This Craig Counsell kid has a trophy too! (with outfielder Dion James) Milwaukee Brewers reliever Rollie Fingers spent the first two months of the 1981 offseason adding hardware to his trophy case. First, he won the Cy Young Award as the American League’s top pitcher, and then he took home honors as the league’s Most…
It was a deal destined to probably never happen, but for a short time in the fall of 1973 the Chicago Cubs inquired about acquiring highly touted catching prospect Darrell Porter from the Milwaukee Brewers. They had been shopping around 14-year veteran Ron Santo and had him on the table for Porter. It’s…
This upcoming Monday brings another birthday for yours truly, and another potential trip around the sun. Some years ago on the eve of my 18th birthday, I wrote the following rather bleak piece on where I was in life. Last year I wrote a reply to that young punk from “Future Me” to offer a current perspective:…
July 9, 2003, was a dark day in Milwaukee’s racing sausage history. First baseman Randall Simon of the Pittsburgh Pirates reached out over the dugout railing and knocked the Italian sausage with a bat near the top of the head. The racing sausages had been a part of Milwaukee Brewers games since starting off as…
Lefty Ron Guidry had a 1978 season that pitchers dream about – and will probably never be duplicated. Guidry went 25-3, in a season that is among the top 10 for winning percentage in baseball history. Some of his incredible stats include: Leading the league with a sparkling 1.74 ERA, 25 wins, a .893 winning…
The 1977 Milwaukee Brewers are generally looked at as a transitional team to the contenders that graced County Stadium from 1978-82. Popular first baseman George “Boomer” Scott and future star catcher Darrell Porter had been traded away in separate deals. New to the team were pitcher Bob McClure, first baseman Cecil Cooper, and star third…
The 1973 Milwaukee Brewers team achieved a few milestones, both collectively and as individuals. The team pulled off a ten-game winning streak for the first time in franchise history. It all started on Friday, June 8, in California, with an 8-2 win. The ’73 Brewers were starting to show a propensity for streaks. They ended…
Writer J. Daniel is in the final stages of working on a book with McFarland & Company covering the 1980 baseball season. Recently, Daniel took the time to talk with me about the thrilling season that culminated with a Philadelphia Phillies World Series trophy and what readers can expect to find in his book. You…
The Milwaukee Brewers came into the 1974 season collectively feeling a bit better about their fortunes. Coming off a much improved 74-88 record, the team was given 12-1 odds on winning the World Series by Reno oddsmakers. Even though it was a huge jump from the 100-1 odds in 1973, the team still had work…
You’d think a hurricane was coming prior to the 1973 season, not a snowstorm. Popular first baseman George “Boomer” Scott said 1972 had been his most difficult season in the big leagues due to player moves on the team. Scott said, “I don’t want to go through another season and be humiliated. When I walk…
The worst possible thing that could happen to any parent is the loss of a child. It’s a traumatic event that can have a lasting negative impact. Studies show that grief over a death is most stressful when it involves a child. Steve and Brandee Lendosky endured the unexpected loss of their son Derek on…
Last November I participated in a “what would you do if you were the General Manager of the Milwaukee Brewers” scenario. As spring training wraps up, it’s time to compare my plan to reality. Armchair general manager Chris Zantow vs. real general manager David Stearns. …
