Michael Trzinski

https://sabr.org/bioproj/park/lloyd-street-grounds-milwaukee/

I'd be all for that!

Before reading this part of the Brewers' voyage to Milwaukee, read part one of the series, "A Failed Launch". Also, part two of the three-part series, "Up For Grabs." PART 3 Charlie O. Finley got back into the headlines on Feb. 4, 1970. “I tried to be of help to Milwaukee. The next thing I see all over the papers is that my plan wasn’t good for baseball," Finley said to reporters at the time. "They made me look like a fool.” His plan had been to move the Pilots to Milwaukee on an interim basis. “If that group up there is trying to get major-league baseball, they haven’t shown me anything.” On Feb. 5, hotel magnate Edward Carlson lauded a fundraising effort that raised nearly $6 million toward a ‘cash and credit goal,’ in a last-ditch effort to get the necessary cash together for the Seattle group. “We hope and believe that this remarkable demonstration of civic pride and financial commitment will convince the American League to retain the Pilots franchise in Seattle on a permanent basis,” Carlson said. “I think we have a deal.” That statement sounded prescient on Feb. 10, when the American League owners voted to keep the franchise in Seattle. Several possibilities were discussed, including a trusteeship that would rescue the team. “This is a very serious problem,” AL president Joe Cronin said. “The American League is leaning over backwards to keep baseball in Seattle." The next day, the American League rejected an application for the Carlson/Danz Seattle group and voted to have the Daley/Soriano group keep the Pilots in Seattle. Carlson had wanted a non-profit organization to run the club for him, and this was a main concern of the American League. "We felt the non-profit factor in their plan could not fit into operation of a baseball club,” Cronin said. At that same meeting, the AL decided to advance the Pilots $650,000 for spring training expenses. On Valentine’s Day, the American League appointed Roy Hamey to oversee the operations of the Pilots. Hamey, you might remember, was a general manager for the New York Yankees in the early 1960s. He would take command of the team as it was just getting ready for spring training. On Feb. 24, 46 players began camp in Tempe, Arizona. Meanwhile, Tempe community leaders reported that they “have exceeded last year’s season ticket sale for the Pilots’ spring training schedule,” according to the Everett (Washington) Daily Herald. Back in Seattle, John Spellman was optimistic. “We still plan to let out bids in November, and construction [for the domed stadium] is still scheduled to start before the end of the year (1970)," he said. In early March, the Milwaukee Sentinel reported that owners were "contemplating moving the club before the regular season started.” The story went on to say that the group worried the Pilots would lose more money in 1970. Hamey’s reply? “Absolutely ridiculous.” Court chaos returned on March 16. The American League had been set to move the franchise to Milwaukee, having the nine necessary votes from owners that would approve the move. Just before the meeting was to begin, though, Circuit Court Judge James D. Bruton, Jr. issued a restraining order that would keep the league from moving the team from Seattle. The league’s response was that the teams could not afford to continue to support the Seattle franchise. The Bank of California sided with the AL in trying to remove legal hurdles that would keep the Pilots in Seattle. The lawsuit that Mayor Wes Uhlman filed at $25 million had been increased to $82 million. According to the Olympia (Washington) Olympian, William Dwyer, special assistant state attorney general, said that if the restraining order was dismissed, “the club will move and our $82 million antitrust damage suit goes into effect immediately.” Note: The lawsuit lasted until Feb. 1976, when it was dismissed on the condition that Seattle would receive an expansion team in 1977. After going from state court to federal court, and then back to Washington state court, and seeing two changes of venue from King County to Kitsap County to Snohomish County, the suit was officially dismissed in April 1977—when the Seattle Mariners made their debut in the new domed stadium called the Kingdome. On March 18, a petition was filed in U.S. District Court, asking that the franchise be sold to Milwaukee for $10.8 million under the Bankruptcy Act. In a hearing that took place on Friday, Mar. 21, Superior Court Judge James W. Mifflin heard arguments. He granted a continuance over the weekend, after which he would decide whether to grant the City of Seattle and State of Washington a temporary injunction to prevent the franchise from moving. Pacific Northwest Sports, Inc. (the ownership group) filed a petition of bankruptcy that sought a transfer of the franchise to Milwaukee so creditors could get paid. Sidney C. Volinn, a bankruptcy court referee, was scheduled to hear the petition on Tuesday, Mar. 24. Baseball Facilities, Inc., a developer of the Pilots' spring training site, filed suit saying the Pilots had failed (once again) to develop the facilities as promised. As the wheels of justice continued to move slowly along, Judge Mifflin's patience wore thin. Meanwhile, Volinn was set to decide the fate of the franchise on Mar. 30. Forgotten in all the litigation was the fact that the ownership group had signed a contract with the Milwaukee group earlier in March, which would expire on April 1. Time was of the essence. Back in Seattle, Dewey and Max Soriano were hung in effigy at a downtown mall. Max Soriano later explained that the club “was too embarrassed to ask a bank for additional funds.” It probably didn’t matter, though. “No banker in his right mind would loan the Pilots additional money," Campbell noted. In Milwaukee, a storm dumped four inches of snow on the ground and groundskeepers at County Stadium were hard at work to get the facility ready for a potential Opening Day contest against the California Angels on Apr. 7. Volinn listened to testimony on Mar. 30, but after a long day in court, decided to continue proceedings the following day. “I realize the onset of the baseball season is here and there is an atmosphere of haste,” Volinn said. “But the court will take all the time necessary in order to receive all the evidence that is necessary to make a decision in this case.” A couple of issues Volinn was considering: the Pilots couldn’t pay their debt of $8.13 million, and would not be able to survive a second season; and it would be unfair to make the league keep the franchise afloat. As spring training ended, the team’s equipment truck drove north from Tempe, Arizona to Provo, Utah and waited at a rest area along I-80 north of Provo. They were waiting to hear whether to head west to Seattle or turn east and make the long drive to Milwaukee. The following day, it became official: The Seattle Pilots would become the Milwaukee Brewers. The driver started his truck and turned east on I-80, starting the long 1,500-mile drive to Brew City. Milwaukee finally got its team! On Apr. 7, 1970, in front of a crowd of 36,107 fans at Milwaukee County Stadium, the Milwaukee Brewers era started with a 12-0 loss to the California Angels. Sources Wikipedia Everett (WA) Daily Herald Spokane (WA) Spokesman-Review Spokane (WA) Chronicle Minneapolis Star Tribune Madison (WI) Capital Times Green Bay (WI) Press-Gazette Appleton (WI) Post-Crescent New York Times Milwaukee Sentinel Olympia (WA) Olympian View full article

Not sure that Chewy is the best choice for CF; I think he belongs in a corner. But Murph will probably mix and match as needed. Due to his proclivity for injury, I don't think Mitch is the answer, either. So who goes where? Not sure...

Must have had their talking points straight 😁

In 1968 the White Sox played nine games at County Stadium and drew over 264,000 fans, an average of 29,300 per game. In comparison, they drew just 539,000 in Chicago over 72 games, an average of just 7,400 per game. The following season saw the White Sox play 11 games at County Stadium, but they only drew an average of 18,000 fans per game. It probably didn’t help matters that White Sox owner Arthur Allyn said, “I wish they’d get off that kick that we’re going to move anywhere. I’ve said it before: we’re not moving to Milwaukee today, next year, or ever.”

I was only 10, so I didn't know all this stuff. But I do remember listening to the first two games out in California on my little transistor radio tucked under my pillow, hoping my parents wouldn't hear it. Good times!!

Image courtesy of Barry Sweet / Associated Press Before reading this part of the Brewers' voyage to Milwaukee, read part one of the series, "A Failed Launch". And in the meantime, popular manager Joe Schultz was fired by GM Marvin Milkes—who would become the Brewers' first general manager—and speculation began about who was going to be the next Pilots manager. Dave Bristol, Billy Martin, Dick Williams, and Grady Hatton were among the names mentioned. Two days before Thanksgiving, the Pilots hired Bristol, who had been recently fired by the Cincinnati Reds after guiding them to a record of 89-73 during the season. The estimated contract was a two-year, $80,000 deal. (No, that is not a typo.) A week later, the American League unanimously voted to accept the sale from Daley to the Danz group. However, the $40 million domed stadium deal remained uncertain, and both sides had concerns. Just after the New Year’s Eve hangovers had subsided, more complications popped up in early January 1970 when the Bank of California demanded immediate repayment of a $3.5 million loan that was made to the Pilots the previous season. The new ownership group, led by Danz, was going to assume that loan and was working feverishly to settle its financial issues. Danz later announced a ticket drive that he hoped would raise $1 million to show that the Pilots could count on local support. The ticket drive started slowly, and over the first few days, the team had raised only $200,000 toward the $1 million goal. On January 13, the American League announced they were giving the Denz group nine more days to settle its finances. After only a few days, the Pilots got a five-day extension from the league so Danz and his associates “could find a solution to the financial bottleneck which is holding up the sale” according to the Appleton Post-Crescent. Just days later, baseball commish Bowie Kuhn stated that if the Pilots did not get their deal squared away, “There is a possibility of a franchise transfer. When and if there is a transfer, one thing is certain—Milwaukee will receive serious consideration.” But he also told the crowd of 700 at the Wisconsin Baseball Writers Association 17th Annual Diamond Dinner in Milwaukee that Dallas-Fort Worth was still in the running. “I wish I could bring you some guarantee that would lighten your heart tonight,” Kuhn said. “But I can’t.” On January 22, Daley announced that Seattle was “up for grabs.” Danz and his group were unable to meet a 2 pm deadline to refinance or settle the Bank of California loan. Hunt, the owner of the Kansas City Chiefs, and Mercer then formally applied to the American League for the transfer of the team to the DFW area. Selig’s group reportedly offered less money but had a major league-ready stadium as part of the package. Dallas-Fort Worth only had a minor league facility ready to go, even though a big-league park was in the planning stage. And if there hadn’t been enough chaos already, one day later, the courts got involved when the city of Seattle filed a ‘specific performance’ suit against Pacific Northwest Sports, Inc. (Daley et al) that basically said the Pilots needed to fulfill its five-year lease agreement. It turned ‘hardball’ quickly. King County Superior Court Judge F. A. Walterskirschen threatened a “temporary restraining order barring removal of the franchise” from Seattle. New Seattle Mayor Wes Uhlman intimated that a lawsuit would be filed against any team that bought and moved the Pilots. Uhlman told reporters, “Seattle deserves more than a one-year turn at-bat.” Milwaukee was also looking for ‘another’ turn at bat, as the Milwaukee Braves had skipped town after the 1965 campaign. Earlier in January, Milwaukee radio station WOKY sent telegrams—the forerunner of email—to all American League clubs and AL president Cronin. The telegram read: “The world’s greatest baseball fans urge you to put the Pilots in Milwaukee. Remember the ‘Miracle of Milwaukee.’ It can happen again.” Around that time, things started to get nasty. Ewing Kauffman, owner of the expansion Kansas City team and chairman of a four-man board that would help shepherd the troubling transaction, set the purchase price at $8.8 million, down from Daley’s initial ask of $10.5 million. “We’ve done this [set the price] so that Daley and the Sorianos will make less than half a million profit. They don’t deserve a profit. They did not stay in there and pitch.” Ouch. Once again, AL owners were split in their visions of the outcome. Some wanted the Pilots to stay in Seattle, and others rooted for either Milwaukee or Dallas-Fort Worth to come forward and win the day. Selig and Co. had Milwaukee County Stadium as an anchor and a valid reason for choosing Milwaukee. On the other hand, DFW would have been the larger cash cow, no pun intended. And to add a little more intrigue into this convoluted, comical, and controversial piece of commerce, DFW principal Hunt had a ‘private understanding’ with the Cleveland Indians, according to a column by Leonard Koppett of the New York Times. Rumor had it that Hunt wanted to buy the Indians for $13 million after the 1970 season. Koppett whimsically posited that, “Apparently, the oil millionaire (Hunt) now believes a Pilot in the hand is worth two Indians in the handshake.” You can’t make this stuff up. On January 28, the Pilots were once again given a nine-day extension to allow the Seattle group, now led by hotel executive Edward Carlson, more time to come up with the now-$9-million asking price. Two days later, an airline executive from Oakland threw his hat into the three-ring circus as a potential buyer. Edward J. Daly was president of World Airways, Inc., an Oakland charter carrier. What was Daly’s sudden interest in buying the Pilots? A friend of his, Oakland A’s owner Charles O. Finley, asked him to. And it gets better. Carlson and Danz of the Seattle group asked Tommy Mercer of the DFW group to lend them $4 million. “I said we were not in the finance business,” Mercer commented. Remember when Seattle Mayor Uhlman threatened any non-local buyer with a lawsuit? That number was purportedly now $25 million. Mercer then proposed that the league take over the Pilots and pay $150,000 per team for the year’s baseball operations, rather than each team paying 1/10 of the $25 million lawsuit amount. “It could possibly happen,” Mercer said. Not to be left out, Bank of California vice president Warren G. Campbell told the Milwaukee Sentinel on February 3 that the Carlson/Danz group was “at least $3.5 million short, and maybe $7 million” short of the necessary money needed for purchase. Campbell also said, “I don’t know how many times I have to repeat it. We want the cash, or a guarantee in the form of other types of security other than the franchise.” Meanwhile, Milwaukee and DFW waited…patiently. Coming soon, part three: ladies and gentlemen, the Milwaukee Brewers! View full article

Image courtesy of Dave Eskenazi Collection In December 1967, at baseball’s Winter Meetings in Mexico City, a group led by William Daley, Dewey Soriano, and Max Soriano was awarded a major league franchise. Pacific Northwest Sports, Inc. was led by Daley’s $5.5 million, which gave him about 47% of the team’s ownership. A few months later, they announced that the team would be known as the Seattle Pilots and would play at the same stadium that the Triple-A Seattle Angels played in—Sick’s Stadium. The team was originally scheduled to begin play in 1971, but that schedule was advanced two years when Senator Stuart Symington of Missouri demanded that his Kansas City Royals begin play in 1969. Symington threatened to challenge baseball’s antitrust exemption with legislative action, and Kansas City was awarded the franchise. The American League then forced Seattle to begin play in 1971 rather than 1970 to keep the schedule balanced. The award was contingent on the Pilots making improvements on the stadium, including expanding the seating capacity from 11,000 to 30,000 by April 1969. This issue would be a bone of contention for the next two-plus years. Prior to the Pilots, the Seattle Rainiers and Seattle Angels of the Pacific Coast League called the 11,000-seat Sick’s Stadium home from 1938-68. The Seattle ownership group persuaded several major league baseball players, including Carl Yastrzemski, Mickey Mantle, and Joe DiMaggio, to stump for a new domed stadium in Seattle. The $40 million proposal was passed overwhelmingly by the Seattle electorate. So, it looked like a domed stadium was going to be a part of the bright baseball future in the Pacific Northwest. In late April 1968, the Pilots signed a 20-year contract for a spring training facility in Tempe, Arizona. Baseball Facilities, Inc. (BFI) agreed to construct a 6,000-seat stadium, two practice diamonds, dressing rooms, and other facilities for $500,000. In perhaps what was a harbinger of things to come for the Pilots, in December 1968, E.B. Smith, president of BFI, filed a $6 million lawsuit against the Seattle owners, saying they did not live up to an agreement to provide capital for the Tempe spring training facilities. Legal wrangling aside, the Pilots opened their spring training season on time. Nineteen sixty-nine was a crazy season on the baseball diamond. The Amazin’ Mets. The collapse of the Chicago Cubs. The Baltimore Orioles won 109 games but lost in the World Series. And the Seattle Pilots made their major league debut. After splitting a pair of games in Anaheim against the California Angels to begin the season, the Pilots played their first and only Opening Day at home on April 11 by defeating the Chicago White Sox, 7-0, before a crowd of 14,993. Since construction of some of the outfield seating hadn’t been completed, those who had left field bleacher tickets had to wait three innings for workmen to install the seats before they could even sit down. Eventually, that season, the stadium could seat 25,000, but many of those seats had obstructed views. When there was a large crowd, low water pressure in the main pipeline kept the toilets from working properly. The field had no photo wells, so photographers had to lug their equipment to the top of the grandstand roof to get their shots. A mirror was set in the press box so visiting team media could see the entire field. Suffice it to say, the place was a dump. The first-year team drew only 677,944 to the decrepit stadium, surprisingly ranking 20th of the 24 major league teams. The only teams that fared worse were the Cleveland Indians, Chicago White Sox, Philadelphia Phillies, and the expansion San Diego Padres. The other expansion teams did better: the Montreal Expos ranked 10th and drew 1.2 million, while the Kansas City Royals drew just over 900,000 and ranked 15th. The Pilots finished the year in last place in the AL West with a mark of 64-98-1. Rumblings between the team and the city of Seattle began late in the season. All was not well in the city of the Space Needle. It all started with Mayor Floyd Miller. On September 5, the mayor of Seattle sent a letter to the management of the Pilots demanding a $660,000 letter of credit and a $150,000 surety bond, payable to the city by September 8. The annual rent for the stadium ($165,000) was paid through December 31, 1969, but the remaining $660,000 under the five-year lease was still outstanding. Max Soriano, the secretary-treasurer of the team, said, “We don’t believe the stadium is complete yet. The agreement says it will be renovated to American League standards.” This was the first of many shots fired by all sides in the continuing saga of the Seattle Pilots. After the deadline had come and gone, Miller gave the Pilots two more weeks to pay. This time, Pilots president Dewey Soriano (Max’s brother) said, “We have paid our rent. There is no way we can be kept from playing. All that other stuff—we can get injunctions against that.” In mid-September, King County executive John Spellman, the Pilots, and other organizations began lease negotiations for the use of the multipurpose domed stadium in Seattle, which was expected to be completed by April 1973. On October 11, Dick Cullum, a sportswriter for the Minneapolis Tribune, reported that the American League “may oust the Seattle Pilots from membership.” The two main reasons for this unprecedented action were low attendance and the team's failure to act on providing a new stadium. There were also reports that Daley and the Milwaukee group led by Allan H. (Bud) Selig had a ‘handshake deal’ that would send the Pilots to Milwaukee for $10.8 million. Further reports said the deal was shot down by the American League, which wanted the Pilots to stay in Seattle and recommended that Daley find a buyer in the Seattle area, even if it was for less money. An American League meeting scheduled for October 21 included not only league and team personnel, but Mayor Miller and senators Henry Jackson and Warren Magnuson. At the meeting, AL president Joe Cronin listed three conditions for keeping the Pilots in Seattle: 1) Stadium expansion from 25,000 to 28,000, 2) Evidence that a domed stadium would be completed by 1973, and 3) Notification of a change of ownership. Points 1 and 3 would be easy; the second point might be a problem. A local buyer came forward and said he was ‘thinking’ about purchasing the team, so an owner change in Seattle could be an option. But a sale to the Texas group, led by Tommy Mercer and Lamar Hunt, or a sale to the Milwaukee group led by Selig could also be in the cards. When the season ended, it was a busy time for the Pilots' management team, which included Daley and the Soriano brothers. If the Pilots didn’t end up getting kicked out of the league, potential moves to either Dallas-Fort Worth or Milwaukee were discussed. There was scuttlebutt that a local Seattle group wanted in. There were still some options. In early November, Seattle theatre chain operator Fred Danz and Daley agreed to a purchase deal for a reported $10.5 million. Or did they? A day or two later, Danz told reporters, “It is premature to say we have an agreement. All we have is an opportunity to put together a package, and I’ll start meeting with local fellows to discuss it.” A week before Thanksgiving, Daley and the Danz group announced that 75% of the club’s stock would be exchanged for a sale price of $10.3 million, dependent on the approval of the American League at its Winter Meetings on December 4. In addition, it was reported that another buyer or buyers had offered as much as $13 million. Coming soon in Part Two, Milwaukee, Dallas-Fort Worth, and Seattle all clash to gain control of the franchise. View full article

Where's Tony Plush when you need him. 🫤

Looking forward to seeing him. If he can get it together, I'm sure he's in the 'ro.'

Move Ortiz back to 3B and put Williams at SS.

I have started on that...

At least Milwaukee didn't have a river that started on fire...lol. Although they did have one in Major League. 🔥

True, but those numbers are over 683 ABs, so if that is reduced to Turang's team-leading number (584), it is more like 2.5. But, maybe Vaughn can keep it up for a whole season. Time will tell!

Let's hope like hell that Vaughn can post somewhere around a 3.0 bWAR. That would be nice...

That does happen...lol. But a crappy showing will get him sent to Nashville for sure 😎

Image courtesy of © Dave Kallmann / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images / © Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin / USA TODAY NETWORK With the minor league signing and non-roster invite extended to Reese McGuire earlier this week, the number of NRIs that will work out in the major league camp at American Family Fields of Phoenix was increased to 17 players. This group of players will typically include free agents who recently signed minor league contracts with the club, along with top prospects in the minor leagues. Here is a brief overview of the players invited. Brewers Pitchers RHP Gerson Garabito Garabito, 30, was signed to a minor league deal in December. He had an interesting journey last year, starting in the majors for the Rangers, but was sent down to Triple-A Round Rock after two appearances. Garabito made 10 starts there, posting an abysmal 8.53 ERA. Given his release, he signed with the Samsung Lions in the KBO. He made 15 starts for the Lions, going 4-4 with an ERA of 2.64. That was enough to pique the Brewers' interest for 2026. The veteran of 21 big-league appearances, he will start the season at Nashville but could get a call at some point from the Brewers. LHP Tate Kuehner Entering his fourth season in the Brewers organization, Kuehner spent most of last season at Double-A Biloxi, making 21 starts for the Shuckers, posting a record of 7-5 with an ERA of 2.50. The soon-to-be 25-year-old got promoted to Triple-A Nashville and made two starts there at the end of the season. Kuehner, a seventh-round pick in 2023, will most likely begin the season in Nashville but could get a late-season call-up to Milwaukee if he continues his success. LHP Drew Rom The extent of Rom’s major league experience consists of eight starts in 2023 for the Cardinals. He began his professional career with the Baltimore Orioles before getting traded to the Cardinals in 2023. The 26-year-old has been injury-prone, having suffered biceps and shoulder injuries in 2024 and 2025. He only hits 91 on the gun, but has a handful of secondary offerings that could make him an interesting pickup and another candidate for the Brewers' pitching lab after signing a minor league deal with the Brewers in mid-December. RHP Jacob Waguespack A recent signing, the 6-foot-6, 230-pound Waguespack has had a checkered career. He made 27 appearances (13 starts) with Toronto in 2019 and 2020 but then pitched for the Orix Buffaloes in Japan over the 2022 and 2023 seasons. Waguespack signed with Tampa Bay in early 2024 and made four appearances with the Rays before being sent down for the balance of the season. Shoulder problems limited him to 33 innings. Last year, Waguespack pitched well at Triple-A Durham but went on the shelf with an undisclosed injury in June and then was released in July. He signed with Philadelphia in August and made 11 appearances at Triple-A Lehigh Valley but was granted free agency after the season. Waguespack, 32, can pitch in multiple roles, offering the Brewers more organizational depth, at least for now. Brewers Catchers Reese McGuire The man they call ‘Pieces’ has nearly 400 games of big-league experience over eight seasons with Toronto, Boston, White Sox, and with the Cubs last year. Although the lefty hitter slashed only .226/.245/.444 over 44 games, he showed some pop with nine home runs in just 133 at-bats. Signed to a minor league deal a few days ago, McGuire now has a leg up on the back-up job behind ‘Wild Bill’ Contreras, possibly relegating Jeferson Quero back to Triple-A for additional seasoning. The 30-year-old McGuire was a first-round pick (14th overall) by the Pirates in 2013 but has never been anything more than a backup, a role that he would embrace with the Brewers. Darrien Miller The lefty-swinging Miller played the prior two seasons and Double-A Biloxi and hit a combined .203/.385/.308 over 719 plate appearances in 2024 and 2025. In his career, he has thrown out just 15% of runners trying to steal. One thing he can do is get on base, having drawn walks at a rate of nearly 17% while taking one for the team (HBP) once every 16 at-bats. Ouch. Soon to turn 25, Miller gets bumped down the depth chart with the signing of McGuire and could start the year in Nashville. But if Quero starts out in the minors, Miller either sees less playing time or will spend another year in Biloxi. Ramón Rodriguez Selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2016 MLB Draft, Rodriguez was later picked up by the Baltimore Orioles. Milwaukee picked him up after the 2023 campaign and had a nice year at High-A Wisconsin in 2024, bashing 10 home runs in just 74 games. He moved up to Double-A Biloxi in 2025 but suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in mid-May. If 100% healthy again, the 27-year-old Rodriguez is still one of the catchers blocked by the Contreras-McGuire-Quero trio at the top of the catcher depth chart. You can also throw Matt Wood and Marco Dinges into that second group. He most likely will play in Biloxi again. Matt Wood Now in his fifth year in the Brewers organization, Wood isn’t a prototypical power hitter but is a good gap hitter with doubles power. Over his career, he has drawn walks at a rate of 14%. Wood, who will turn 25 in March, started 2025 at High-A Wisconsin but moved up to Biloxi after just 30 games with the T-Rats. At the higher level, he batted .271/.371/.415 with 18 extra-base hits across 207 at-bats. Wood has a decent arm, having thrown out 27% of runners trying to steal on him in Double-A. Where will he start in 2026? Most likely in Biloxi, but he could begin in Music City. Brewers Infielders Luke Adams Also in his fifth year in the Brewers chain, Adams, 21, spent a half-season at Biloxi last year and is likely to begin there in 2026. He walked at a rate of 15% but struck out 22% of the time. Adams has 50 grade power, but it hasn’t really translated into home run numbers. He’s okay at either corner infield spot, and although he stole a combined 58 bases in his first two full seasons in the pros, he’s not gonna be a burner on the bases. Ranked the ninth-best prospect on Brewer Fanatic and 10th on MLB.com Top Prospects, Adams isn’t ready for prime time yet, but could be ready to take over at first base in 2027, especially if Andrew Vaughn regresses to his 2025 White Sox version or leaves in free agency. Jesús Made Made is the most anticipated Brewer since Jackson Chourio a couple of years ago. The switch-hitter has moved rapidly up the Brewers chain and won’t be 19 until early May 2026. He is ranked third on MLB.com’s Top 100 Prospects list and has a major league ETA of 2027. This year, he will most likely start at Biloxi to build on his five-game stint there at the end of last season. He is a plus runner and grades out at 55 in the field. Made has played mostly at short but also has experience at second and third. All eyes will be on this exciting youngster in Arizona this spring. Cooper Pratt Pratt is one of the three top SS prospects in the Brewers chain and is ranked number 64 on MLB.com’s Top Prospects list this year. Pratt is the closest of the trio to make the big leagues, at least at this point. His defensive tools (arm, fielding) grade out at 60, and he won a Minor League Gold Glove in 2024, so his defensive pedigree is solid. Pratt posted decent stats last year at Biloxi, especially in the walks department, drawing free passes at a rate of nearly 13% while only striking out at a 15% rate. The 21-year-old Pratt will most likely begin the season with Nashville, but has a great opportunity in spring training to cement his standing in the Brewers' shortstop pecking order. Brock Wilken Wilken was off to a good start at Biloxi last year, bashing 18 home runs in 65 games while drawing walks at a rate of 20% before being lost for two months with a dislocated left kneecap suffered in a locker room celebration. Unfortunately, he also struck out at a dismal 27% rate. Wilken returned for the last 16 games of the season but only batted .185 (10-for-54) with no homers. The 6-foot-4, 225-pound slugger is an average defender at third and only grades out at 30 for speed/base running, so his power will carry him as far as he can go. Wilken, 23, might start the season at Biloxi, but he could move up to Nashville at some point in the season, depending on his health. Brewers Outfielders Luis Lara The diminutive (5-foot-8, 167-pound) speedster will fit right in with the Brewers ‘Short Kings’ roster. Only 21, Lara played a full season at Biloxi last year and showed speed (44 steals) and gap power with 32 doubles. Lara has a 60 grade for running, arm, and fielding, and plays an excellent center field. He will never hit for power, but has some elite tools that will move him up. Nashville appears to be the starting destination this year for the switch-hitter. Brewers Infielders/Outfielders These four players have played both infield and outfield in their careers and should fit right in with their versatility. Eduardo Garcia The lanky (6-foot-3, 160-pound) Garcia is 23 and played most of the year at Appleton before moving up to Biloxi for the last six weeks of the season. Base stealing became part of his game last year as he stole 41 bases in 48 tries after only stealing a combined 39 bags in the previous four campaigns. Garcia has bounced around in the organization, having played for four years for the T-Rats and parts of two seasons in Biloxi. He has played almost every position except for catcher and pitcher in the minors, and at this point is strictly organizational depth. Greg Jones Soon to turn 28, the switch-hitter was signed to a minor league deal in early December. Jones has played very briefly in the bigs, appearing in nine games over the last two seasons with the Rockies and White Sox. Jones is another organizational piece for Milwaukee, but his speed, defense, and versatility will make him a valuable member at Nashville. His main positions are shortstop and center field. Eddys Leonard The well-traveled Leonard is now in his fourth organization with Milwaukee. Like many of the other Brewer NRIs, he is very versatile and has played every position except catcher, but has spent most of his time at short. Leonard, 25, has decent power, having hit 95 home runs in parts of seven minor league seasons. All his tools are average or a little above, but for now, he is going to be a ‘camp body’ and provide depth at Nashville. Jett Williams Last but not least, the 22-year-old will be one of the most-watched players at camp this year. Williams came to Milwaukee from the Mets, along with Brandon Sproat, in the Freddy Peralta and Tobias Myers deal. The 5-foot-7, 175-pounder offers speed and versatility and is ticketed for either center field or shortstop, but he can also play second. He stole at least 30 bases in two of his three seasons in the minors, with a high of 45 in 2023 between three teams in the Mets chain. Williams also exhibits a little pop and could be a 15-20 HR guy. Much has been written about Williams, and I offer an excellent piece by our @Jack Stern that will tell you more about him. Will Any of These Make the Brewers' 26-Man Roster? At this point, only McGuire is projected to make the 26-man Opening Day roster, displacing Jeferson Quero as the backup catcher. But a great spring by Quero could alter that plan. Likewise, Williams will likely battle Andruw Monasterio for the utility infielder spot. Williams could use a little seasoning as he only has 40 games worth of action at Triple-A. But again, a great showing in the Arizona camp could force the Brewers to keep him once the season starts. View full article

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Image courtesy of © Dale Guldan / USA TODAY NETWORK This multi-part series talks about how the Brewers got to the World Series and offers a timeline of the 1982 campaign, including player profiles, game recaps, and other events that affected the season. Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 The Series So Far The 1982 World Series had its ebbs and flows, with the Brewers winning Game 1 by a 10-0 margin, and then two wins by the Cardinals, followed by two wins by the Brewers that resulted in a 3-2 lead for Milwaukee. The Brewers were tough at home during the playoffs, winning five of six contests at County Stadium, but struggled somewhat on the road, winning one while losing three entering the final two games of the Series. Game 6: Stuper pitches a gem in Cards' 13-1 shellacking Milwaukee (Don Sutton) at St. Louis (John Stuper) The middle part of the game was delayed twice due to rain, for more than 2 ½ hours in total, but it didn’t bother the Cardinals. They scored a baker’s dozen in a rout that tied the Series at three games each. While Don Sutton clearly didn’t have his best stuff, allowing seven hits and seven runs in 4 1/3 innings, John Stuper was lights out for the Cardinals. The 25-year-old rookie right-hander pitched a complete-game four-hitter despite the two rain delays, which stretched the game to an even five hours. Milwaukee’s defense didn’t help matters, as Robin Yount and Jim Gantner—normally sure-handed glove men—had two miscues apiece. “I think the wet turf hurt them a little bit,” said manager Whitey Herzog with a chuckle. “We watered it down all day long.” The Cards scored two runs in the second inning, highlighted by Tom Herr’s RBI double. In the fourth, Darrell Porter hit a two-run homer, and Herr’s squeeze bunt scored Dane Iorg to make it 5-0. Keith Hernandez hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the fifth to make it 7-0, and heavy rain prompted a 26-minute delay. One inning later, Doc Medich came on and allowed one run on a sequence that looked like this: double, wild pitch, single, single, wild pitch, groundout. The game was halted by a downpour for a second time. It resumed at 11:40 pm Central, and Medich was greeted rudely, as St. Louis scored five more times with run-scoring singles by Hernandez (two RBI) and George Hendrick and a booted grounder by Gantner that allowed two more runners to cross the plate. In the top of the ninth, the Brewers scored their lone run on a double by Gantner, a single by Paul Molitor, and a wild pitch that allowed Gantner to score. The talk after the game involved the rain, and the way baseball commissioner Bowie Kuhn handled it. "Kuhn took a risk, a chance that players could have [gotten] hurt and not been ready for the seventh game of the World Series,” Medich said after the game. The commissioner was stubborn, all right. “We’re going to play this game until it is completed—even if we have to wait a great many more hours,” Kuhn said in an interview during the game. They waited, then played, until past midnight, even though the result was beyond doubt much earlier. Game 7: Andujar, Sutter shut down Brewers to win Fall Classic Milwaukee (Pete Vuckovich) at St. Louis (Joaquín Andujar) The Brewers had a 3-1 lead going into the bottom of the sixth, needing just 12 outs to win the franchise’s first World Series championship. Unfortunately for the Brewers, the Cardinals scored three times in the bottom half of the sixth and twice in the eighth on their way to a 6-3 victory, earning their ninth title in front of 53,723 screaming maniacs at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. The game was scoreless when the Cardinals came to bat in the bottom of the fourth against Pete Vuckovich. With runners on the corners and one out, Lonnie Smith beat out a groundball to shortstop, scoring Willie McGee. Milwaukee answered immediately against Joaquín Andujar. In the top of the fifth, Ben Oglivie slammed Andujar’s first offering into the right-field stands to quiet the raucous crowd. Vuckovich allowed eight hits and two walks over the first five frames, but held the Cardinals to a single run. The Brewers tagged Andujar for a pair of runs in the top of the sixth. Gantner ambushed his first pitch for a double to right-center. Molitor laid a bunt down the third-base line, but Andujar’s throw to first sailed wide, allowing Gantner to score and Molitor to go to second. Yount beat out an infield chopper that moved Molitor to third. Cecil Cooper hit a sac fly to left that scored Molitor, to extend the lead to 3-1. In the bottom of the sixth, Vuckovich got the first out, but then allowed an Ozzie Smith single and a double by Lonnie Smith. That was all for ‘Vuke,’ who was replaced by Bob McClure. Pinch-hitter Gene Tenace drew a walk and was replaced by pinch-runner Mike Ramsey. Hernandez tied the game with a single to center that scored both Smiths. The Cards took the lead when Hendrick’s single to right scored Ramsey. Haas began the bottom of the eighth by giving up a ground-rule double to Lonnie Smith. Ramsey struck out, Hernandez drew an intentional walk, and Hendrick flied out to center for the second out. With lefthanders Porter and Braun coming up, Brewers manager Harvey Kuenn brought in Mike Caldwell, who had thrown 127 pitches in Game 5 just three days earlier. Caldwell allowed RBI singles to both Porter and Braun, expanding the lead to 6-3. Bruce Sutter, who had retired the side in the eighth, repeated that feat in the ninth to earn his second save of the Series and give the Cardinals their first title since 1967. The city of Milwaukee, which had already waited 10 years longer, still hasn't broken their drought. The Brewers were led by Molitor, who had two hits. For St. Louis, Lonnie Smith had three hits, while Ozzie Smith, Hernandez, Hendrick, and Iorg each had a pair of hits. Andujar allowed seven hits and three runs in seven innings, coming back from the line drive hit off his leg in Game 3. Porter, who batted .286 (8-for-28) with two doubles, a homer, and five RBIs, was named World Series Most Valuable Player. While St. Louis would return to the Fall Classic six more times and win two of them (2006, 2011), the Brewers have not returned. The closest they have come is losing three times in National League Championship Series, including to the Cardinals again in 2011. But no matter their success, the 1982 Brewers team was one of the best Brewers teams in franchise history. Maybe, soon, the team can have another campaign as magical, but for now, Harvey's Wallbangers remain the most memorable and beloved group ever to don the blue and yellow. View full article