Milwaukee Brewers: The all-time bracket
By Bill Felber
Milwaukee Brewers: The all-time bracket
No. 1 seed vs. No. 8 seed
The 1982 club, fondly recalled in Milwaukee as ‘Harvey’s Wallbangers,’ won the franchise’s only pennant. Managed by Buck Rodgers and then by Harvey Kuenn, they beat California in five games for the American League pennant and then lost a seven-game World Series to the St. Louis cardinals.
The club was known for its free and easy, swing for the fences-style. Five Milwaukee Brewers hit 20 or more home runs, led by Gorman Thomas (39), Ben Oglivie (34) and Cecil Cooper (32). They led the American League in team home runs with 216, an extraordinary number for the period, and also led in RBIs with 843.
Four Brewers drove in more than 100 runs, Cooper leading the way with 121.
Led by a career year from journeyman Pete Vuckovich, the pitching staff was just good enough to hang on. Pitching for his fourth team in an eight-season career, Vuckovich went 18-6 with a 3.34 ERA and won the Cy Young Award.
The 1987 Brewers finished only third in the AL East, but it was a strong third. Milwaukee went 91-71 for Tom Trebelhorn, coming home seven games behind the Detroit Tigers and five behind the Blue Jays.
Robin Young, the team’s star shortstop in 1982, had moved to center field by 1987, but he remained a threat. Yount batted .312 with 21 home runs and 103 RBIs. Rob deer hit 28 homers, although his .238 average shaded the impact of those long balls. Teddy Higuera enjoyed his best season, leading the staff with an 18-10 record and 3.85 ERA.
Game 1: The 1982 Brewers’ .586 regular-season winning percentage trumps the 1987 club’s .562 mark.
Game 2: The 1982 team wins by default since the 1987 team did not play a post-season game.
Game 3: This is Harvey’s Wallbangers’ wheelhouse. The 1982 club fashioned a tea 121 OPS+, easily better than the 1987 club’s 102. The series I snow 3-0 in favor of 1982.
Game 4: Many teams had superior pitching to the 1982 AL champions, and the 1987 Brewers were among them. The 1987 club’s 99 staff ERA+ is no bargain, but it’s better than the 1982 club’s 96 ERA+.
Game 5: The 1982 team’s 47.4 WAR polishes off the 1987 club’s 36.2 WAR.
Result: 1982 in six games