Milwaukee Brewers: The all-time bracket
No. 3 vs. 6 seed
These teams are separated by just two seasons, and as a result, are similarly structured.
The 1981 Milwaukee Brewers produced an overall 62-47 record during the strike-divided season, finishing first at 31-22 in the second half but losing the division series to first-half champion New York in five games.
Cooper hit .320, while Yount, Molitor, Thomas, and Oglivie all had nice seasons.
On the mound, Vuckovich went 14-4 and Rollie Fingers produced a 6-3 record with 28 saves and a 1.04 ERA in 47 appearances covering 78 innings.
At 95-66, George Bamberger’s 1979 club finished eight games behind Baltimore’s divisional champions.
Again, the Brewers sent out a strong and balanced lineup. Four regulars finished above .300, Thomas hit 45 home runs and drove in 123.
The mound staff was again unremarkable, Caldwell leading it with a 16-6 record and 3.29 ERA in 30 starts.
Game 1: The 1979 team’s .590 winning percentage edges out the 1981 team’s .569.
Game 2: A fourth game 2 walkover, this one favoring 1981. The series is even at a game each.
Game 3: The 1979 team produced a 113 OPS+, six-point better than the 1981 team’s 107.
Game 4: Another victory for 1979, this time thanks to its 104 staff ERA+. That’s 15 points better than the 1981 club’s sub-par 89 ERA+.
Game 5: Perhaps handicapped by the cancellation of one-third of the season, the 1981 team only manages a pedestrian 22 team WAR. The 1979 team’s 48.2 WAR is easily good enough to end the series.
Result: 1979 in five games.