Taking a look at the all-time Milwaukee Brewers team … with a twist

Inspired by an article written by co-director of the IBWAA (Internet Baseball Writers Association of America) Daniel Epstein, we’re going to take a look at the all-time Milwaukee Brewers team … with a twist. The rules to this are as follows:

No retired numbers. No Hall of Famers. No active players. No problem, right? Wrong.

The Milwaukee Brewers have five non-Jackie Robinson numbers retired in their history, those are 1, 4, 19, 34, and 44. As far as Hall of Famers, Hank Aaron, Rollie Fingers, Paul Molitor, Ted Simmons, Robin Yount, Trevor Hoffman, and Don Sutton are all ineligible for this as well.

Then you take into account active players. While the current roster is not filled with talent that would make the “All-time Brewers team”, an argument could be made for Christian Yelich and Josh Hader to be included in the conversation. But alas, they are currently active and will not be taken into consideration.

The same could be said for former Brewers players Zack Greinke, John Axford, Will Smith, Jonathan Lucroy, Corey Knebel, Jesus Aguilar, Mike Moustakas, Yasmani Grandal and Avisail Garcia, all of whom are still active but with other clubs. Now, most of these names may not be considered some of the greatest Brewers of all time but when you apply the specific filters we’re working with here, the list of possible candidates shortens significantly.

Without further ado, let’s get into it.

Catcher: Jason Kendall #18 (2008-2009)

Jason Kendall joined the Milwaukee Brewers in 2008 as a three-time All Star with a solid reputation as one of the game’s best defensive catchers, clubhouse presences, and owner of one of the highest baseball-IQ’s in the game.

Never much of a power threat, Kendall hit four home runs with Milwaukee across over 1,100 plate appearances and 285 games. His batting average dipped somewhat but he continued to possess a well-above-average eye at the plate – drawing 96 walks while striking out just 103 times.

Kendall’s 2.9 dWAR posted in 2008 ultimately ended up being a career-high for the then-34 year old, he was able to post this alongside a 1.0 oWAR; a lower number than previous career showings but the defensive contributions were more-so where Jason Kendall’s value truly lied as a member of the Milwaukee Brewers.

Honorable mention(s): Darrell Porter #15 (1971-1976), B.J. Surhoff #5 (1987-1995) Dave Nilsson #7/#11/#13/#14 (1992-1999)

Ineligible: Ted Simmons #23 (1981-1985 Hall of Fame), Jonathan Lucroy #20 (2010-2016 Active)

First base: Cecil Cooper #15 (1977-1987)

After spending the first six seasons of his 17-year career in the big leagues as a fringe member of the Boston Red Sox, Cecil Cooper was traded from Boston to Milwaukee in 1977 and the rest, as they say, is history.

Cecil Celester Cooper is one of the best players in Milwaukee Brewers history, making five All Star teams, winning two Gold Gloves and three Silver Sluggers while leading the AL in RBI in both 1980 and 1983. With over 200 home runs, 900 RBI, 30.4 oWAR and a .302 average across 1,490 games and almost 6,500 plate appearances, Cooper’s legacy in Milwaukee cannot be overstated, he is simply the best first baseman in the club’s history.

After Cecil Cooper’s dominant run in Milwaukee he earned a spot on the Brewers’ Wall of Honor as well as on the American Family Field Walk of Fame; although his number was never retired by the club, so he is the easy choice for this one.

Honorable mention(s): Prince Fielder #28 (2005-2011), Richie Sexson #11 (2000-2003)

Ineligible: Corey Hart #1 (2004-2012 Number Retired)

Second base: Jim Gantner #11/#17/#47 (1976-1992)

Jim Gantner should firmly be in the middle of the conversation when looking at the most underrated player in Milwaukee Brewers history. He broke into the big leagues in 1976 as a 23-year old second baseman and then proceeded to spend the next 16 seasons as a member of the Brewers, filling a variety of roles both offensively and defensively.

Jim “Gumby” Gantner was never a consistent power threat, only hitting double-digit home run totals and a SLG% over .400 once in his career, but he was good for no less than a .270-.280 batting average year in and year out while doing one of the most important things a baseball player can do, and that is stay on the field. Gantner was so little of a power hitter that he once went over 1,700 at bats and 350 games between home runs.

On defense, Gantner was the club’s primary second baseman essentially from 1979 until 1992, occasionally filling in at third (360 G, 2,600 innings) and shortstop (7 G, 42 innings) as needed but the Brewers had one face at second base for well over a decade.

Jim Gantner shockingly didn’t make a single All Star game throughout his career as he was never nationally popular but was certainly a hometown hero to fellow Wisconsinites (Gantner is from Fond du Lac, Wisconsin). He wrapped up his 17-year career with just under 1,700 hits, a .274 batting average and a total of 22.5 bWAR. Today you will find Jim Gantner as a member of the American Family Field Walk of Fame, Milwaukee Brewers Wall of Honor, and the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame.

Honorable mention(s): Rickie Weeks #23 (2003, 2005-2014) Tommy Harper #21 (1969-1971), Mark Loretta #8 (1995-2002)

Ineligible: Fernando Vina #1 (1995-1999 Number Retired)

Third base: Don Money #7 (1973-1983)

Don Money debuted in 1968 with the Philadelphia Phillies where he spent parts of five seasons before being dealt to Milwaukee in a huge seven-player deal in October of 1972.

Money, a four-time All Star with the Brewers, had his best career seasons in Milwaukee, highlighted by his performance in 1974 when he led the league in plate appearances, registered a career-high 178 base hits and 32 doubles, good for a 29th place finish in the AL MVP voting.

On defense, Don Money made appearances at all four infield spots, as well as a 23-game showing in left field in 1977. Money was widely considered to be one of the better defensive third basemen in the game, regularly posting above-average fielding percentages and committing just 63 errors over thousands of innings and defensive chances at the position.

In the end, Don Money’s Milwaukee Brewers career spanned 11 seasons. He put up 134 home runs, over 1,100 base hits, a 114 OPS+ and a 27.4 oWAR; good enough numbers to earn him a spot on the American Family Field Walk of Fame and the Milwaukee Brewers Wall of Honor, an induction that he was quoted  as saying was the “great honor of all” throughout his baseball career.

Honorable mention(s): Bill Hall #2 (2002-2009), Aramis Ramirez #16 (2012-2015), Sal Bando #6 (1977-1981) Jeff Cirillo #6/#7/#26 (1994-1999, 2005-2006) Casey McGehee #14 (2010-2011)

Ineligible: Paul Molitor #4 (1978-1992 Hall of Fame, Number Retired), Mike Moustakas #11/#18 (2018-2019 Active)

Shortstop: J.J. Hardy #7 (2005-2009)

James Jerry “J.J.” Hardy spent the first five seasons of his 13-year career as a member of the Milwaukee Brewers, just long enough to win over the fans of Wisconsin baseball.

Hardy made his first career All Star appearance in 2007 with the club while serving as their everyday shortstop, ultimately the only position he ever played in the major leagues due to his outstanding abilities to field the position. Hardy went on to win three Gold Glove awards with the Orioles in 2012, ’13, and ’14, but was a slick-fielder with Milwaukee as well, putting up 6.6 dWAR for the Brewers and 10.9 for the Orioles, and a career 17.5 dWAR mark.

On offense, Hardy possessed an excellent bat as well, routinely hitting 20+ home runs from between his peak of 2007-2013 and was always good for a low-to-mid .400’s slugging percentage. His home run hitting peak came in 2013 as a member of the Baltimore Orioles but his best overall seasons with the bat came in Milwaukee in 2007 and ’08, when Hardy hit 26 and 24 home runs, posting a .277 and .283 batting average respectively.

J.J. Hardy will forever live on in the hearts of Milwaukee Brewers fans, the five years he spent in the city were certainly memorable ones. He retired in 2017 and is now a member of the Milwaukee Brewers Wall of Honor.

Honorable mention(s): Dale Sveum #7/#27 (1986-1988, 1990-1991), Jose Valentin #2/#54 (1992-1999)

Ineligible: Pat Listach #4/#16 (1992-1996 Number Retired), Jean Segura #2 (2012-2015 Active), Robin Yount #19 (1974-1993 Hall of Fame, Number Retired)

Left field: Ryan Braun #8 (2007-2020)

Ryan Braun is one of, if not the most controversial player in Milwaukee Brewers history. He also happens to be one of the best that have ever worn a Brewers jersey.

A six-time All Star, five-time Silver Slugger, former Rookie of the Year and 2011 NL MVP winner, Ryan Braun’s on-field performance speaks for itself. Over 14 years with the club, he provided more late-season clutch home runs than anyone else in Brewers history including dramatic game-winning home runs in 2008, 2011 and 2019.

PED suspension aside, Ryan Braun was an incredible baseball player. The sweet-swinging righty wrapped up his Brewers career with just under 2,000 hits, over 400 doubles, 350 home runs (good for the number one spot in Brewers history), 1,100+ RBI, a .296 batting average, .358 OBP, .532 SLG%, .891 OPS and 134 OPS+. The list goes on, he ended his career with a 47.1 bWAR and a career 135 wRC+.

Defensively, Braun came up as a third baseman with a strong arm but not many other strong qualities. The Brewers moved him to left field at the start of 2008 and never looked back. Braun certainly passed the eye-test as an outfielder but the metrics don’t favor him as a very strong defender regardless of his position. Bouncing around between left field, right field, and even first base near the end of his career, Braun would’ve been best suited for a DH role, one he took on in 2020 when the National League adopted the designated hitter for a year.

When all is said and done, Ryan Braun will go down as one of the best Milwaukee Brewers ever. While there are Brewers fans who have fallen out of love with him over the years, he is still largely a beloved figure and should find his number 8 hanging in the rafters in the coming years.

Honorable mention(s): Geoff Jenkins #5 (1998-2007), Greg Vaughn #7/#11/#23 (1989-1996), Ben Oglivie #24 (1979-1986)

Ineligible: Christian Yelich #22 (2018-present Active)

Center field: #27 Carlos Gomez (2010-2015)

Acquired in a trade with the Minnesota Twins for the previously mentioned J.J. Hardy in 2010, Carlos Gomez instantly won over the hearts of all Milwaukee Brewers fans. Known for his colorful and energetic personality, “Go-Go” was the club’s starting center fielder each year he was on the team and he seemed to get better and better as time went on.

Gomez’s peak years were 2013 and ’14 where he was an All Star and top-20 NL MVP vote getter in each year, hitting over 20 home runs, stealing over 30 bases, posting an OPS+ over 125, and an oWAR of 4.3 and 4.7 respectively, he was and still is one of the most electric players Milwaukee has ever seen.

Defense was the same story for Gomez, as he consistently ranked as one of the best defensive center fielders in the league, posting a dWAR as high as 3.6 in 2013 on the way to winning his first career Gold Glove.

The speedy Carlos Gomez wore his heart on his sleeve and while that may not have always been the best thing, nobody can ever say he was not passionate about the game. He was always a player that you hated to go up against as an opponent but loved as a teammate. He was recently added to the Milwaukee Brewers Wall of Honor and will always have a spot in Milwaukee Brewers fans’ hearts.

Honorable mention(s): Scott Podsednik #20 (2003-2004), Dave May #11 (1970-1974, 1978), Brady Clark #27 (2003-2006)

Ineligible: Lorenzo Cain #6/#36 (2010, 2018-present Active), Gorman Thomas #3/#20/#44 (1973-1976, 1978-1983, 1986 Number Retired)

Right field: Sixto Lezcano #16/#37 (1974-1980)

Sixto Lezcano broke into the major leagues with the Brewers at the age of 20 back in 1974. As his playing time increased over the years, so did his production. Always a lock for a solid batting average, double-digit home run totals and a sharp eye at the plate, Lezcano was a very valuable player for the Brewers throughout the 1970’s.

1979 was by far Sixto Lezcano’s best year as a major leaguer, the then-25 year old outfielder hit 28 home runs, drove in 101, walked more than he struck out, registered a .321 batting average, .414 OBP, .573 SLG%, .987 OPS and a 164 OPS+. In all respects he was one of the best players in the American League that season.

Despite his excellent 1979 season, Lezcano managed to finish just 15th in the AL MVP voting. When taking into account who finished higher than him in the MVP race that season, it’s fair to wonder where a season like that would have ranked in today’s game. His 5.6 WAR ranked 11th overall, batting average seventh, OBP fifth, SLG% third and OPS second amongst qualified MVP vote-getters.

The 1979 season was the last great year in Sixto Lezcano’s career and the second to last year as a member of the Brewers, as they traded him to the St. Louis Cardinals at the conclusion of the 1980 season – one that he failed to replicate his successes from the year before in.

Aside from a brief audition in left and center field in 1976, Sixto Lezcano played the entirety of his Milwaukee Brewers career in right field. While he was not ranked very highly when it comes to dWAR, he possessed one of the league’s strongest throwing arms and even led all American League outfielders in assists in 1978 and then won a Gold Glove in 1979 at the position.

Sixto Lezcano seven-year career with the Milwaukee Brewers is looked back on as a successful one, his 1979 season was outstanding in every sense of the word. His results in seasons after his departure from Milwaukee came nowhere close to what he was able to do in Milwaukee and retired in 1985 at the age of 31. Today, Lezcano finds himself as a member of the Milwaukee Brewers Wall of Honor.

Honorable mention(s): Jeromy Burnitz #20 (1996-2001), Rob Deer #45 (1986-1990), Darryl Hamilton #18/#24 (1988, 1990-1995)

*Note: The only full-time designated hitter in Brewers history worthy of making the all-time team would be Hank Aaron, who has his number retired and is in the Hall of Fame.

Starting pitcher: Yovani Gallardo #49 (2007-2014)

There are quite a few pitchers in the Brewers’ history worthy of this honor. When it comes to consistency and a lengthy stretch of being firmly at the top of the rotation, Yovani Gallardo‘s eight-year career as a member of the Milwaukee Brewers was one of the best stretches one will find. Gallardo was the epitome of durability, making 30+ starts in each season from 2009 to 2015 (2015 was as a member of the Texas Rangers), topping 200 strikeouts four consecutive times from 2009-2012, topping 15 wins twice and perhaps most importantly (kidding, of course) – hitting 12 home runs and cementing himself as the best hitting pitcher the Brewers have ever had.

Yovani Gallardo was such an important figure on this Brewers’ team. He played a huge role in the club’s march to the postseason in 2011, winning a career-high 17 games that season and ultimately finishing seventh in the NL Cy Young race. In the postseason that year, Gallardo dominated the Diamondbacks twice during the NLDS, pitching 14 innings and posting a sparkling 1.29 ERA.

Gallardo’s last official season as a Milwaukee Brewer came in 2014, as they dealt their franchise icon to the Texas Rangers in January of 2015. He wrapped up his tenure in Milwaukee as the franchise’s all-time strikeout leader and with an 89-64 record, 3.69 ERA, four complete games, just under 1,300 innings and the same is to be said about strikeouts. Yovani Gallardo was added to the Brewers Wall of Honor just this past season in 2021.

Honorable mention(s): Pete Vuckovich #50 (1981-1983, 1985-1986), Ben Sheets #15 (2001-2008), Mike Caldwell #48 (1977-1984), C.C. Sabathia #52 (2008), Jim Colborn #48 (1972-1976), Moose Haas #30 (1976-1985), Teddy Higuera #49/#55 (1985-1991, 1993-1994)

Ineligible: Don Sutton #20/#21 (1982-1984 Hall of Fame), Corbin Burnes #39 (2018-Present Active), Zack Greinke #13 (2011-2012 Active), Brandon Woodruff #53 (2017-Present Active)

Non-closer reliever: David Weathers #20/#49 (1998-2001, 2009)

While there is a very long list of pitchers who could fit into this spot, most of them are either still active or had their best years as a closer with the Brewers. This leaves us with David Weathers as the top non-closer relief pitcher.

David Weathers filled a variety of different roles for many different teams in his 19-year career. Weathers served as a starting pitcher in the beginning of his career, became a middle/long-relief option for many years before ultimately getting a shot at closer for the Cincinnati Reds from 2005-2007.

As a member of the Milwaukee Brewers in two stints, Weathers was a very oft-used relief pitcher alternating from long-relief to middle-relief as needed. In his first stint out of the Brewers ‘pen, Weathers made over 60 appearances twice and 50+ appearances three times, serving as a shut-down, rally-killing option in the bullpen.

Weathers returned to Milwaukee in 2009 via trade from the Cincinnati Reds but was largely unsuccessful, ultimately posting a 4.88 ERA across 25 games, walking more batters than he struckout and posting a FIP of 5.51 and a WHIP of 1.54. 2009 marked the final season of his nearly decade-long big league career.

Honorable mention(s): Luis Vizcaino #51 (2002-2004) Bill Castro #20/#35 (1974-1980), Ray King #45/#46 (2000-2002, 2007)

Ineligible: Will Smith #13 (2014-2016 Active), Brent Suter #21/#35 (2016-Present Active), Tyler Thornburg #30/#37/#63 (2012-2016 Active), Devin Williams #38 (2019-Present Active)