The third major league team to call Milwaukee home, the Brewers have typically struggled throughout their existence. However, they have had some excellent players come through their clubhouse. Which of those players make up the Brewers Mount Rushmore?
Baseball in Milwaukee has a long and vibrant history, even though the major leagues have come and gone from the city. The first Milwaukee Brewers were a part of the first American League season in 1901, but they moved to St. Louis to become the Browns in 1902. The minor league Brewers kept the name alive until major league baseball returned in 1953.
However, the Braves, despite having success on the field, left for Atlanta after the 1965 season. This time, Milwaukee did not need to wait five decades for the majors to return. After a disappointing season at the box office, the expansion Seattle Pilots were purchased by Bud Selig, who moved the team to his home town and revived the Brewers name.
Unfortunately, the Brewers have not had the same success that the Braves did. They have made the postseason only four times, with a single appearance in the World Series. Although they took the Cardinals to seven games in 1982, they ultimately fell short. With the Astros World Series victory this past year, the Brewers are now one of seven franchises that have not yet won the championship. Interestingly enough, three of those teams, including the Brewers, started in 1969.
Even with those struggles, the Milwaukee Brewers have had some excellent players on their roster. Which of those players make up their Mount Rushmore?
Despite a relatively late start to his major league career, Teddy Higuera was a star pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers.
Signed out of the Mexican League, Higuera made his first appearance stateside as a 26 year old in AA. He pitched well, earning a promotion to the AAA Vancouver Canadians, but was unable to find that same success. However, he pitched his way onto the Brewers roster in 1985, becoming a star. He would finish second in the Rookie of the Year vote that season, and in 1986, would make his only All Star appearance while finishing second in the Cy Young voting. In that year, Higuera became the second Mexican pitcher to win 20 games in a season, with Fernando Valenzuela besting him by three days.
Just when it seemed as though the Brewers had their ace for the next decade, injuries slowed Higuera. He appeared in only 56 games from 1989 through 1991, and eventually needed shoulder surgery. Higuera came back for two more seasons, but no longer had his stuff. His career came to an end in a disappointing manner.
Nonetheless, when healthy, few pitchers could compare to Higuera. Overall, he posted a 94-64 record with a 3.61 ERA and a 1.236 WHiP. Using his excellent screwball to great effect, he struck out 1081 batters in 1380 innings, while issuing just 443 walks. Had he been able to remain healthy, he would likely have been a key part of the Brewers success for years to come.
Teddy Higuera was one of the first pitching stars to come out of Mexico. Unfortunately, his shoulder did not let him fulfill his potential.
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Ryan Braun (2007-present)
On the surface, Ryan Braun’s resume is more than enough to make him one of the greatest players in Milwaukee Brewers history.
He entered the league with a bang in 2007, slugging 34 homers and leading the National League with a .634 slugging percentage en route to being named the NL Rookie of the Year. He won the MVP award in 2011, and was the runner up the following year. A six time All Star and five time Silver Slugger, Braun has hit 30 or more homers six times, and has stolen 20 or more bases four times.
Overall with the Brewers, Braun has produced an excellent .302/.364/.540 batting line, slugging 302 homers and 345 doubles. He has even stolen 193 bases, giving him an outside chance at joining the 300-300 club before his career is done. At just 33 years old, it is possible he could approach 3000 hits and 500 home runs, making him a candidate for the Hall of Fame.
However, one cannot discuss Braun without looking at his controversial legacy. He was set to be suspended for PED usage before throwing the sample taker under the bus. He won his appeal of his 50 game suspension, but in 2013, was named in the Biogenesis scandal, suspended for the second half of the 2013 campaign. His production to that point immediately came under fire, and as he has not been the same since, one has to wonder how much of his production was PED related.
Ryan Braun has been one of the best players in Milwaukee Brewers history. One just has to wonder how much of his performance came naturally.
Although he spent most of his time as the Milwaukee Brewers designated hitter, Paul Molitor was a versatile defensive player during his prime.
Over the years, he was the Brewers primary first, second, and third baseman, playing well at each position. The primary leadoff hitter in Milwaukee, he led the American League in runs three times. Although he was not Rickey Henderson, Molitor stole 30 or more bases eight times, and hit double digit homers nine times. He was a five time All Star for the Brewers, and won two Silver Slugger awards.
A key part of the lineup, Molitor was the catalyst for the Brewers during the 1980s. He produced an excellent .303/.367/.444 batting line, hitting 160 homers and 405 doubles. Molitor also showed off his solid speed, hitting 89 triples, scoring 1275 runs, and stealing 412 bases. He was a special, if somewhat underrated, player.
Molitor also came through for the Brewers in the postseason. He became the first player to have a five hit game in the World Series, part of a stretch where he had seven consecutive hits. Although Milwaukee fell short, Molitor was not to blame, as he produced a solid .355/.394/.355 batting line in the Fall Classic.
Paul Molitor was a star for the Milwaukee Brewers, and one of the best leadoff hitters of his era. He just happened to play at a time when two of the top leadoff hitters in baseball history were in the game, overshadowing his performance.
It is certainly interesting to categorize any player that won two MVP awards as underrated, but a case can be made. During his playing days, Yount only made three All Star Games, showing that he was somehow under the radar. Yount captured three Silver Slugger awards, and even won a Gold Glove at short, before moving to center field to make way for Ernest Riles.
Overall, Yount was one of the top players in the game. He ended his career with a .285/.342/.430 batting line, notching 3142 hits in his career. Although he was not much of a power hitter at the beginning of his time with the Brewers, he was an early proponent of weight lifting to add that needed muscle. It worked, as he hit 251 homers and 583 doubles, while stealing 271 bases.
It is interesting that, with as impressive a career as Yount had, he did not receive more accolades. Perhaps it was due to his desire to stay out of the spotlight, and to direct attention to others. And yet, when his career came to an end, Yount drew plenty of attention, being inducted into the Hall of Fame as part of the incredible Class of 1999.
