robin Ventura took out Belliard at second base on a double play attempt that caused him to miss eight weeks. His slash line across 364 at-bats was .264/.335/.453. Belliard only started 60 games in 2002 but played in 104 with 289 at-bats, His slash line was a career-low .211/.257/.287. He was granted free agency after the season and signed with the Colorado Rockies in February 2003. He had a decent season for the Rockies, slashing .277/.351/.409 across 447 at-bats. Once again, he was granted free agency after the year and was signed by the Cleveland Indians. The second baseman had two of his best seasons for the Indians in 2004-05. He earned his only All-Star nod for the AL in 1994, batting .282/.348/.426 with 12 homers and a career-high 48 doubles, good for second in the league. The following season was similar with a batting line of .284/.325/.450 with a career-high of 17 homers and 78 RBIs. Belliard played half of the 2006 season with Cleveland but was swapped to the St. Louis Cardinals at the trading deadline. Once again Belliard had a solid campaign, slashing .272/.322/.403 with a combined 30 doubles and 13 home runs. After the season he was signed as a free agent by the Washington Nationals. In addition, Belliard was the victim of an attempted extortion scam where an Illinois man tried to get money from Belliard in exchange for silence in a case where the player allegedly impregnated the man’s daughter. The man was found guilty of a felony fraud count. In 2007, Belliard played every infield spot, but made 113 starts at second base. His batting line was .290/.332/.427 across 511 at-bats. He banged out 35 two-base hits and 11 homers. The following season saw Belliard miss a month early in the season due to a left calf strain and another month at the end of the campaign with a strained groin. His final numbers showed a slash line of .287/.372/.473 in 296 ABs. He banged out 22 doubles and 11 homers. Belliard was traded mid-season in 2008 to the Los Angeles Dodgers. He played well in 24 games with the Dodgers, slashing .351/.398/.636 across 77 at-bats, including seven doubles, five home runs, and 17 RBIs. Belliard played one more year in Los Angeles, but it didn’t go as well, and his .216/.295/.327 slash line saw him get released in September. In 2011 Belliard played in the Yankees and Phillies organization but after 53 games at Triple-A Lehigh Valley, announced his retirement in June 2011. His final stat line showed 1,377 hits with 328 doubles, 114 home runs, and a slash line of .273/.338/.415 across 5,045 at-bats. View full player

At the end of a long and illustrious career, one of the great sluggers of the 1970s and 1980s began the 1990s in a Brewers uniform. Now, he's been rewarded for his longevity and talent with the game of baseball's highest honor. Image courtesy of © Tom Lynn/Milwaukee Journal via Imagn Content Services, LLC Back in the 1970s, David Gene Parker was one of the elite players in Major League Baseball. In 1977, Parker won his first NL batting title and a Gold Glove; became an All-Star for the first time; and finished third in the NL Most Valuable Player race. In 1978, Parker won his second batting title, another Gold Glove, and the MVP award in the National League. Parker finished in the top 10 in MVP voting two other times in that time frame, won another Gold Glove and made the NL All-Star team three more times. In other words, Parker was one of the best players in baseball for six or seven years. Today, Dave Parker is a Hall of Famer. Parker, along with the late slugging infielder Dick Allen, was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame via the Classic Baseball Era Committee process on Sunday. Parker was named on 14 of 16 ballots. Notable players who failed to receive enough votes were Tommy John, Ken Boyer, Steve Garvey, and Luis Tiant. After missing out on the BBWAA voting and the Veterans Committee, the third time was a charm for the 73-year-old Parker. Nicknamed the “Cobra,” the 6-foot-5, 230-pound left-handed batter struck fear into opposing pitchers. In addition to the laurels listed above, he was a member of two World Series-winning teams: the 1979 ‘We Are Family’ Pittsburgh Pirates and the 1989 ‘Earthquake Series’ Oakland Athletics. Parker was also known as a cannon-armed right fielder, who once threw out an amazing 26 runners in one season and ended with 143 assists in 19 years. Drafted by the Pirates in the 14th round of the 1970 MLB Amateur Draft, he reached the big leagues for good in 1973. He played for the Pirates for 11 years before signing with the Cincinnati Reds prior to the 1984 season. Parker led the NL in doubles (42) and RBIs (125) in 1985 and played in a pair of All-Star games during his four-year stint with the Reds. Parker was traded to Oakland after the 1987 season and played in the Bay Area for two years, before signing with the Brewers for the 1990 season. After two subpar seasons with the A’s, Parker renewed his career in Brew City at age 39, earning his seventh and final All-Star nod while playing almost exclusively as the designated hitter. Parker led the Brewers with 176 hits, 30 doubles, 92 RBIs, and 275 total bases. He was named the Milwaukee Brewers Most Valuable Player after the season. The Cobra played one more season, splitting time with the California Angels and Toronto Blue Jays. Fittingly, Parker doubled in his last big-league at-bat on Oct. 2, 1991, in a 6-5 win over California. For his career, Parker had a slash line of .290/.339/.471 with 2,712 hits, which included 526 doubles, 75 triples, 339 home runs, and 1,493 RBIs. It would be a long three decades between that day and this ultimate acknowledgment of his legacy, but he finally received it, and his final great season with the Crew is a part of that story. We at Brewer Fanatic applaud Dave Parker for his Hall of Fame election. View full article

"It's a break-a-ball." And with that, we turn the spotlight on former Brewer left-handed pitcher - and Wisconsin native - Jerry Augustine. Gerald Lee "Jerry" Augustine was born in 1952 in Kewaunee, Wisconsin. He grew up in Kewaunee as well, and stayed in state for college, heading to UW-La Crosse. The Brewers drafted Augie in the 15th round of the 1974 draft. He spent only 28 games in the minors before being brought up to the Big Leagues in 1975, becoming a fixture on the Brewers staff, first as a starter, then as a reliever, until 1984. Augustine had a promising rookie campaign in '76, making the all-rookie team when he posted a 3.30 ERA and produced a 2.8 bWAR. But that was Augie's high-water mark. He spent a couple of more years as a starter, throwing a career high 209 innings in 1977 (while losing 18 games), but ultimately prove himself to be a remarkably average pitcher. He simply gave up too many hits, walked too many guys, and didn't strike enough batters. As the Crew improved in the late 70s, Augustine was shifted to the bullpen, having a nice year in 1979 (1.4 bWAR). But subsequent campaigns saw Augie's numbers gradually decline, and after the 1984 season he was let go by Milwaukee. He bounced around in the minors for a couple of more seasons before finally retiring at age 33. Jerry Augustine was never a particularly good pitcher, going 55-59 and producing a 4.23 ERA over parts of 10 seasons. Being a left-handed pitcher undoubtedly extended Augustine's career, but he never really was a key element of the club. For his career, he walked almost as many batters (340) as he struck out (348). He accumulated 4.1 WAR during his playing days. But Augie's status in Brewer lore is not really measured by his numbers. He was a Wisconsin guy. He talked like a Wisconsin guy. He grew up in Wisconsin, went to college in Wisconsin, and spent his entire major league career in Wisconsin. After retiring, he opened up his own insurance agency in West Allis - Jerry Augustine Agency, Inc. He further cemented his ties to the state by coaching the UW-Milwaukee baseball team for 12 seasons before joining Fox Sports Wisconsin as an analyst - a position he holds to this day. Wisconsin-La Crosse inducted Augustine into its Wall of Fame in 1984, and the Brewers added him on their Wall of Honor in 2014. View full player

Gorman Thomas. He was scruffy and disheveled. He looked like he had had a few too many beers and eaten a few too many cheeseburgers. On any given night you could count on him running into a wall, striking out, or hitting a home run. It was the glory years of Brewer baseball, and Thomas became one of the most beloved players in franchise history. Gorman Thomas was born in 1950 in South Carolina. He was drafted in the first round (21st overall) of the 1969 draft - the first pick of the fledgling Pilots/Brewer franchise. A shortstop in high school, Thomas quickly emerged as a low average, high power, high strikeout player. After shifting between shortstop and third base for a couple of years, Thomas settled in as a center fielder, where he showed a strong arm and good range. Thomas reached Milwaukee in 1973, but struggled in limited action. Then, in 1974 he hammered 51 HR at AAA, netting him a position on the 1975 squad. Unfortunately, Thomas played poorly, hitting under .200 the next two seasons as a part time player. At age 26, he found himself back at AAA. He performed well, hitting .322 with 36 HR, but was traded to Texas shortly after the season. At age 27, Thomas could have easily ended up a AAAA type player, but luckily for him, Milwaukee decided they wanted to have him back. In February of 1978, the Brewers bought Thomas back from the Rangers. He seized the opportunity, not only making the club, but working himself into the regular lineup. In 137 games, he slugged 32 home runs, and became a cornerstone of 'Bambie's Bombers' - the powerful lineup trotted out by new manager Geroge Bamberger. Brewer coach Frank Howard gave Thomas the nickname of Stormin' Gorman. Over the next five years Thomas hit 175 HR, leading the league twice. (He also led the league in strikeouts twice as well.) He drove in over a 100 runs three times during those years. His batter average floated in the .240-250 range, but the power and plus defense made him an indispensable part of the late 70s/early 80s Brewer teams. In 1983, the 32-year-old Thomas struggled out of the gate, hitting only .182 in 46 games. Injuries and age had taken a toll on Thomas, not to mention his hard living. Seeking to shake up the club, the Brewers dealt Thomas to Cleveland for outfielder Rick Manning. Thomas was crushed by the trade. He had developed folk legend status in Milwaukee, and the deal had ended his fairy tale ride. The Indians dealt Thomas after the season to Seattle, where he floundered before succumbing to rotator cuff surgery. Thomas had one last good year in 1985, hitting 32 HR as DH for the Mariners and winning the AL Comeback Player of the Year Award. But the success was short lived. He struggled the next season, and in a (mostly) PR move, the Brewers reacquired the aging slugger. He played 44 games for the Crew, hitting a tepid .179 with a paltry 6 HR. Milwaukee released the 35-year-old Thomas after the season, and his career was over. Thomas spent parts of 11 seasons with Milwaukee (although only five as a full time starter). He averaged about 4.0 WAR from 1978-82, participate in an all star game (1981) and the 1982 World Series. He hit 208 HR, drove in 605 runs, walked 501 times, struck out 1033 times, and hit .230. He was three true outcomes before three true outcomes existed. But Gorman Thomas' influence was never measured in just numbers. For Brewer fans, he was a folk hero, and he has essentially fashioned a second career around this status. He was the quintessential Brewer. He played hard and he partied hard. Fans celebrated his larger than life persona - and Gorman was happy to live it up with them. He was known for stopping by tailgates after games and drinking beers with fans. Along with teammate Pete Vukovich, Thomas opened a bar near the stadium called Stormin' and Vukes'. Over the years, Thomas has remained in the Brewer family working in a variety of capacities, including helping out at spring training, participating in fantasy camps, and doing personal appearances. He also lent his name to Gorman's Grill at Miller Park. He still resides in the Milwaukee area, hunting, fishing and golfing in his retirement. Thomas was inducted into both the South Carolina and Wisconsin Athletic Halls of Fame as well as the Brewers Wall of Fame. View full player

Mitchel Blake Stetter was born in 1981 in Huntingburg, Indiana. Growing up in hoops country, it was only natural that Stetter was a star player on the Southridge High School basketball team and averaged 15 PPG as a sharp-shooting 6-foot-4 guard. He attended Indiana State University and after graduation was drafted by the Brewers in the 2003 MLB Amateur Draft in the 16th round, getting a $1,000 signing bonus. The southpaw pitcher worked his way through the minor league system, earning a 2007 call-up to Milwaukee in his fifth pro season. In his short September stint, Stetter made six appearances and had an ERA+ of 132. The following season, Stetter shuttled between Milwaukee and Triple-A Nashville and finished the season with an ERA+ of 134 and an ERA of 3.20 in 30 outings. Against the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLDS, Stetter faced four batters across three games and struck out two of them, in each case slugger Ryan Howard. In 2009, Stetter finally spent the whole season in the majors, pitching in 71 games. Between May 27 and July 8, Stetter appeared 17 times, allowing zero runs and five hits in 14.2 innings while striking out 24. His totals for the season included four wins, one save, and an ERA+ of 115. Stetter struggled in 2010 and spent most of the season in Nashville after compiling a disappointing ERA of 14.73 and ERA+ of 30 in nine games for Milwaukee. Stetter pitched well to start the 2011 season, posting an ERA of 2.84 through his first 13 appearances. But then he was limited to six minor league appearances before having surgery on his left hip. After a failed trial in the Texas Rangers organization in 2012, Stetter signed a minor league deal with the Brewers and pitched well in 41 games but never got a call-up. He finished his pro career after spending a couple months in the Los Angeles Angels farm system in 2013. View full player

Ernest Riles was born in 1960 in Cairo, Georgia. After high school, Riles attended Middle Georgia State University and was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 21st round of the 1980 MLB Amateur Draft by elected not to sign. The following year, Riles was selected by the Brewers in the third round of the January Draft-Secondary Phase. The lefty-hitting infielder batted .348/.413/.453 in his first year at Butte (Montana) in the Rookie Pioneer League. He moved steadily up the chain and made his major league debut in 1985. Riles began with a bang, hitting .364 (12-for-33) in his first two weeks before cooling off. He finished the year with a slash line of .286/.339/.377 and finished third in the AL ROY voting. Riles had a nice sophomore campaign, slashing .252/.321/.357 across 524 at-bats. After two seasons as the Brewers shortstop, Riles moved to third base in 1987. But his season didn’t start until late June due to an off-season finger injury on his right hand. Riles ended with a slash line of .261/.329/.351 in 83 games. The Brewers traded Riles to the San Francisco Giants in June 1988 for outfielder Jeffrey Leonard. Riles lasted for three seasons in San Francisco, playing in 293 games, mostly in a utility role. After the 1990 season, Riles was traded to the Oakland Athletics. With his career winding down at the youngish age of 30, Riles played one season each for Oakland, Houston, and Boston. He signed with California and Cleveland, respectively, for the next two seasons and played at the Triple-A level. In 1996, Riles played a few games in the independent Big South League and called it a career after that. Riles finished his nine-year career with a slash line of .254/.319/.365 across 2,504 at-bats, including 92 doubles, 20 triples, and 48 home runs. View full player

Manny Piña didn't see regular playing time until he was nearly 30 years old. After bouncing around from team to team in the minor leagues for several years, the Milwaukee Brewers traded for him in 2015, and the likable Piña soon became not only a fan favorite but a mentor and 'elder' statesman in the clubhouse. Manuel Elias Piña Reyes was born in 1987 in Barquisimeto, Venezuela. He was signed in 2004 by Texas Rangers scout Manny Batista. Manny Pineapple, a sobriquet that was played under his last name, started his professional career for the Rangers in the Rookie Arizona League in 2005 but played only 27 games. The following year was even worse; Piña played in 14 contests and then missed the rest of the year after undergoing Tommy John surgery on his right elbow. Manny Pineapple might not be among the top statistical catchers in Brewers history, but he does sing a mean version of 'Hotel California.' The righty-hitting catcher spent the next three seasons working through the Rangers organization, reaching Double-A Frisco in the Texas League. At the tail end of the 2009 season, Manny Piña was traded to the Kansas City Royals. For the next four years, Piña kicked around at the Double-A and Triple-A levels in the Royals chain. He got two brief sips of Starbucks in 2011 and 2012 in Kansas City, where he played in five games and went a disappointing 3-for-16, including a pair of two-base hits. Piña continued toiling in the minors for the Royals, Detroit Tigers, and Seattle Mariners through the 2015 season. Later that winter, he was traded to the Brewers as the infamous PTBNL part of the Francisco Rodriguez trade. After Jonathan Lucroy was traded to the Rangers in July 2016, Piña was called up to the Brewers. Piña was pressed into action for Milwaukee, where he started 17 of 33 games he played in the final two months. He acquitted himself well, slashing .254/.346/.394 across 71 at-bats. Piña made his first big-league home run memorable as he slammed a pinch-hit three-run jack off Cincinnati’s Keyvius Sampson in the bottom of the ninth in a 7-4 loss on August 12. Piña became C1 in 2017 and got most of the catcher at-bats over the next year as well, over platoon partners that included Stephen Vogt, Jett Bandy, and Erik Kratz. Piña’s hitting line showed .266/.317/.410 across 205 games and 636 at-bats. He hit nine homers each year and, surprisingly, added two triples and four stolen bases over the two years. Piña also showed his defensive side, throwing out 35.6% and 40.8%, respectively, of runners trying to steal. His 40.8% was good for second-best in the NL in 2018. With newly acquired Yasmani Grandal getting the lion’s share of the playing time at catcher in 2019, Piña saw his on-field time dwindle to 53 games behind the plate, with another 24 games as a pinch-hitter. He finished the year with a slash line of .228/.313/.411 across 158 at-bats, adding seven homers and 25 RBIs. Piña’s already short 2020 season (Covid-19) became shorter when he tore the meniscus in his right knee. The highlight of his season was when he hit home runs in back-to-back innings in a 6-4 win over Minnesota on August 11. Otherwise, not much good happened during the 15 games he appeared in. In 2021, Piña was a solid platoon/backup, hitting a career-high 13 home runs but slipping to a batting line of .189/.293/.439 across 180 at-bats. His .439 slugging percentage was also a career-high. Piña became a free agent after the season and was quickly snapped up by the Atlanta Braves. The two sides agreed on a two-year, $8 million contract, but both sides would soon be disappointed as Piña injured his left wrist in April and missed the last five months of the season. Just before Christmas 2022, Piña was part of a three-way trade between the Braves, the Brewers, and the Oakland Athletics. That swap netted superstar catcher William Contreras and pitcher Joel Payamps for the Brewers. Both would play key roles over the following two seasons for The Crew. Piña, on the other hand, would not play a key role for Oakland, as he missed all but four games in 2023 because of a lingering left wrist injury. He was DFA’d on July 31 and was released four days later. Piña missed all of the 2024 season due to that injury. Pending a miraculous comeback at age 37, Piña will finish with a career slash line of .243/.312/.410 with 43 home runs, 149 RBIs, and 55 two-base hits. Manny Pineapple might not have been the best-ever Brewers catcher, but he always had a smile on his face. Do you have any memories of Manny Pineapple? Please share them in the comments section. View full article

Aramis Ramírez was born in 1978 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. In late 1994, when he was just 16, Ramírez signed a free agent contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates. In his third year in pro ball, Ramírez made his big-league debut. After being called up in May 1998, he went 0-for-24 before getting his first major league hit. Ramírez, at age 19, was the youngest player in the MLB at that time. He split time between Triple-A and the majors for three years and then made it to the big time for good in 2001. Despite hitting 34 homers, driving in 112 runs, and batting .300 in 2001, Ramírez did not make the NL All-Star team. He struggled in 2002 and after a good half-season the next year, was traded to the Chicago Cubs in July 2003. Ramírez had eight-plus solid seasons with the Cubs, making the NL All-Star team twice and earning a Silver Slugger award in his final season (2011) with the Cubs. During his time with Chicago, he hit 239 home runs and slashed .294/.356/.531 across 1,124 games and 4,232 at-bats. Ramírez signed with the Brewers as a free agent after the 2011 season. The right-handed batting third sacker played in Milwaukee for three and one-half years and performed well, leading the NL in doubles in 2012 with 50 two-base hits. In 2013, Ramírez missed nearly half the season with knee problems. He recovered enough in 2014 that he made the NL All-Star team. At the advanced age of 37, Ramírez had a ho-hum season going in Milwaukee in 2015, slashing .247/.295/.430 in 81 games before being traded back to the Pirates. After finishing the year in Pittsburgh, he announced his retirement in November. Ramírez concluded his 18-year MLB career with 386 home runs and a slash line of .283/.341/.492. In 2024, he and Kerry Wood were inducted into the Chicago Cubs Hall of Fame. View full player

Turang will be an elite defender at any of those three spots (2B-SS-3B) and I don't think the 'D' would drop off at all no matter where he is. I think Ortiz is probably the same. Milwaukee should just look for the best player (via free agency or trade) at one of those spots and then put the players where they fit best once the new player is acquired. It's not like Murphy is considering moving Hoskins or Contreras to SS...

In his 14-year career, Eric Vaughn Plunk never made a major league all-star team. All he did was compile an ERA+ of more than 100 in 10 of these years, signifying a solid pitcher. Early in his career he was a spot starter, but he also notched 35 saves, including a high of 15 in 1993 for the Cleveland Indians. Plunk was born in 1963 in Wilmington, California and attended Bellflower High School. In 1981, he was drafted by the New York Yankees in the fourth round in the MLB Amateur Draft. Plunk was used mostly as a starter in his first four years in the Yankees organization, but he was involved in a trade with the Oakland Athletics December 1984 that included José Rijo and Rickey Henderson. After one-plus years in the minors for Oakland, Plunk was called up to the A’s in May 1986 and started out as a reliever, but in his eighth big-league game took the ball for a start and earned the victory over the Texas Rangers, pitching 7.2 innings, giving up three hits, two runs, and five walks while striking out 10 in the 3-2 victory. Plunk pitched for two-plus years for Oakland and then was traded to the New York Yankees in June 1989. The big (6-foot-5, 210 pound) righty was a key part of the Yankee bullpen for two and ½ years, and then signed as a free agent in April 1992 by the Cleveland Indians. Plunk was a solid member of the Indians bull pen over six-plus seasons, appearing in 373 games and compiling an ERA+ of 140. In July 1998, he was traded to the Brewers. On the downside of his career, Plunk pitched 94 games for Milwaukee between 1998 and 1999, earning five wins and one save. View full player