The 1982 Brewers deserve the recognition they will receive at Miller Park next Tuesday.
Not only did that team win the only pennant in Brewers' history, but also it captured the flavor of Milwaukee at the time.
Gorman Thomas, Pete Vuckovich, Mike Caldwell and others were blue-collar players. Gorman and Vuke partied with the very people they entertained.
Robin Yount, Paul Molitor and Jim Gantner played the game hard and with great skill. Yount was the natural, with a mane of blonde hair hanging out under his cap. Chants of "MVP, MVP" could be heard every time he came to bat.
Molitor had Hollywood looks and played the game with an exciting flare of The Ignitor. Gantner was the local boy makes good story.
Cecil Cooper added class and grace at first base. Ben Oglivie and Ted Simmons had power and experience. Charlie Moore, a converted catcher, took over in right and played the position like he had always been there.
A journeyman like Pete Ladd took over for an injured Rollie Fingers late in the season and became a hero.
Once West Allis native Harvey Kuenn took over as manager in June, the club became Harvey's Wallbangers and really started on a roll. Every night was like a festival at County Stadium. Few towns were better baseball party towns than Milwaukee.
This writer was 33 and in his fifth season of covering baseball. I had started in 1978, when GM Harry Dalton started building the ballclub.
Each year, Dalton skillfully added pieces of the puzzle. The Brewers likely would have won the pennant in 1981 had it not been for a split-season because of labor problems.
In '82, I worked endless hours, partied regularly after games and never felt tired. It wasn't just because of relative youth. The Brewers put you on an adrenalin rush every game.
Those truly were years I, and many others who were involved in them, will never forget.
It's just a shame that a generation or two has gone without knowing just how much fun baseball could be in Milwaukee.
The Roster
Most of the principals in the '82 team plan on attending the reunion. They include Jerry Augustine, Dwight Bernard, Mike Caldwell, Cecil Cooper, GM Harry Dalton, Jamie Easterly, Jim Gantner, Moose Haas, coaches Larry Haney and Ron Hansen, Larry Hisle and Roy Howell.
Others include Audrey Kuenn, wife of the late Harvey, Pete Ladd, Randy Lerch, Bob McClure, Don Money, Charlie Moore, Paul Molitor, Ben Oglivie, Ed Romero, Ted Simmot ns, Jim Slaton, Gorman Thomas, Peter Vuckovich, coach Harry Warner and Robin Yount.
Pre-game festivities will start at 6:30 p.m. before the game against the Philadelphia Phillies. The 1982 pennant will be unveiled to hang in Miller Park. The first 15,000 fans will receive a keepsake of the '82 team.
Frank Charles, who played the organ for years at County Stadium, also will return for the reunion and play throughout the game. Charles, whose music as been preserved on tape, now lives in Florida.
Astros Deal?
The Brewers reportedly were trying to get Jose Hernandez and Mark Loretta through waivers this week, so they could talk to the Astros about a trade. Houston lost its shortstop, Julio Lugo, for up to six weeks and is in the market for a replacement for the stretch run.
Hernandez or Loretta would have to clear waivers before either could be dealt. If anything is going to happen, it likely will be by the end of this week.
Player of the Week
Eric Young had 10 hits over three games and is now around .280 for the season. You can't really blame the Brewers' poor season on him. After a very slow start, the veteran second baseman has played well. He deserved this week's player honor.
Plays of the Week
If Loretta is on the way out of town, he at least made a couple fine plays in Tuesday's game at Philadelphia Tuesday night. On one play, he grabbed a high hopper near the third base line and then made a diving tag of Mike Lieberthal, who was trying to get back to the base.
Loretta also snared a hard line drive in the game. These are the kind of plays we likely would have seen from Loretta all season, if he had played more.
Goat of the Week
I hate to keep picking on one guy, but Ruben Quevedo continued to raise questions about whether he belongs in a major league rotation with another bad outing last Friday.
Gregg Hoffmann writes The Brew Crew Review on Thursdays during the baseball season. Also, see his new column, On The Pack, on Mondays.
