Milwaukee Brewers
Encyclopedia
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball
team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
, currently playing in the Central Division
of Major League Baseball
's National League
. The team is named for the city's association with the brewing industry and plays its home games at Miller Park.
Originating in Seattle, Washington, as the Seattle Pilots, the club played for one season in 1969 before being acquired in bankruptcy court by current MLB Commissioner Bud Selig
and then moved to Milwaukee. The Brewers were part of the American League
from their creation as an expansion club in 1969 through the 1997 season, after which they moved to the National League Central Division. Milwaukee had previously been a National League city when its team was the Milwaukee Braves
(1953–1965).
In 1982, Milwaukee won the American League East Division and the American League Pennant, earning their only World Series
appearance to date. In the Series
, they lost to the St. Louis Cardinals
, four games to three.
In 2008, the Brewers achieved their first postseason berth in the 26 years since their World Series appearance as the wildcard
team in the National League. They were eliminated in the NLDS
by the eventual World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies
.
On September 23, 2011, the Milwaukee Brewers clinched their first division title in 29 years. They won the National League Division Series
in five games over the Arizona Diamondbacks
, but lost to the St. Louis Cardinals
in six games during the NLCS.
owner William R. Daley
and former Pacific Coast League
president Dewey Soriano
. They entered the American League along with the Kansas City Royals
as part of a hasty round of expansion triggered by the Kansas City Athletics
' move to Oakland. Senator
Stuart Symington
of Missouri
had threatened to have baseball's antitrust exemption revoked unless Kansas City was promptly granted another team. They were originally slated to begin play in 1971, but Symington would not accept the prospect of having Kansas City wait three years for another team and pressured MLB to have the Royals and their expansion brethren (the Pilots and the National League's San Diego Padres
and Montreal Expos
) ready for play in 1969. Until a new stadium (what would become the Kingdome
) was ready, the Pilots would play at Sick's Stadium
, the home of the city's longtime PCL franchise, the Seattle Rainiers
.
Manager Joe Schultz
actually thought they could finish third in the newly formed, six-team American League West
even though they had been badly outdrafted by the Royals. However, to the surprise of almost no one outside Seattle, the Pilots were terrible. They won their very first game, and then their home opener three days later, but only won five more times in the first month. They rebounded from that slow start, and managed to stay within a few games of .500 for most of the spring. However, a July 9–20 ended all hope of respectability. They finished last in the West with a record of 64–98, 33 games out of first. Much of the story of that season is told in pitcher Jim Bouton
's classic baseball book, Ball Four
.
However, the team's poor play was the least of the Pilots' problems. The team's ownership was badly undercapitalized; Soriano had not been able to afford the franchise fee and had to ask Daley to help pay it. In return, Daley got 47 percent of the team's stock—the biggest single share—and became chairman of the board. Also, Sick's Stadium was completely inadequate even as a temporary facility. While a condition of MLB awarding the Pilots to Seattle was that Sick's had to be expanded to 30,000 seats by the start of the 1969 season, only 17,000 seats were ready because of numerous delays. The scoreboard was not even ready until the night before Opening Day. While it was expanded to 25,000 by June, the added seats had obstructed views. Water pressure was almost nonexistent after the seventh inning, especially with crowds above 10,000. Only 677,000 fans came to see the Pilots that year; they never attracted a crowd even near capacity. By the end of the 1969 season, the Pilots were almost out of money, and it was obvious they would not survive long enough to move into their new stadium without new ownership. No credible offers surfaced from Seattle interests at first, however. Under these circumstances, Soriano was initially very receptive to an offer from a Milwaukee-based group headed by car salesman Bud Selig
. Selig had been a minority owner of the Milwaukee Braves
and had led unsuccessful efforts to keep them from moving to Atlanta, and had been working ever since then to bring the majors back to Milwaukee. During Game 1 of the World Series
, Soriano agreed to sell the Pilots to Selig for $10 million to $13 million (depending on the source). Selig would then move the team to Milwaukee. However, under strong pressure from Washington state officials, MLB asked Soriano to try to find a local buyer first. Unfortunately, one local deal collapsed when the Bank of California
called a loan for startup costs, and another bid was turned down out of concern it would devalue the other teams. With no other credible offers on the table, the owners approved the sale to Selig's group. Selig had already announced plans to rename the team the Brewers, a name that had been used by past Milwaukee baseball teams dating to the 19th century (most notably by a very successful minor league team that played there from 1902 to 1952). However, legal action kept Selig from formally taking control, and dragged out through the winter.
The matter still had not been resolved by the end of spring training, leaving new manager Dave Bristol
and the players unsure of where they would play. The team's equipment sat in Provo, Utah
while the drivers awaited word to drive to Seattle or Milwaukee. After the state filed an injunction to stop the sale on March 17, Soriano and the Pilots filed for bankruptcy to forestall any more legal action. After general manager Marvin Milkes
testified that the Pilots did not have enough money to pay the players, the bankruptcy judge granted the Pilots' filing on April 1 and ruled the move to Milwaukee in order. MLB would not return to Seattle until 1977 when the Mariners
entered the AL, along with the Toronto Blue Jays
.
).
Under the circumstances, the Brewers'
1970 season was over before it started, and they finished 65–97 (a one-game improvement over 1969). They would not have a winning season until 1978. Those years, however, were not without their highlights. For instance, in 1973 the team introduced its popular mascot, Bernie Brewer
. A year later, the Brewers engineered a trade that brought Hank Aaron back to Milwaukee, a move which gave the team instant credibility. Selig also began acquiring many players that would become long-standing fan favorites, including Robin Yount
, Paul Molitor
, Jim Gantner
, Stormin' Gorman Thomas, Don Money
, and Cecil Cooper
.
into pennant contenders in 1978
. The team won 93 games, an astonishing 26 game improvement from the previous season. The Brewers finished in 3rd place in the AL East, 6.5 games behind the first place New York Yankees. GM Harry Dalton was able to build a winning club with a combination of home-grown players like Robin Yount, Paul Molitor, and Gorman Thomas, as well as getting players that were cast-offs from other teams that became major contributors like Cecil Cooper, Ben Oglivie
, and Mike Caldwell.
The next season
, Milwaukee
won 95 games and finished second in the East behind the Baltimore Orioles
on the strength of their home run power, led by Oglivie (who led the league in homers in 1980 along with Reggie Jackson
), Cooper, and Thomas (who hit a then club-record 45 home runs in 1979, since broken by Prince Fielder
, who hit 50 homers in 2007). Because of the team's slugging ability and the nickname of their manager Bamberger, the Brewers were nicknamed "Bambi's Bombers."
As 1980 began, the Brewers
and their fans were optimistic about becoming pennant winners, but the team scuffled during the season, partially due to manager George Bamberger suffering a heart attack and having to be replaced by Buck Rodgers. The Brewers fell back to 3rd place in 1980, largely due to a lack of a bullpen. Determined to get a proven relief pitcher, general manager Harry Dalton made a huge offseason trade with the St. Louis Cardinals, trading outfielder Sixto Lescano and 3 minor league pitchers to the Cardinals in exchange for Rollie Fingers
, Pete Vuckovich
, and Ted Simmons
, all of whom became key parts of the Brewers future success.
The Brewers
won the second half of the 1981 season (divided because of a players' strike) and played the Yankees
in a playoff mini-series
they ultimately lost. It was the first playoff appearance for the franchise. Rollie Fingers had one of the greatest seasons for a relief pitcher that season, saving 28 games in the shortened season and sporting an astonishing 1.04 ERA, earning him both the MVP and Cy Young awards in the American League.
In 1982
, the Brewers
were considered heavy favorites to win the AL East, but by June, the team had fallen to 23–24 and signs had shown that the players were having problems playing under manager Buck Rodgers. Taking a gamble, the Brewers fired Rodgers and replaced him with hitting coach Harvey Kuenn
. The team immediately excelled under Kuenn's low-key managerial style and gained a new nickname as Harvey's Wallbangers, a play on the drink Harvey Wallbanger and the team's manager's name. The Brewers went 72–43 under Kuenn for the rest of the season and went wild offensively, clubbing a then club-record 216 home runs during the season. The Brewers alone had three players finish in the top five in the league in home runs with Gorman Thomas, who led the league with 39, Ben Oglivie, who hit 34, and Cecil Cooper, who hit 32. Late in the season, to try to ensure the Brewers' pennant chase, the team made one last trade on August 30 for Don Sutton. That trade would become even more important on the final game of the regular season between the Brewers and the Baltimore Orioles
, with both teams tied for first place in the AL East. Don Sutton started against Jim Palmer
and the Brewers won 10–2, thanks to Robin Yount hitting two clutch home runs, clinching the AL East Division. The Brewers finished the season 95–67, the best record in baseball that year.
The Brewers faced the California Angels
in the 1982 American League Championship Series
and lost the first two games in California, but then rallied to win the next two games back in Milwaukee, setting up the pivotal Game 5, with the winner being the American League Champions. Down 3–2 in the 7th, Cecil Cooper hit a clutch 2-run single to put the Brewers on top and proved to be a game winner. The Brewers became the first team to win the American League Championship Series when down two games to none.
The Brewers then played the St. Louis Cardinals
in the World Series
, which was seen as a match-up of contrasting playing styles, as the Cardinals' offensive style was speed and defense, whereas the Brewers' offense was power hitting. The Brewers won Game One 10–0, thanks to Paul Molitor
's World Series record 5 hits and a complete game shutout by Mike Caldwell. The Cardinals won the next two games and seemed to have Game 4 in complete control until the Brewers rallied for six runs in the 7th to win the game 7–5. The Brewers then won Game Five 6–4, giving them a 3–2 series lead, but the Cardinals trounced Don Sutton winning Game 6 13–1, and rallied for three runs late in Game 7 to win the Series, 4 games to 3. Many point to the lack of a bullpen for their downfall, as the Brewers had the lead in five of the seven games. Ace closer Rollie Fingers
missed the playoffs due to a torn muscle in his throwing arm that not only kept him out for the entire playoffs but also would have him miss the entire 1983 season.
The Brewers had many individual accomplishments during their two playoff years, as both in 1981 and 1982, Brewer players won both the AL MVP and Cy Young awards, with Rollie Fingers winning both awards in 1981, and Robin Yount winning the MVP and Pete Vuckovich winning the Cy Young in 1982.
The Brewers were in contention to repeat in 1983, but the team fell on a rough September to finish in 4th place with an 87–75 record, their last winning season until 1987.
39-game hitting streak and what is still the only no-hitter
in team history, pitched by Juan Nieves
on April 15.
On that day, Nieves became the first (and so far, only) Brewer and first Puerto Rican-born
Major Leaguer to pitch a no-hitter, defeating the Baltimore Orioles
7–0 at Memorial Stadium
. The final out came on a climactic diving catch in right-center field by Robin Yount of a line drive hit by Eddie Murray
. The game also was the first time the Orioles were no-hit at Memorial Stadium. Yount later recalled at a Brewers banquet that he did not have to dive to catch the line drive hit by Murray but figured ending the game with a diving catch would be the icing on the cake for Nieves' no-hitter.
In 1988
the team
had another strong season, finishing only two games out of first (albeit with a lesser record than the previous year) in a close playoff race with four other clubs. Following this year, the team slipped, posting mediocre records from 1989 through 1991, after which Trebelhorn was fired. In 1992, reminiscent of the resurgence which greeted Trebelhorn's arrival in 1987, the Brewers rallied behind the leadership of rookie manager Phil Garner
and posted their best record since their World Series year in 1982, finishing the season 92–70 and in second place, four games behind that year's eventual World Champion Toronto Blue Jays
. 1992 proved to be the end of an era for the Brewers, as teammates Robin Yount
, Paul Molitor
, and Jim Gantner
, who had been together since 1978 would go their separate ways, as Molitor left the Brewers for the Toronto Blue Jays, Gantner retired, and Yount would only last one more season before retiring in 1993.
Hope of additional pennant races was quickly dashed, as the club plummeted to the bottom of the standings in 1993
, finishing an abysmal 26 games out of first. Since 1992, highlights were few and far between as the franchise failed to produce a winning season, having not fielded a competitive team because of a combination of bad management and financial constraints that limit the team relative to the resources available to other, larger-market clubs.
As 1990s came to a close, the Brewers were on their way to becoming a perennial doormat. A lack of good management and an aging ballpark in old County Stadium, were both becoming stark problems for the Brewers and many fans began to wonder if the Brewers would ever become contenders again.
did not materialize that year.)
In March 1995, two new franchises—the Arizona Diamondbacks
and Tampa Bay Devil Rays
—were awarded by Major League Baseball, to begin play in 1998. It was decided to add one new team to each league. However, it soon became clear that it would be impractical to have an odd number of teams per league: baseball would either have to give teams many more off-days than in the past, or interleague play
would have to be extended year-round, or both. In order for MLB officials to continue the existing schedule, where teams play almost every day and where interleague play is limited to a few days per year, both leagues would need to carry an even number of teams. The decision was made to have one existing club switch leagues.
This realignment was widely considered to have great financial benefit to the club moving. However, to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest, Commissioner (then club owner) Bud Selig decided another team should have the first chance to switch leagues. The Kansas City Royals
of the American League's Central Division were asked first, but they decided not to move over to the National League's Central Division. The choice then fell to the Brewers, who, on November 6, 1997, elected to move to the National League's Central Division. At the same time, the Detroit Tigers
agreed to move from the AL East to the AL Central (to replace Milwaukee). The Tampa Bay Devil Rays joined the AL East and the Arizona Diamondbacks joined the NL West. Had the Brewers elected not to move to the National League, the Minnesota Twins
would have been offered the opportunity next.
Milwaukee had formerly been a National League town, having been the home of the Braves
for 13 seasons (1953–65). With the Brewers having joined the National League, it was now necessary for their pitchers to take batting practice, because the NL has a no DH rule.
As early as 1993, Brewers owner Bud Selig had talked of a new ballpark for the Brewers to replace Milwaukee County Stadium
, which had become heavily outdated and antiquated and didn't even have luxury suites.
By 1996, the club was set to build a new ballpark near the site of County Stadium, which would have a retractable roof to counter the unpredictable Wisconsin weather in the spring and autumn. It also helped to bring more fans and their families from all around Wisconsin to come to games with a practical guarantee of no rain-outs, bring in more potential revenue for the club.
Miller Park was opened in 2001, built to replace Milwaukee County Stadium. The stadium was built with $310 million of public funds, drawing some controversy, and is the only sporting facility to have a fan-shaped retractable roof. Miller Park has a seating capacity
of seating 41,900 and with standing room 43,000, which is 10,000 fewer seats than County Stadium.
The park was to have opened a year earlier, but an accident during its construction, which resulted in the deaths of three workers, forced a year's delay and $50 million to $75 million in damage. On July 14, 1999, the three men lost their lives when the Lampson "Big Blue
" crane, one of the largest in the world, collapsed while trying to lift a 400 ton right field roof panel. A statue commemorating the men now stands between the home plate entrance to Miller Park and Helfaer Field
.
The Brewers made renovations to Miller Park before the 2006 campaign, adding both LED
scoreboards from Daktronics
, a company in Brookings, South Dakota
, in left field and on the second-tier of the stadium, as well as a picnic area in right field, shortening the distance of the right-field fence. The picnic area was an immediate hit and sold out for the season before the year began.
Miller Park also features another fan favorite, Klement’s Racing Sausages
, in a race of five costumed mascots, held before the bottom of the sixth inning.
While the Brewers' new park was a hit, the club itself was not successful playing in it, as the Brewers finished the season even worse than their previous seasons, going 68–94 in their first season at Miller Park. The Brewers finished 2002 even worse, finishing with a dismal 56–106 record, 41 games out of first place, the worst record in franchise history.
In 2003
, the Brewers hired Doug Melvin
as General Manager, who in turn brought in Ned Yost
, coach with the Atlanta Braves and a former member of the 1982 American League Champion Brewers, as manager. Though the Brewers only went 68–94 in 2003, the Brewers did raise hopes with a winning record in August during the season.
, over the previous decade. In September 2004, the Brewers announced they had reached a verbal agreement with Los Angeles investment banker Mark Attanasio
to purchase the team for a reported US$223 million. The sale to Attanasio was completed on January 13, 2005, at Major League Baseball's quarterly owners meeting. Other members of Attanasio's ownership group include private equity
investor John Canning Jr., David Uihlein, Harris Turer and Stephen Marcus, all of whom were involved with the previous ownership group led by Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig. Since taking over the franchise, Attanasio has worked hard to build bridges with Milwaukee baseball fans, including giving away every seat to the final home game of 2005 free of charge and bringing back the classic "ball and glove" logo of the club's glory days on "Retro Friday" home games, during which they also wear versions of the team's old pinstriped uniforms.
The Brewers caused a stir in the first half of the 2004 season, when the team had a winning record in the first half of the season, even briefly being in 1st place in the NL Central. However, lack of a productive offense doomed the Brewers and the club sunk back to last place, finishing the season 67–94. The Brewers did have some bright moments during the season with pitcher Ben Sheets
striking out 18 Atlanta Braves in one game and the Brewers coming back from a 9-run deficit to beat the Cincinnati Reds
.
After the 2004 season, with Mark Attanasio now in control of the franchise, the Brewers were finally able to spend some money on free agents. The Brewers first significant free-agent signing in many years was veteran catcher Damian Miller
, a Wisconsin native, and to address a need for better run production, the Brewers traded speedy outfielder Scott Posednick and relief pitcher Luis Viscaino to the Chicago White Sox in exchange for slugging outfielder Carlos Lee
. The arrival of Lee gave Brewer fans even higher hopes that better seasons were on the way for the Brewers.
In 2005
, under Attanasio's ownership, the team finished 81–81 to secure its first non-losing record since 1992. True to form, Carlos Lee provided the Brewers with much needed run support, hitting 32 home runs and driving in 112. Starting pitcher Chris Capuano also had a stellar season, going 18–12 with a 3.99 ERA, the most wins by a Brewer pitcher since Pete Vuckovich won 18 games in 1982.
With a solid base of young talent assembled over the past five years, including Prince Fielder
, Rickie Weeks
, J. J. Hardy and Corey Hart, the Brewers showed renewed competitiveness. Further encouraging this sentiment, the Brewers had hired former stars Yount (bench coach; resigned in November 2006) and Dale Sveum
(third base coach), both very popular players for the Brewers in the '80s.
In 2006
, the Brewers' play disappointed fans, players, and management. They began the season 5–1 and had a 14–11 record at the end of April. On Mother's Day
Bill Hall hit a walk off home run with his mother in the stands, a play that was shown on ESPN throughout the summer. However, soon starters JJ Hardy, Rickie Weeks, and Corey Koskie were lost to injuries, and the Brewers were forced to trade for veteran infielders David Bell
and Tony Graffanino
. They also suffered setbacks when losing starting pitchers Ben Sheets
and Tomo Ohka
for a substantial amount of time, forcing Triple A starters Ben Hendrickson
, Dana Eveland
, Carlos Villanueva, and Zach Jackson
into starting roles at different points in the year. Shortly before the All Star
break the Brewers climbed to one game above .500, but then lost their next three to the Chicago Cubs
and would never return to .500. After the All Star break closer Derrick Turnbow blew four straight save opportunities. This led to the Brewers being far enough down in the standings that management decided to trade free agent-to-be Carlos Lee
to the Texas Rangers
for closer Francisco Cordero
, outfielder Kevin Mench
, and two minor league prospects. Cordero replaced Turnbow as the Brewers closer and had immediate success, successfully converting his first 13 save opportunities. On August 24 the Brewers completed a sweep of the Colorado Rockies
to climb to less than five games out in both the NL Central Division and NL Wild Card races, but then Milwaukee went on a 10-game losing streak that ended any postseason hope. The Brewers did rebound and play well in September including a four-game sweep of San Francisco
, but it was too little too late. The Brewers ended the season with a 75–87 record.
At the end of the season, Attanasio stated that he and General Manager Doug Melvin would have to make some decisions about returning players for the 2007 season. With young players waiting in the minor leagues, during the off-season the key additions were starting pitcher and 2006 NLCS MVP Jeff Suppan
, starter Claudio Vargas
, reliever Greg Aquino
, catcher Johnny Estrada
, and returning Brewer Craig Counsell
. The Brewers parted ways with 2006 starters Doug Davis and Tomo Ohka, as well as fan favorite Jeff Cirillo
, who wanted more playing time with another team.
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Before the 2007 season, the buzz surrounding the Brewers greatly increased. They were dubbed a "sleeper team" and "contenders in the NL" by numerous sports analysts and magazines. ESPN's Peter Gammons and Dan Patrick both picked The Brewers to beat out the defending champion Cardinals
and re-vamped Chicago Cubs
to win the NL Central. To celebrate the successful 1982 Milwaukee Brewers team, the franchise decided to have the 2007 season
be named as the "25th Anniversary of '82", with more fan giveaways than any other Major League Baseball team except the Pittsburgh Pirates
, and more discounts and deals than any other time in Brewers' history.
ESPN.com's lead story on August 29 stated: ".... Then there are the Brewers. The strange, impossible-to-figure-out Brewers. They once had the best record in the majors, were 14 games over .500 twice, and led the division by as many as 8½ games on June 23. Since then, and there's no nice way of saying it; they've reeked.". The Brewers cast this negativity to the side, and rebounded in September. Despite poor performances from the usually steady Chris Capuano
and more nagging injuries to Ben Sheets
, the Brewers found themselves in a heated pennant race with Chicago's North Siders. The team's playoff drive took a hit late in the year, however, losing three of four games in a crucial series in Atlanta, dropping the Brewers to a season-high 3.5 games out of first. The Brewers won the first two games of their final homestand of the season to pull within two games of the Cubs, but faced a near impossible task with the club's elimination number down to only three and the wild card leading Padres
coming to town. The club played well, but the Cubs clinched on the final Friday of the season. On September 29 the Brewers beat Padres 4–3 in extra innings to secure a winning season. The game was tied in the ninth inning by a triple by Tony Gwynn, Jr.
in a highlight reel play that was repeated often during the 2007 post season. That win, and the win the next day, by the Brewers kept the Padres from advancing to the playoffs. The irony, of course, being that Gwynn's father
was arguably the most popular Padre of all-time, and Tony Gwynn Jr. would later be traded to the Padres in 2009. Milwaukee finished at a respectable 83–79, only two games behind Chicago, the club's best finish since 1992.
First baseman Prince Fielder
made history in 2007, becoming the first Brewer and the youngest player ever to reach the 50 home run mark in a single season. For his effort, he finished third in the 2007 National League Most Valuable Player voting, garnering 284 total points including 5 first place votes. Fielder was also awarded the Hank Aaron Award
for reaching the amazing single year record. Third baseman Ryan Braun
was also rewarded for his historic season by being named 2007 NL Rookie of the Year.
and catcher Jason Kendall
, as well as relief pitchers Eric Gagne and Salomon Torres
. The Brewers started April on a solid winning note, but suffered two big blows in their pitching rotation when Dave Bush was demoted to AAA Nashville, and Yovani Gallardo
suffered a potential season ending knee injury. The team dropped below .500 by the middle of May, capped off by a sweep from the Boston Red Sox
.
The Brewers rebounded in June as Salomon Torres took over as closer, becoming a big success, and soon climbed back into contention. As June came to a close, the Brewers made their biggest move for playoff contention as they traded 4 prospects, most notably Matt LaPorta, to the Cleveland Indians
for CC Sabathia. General Manager Doug Melvin summed up the trade by saying, "We are going for it." The Brewers came into the All-Star break
with a 52–43 record, still third behind the Cubs and Cardinals. Ben Sheets was named starting pitcher for the National League in the All-Star game, and Ryan Braun also started at left field. Corey Hart was named to the team in the Final Vote.
The Brewers came out of the All-Star break with a bang as they won their first seven games back, all of them on the road, sweeping first the Giants and then the Cardinals, taking over first place in the Wild Card standings. The Brewers came into the end of July still in the hunt for the division, but the front running Cubs swept the Brewers in a four-game set at Miller Park. While the Brewers were still holding on to the Wild Card lead, the division was never seriously challenged for the remainder of the year.
The Brewers came off the sweep from the Cubs with an amazing August, winning 20 of 28 games in the month. Sabathia made history by becoming the first pitcher in over 90 years to win his first 9 games after being traded mid-season. With a steady five game lead for the Wild Card, the hope of a playoff spot seemed secured, but the Brewers struggled in September, first getting swept by the New York Mets
, and then just over a week later, getting swept in four games by the Philadelphia Phillies
, losing their lead in the Wild Casid. Feeling a change was needed, the Brewers fired manager Ned Yost with just 12 games left in the season, replacing him with Brewers third base coach Dale Sveum
. Sveum named Garth Iorg as his replacement as third base coach, and made Robin Yount
the new bench coach, replacing Ted Simmons
. With the final 6x games at home, the Brewers were still in the hunt for the Wild Card behind the New York Mets. They first swept the Pittsburgh Pirates, thanks to walk-off home runs by Prince Fielder
and Ryan Braun
, tying the New York Mets for the Wild Card lead with 3 games to go against the NL Central division champion Chicago Cubs
.
The Brewers took the first game thanks to a pinch-hit home run by Rickie Weeks
and stellar relief pitching by Seth McClung
. The Cubs took the second game, with the Wild Card race still in a dead tie. CC Sabathia was called to pitch his third game in a week, and was stellar, pitching a complete game, while Ryan Braun hit possibly the biggest home run in club history with a 2-run shot in the 8th inning to break a 1–1 tie. The Brewers won 3–1 while the New York Mets lost to the Florida Marlins
4–2, sealing the Brewers the Wild Card spot.
The Brewers finished the 2008 season one game ahead of the New York Mets with a final record of 90–72, and faced the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLDS. This was the first time the Brewers reached the playoffs since 1982.
The Brewers played their first postseason game in 26 years on October 1. Pitcher Yovani Gallardo
made his first postseason start and only his second start since coming off the disabled list in late September. The Brewers lost the first game of the NLDS 3–1 on a dominant performance by Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels
. Hamels allowed only two hits and struck out nine Brewers batters in eight shutout innings. The Brewers mounted a comeback in the 9th inning as closer Brad Lidge
allowed two hits, a walk, and a run to score. However, Brewers right fielder Corey Hart struck out with runners on second and third to end the game.
The Brewers lost game 2 of the NLDS due to ace CC Sabathia giving up a grand slam early in the game, leaving after 3 and 2/3 innings (his shortest and last outing as a Brewer). The Brewers hosted their first playoff game in 26 years on Saturday, October 4, and won 4–1. However, the Brewers season would come to an end on Sunday as Jeff Suppan allowed three home runs to lose 6–2, eliminating them from the postseason in four games.
The Brewers lost several key players from the 2008 playoff campaign following the season. The 2009 Brewers were without CC Sabathia, Ben Sheets
, Guillermo Mota
, Gabe Kapler
, Ray Durham
, Russell Branyan
, Salomon Torres
, and Brian Shouse
.
. Despite the loss of a starting pitcher in Sabathia, the Brewers were able to sign all-time save leader Trevor Hoffman
. The Brewers were not able to build on their success from the year prior falling below .500 but were witness to Prince Fielder setting the all-time franchise record for RBI.
and Doug Davis, but the Brewers still struggled. After just one month, the Brewers released Jeff Suppan
, Doug Davis got injured, and Trevor Hoffman struggled to get saves. The only bright spots of the season was the Brewers' hitting. The Brewers were the only team in baseball to have three players with 100+ RBIs in Ryan Braun, Casey McGehee, and Corey Hart. The Brewers lost 9 games in a row in May and never fully recovered, finishing the season 77–85, which was good for 3rd place in the National League Central division, behind the Cincinnati Reds and the St. Louis Cardinals. The only other bright spots of the season was Trevor Hoffman getting his 600th career save and the emergence of new closer John Axford
. After the season, the Brewers chose not to renew the contract of manager Ken Macha. In October, just days after the World Series, the Brewers hired Ron Roenicke, bench coach of the Los Angeles Angels, to be the Brewers' new manager.
and Zack Greinke
, the Brewers were tabbed by many experts as favorites to not only win the NL Central Division, but also contenders for the National League pennant. The Brewers did suffer some early losses in spring training, as Zack Greinke was lost to a rib injury that would keep him out for a month, and Corey Hart was out for the first half of April with a hamstring injury, which caused the Brewers to make a last-minute trade at the end of spring training for Washington Nationals outfielder Nyjer Morgan.
The Brewers struggled during the first month of the season, losing their first 4 games of the season and fell as far down as to 5th place in the NL Central Division, but the Brewers rebounded starting at the end of May and throughout June and early July. By the All-Star Break, the Brewers were in 2nd place in the divsion, behind Pittsburgh and St. Louis. To address some needed bullpen depth, the Brewers made a shocking trade just hours after the All-Star Game, trading two Class-A prospects to the New York Mets for ace reliever Fransisco Rodrieguez, who immediately became the Brewers set-up reliever for closer John Axford.
The Brewers went on a hot winning stretch through the month of August and by the beginning of September were 10 1/2 games ahead of St. Louis for the NL Central lead. Though the Brewers scuffled some in September, the Brewers clinched the division on September 26, beating the Florida Marlins 4-1. The Brewers finished the season with a 96-66 record, the best record in franchise history.
Along with their team accomplishments, the Brewers had many individual achievements from their players. Ryan Braun finished the season with 33 homers and 33 steals while finishing second in the National League in batting average, hitting .332 while Prince Fielder finished second in the league in both home runs and RBIs, hitting 38 home runs while driving in 120.
The Brewers starting pitching was also drastically better than 2010. Each of the Brewers 5 regular starters had 10-plus wins during the regular season. Yovani Gallardo won 17 games, the most by a Brewer since 2005, Zack Greinke won 16 games despite missing one month, both Shawn Marcum and Randy Wolf won 13 games, and number five starter Chris Narveson won 11 games. It was the first time since 1982 that the Brewers had five pitchers with 10 or more wins in a season. The Brewers also used fewer starting pitchers than any team in baseball, using only six starting pitchers, with Marco Estrada
filling in for 7 games when Greinke and later Narveson were out with injuries.
The Brewers finally got their own flannel design in 1971. These were essentially the same as the 1970 uniforms but with blue and yellow piping on the sleeves and collar.
In 1972, the Brewers entered the doubleknit era with uniforms based upon their flannels—all white with "BREWERS" on the front, blue and yellow trim on the sleeves, neck, waistband and down the side of the pants. This is the uniform that Hank Aaron would wear with the club in his final seasons, and that Robin Yount would wear in his first.
During this period, the logo of the club was the Beer Barrel Man
, which had been used by the American Association Milwaukee Brewers since at least the 1940s.
. The home cap was solid blue, and the road cap was blue with a yellow front panel. The club would wear these uniforms in their pennant-winning season of 1982. Only minor changes were made until 1990; the color of the road uniforms changed to grey in 1985, while the blue-yellow-blue road cap was abandoned the following year.
In 1990, the Brewers made significant modifications to their uniforms, switching from pullover to button-down jerseys (the last American League team to do so). Their individual uniforms showed other changes as well; at home, the blue piping was removed and the block lettered "BREWERS" was changed to a script version similar to the script that spelled their road uniforms, while those outfits had their piping changed from blue-yellow-blue to blue-white yellow.
In 1997, the uniforms were slightly modified, with the main logo removed from the caps and replaced with an "M" and the alternative jersey was removed. All navy caps were worn with both the home and away uniforms, while the away green socks were changed to navy blue.
Although the uniforms were supposed to debut with the opening of Miller Park, an accident involving one of the cranes damaging the new ballpark, which cost the lives of three workers, delayed the opening of Miller Park one year, so the uniforms spent one year at County Stadium, the old ballpark's last year.
The uniforms also featured an alternative navy-blue jersey that had the same features as the home jersey and were many times favored by the players as the jersey is made with a lighter, more breathable fabric.
In 2010, the Brewers debuted a new alternative road jersey which, like the other alternative jersey, is navy-blue, but instead with a script "Milwaukee" in the front.
In 2005, new Brewers owner, Mark Attanasio, introduced Retro Sundays, where the Brewers would wear uniforms featuring the beloved "ball-in-glove" logo. The uniforms are similar to the uniforms worn from 1978–1989, but with some modern modifications, such as the uniforms being button-up instead of pullover, players last names on the backs of the jerseys, and a "ball-in-glove" logo patch on the left sleeve. In 2007, the Retro day was changed from Sunday to Friday, which continues to this day.
The retro uniforms have since been heavily favored by many Brewers fans and many continue to campaign to have them be once again the regular Brewers uniforms.
In addition, the Brewers have also worn special uniforms. The Latin Nights uniform is gold (originally blue) with a script "Cerveceros" in front, most recently worn on June 11 against the St. Louis Cardinals
. On August 13, 2011, in a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates
, the Brewers also wore a special uniform to commemorate German Heritage Day. This jersey, which pitcher Zach Greinke accidentally wore during the previous night's game as well, is similar to the home blue alternates, but with the German "Bierbrauer" script lettering in front. The gold jersey was also worn on September 10 against the Philadelphia Phillies
, except that the script features "Brewers" in front. This time they were worn for 'Gold-out Night'.
spent part of their careers with the Brewers.
The number No. 50, although it has not been retired, has been placed in the Brewers' Ring of Honor for Bob Uecker
and his half-century in baseball.
Although Hank Aaron played only two seasons for the Brewers in the twilight of his career, he played in Milwaukee from 1954 to 1966 with the Braves, until their move to Atlanta, and won his only World Series in Milwaukee (1957).
|-
| style="width:30%; text-align:center;"| Preceded by:New York Yankees
(1981
)
| style="width:40%; text-align:center;"| 1982
| style="width:30%; text-align:center;"| Succeeded by :Baltimore Orioles
(1983
)
|-
| colspan="3" style="text-align:center;"| American League Eastern Division Champions
|-
| style="width:30%; text-align:center;"| Preceded by:New York Yankees
(1981)
| style="width:40%; text-align:center;"| 1982
| style="width:30%; text-align:center;"| Succeeded by :Baltimore Orioles
(1983)
|-
| colspan="3" style="text-align:center;"| National League Wild Card Winners
|-
| style="width:30%; text-align:center;"| Preceded by:Colorado Rockies
(2007)
| style="width:40%; text-align:center;"| 2008
| style="width:30%; text-align:center;"| Succeeded by:Colorado Rockies
(2009)
|-
| colspan="3" style="text-align:center;"| National League Central Division Champions
|-
| style="width:30%; text-align:center;"| Preceded by:Cincinnati Reds
(2010)
| style="width:40%; text-align:center;"| 2011
| style="width:30%; text-align:center;"| Succeeded by :TBD
(2012)
As of the 2011 season, the Brewers have the following minor league
affiliates:
radio station is WTMJ
(620 AM
). Bob Uecker
, a winner of the Ford C. Frick Award
from the Baseball Hall of Fame, joined the Brewers in 1970, when the team moved from Seattle, and has been there ever since. Alongside Uecker was Cory Provus, who joined the team's radio broadcast in 2009 and left to become the Minnesota Twins
lead broadcaster on radio after the 2011 season. Provus, formerly of WGN radio
in Chicago, replaced Jim Powell, who left Milwaukee for the Atlanta Braves
radio network. Powell in turn replaced Pat Hughes
, who departed to do play-by-play for the Cubs on WGN in 1996.
Most of the team's television broadcasts are aired on Fox Sports Wisconsin (FSWISCONSIN). Brian Anderson
, who has worked on The Golf Channel
, took over as the Brewers' play-by-play announcer for the 2007 season. He replaced Daron Sutton
, who joined the Arizona Diamondbacks
. The color commentator is Bill Schroeder
, a former major league catcher who played six of his eight seasons for the Brewers. As of 2011 Schroeder is in his 17th season as the Brewers' color commentator. The 2010 season was the first year where all of FSN Wisconsin's games are broadcast in high definition. Anderson (who also is a part of TBS
's playoff coverage) also provided play-by-play for the 2011 NLCS due to Ernie Johnson stepping aside for the year due to a medical situation with his son.
Since February 2007, the Brewers, FSN Wisconsin, and Weigel Broadcasting
came to an agreement to air 15 games and one spring training game over-the-air on WMLW
(Channel 41/digital 13/58.2) in Milwaukee each season with FSN Wisconsin producing the telecasts and Weigel selling air time for each of those games; games are added to the schedule depending on weather postponements and pennant race standings. WMLW games are not aired in high definition, owing to that station's low power television status where the station airs all programming in standard definition. In the Madison
market, WMLW Brewers games are carried on Charter Communications
's "Charter Xtra" channel 87, which is used to carry some high school sporting events. Weigel also airs a few Sunday home broadcasts per year with Spanish language play-by-play on its Telemundo
affiliate, WYTU-LD (Digital Channel 63/49.4). Before this, the last over-the-air
non-Fox broadcast of a Brewers game was on WCGV in the 2004 season
. Games also aired on WVTV
, WISN
and WTMJ
in past years; WTMJ was the original TV broadcaster in 1970.
Professional baseball
Baseball is a team sport which is played by several professional leagues throughout the world. In these leagues, and associated farm teams, players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system....
team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
, currently playing in the Central Division
National League Central
The National League Central Division is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. This division was created in 1994, by moving two teams from the Western Division and three teams from the Eastern Division of the National League...
of Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
's National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
. The team is named for the city's association with the brewing industry and plays its home games at Miller Park.
Originating in Seattle, Washington, as the Seattle Pilots, the club played for one season in 1969 before being acquired in bankruptcy court by current MLB Commissioner Bud Selig
Bud Selig
Allan Huber "Bud" Selig is the ninth and current Commissioner of Major League Baseball, having served in that capacity since 1992 as the acting commissioner, and as the official commissioner since 1998...
and then moved to Milwaukee. The Brewers were part of the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
from their creation as an expansion club in 1969 through the 1997 season, after which they moved to the National League Central Division. Milwaukee had previously been a National League city when its team was the Milwaukee Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
(1953–1965).
In 1982, Milwaukee won the American League East Division and the American League Pennant, earning their only World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
appearance to date. In the Series
1982 World Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 12, 1982 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, MissouriThe Brewers' left-hander Mike Caldwell pitched a complete game shutout, allowing only three hits. The Brewers' offense was led by Paul Molitor, who had a World Series-record five hits and two RBIs...
, they lost to the St. Louis Cardinals
1982 St. Louis Cardinals season
The St. Louis Cardinals' 1982 season was the team's 101st season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 91st season in the National League. Making up for the previous year's near-miss, the Cardinals went 92-70 during the season and won their first-ever National League East Division title by three games...
, four games to three.
In 2008, the Brewers achieved their first postseason berth in the 26 years since their World Series appearance as the wildcard
Major League Baseball Wild Card
In Major League Baseball, the wild-card playoff spot is given to the team in each league with the best record among the non-division winners. It was established for Major League Baseball's playoffs in 1994 with the intention of helping the best teams that did not win their division to still have a...
team in the National League. They were eliminated in the NLDS
2008 National League Division Series
-Philadelphia Phillies vs. Milwaukee Brewers:-Game 1, October 1:Wrigley Field in Chicago, IllinoisThe Dodgers swiped Game 1 from the Cubs at Wrigley Field. Mark DeRosa gave the Cubs an early lead in the second inning with an opposite-field home run. James Loney's fifth inning grand slam proved to...
by the eventual World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies
2008 Philadelphia Phillies season
The Philadelphia Phillies' 2008 season was the 126th in the history of the franchise. The team finished with a regular season record of 92–70, first in the National League East. In the post-season, the Phillies won the World Series; this was the first major sports championship for...
.
On September 23, 2011, the Milwaukee Brewers clinched their first division title in 29 years. They won the National League Division Series
2011 National League Division Series
The 2011 National League Division Series were two best-of-five playoffs comprising the opening round of the Major League Baseball postseason, played to determine the participating teams in the 2011 National League Championship Series. Three divisional winners and a fourth team—a wild card—played...
in five games over the Arizona Diamondbacks
2011 Arizona Diamondbacks season
The Arizona Diamondbacks' 2011 season, the franchise's fourteenth season in Major League Baseball, included the team's first National League West championship since 2007, subsequently, their fifth division title since coming into the MLB...
, but lost to the St. Louis Cardinals
2011 St. Louis Cardinals season
The St. Louis Cardinals' 2011 season was the 130th season for the franchise in St. Louis, Missouri, the 120th season in the National League, and the sixth season at Busch Stadium III. The Cardinals began their season at home against the San Diego Padres on March 31, coming off a 86-76 season and...
in six games during the NLCS.
Seattle (1969)
The Brewers were born at the 1967 Major League Baseball winter meetings as the Seattle Pilots, owned by former Cleveland IndiansCleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
owner William R. Daley
William R. Daley
William R. Daley was a businessman and owner of two franchises in Major League Baseball's American League.He the principal owner of the Cleveland Indians from through . In 1956, Daley purchased Myron H. Wilson's share of the franchise to become owner...
and former Pacific Coast League
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
president Dewey Soriano
Dewey Soriano
Dewey Soriano was the part-owner of the Seattle Pilots baseball team of the American League in , the franchise's only year in Seattle....
. They entered the American League along with the Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
as part of a hasty round of expansion triggered by the Kansas City Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
' move to Oakland. Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
Stuart Symington
Stuart Symington
William Stuart Symington was a businessman and political figure from Missouri. He served as the first Secretary of the Air Force from 1947 to 1950 and was a Democratic United States Senator from Missouri from 1953 to 1976.-Education and business career:...
of Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
had threatened to have baseball's antitrust exemption revoked unless Kansas City was promptly granted another team. They were originally slated to begin play in 1971, but Symington would not accept the prospect of having Kansas City wait three years for another team and pressured MLB to have the Royals and their expansion brethren (the Pilots and the National League's San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
and Montreal Expos
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
) ready for play in 1969. Until a new stadium (what would become the Kingdome
Kingdome
The Kingdome was a multi-purpose stadium located in Seattle's SoDo neighborhood. Owned and operated by King County, the Kingdome opened in 1976 and was best known as the home stadium of the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League , the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball , and the...
) was ready, the Pilots would play at Sick's Stadium
Sick's Stadium
Sick's Stadium, also known as Sick's Seattle Stadium and later as Sicks' Stadium, was a baseball stadium located in Seattle, Washington's Rainier Valley at the corner of S. McClellan Street and Rainier Avenue S. The site was previously the location of Dugdale Park, a 1913 ballpark that was the home...
, the home of the city's longtime PCL franchise, the Seattle Rainiers
Seattle Rainiers
The Seattle Rainiers, originally named the Seattle Indians and also known as the Seattle Angels, were a minor league baseball team in Seattle, Washington, that played in the Pacific Coast League from 1903-06 and 1919-68...
.
Joe Schultz
Joseph Charles Schultz, Jr. was an American Major League Baseball catcher, coach and manager. Schultz was the first and only manager for the Seattle Pilots franchise during their lone season before they became the Milwaukee Brewers...
actually thought they could finish third in the newly formed, six-team American League West
American League West
The American League West is one of three divisions in Major League Baseball's American League. The division currently has four teams, but it has had as many as seven teams before the 1994 realignment. Although its teams currently only reside along the west coast and in Texas, historically the...
even though they had been badly outdrafted by the Royals. However, to the surprise of almost no one outside Seattle, the Pilots were terrible. They won their very first game, and then their home opener three days later, but only won five more times in the first month. They rebounded from that slow start, and managed to stay within a few games of .500 for most of the spring. However, a July 9–20 ended all hope of respectability. They finished last in the West with a record of 64–98, 33 games out of first. Much of the story of that season is told in pitcher Jim Bouton
Jim Bouton
James Alan "Jim" Bouton is a former American Major League Baseball pitcher. He is also the author of the controversial baseball book Ball Four, which was a combination diary of his season and memoir of his years with the New York Yankees, Seattle Pilots, and Houston Astros.-Amateur and college...
's classic baseball book, Ball Four
Ball Four
Ball Four is a book written by former Major League Baseball pitcher Jim Bouton in . The book is a diary of Bouton's 1969 season, spent with the Seattle Pilots and then the Houston Astros following a late-season trade. In it Bouton also recounts much of his baseball career, spent mainly with the...
.
However, the team's poor play was the least of the Pilots' problems. The team's ownership was badly undercapitalized; Soriano had not been able to afford the franchise fee and had to ask Daley to help pay it. In return, Daley got 47 percent of the team's stock—the biggest single share—and became chairman of the board. Also, Sick's Stadium was completely inadequate even as a temporary facility. While a condition of MLB awarding the Pilots to Seattle was that Sick's had to be expanded to 30,000 seats by the start of the 1969 season, only 17,000 seats were ready because of numerous delays. The scoreboard was not even ready until the night before Opening Day. While it was expanded to 25,000 by June, the added seats had obstructed views. Water pressure was almost nonexistent after the seventh inning, especially with crowds above 10,000. Only 677,000 fans came to see the Pilots that year; they never attracted a crowd even near capacity. By the end of the 1969 season, the Pilots were almost out of money, and it was obvious they would not survive long enough to move into their new stadium without new ownership. No credible offers surfaced from Seattle interests at first, however. Under these circumstances, Soriano was initially very receptive to an offer from a Milwaukee-based group headed by car salesman Bud Selig
Bud Selig
Allan Huber "Bud" Selig is the ninth and current Commissioner of Major League Baseball, having served in that capacity since 1992 as the acting commissioner, and as the official commissioner since 1998...
. Selig had been a minority owner of the Milwaukee Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
and had led unsuccessful efforts to keep them from moving to Atlanta, and had been working ever since then to bring the majors back to Milwaukee. During Game 1 of the World Series
1969 World Series
The 1969 World Series was played between the New York Mets and the Baltimore Orioles, with the Mets prevailing in five games to accomplish one of the greatest upsets in Series history, as that particular Orioles squad was considered to be one of the finest ever...
, Soriano agreed to sell the Pilots to Selig for $10 million to $13 million (depending on the source). Selig would then move the team to Milwaukee. However, under strong pressure from Washington state officials, MLB asked Soriano to try to find a local buyer first. Unfortunately, one local deal collapsed when the Bank of California
Bank of California
The Bank of California was opened in San Francisco, California, on July 4, 1864, by William Chapman Ralston. It was the first commercial bank in the Western United States, the second-richest bank in the nation, and considered instrumental in developing the American Old West.-History:The ancestor of...
called a loan for startup costs, and another bid was turned down out of concern it would devalue the other teams. With no other credible offers on the table, the owners approved the sale to Selig's group. Selig had already announced plans to rename the team the Brewers, a name that had been used by past Milwaukee baseball teams dating to the 19th century (most notably by a very successful minor league team that played there from 1902 to 1952). However, legal action kept Selig from formally taking control, and dragged out through the winter.
The matter still had not been resolved by the end of spring training, leaving new manager Dave Bristol
Dave Bristol
James David Bristol is a former manager in Major League Baseball in the 1960s and 1970s. He managed the Cincinnati Reds, Milwaukee Brewers, Atlanta Braves, and San Francisco Giants during this period....
and the players unsure of where they would play. The team's equipment sat in Provo, Utah
Provo, Utah
Provo is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Utah, located about south of Salt Lake City along the Wasatch Front. Provo is the county seat of Utah County and lies between the cities of Orem to the north and Springville to the south...
while the drivers awaited word to drive to Seattle or Milwaukee. After the state filed an injunction to stop the sale on March 17, Soriano and the Pilots filed for bankruptcy to forestall any more legal action. After general manager Marvin Milkes
Marvin Milkes
Marvin Milkes was an American front office executive in three professional sports: Major League Baseball, soccer, and hockey...
testified that the Pilots did not have enough money to pay the players, the bankruptcy judge granted the Pilots' filing on April 1 and ruled the move to Milwaukee in order. MLB would not return to Seattle until 1977 when the Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
entered the AL, along with the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
.
1970–77: Early years in Milwaukee
With less than a week to go before the start of the season, there wasn't nearly enough time to order new uniforms. As a result, the Brewers were forced to replace the Pilots logos with Brewers logos. In fact, the outline of the old Pilots logo was clearly visible on the Brewers' uniforms. They were also forced to assume the Pilots' place in the AL West (where, due to their geographical location, they would stay until 1972, when they moved to the AL EastAmerican League East
The American League Eastern Division is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions . This division was created before the start of the 1969 season along with the Western Division...
).
Under the circumstances, the Brewers'
1970 Milwaukee Brewers season
The Milwaukee Brewers season was a season in American baseball. The team finished fourth in the American League West with a record of 65 wins and 97 losses, 33 games behind the Minnesota Twins...
1970 season was over before it started, and they finished 65–97 (a one-game improvement over 1969). They would not have a winning season until 1978. Those years, however, were not without their highlights. For instance, in 1973 the team introduced its popular mascot, Bernie Brewer
Bernie Brewer
Bernie Brewer is the official mascot for the Milwaukee Brewers baseball team.In late June 1970, when the Brewers were still a new team and having difficulty drawing spectators to their games at Milwaukee County Stadium, Milt Mason, a 69-year-old fan decided to sit atop top the scoreboard until the...
. A year later, the Brewers engineered a trade that brought Hank Aaron back to Milwaukee, a move which gave the team instant credibility. Selig also began acquiring many players that would become long-standing fan favorites, including Robin Yount
Robin Yount
Robin R. Yount is an American former Major League Baseball shortstop and center fielder. He spent his entire 20-year baseball career with the Milwaukee Brewers . In 1999, Yount was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.-Early years:Yount was born in Danville, Illinois...
, Paul Molitor
Paul Molitor
Paul Leo Molitor , nicknamed "Molly" and "The Ignitor", is an American former Major League Baseball designated hitter and infielder. During his 21-year baseball career, he played for the Milwaukee Brewers , Toronto Blue Jays , and Minnesota Twins...
, Jim Gantner
Jim Gantner
James Elmer Gantner was a Major League Baseball player who spent his entire career with the Milwaukee Brewers .-Background:...
, Stormin' Gorman Thomas, Don Money
Don Money
Donald Wayne Money is a retired major league baseball player. He currently serves as the special instructor of player development for the Milwaukee Brewers....
, and Cecil Cooper
Cecil Cooper
Cecil Celester Cooper , nicknamed "Coop," is a former first baseman in Major League Baseball and the former manager of the Houston Astros. From through , Cooper played for the Boston Red Sox and Milwaukee Brewers...
.
1978–83: The Glory Years of Bambi's Bombers and Harvey's Wallbangers
Following the 1977 season, the Brewers made two big hires that turned the previously underachieving Brewers into perennial contenders. Harry Dalton was hired as the club's General Manager and he, in turn, hired Baltimore Orioles pitching coach George Bamberger as the Brewers' third manager in their brief history. Bamberger immediately turned the Brewers1978 Milwaukee Brewers season
The 1978 Milwaukee Brewers season involved the Brewers finishing third in the American League East with a record of 93 wins and 69 losses.- Offseason :...
into pennant contenders in 1978
1978 Major League Baseball season
The 1978 Major League Baseball season saw the New York Yankees defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers to win their second consecutive World Series, and 22nd overall, in a rematch of the prior season's Fall Classic...
. The team won 93 games, an astonishing 26 game improvement from the previous season. The Brewers finished in 3rd place in the AL East, 6.5 games behind the first place New York Yankees. GM Harry Dalton was able to build a winning club with a combination of home-grown players like Robin Yount, Paul Molitor, and Gorman Thomas, as well as getting players that were cast-offs from other teams that became major contributors like Cecil Cooper, Ben Oglivie
Ben Oglivie
Benjamin Ambrosio Oglivie Palmer is a former Major League Baseball left fielder for the Boston Red Sox , Detroit Tigers , and the Milwaukee Brewers . He also played two seasons in Japan for the Kintetsu Buffaloes...
, and Mike Caldwell.
The next season
1979 Major League Baseball season
-Champions:*World Series: Pittsburgh Pirates over Baltimore Orioles ; Willie Stargell, MVP*American League Championship Series MVP: None.*National League Championship Series MVP: Willie Stargell...
, Milwaukee
1979 Milwaukee Brewers season
The 1979 Milwaukee Brewers season involved the Brewers' finishing second in the American League East with a record of 95 wins and 66 losses.- Offseason :* December 21, 1978: Steve Lake was purchased from the Orioles by the Milwaukee Brewers....
won 95 games and finished second in the East behind the Baltimore Orioles
1979 Baltimore Orioles season
The 1979 Baltimore Orioles season was a season in American baseball. The Orioles finished first in the American League East division of Major League Baseball with a record of 102 wins and 57 losses...
on the strength of their home run power, led by Oglivie (who led the league in homers in 1980 along with Reggie Jackson
Reggie Jackson
Reginald Martinez "Reggie" Jackson , nicknamed "Mr. October" for his clutch hitting in the postseason with the New York Yankees, is a former American Major League Baseball right fielder. During a 21-year baseball career, he played from 1967-1987 for four different teams. Jackson currently serves as...
), Cooper, and Thomas (who hit a then club-record 45 home runs in 1979, since broken by Prince Fielder
Prince Fielder
Prince Semien Fielder is a Major League Baseball free agent who plays first base. He is currently listed at 5' 11" and . He was selected by the Brewers in the first round of the 2002 Major League Baseball Draft out of Eau Gallie High School in Melbourne, Florida.He is the son of former Detroit...
, who hit 50 homers in 2007). Because of the team's slugging ability and the nickname of their manager Bamberger, the Brewers were nicknamed "Bambi's Bombers."
As 1980 began, the Brewers
1980 Milwaukee Brewers season
The 1980 Milwaukee Brewers season involved the Brewers' finishing third in the American League East with a record of 86 wins and 76 losses.- Offseason :* October 11, 1979: Juan Castillo was signed as an amateur free agent by the Brewers....
and their fans were optimistic about becoming pennant winners, but the team scuffled during the season, partially due to manager George Bamberger suffering a heart attack and having to be replaced by Buck Rodgers. The Brewers fell back to 3rd place in 1980, largely due to a lack of a bullpen. Determined to get a proven relief pitcher, general manager Harry Dalton made a huge offseason trade with the St. Louis Cardinals, trading outfielder Sixto Lescano and 3 minor league pitchers to the Cardinals in exchange for Rollie Fingers
Rollie Fingers
Roland Glen Fingers is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. During his 18-year baseball career, he pitched for the Oakland Athletics , San Diego Padres and Milwaukee Brewers . He became only the second reliever to be elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1992...
, Pete Vuckovich
Pete Vuckovich
Peter Dennis Vuckovich is a retired American starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who came across as an intimidating presence on the mound with his 6'4" 220 lb frame and Fu Manchu moustache. Vuckovich was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in 1974...
, and Ted Simmons
Ted Simmons
Ted Lyle Simmons is an American former professional baseball player and coach. A switch-hitter, Simmons was a catcher for most of his Major League Baseball career with the St. Louis Cardinals , the Milwaukee Brewers and the Atlanta Braves...
, all of whom became key parts of the Brewers future success.
The Brewers
1981 Milwaukee Brewers season
The Milwaukee Brewers' 1981 season involved the Brewers' finishing 1st in American League East during the second half of the split schedule with an overall record of 62 wins and 47 losses. They proceeded to lose to the New York Yankees in the ALDS...
won the second half of the 1981 season (divided because of a players' strike) and played the Yankees
1981 New York Yankees season
The New York Yankees' 1981 season was the 79th season for the Yankees. In the ALCS, the Yankees swept the Oakland Athletics for their only pennant of the 1980s. However, they lost in the World Series in 6 games to the Los Angeles Dodgers. New York was managed by Gene Michael and Bob Lemon...
in a playoff mini-series
1981 American League Division Series
-New York Yankees vs. Milwaukee Brewers:-Game 1, October 6:Royals Stadium in Kansas City, MissouriMike Norris faced Dennis Leonard and the defending AL Champions in Game 1. Both pitchers were on their game and the game was scoreless through three innings. But in the top of the fourth, the A's got a...
they ultimately lost. It was the first playoff appearance for the franchise. Rollie Fingers had one of the greatest seasons for a relief pitcher that season, saving 28 games in the shortened season and sporting an astonishing 1.04 ERA, earning him both the MVP and Cy Young awards in the American League.
In 1982
1982 Major League Baseball season
The 1982 Major League Baseball season was held between the American and National Leagues. Making up for their playoff miss of the year before, the St...
, the Brewers
1982 Milwaukee Brewers season
The 1982 Milwaukee Brewers season resulted in the team winning its first and only American League Championship.- Offseason :*October 23, 1981: Rickey Keeton was traded by the Brewers to the Houston Astros for Pete Ladd....
were considered heavy favorites to win the AL East, but by June, the team had fallen to 23–24 and signs had shown that the players were having problems playing under manager Buck Rodgers. Taking a gamble, the Brewers fired Rodgers and replaced him with hitting coach Harvey Kuenn
Harvey Kuenn
Harvey Edward Kuenn was an American player, coach and manager in Major League Baseball. As a shortstop and outfielder, he played with the Detroit Tigers , Cleveland Indians , San Francisco Giants , Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies . He batted and threw right-handed...
. The team immediately excelled under Kuenn's low-key managerial style and gained a new nickname as Harvey's Wallbangers, a play on the drink Harvey Wallbanger and the team's manager's name. The Brewers went 72–43 under Kuenn for the rest of the season and went wild offensively, clubbing a then club-record 216 home runs during the season. The Brewers alone had three players finish in the top five in the league in home runs with Gorman Thomas, who led the league with 39, Ben Oglivie, who hit 34, and Cecil Cooper, who hit 32. Late in the season, to try to ensure the Brewers' pennant chase, the team made one last trade on August 30 for Don Sutton. That trade would become even more important on the final game of the regular season between the Brewers and the Baltimore Orioles
1982 Baltimore Orioles season
The Baltimore Orioles season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Orioles finishing 2nd in the American League East with a record of 94 wins and 68 losses.- Offseason :...
, with both teams tied for first place in the AL East. Don Sutton started against Jim Palmer
Jim Palmer
James Alvin "Jim" Palmer , nicknamed "Cakes", is a former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He played his entire 20-year baseball career for the Baltimore Orioles . He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in .As of 2008, Palmer and his wife Susan have homes in Palm Beach, Florida, and...
and the Brewers won 10–2, thanks to Robin Yount hitting two clutch home runs, clinching the AL East Division. The Brewers finished the season 95–67, the best record in baseball that year.
The Brewers faced the California Angels
1982 California Angels season
The California Angels 1982 season involved the Angels finishing 1st in the American League west with a record of 93 wins and 69 losses.- Offseason :* December 6, 1981: Bob Boone was purchased by the Angels from the Philadelphia Phillies....
in the 1982 American League Championship Series
1982 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 5, 1982 at Anaheim Stadium in Anaheim, CaliforniaThe Angels jumped to a 1–0 lead in the first when Brian Downing scored an unearned run on a sacrifice fly by Don Baylor. Milwaukee came back to take a 3–1 lead with a two-run homer by Gorman Thomas in the second and a run...
and lost the first two games in California, but then rallied to win the next two games back in Milwaukee, setting up the pivotal Game 5, with the winner being the American League Champions. Down 3–2 in the 7th, Cecil Cooper hit a clutch 2-run single to put the Brewers on top and proved to be a game winner. The Brewers became the first team to win the American League Championship Series when down two games to none.
The Brewers then played the St. Louis Cardinals
1982 St. Louis Cardinals season
The St. Louis Cardinals' 1982 season was the team's 101st season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 91st season in the National League. Making up for the previous year's near-miss, the Cardinals went 92-70 during the season and won their first-ever National League East Division title by three games...
in the World Series
1982 World Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 12, 1982 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, MissouriThe Brewers' left-hander Mike Caldwell pitched a complete game shutout, allowing only three hits. The Brewers' offense was led by Paul Molitor, who had a World Series-record five hits and two RBIs...
, which was seen as a match-up of contrasting playing styles, as the Cardinals' offensive style was speed and defense, whereas the Brewers' offense was power hitting. The Brewers won Game One 10–0, thanks to Paul Molitor
Paul Molitor
Paul Leo Molitor , nicknamed "Molly" and "The Ignitor", is an American former Major League Baseball designated hitter and infielder. During his 21-year baseball career, he played for the Milwaukee Brewers , Toronto Blue Jays , and Minnesota Twins...
's World Series record 5 hits and a complete game shutout by Mike Caldwell. The Cardinals won the next two games and seemed to have Game 4 in complete control until the Brewers rallied for six runs in the 7th to win the game 7–5. The Brewers then won Game Five 6–4, giving them a 3–2 series lead, but the Cardinals trounced Don Sutton winning Game 6 13–1, and rallied for three runs late in Game 7 to win the Series, 4 games to 3. Many point to the lack of a bullpen for their downfall, as the Brewers had the lead in five of the seven games. Ace closer Rollie Fingers
Rollie Fingers
Roland Glen Fingers is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. During his 18-year baseball career, he pitched for the Oakland Athletics , San Diego Padres and Milwaukee Brewers . He became only the second reliever to be elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1992...
missed the playoffs due to a torn muscle in his throwing arm that not only kept him out for the entire playoffs but also would have him miss the entire 1983 season.
The Brewers had many individual accomplishments during their two playoff years, as both in 1981 and 1982, Brewer players won both the AL MVP and Cy Young awards, with Rollie Fingers winning both awards in 1981, and Robin Yount winning the MVP and Pete Vuckovich winning the Cy Young in 1982.
The Brewers were in contention to repeat in 1983, but the team fell on a rough September to finish in 4th place with an 87–75 record, their last winning season until 1987.
1984–93: Rollercoaster, riding the highs and lows
Following their two playoff years, the club quickly retreated to the bottom of the standings, never finishing higher than fifth (out of seven) in their division from 1983 to 1986. Hope was restored in 1987 when, guided by rookie manager Tom Trebelhorn, the team began the year with a 13-game winning streak. Unfortunately, they followed that hot start with a 12-game skid in May. But "Team Streak" eventually posted a strong third-place finish. Highlights of the year included Paul Molitor'sPaul Molitor
Paul Leo Molitor , nicknamed "Molly" and "The Ignitor", is an American former Major League Baseball designated hitter and infielder. During his 21-year baseball career, he played for the Milwaukee Brewers , Toronto Blue Jays , and Minnesota Twins...
39-game hitting streak and what is still the only no-hitter
No-hitter
A no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...
in team history, pitched by Juan Nieves
Juan Nieves
Juan Manuel Nieves Cruz is a former pitcher in Major League Baseball who, on April 15, 1987 against the Baltimore Orioles, became the second-youngest player in major league history to throw a no-hitter, and so far the only Milwaukee Brewer to do so.He was signed by the Brewers after graduating...
on April 15.
On that day, Nieves became the first (and so far, only) Brewer and first Puerto Rican-born
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
Major Leaguer to pitch a no-hitter, defeating the Baltimore Orioles
1987 Baltimore Orioles season
The Baltimore Orioles season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Orioles finishing 6th in the American League East with a record of 67 wins and 95 losses.-Offseason:* January 30, 1987: Jack O'Connor was signed as a free agent by the Orioles....
7–0 at Memorial Stadium
Memorial Stadium (Baltimore)
Memorial Stadium was a sports stadium in Baltimore, Maryland, that formerly stood on 33rd Street on an over-sized block also bounded by Ellerslie Avenue , 36th Street , and Ednor Road...
. The final out came on a climactic diving catch in right-center field by Robin Yount of a line drive hit by Eddie Murray
Eddie Murray
Eddie Clarence Murray , nicknamed "Steady Eddie", is a former Major League Baseball first baseman and designated hitter. He was known as one of the most reliable and productive hitters of his era. Murray is regarded as one of the best switch hitters ever to play the game...
. The game also was the first time the Orioles were no-hit at Memorial Stadium. Yount later recalled at a Brewers banquet that he did not have to dive to catch the line drive hit by Murray but figured ending the game with a diving catch would be the icing on the cake for Nieves' no-hitter.
In 1988
1988 Major League Baseball season
In , the Major League Baseball season ended with the underdog Los Angeles Dodgers shocking the Oakland Athletics, who had won 104 games during the regular season, in the World Series. The most memorable moment of the series came in Game 1, when injured Dodger Kirk Gibson hit a dramatic pinch-hit...
the team
1988 Milwaukee Brewers season
The 1988 Milwaukee Brewers season involved the Brewers' finishing 3rd in the American League East with a record of 87 wins and 75 losses.-Offseason:* November 11, 1987: Bill Mooneyham was signed as a free agent by the Brewers....
had another strong season, finishing only two games out of first (albeit with a lesser record than the previous year) in a close playoff race with four other clubs. Following this year, the team slipped, posting mediocre records from 1989 through 1991, after which Trebelhorn was fired. In 1992, reminiscent of the resurgence which greeted Trebelhorn's arrival in 1987, the Brewers rallied behind the leadership of rookie manager Phil Garner
Phil Garner
Philip Mason Garner is a former infielder in Major League Baseball for the Oakland Athletics, Pittsburgh Pirates, Houston Astros, Los Angeles Dodgers, and San Francisco Giants from 1973 to 1988...
and posted their best record since their World Series year in 1982, finishing the season 92–70 and in second place, four games behind that year's eventual World Champion Toronto Blue Jays
1992 Toronto Blue Jays season
The Toronto Blue Jays played their 16th season in Major League Baseball. Toronto finished first in the American League East for the 4th time with a record of 96 wins and 66 losses, closing the season with an attendance record of 4,028,318...
. 1992 proved to be the end of an era for the Brewers, as teammates Robin Yount
Robin Yount
Robin R. Yount is an American former Major League Baseball shortstop and center fielder. He spent his entire 20-year baseball career with the Milwaukee Brewers . In 1999, Yount was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.-Early years:Yount was born in Danville, Illinois...
, Paul Molitor
Paul Molitor
Paul Leo Molitor , nicknamed "Molly" and "The Ignitor", is an American former Major League Baseball designated hitter and infielder. During his 21-year baseball career, he played for the Milwaukee Brewers , Toronto Blue Jays , and Minnesota Twins...
, and Jim Gantner
Jim Gantner
James Elmer Gantner was a Major League Baseball player who spent his entire career with the Milwaukee Brewers .-Background:...
, who had been together since 1978 would go their separate ways, as Molitor left the Brewers for the Toronto Blue Jays, Gantner retired, and Yount would only last one more season before retiring in 1993.
Hope of additional pennant races was quickly dashed, as the club plummeted to the bottom of the standings in 1993
1993 Major League Baseball season
The 1993 Major League Baseball season was also the final season of two division play in each league, before the Central Division was added the following season, giving both the NL and AL three divisions each....
, finishing an abysmal 26 games out of first. Since 1992, highlights were few and far between as the franchise failed to produce a winning season, having not fielded a competitive team because of a combination of bad management and financial constraints that limit the team relative to the resources available to other, larger-market clubs.
As 1990s came to a close, the Brewers were on their way to becoming a perennial doormat. A lack of good management and an aging ballpark in old County Stadium, were both becoming stark problems for the Brewers and many fans began to wonder if the Brewers would ever become contenders again.
1994–98: Realignment / "We're taking this thing National"
In 1994, Major League Baseball adopted a new, expanded playoff system. This change would necessitate a restructuring of each league from two divisions into three. The Brewers were transferred from the old AL East division to the newly created AL Central. (Due to the baseball strike, however, the new-look playoffs and World Series1994 World Series
The 1994 World Series was canceled on September 14 of that year due to an ongoing strike by the Major League Baseball Players Association, which had begun on August 12...
did not materialize that year.)
In March 1995, two new franchises—the Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...
and Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...
—were awarded by Major League Baseball, to begin play in 1998. It was decided to add one new team to each league. However, it soon became clear that it would be impractical to have an odd number of teams per league: baseball would either have to give teams many more off-days than in the past, or interleague play
Interleague play
Interleague play is the term used to describe regular season Major League Baseball games played between teams in different leagues, introduced in . Before the 1997 season, teams in the American League and National League did not meet during the regular season...
would have to be extended year-round, or both. In order for MLB officials to continue the existing schedule, where teams play almost every day and where interleague play is limited to a few days per year, both leagues would need to carry an even number of teams. The decision was made to have one existing club switch leagues.
This realignment was widely considered to have great financial benefit to the club moving. However, to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest, Commissioner (then club owner) Bud Selig decided another team should have the first chance to switch leagues. The Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
of the American League's Central Division were asked first, but they decided not to move over to the National League's Central Division. The choice then fell to the Brewers, who, on November 6, 1997, elected to move to the National League's Central Division. At the same time, the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
agreed to move from the AL East to the AL Central (to replace Milwaukee). The Tampa Bay Devil Rays joined the AL East and the Arizona Diamondbacks joined the NL West. Had the Brewers elected not to move to the National League, the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
would have been offered the opportunity next.
Milwaukee had formerly been a National League town, having been the home of the Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
for 13 seasons (1953–65). With the Brewers having joined the National League, it was now necessary for their pitchers to take batting practice, because the NL has a no DH rule.
1999–2003: Building Miller Park
Milwaukee County Stadium
Milwaukee County Stadium was a ballpark in Milwaukee, Wisconsin from 1953 to 2000. It was primarily used as a baseball stadium for the Milwaukee Braves and Brewers, but was also used for football games, ice skating, religious services, concerts and other large events...
, which had become heavily outdated and antiquated and didn't even have luxury suites.
By 1996, the club was set to build a new ballpark near the site of County Stadium, which would have a retractable roof to counter the unpredictable Wisconsin weather in the spring and autumn. It also helped to bring more fans and their families from all around Wisconsin to come to games with a practical guarantee of no rain-outs, bring in more potential revenue for the club.
Miller Park was opened in 2001, built to replace Milwaukee County Stadium. The stadium was built with $310 million of public funds, drawing some controversy, and is the only sporting facility to have a fan-shaped retractable roof. Miller Park has a seating capacity
Seating capacity
Seating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, both in terms of the physical space available, and in terms of limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that seats...
of seating 41,900 and with standing room 43,000, which is 10,000 fewer seats than County Stadium.
The park was to have opened a year earlier, but an accident during its construction, which resulted in the deaths of three workers, forced a year's delay and $50 million to $75 million in damage. On July 14, 1999, the three men lost their lives when the Lampson "Big Blue
Big Blue (crane)
-Profile:* Started at Miller Park: October 2, 1998* Height: 467 feet* Weight: 3,100 tons* Lifting Capacity: 1,500 tons* Counterweights: 2,150 tons* Cables: 40,000 feet* Operators: Four* Cost to Build: $10 million* Assembly Time: Six weeks...
" crane, one of the largest in the world, collapsed while trying to lift a 400 ton right field roof panel. A statue commemorating the men now stands between the home plate entrance to Miller Park and Helfaer Field
Helfaer Field
Helfaer Field, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is a Little League baseball field that is located directly next to Miller Park, home of the Milwaukee Brewers. Home plate at Helfaer Field lies where the former Milwaukee County Stadium home plate was. Helfaer Field has dimensions of 200' to left, center,...
.
The Brewers made renovations to Miller Park before the 2006 campaign, adding both LED
LEd
LEd is a TeX/LaTeX editing software working under Microsoft Windows. It is a freeware product....
scoreboards from Daktronics
Daktronics
Daktronics is an American company based in Brookings, South Dakota that designs, manufactures, sells, and services video board, scoreboards, digital billboards and related products. The company is best known for its electronic LED displays...
, a company in Brookings, South Dakota
Brookings, South Dakota
Brookings is a city in Brookings County, South Dakota, United States. Brookings is the fourth largest city in South Dakota, with a population of 22,056 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Brookings County, and home to South Dakota State University, the largest institution of higher...
, in left field and on the second-tier of the stadium, as well as a picnic area in right field, shortening the distance of the right-field fence. The picnic area was an immediate hit and sold out for the season before the year began.
Miller Park also features another fan favorite, Klement’s Racing Sausages
Sausage Race
The Sausage Race is a race of sausage mascots held before the bottom of the sixth inning at every home game of the Milwaukee Brewers. The Sausage Race is a promotion for the Klement's Sausage Company, located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, whose sausages are served at Miller Park, the home of the Brewers...
, in a race of five costumed mascots, held before the bottom of the sixth inning.
While the Brewers' new park was a hit, the club itself was not successful playing in it, as the Brewers finished the season even worse than their previous seasons, going 68–94 in their first season at Miller Park. The Brewers finished 2002 even worse, finishing with a dismal 56–106 record, 41 games out of first place, the worst record in franchise history.
In 2003
2003 Major League Baseball season
*World Series MVP: Josh Beckett**American League Championship Series MVP: Mariano Rivera**National League Championship Series MVP: Iván Rodríguez*All-Star Game, July 15 at U.S...
, the Brewers hired Doug Melvin
Doug Melvin
Douglas Robert Melvin is a Canadian front office executive in Major League Baseball who currently serves as the general manager of the Milwaukee Brewers of the National League...
as General Manager, who in turn brought in Ned Yost
Ned Yost
Edgar Frederick "Ned" Yost III is a former Major League Baseball catcher and current manager of the Kansas City Royals. He is the former manager of the Milwaukee Brewers.-Playing career:...
, coach with the Atlanta Braves and a former member of the 1982 American League Champion Brewers, as manager. Though the Brewers only went 68–94 in 2003, the Brewers did raise hopes with a winning record in August during the season.
2004-2006: Building a winner
On January 16, 2004, Selig announced that his ownership group was putting the team up for sale, to the great relief of many fans who were unhappy with the team's lackluster performance and poor management by his daughter, Wendy Selig-PriebWendy Selig-Prieb
Wendy Selig-Prieb is the former CEO of the Milwaukee Brewers team in Major League Baseball, having served in that position from 1998 to 2004, during which time she was Major League Baseball's only female CEO...
, over the previous decade. In September 2004, the Brewers announced they had reached a verbal agreement with Los Angeles investment banker Mark Attanasio
Mark Attanasio
Mark L. Attanasio is a Los Angeles investment management principal who, in September 2004, reached a deal, on behalf of an investment group, to purchase the Milwaukee Brewers from the family of Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig for US$200 million...
to purchase the team for a reported US$223 million. The sale to Attanasio was completed on January 13, 2005, at Major League Baseball's quarterly owners meeting. Other members of Attanasio's ownership group include private equity
Private equity
Private equity, in finance, is an asset class consisting of equity securities in operating companies that are not publicly traded on a stock exchange....
investor John Canning Jr., David Uihlein, Harris Turer and Stephen Marcus, all of whom were involved with the previous ownership group led by Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig. Since taking over the franchise, Attanasio has worked hard to build bridges with Milwaukee baseball fans, including giving away every seat to the final home game of 2005 free of charge and bringing back the classic "ball and glove" logo of the club's glory days on "Retro Friday" home games, during which they also wear versions of the team's old pinstriped uniforms.
2004
The Brewers caused a stir in the first half of the 2004 season, when the team had a winning record in the first half of the season, even briefly being in 1st place in the NL Central. However, lack of a productive offense doomed the Brewers and the club sunk back to last place, finishing the season 67–94. The Brewers did have some bright moments during the season with pitcher Ben Sheets
Ben Sheets
Ben M. Sheets is an American baseball starting pitcher who is currently a free agent. He is a four-time All-Star, but has been hampered with injury problems throughout his career.-Prep and college:...
striking out 18 Atlanta Braves in one game and the Brewers coming back from a 9-run deficit to beat the Cincinnati Reds
2004 Cincinnati Reds season
The Cincinnati Reds' 2004 season included the Reds' fourth-place in the National League Central division.-Offseason:*January 14, 2004: John Vander Wal was signed as a Free Agent with the Cincinnati Reds....
.
After the 2004 season, with Mark Attanasio now in control of the franchise, the Brewers were finally able to spend some money on free agents. The Brewers first significant free-agent signing in many years was veteran catcher Damian Miller
Damian Miller
Damian Donald Miller is a former Major League Baseball catcher who last played for the Milwaukee Brewers.-High school years:...
, a Wisconsin native, and to address a need for better run production, the Brewers traded speedy outfielder Scott Posednick and relief pitcher Luis Viscaino to the Chicago White Sox in exchange for slugging outfielder Carlos Lee
Carlos Lee
Carlos Noriel Lee is a first basemen in Major League Baseball who plays for the Houston Astros. He bats and throws right-handed....
. The arrival of Lee gave Brewer fans even higher hopes that better seasons were on the way for the Brewers.
2005
In 2005
2005 Major League Baseball season
Click on any series score to link to that series' page.Higher seed had home field advantage during Division Series and League Championship Series.The American League champion had home field advantage during the World Series as a result of the AL victory in the 2005 All-Star...
, under Attanasio's ownership, the team finished 81–81 to secure its first non-losing record since 1992. True to form, Carlos Lee provided the Brewers with much needed run support, hitting 32 home runs and driving in 112. Starting pitcher Chris Capuano also had a stellar season, going 18–12 with a 3.99 ERA, the most wins by a Brewer pitcher since Pete Vuckovich won 18 games in 1982.
With a solid base of young talent assembled over the past five years, including Prince Fielder
Prince Fielder
Prince Semien Fielder is a Major League Baseball free agent who plays first base. He is currently listed at 5' 11" and . He was selected by the Brewers in the first round of the 2002 Major League Baseball Draft out of Eau Gallie High School in Melbourne, Florida.He is the son of former Detroit...
, Rickie Weeks
Rickie Weeks
Rickie Darnell Weeks is a Major League Baseball second baseman for the Milwaukee Brewers....
, J. J. Hardy and Corey Hart, the Brewers showed renewed competitiveness. Further encouraging this sentiment, the Brewers had hired former stars Yount (bench coach; resigned in November 2006) and Dale Sveum
Dale Sveum
Dale Curtis Sveum is a former Major League Baseball player and the current manager of the Chicago Cubs.-Playing career:A talented athlete, Sveum was an All-State and All-American quarterback while attending Pinole Valley High School, in addition to being a fine baseball player...
(third base coach), both very popular players for the Brewers in the '80s.
2006
In 2006
2006 Major League Baseball season
In , the Major League Baseball season ended with the National League's St. Louis Cardinals winning the World Series with the lowest regular season victory total in history. The American League continued its domination at the All-Star Game by winning its fourth straight game; the A.L. has won nine...
, the Brewers' play disappointed fans, players, and management. They began the season 5–1 and had a 14–11 record at the end of April. On Mother's Day
Mother's Day
Mother's Day is a celebration honoring mothers and celebrating motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. It is celebrated on various days in many parts of the world, yet most commonly in March, April, or May...
Bill Hall hit a walk off home run with his mother in the stands, a play that was shown on ESPN throughout the summer. However, soon starters JJ Hardy, Rickie Weeks, and Corey Koskie were lost to injuries, and the Brewers were forced to trade for veteran infielders David Bell
David Bell (baseball)
David Michael Bell is a former Major League Baseball third baseman who is currently the manager of the Triple-A Louisville Bats...
and Tony Graffanino
Tony Graffanino
Anthony Joseph Graffanino is a former American Major League Baseball second baseman, third baseman, and shortstop. Though he never officially retired, Graffanino has not played since .-Career:...
. They also suffered setbacks when losing starting pitchers Ben Sheets
Ben Sheets
Ben M. Sheets is an American baseball starting pitcher who is currently a free agent. He is a four-time All-Star, but has been hampered with injury problems throughout his career.-Prep and college:...
and Tomo Ohka
Tomo Ohka
is a Nippon Professional Baseball pitcher who is currently playing for the Yokohama BayStars. Previously, Ohka played with the Boston Red Sox , Montreal Expos , Washington Nationals , Milwaukee Brewers , Toronto Blue Jays , and Cleveland Indians...
for a substantial amount of time, forcing Triple A starters Ben Hendrickson
Ben Hendrickson
Benjamin John Hendrickson is a free-agent baseball pitcher.Hendrickson originally signed with the Milwaukee Brewers in the tenth round of the 1999 First-Year Player Draft...
, Dana Eveland
Dana Eveland
Dana James Eveland is a left-handed Major League Baseball starting pitcher with the Los Angeles Dodgers.Eveland throws a four-seam fastball, slider, changeup, and curveball. He is 6' 1" and weighs 230 pounds....
, Carlos Villanueva, and Zach Jackson
Zach Jackson
Zachary Thomas Jackson, is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Texas Rangers organization.-Toronto Blue Jays:Jackson was drafted first in the first-year player draft by the Toronto Blue Jays in after completing his Junior year at Texas A&M University. He pitched very well, jumping to Triple-A...
into starting roles at different points in the year. Shortly before the All Star
2006 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 2006 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 77th playing of the midseason exhibition baseball game between the all-stars of the American League and National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 11, 2006 at PNC Park in Pittsburgh,...
break the Brewers climbed to one game above .500, but then lost their next three to the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
and would never return to .500. After the All Star break closer Derrick Turnbow blew four straight save opportunities. This led to the Brewers being far enough down in the standings that management decided to trade free agent-to-be Carlos Lee
Carlos Lee
Carlos Noriel Lee is a first basemen in Major League Baseball who plays for the Houston Astros. He bats and throws right-handed....
to the Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
for closer Francisco Cordero
Francisco Cordero
Francisco Javier Cordero is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds...
, outfielder Kevin Mench
Kevin Mench
Kevin Ford Mench is a Major League Baseball outfielder who is currently a free agent.-High school and college career:...
, and two minor league prospects. Cordero replaced Turnbow as the Brewers closer and had immediate success, successfully converting his first 13 save opportunities. On August 24 the Brewers completed a sweep of the Colorado Rockies
2006 Colorado Rockies season
The Colorado Rockies' 2006 season was the 14th for the Rockies. They competed in the National League West finishing with a record of 76-86 and tied for 4th place in the division. Clint Hurdle was the manager...
to climb to less than five games out in both the NL Central Division and NL Wild Card races, but then Milwaukee went on a 10-game losing streak that ended any postseason hope. The Brewers did rebound and play well in September including a four-game sweep of San Francisco
2006 San Francisco Giants season
The San Francisco Giants are an American baseball team. Their 2006 season included the San Francisco Giants attempting to win the National League West division. The Giants finished 11½ games behind the division winner, the San Diego Padres.-Season summary:...
, but it was too little too late. The Brewers ended the season with a 75–87 record.
At the end of the season, Attanasio stated that he and General Manager Doug Melvin would have to make some decisions about returning players for the 2007 season. With young players waiting in the minor leagues, during the off-season the key additions were starting pitcher and 2006 NLCS MVP Jeff Suppan
Jeff Suppan
Jeffrey Scot Suppan , is a Major League Baseball pitcher, who is currently a free agent.-Baseball career:Suppan was drafted out of high school by the Boston Red Sox in the second round of the 1993 amateur draft, and rapidly ascended to the Majors making his debut at the age of 20...
, starter Claudio Vargas
Claudio Vargas
Claudio Vargas Almonte is a former Dominican professional baseball pitcher for the Montreal Expos/Washington Nationals, Arizona Diamondbacks, Milwaukee Brewers, New York Mets, and Los Angeles Dodgers...
, reliever Greg Aquino
Greg Aquino
Gregori Emilio Aquino Valera is a Major League Baseball pitcher who is currently in the Chicago White Sox organization.Aquino was originally signed as a 16-year-old infielder in , by the Arizona Diamondbacks....
, catcher Johnny Estrada
Johnny Estrada
Johnny Pulado Estrada III is a former American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the Philadelphia Phillies, Atlanta Braves, Arizona Diamondbacks, Milwaukee Brewers and the Washington Nationals.Estrada was selected in the 17th round of the 1997 Major...
, and returning Brewer Craig Counsell
Craig Counsell
Craig John Counsell is a Major League Baseball infielder.Counsell grew up in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, and attended Whitefish Bay High School, where he played baseball. His father worked for the Milwaukee Brewers...
. The Brewers parted ways with 2006 starters Doug Davis and Tomo Ohka, as well as fan favorite Jeff Cirillo
Jeff Cirillo
Jeffrey Howard Cirillo is a former third baseman in Major League Baseball. In a 14-season career, Cirillo was a .296 hitter with 112 home runs and 727 RBI in 1617 games. He was named an All-Star in and . He is the Brewers all-time career leader in batting average at .306...
, who wanted more playing time with another team.
2007: The return to respectability
2007 St. Louis Cardinals season
The St. Louis Cardinals 2007 season was the team's 126th season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 116th season in the National League. The season started with the team trying to defend their 2006 World Series championship. During the offseason, the Cardinals were faced with the challenge of handling...
and re-vamped Chicago Cubs
2007 Chicago Cubs season
The Chicago Cubs' 2007 season began with the Cubs trying to rebound after a season in which they finished last in their division for the first time since .-Offseason:...
to win the NL Central. To celebrate the successful 1982 Milwaukee Brewers team, the franchise decided to have the 2007 season
2007 Major League Baseball season
The 2007 Major League Baseball season, began on April 1 with a rematch of the 2006 National League Championship Series; the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets played the first game of the season at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri, which was won by the Mets, 6–1...
be named as the "25th Anniversary of '82", with more fan giveaways than any other Major League Baseball team except the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
, and more discounts and deals than any other time in Brewers' history.
ESPN.com's lead story on August 29 stated: ".... Then there are the Brewers. The strange, impossible-to-figure-out Brewers. They once had the best record in the majors, were 14 games over .500 twice, and led the division by as many as 8½ games on June 23. Since then, and there's no nice way of saying it; they've reeked.". The Brewers cast this negativity to the side, and rebounded in September. Despite poor performances from the usually steady Chris Capuano
Chris Capuano
Christopher "Chris" Frank Capuano is an American professional baseball player.-Early life:Capuano graduated from St. Thomas School in West Springfield in 8th grade...
and more nagging injuries to Ben Sheets
Ben Sheets
Ben M. Sheets is an American baseball starting pitcher who is currently a free agent. He is a four-time All-Star, but has been hampered with injury problems throughout his career.-Prep and college:...
, the Brewers found themselves in a heated pennant race with Chicago's North Siders. The team's playoff drive took a hit late in the year, however, losing three of four games in a crucial series in Atlanta, dropping the Brewers to a season-high 3.5 games out of first. The Brewers won the first two games of their final homestand of the season to pull within two games of the Cubs, but faced a near impossible task with the club's elimination number down to only three and the wild card leading Padres
2007 San Diego Padres season
The San Diego Padres' 2007 season began with the Padres' attempt to win a 3rd consecutive NL West title. After finishing 162 games in a tie with the Colorado Rockies for both the NL Wild Card and second place in the NL West, they were defeated in a tie-breaker which placed them third overall in...
coming to town. The club played well, but the Cubs clinched on the final Friday of the season. On September 29 the Brewers beat Padres 4–3 in extra innings to secure a winning season. The game was tied in the ninth inning by a triple by Tony Gwynn, Jr.
Tony Gwynn, Jr.
Anthony Keith "Tony" Gwynn, Jr. is a Major League Baseball player, who is currently with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He is the son of baseball Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn.-Amateur career:...
in a highlight reel play that was repeated often during the 2007 post season. That win, and the win the next day, by the Brewers kept the Padres from advancing to the playoffs. The irony, of course, being that Gwynn's father
Tony Gwynn
Anthony Keith "Tony" Gwynn, Sr. , nicknamed Mr. Padre and Captain Video, is a former Major League Baseball right fielder. He is statistically one of the best and most consistent hitters in baseball history. He played his entire 20-year baseball career for the San Diego Padres...
was arguably the most popular Padre of all-time, and Tony Gwynn Jr. would later be traded to the Padres in 2009. Milwaukee finished at a respectable 83–79, only two games behind Chicago, the club's best finish since 1992.
First baseman Prince Fielder
Prince Fielder
Prince Semien Fielder is a Major League Baseball free agent who plays first base. He is currently listed at 5' 11" and . He was selected by the Brewers in the first round of the 2002 Major League Baseball Draft out of Eau Gallie High School in Melbourne, Florida.He is the son of former Detroit...
made history in 2007, becoming the first Brewer and the youngest player ever to reach the 50 home run mark in a single season. For his effort, he finished third in the 2007 National League Most Valuable Player voting, garnering 284 total points including 5 first place votes. Fielder was also awarded the Hank Aaron Award
Hank Aaron Award
The Hank Aaron Award is given annually to the Major League Baseball players selected as the top hitter in each league, as voted on by baseball fans and members of the media. It was introduced in 1999 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Hank Aaron's surpassing of Babe Ruth's career home run mark...
for reaching the amazing single year record. Third baseman Ryan Braun
Ryan Braun
Ryan Joseph Braun is an American right-handed Major League Baseball left fielder for the Milwaukee Brewers. A perennial standout, he was ranked No...
was also rewarded for his historic season by being named 2007 NL Rookie of the Year.
2008: The return to the postseason
The Brewers came into 2008 with hopes of ending the team's 26 year playoff drought, adding several veterans to the team in outfielder Mike CameronMike Cameron
Michael Terrance Cameron is an American professional baseball outfielder who is currently a free agent. He has previously played for the Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds, Seattle Mariners, New York Mets, San Diego Padres, Milwaukee Brewers, Boston Red Sox, and Florida Marlins.Cameron has won 3...
and catcher Jason Kendall
Jason Kendall
Jason Daniel Kendall is an American professional baseball catcher who is a free agent. He is the son of former catcher Fred Kendall, who played in the majors from 1969–1980.-High school:...
, as well as relief pitchers Eric Gagne and Salomon Torres
Salomón Torres
Salomón Torres Ramirez is a former Major League Baseball player. He began his career in with the San Francisco Giants, and also played for the Seattle Mariners, Montreal Expos, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Milwaukee Brewers.-San Francisco Giants:Torres is best known for starting the last game of the...
. The Brewers started April on a solid winning note, but suffered two big blows in their pitching rotation when Dave Bush was demoted to AAA Nashville, and Yovani Gallardo
Yovani Gallardo
Yovani Gallardo is a Mexican-American right-handed starting pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers. He was selected in the second round of the 2004 Major League Baseball Draft out of Trimble Technical High School in Fort Worth, Texas....
suffered a potential season ending knee injury. The team dropped below .500 by the middle of May, capped off by a sweep from the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
.
The Brewers rebounded in June as Salomon Torres took over as closer, becoming a big success, and soon climbed back into contention. As June came to a close, the Brewers made their biggest move for playoff contention as they traded 4 prospects, most notably Matt LaPorta, to the Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
for CC Sabathia. General Manager Doug Melvin summed up the trade by saying, "We are going for it." The Brewers came into the All-Star break
2008 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 2008 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 79th midseason exhibition between the all-stars of the American League and the National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was played at Yankee Stadium in The Bronx, New York, home of the New York Yankees, on...
with a 52–43 record, still third behind the Cubs and Cardinals. Ben Sheets was named starting pitcher for the National League in the All-Star game, and Ryan Braun also started at left field. Corey Hart was named to the team in the Final Vote.
The Brewers came out of the All-Star break with a bang as they won their first seven games back, all of them on the road, sweeping first the Giants and then the Cardinals, taking over first place in the Wild Card standings. The Brewers came into the end of July still in the hunt for the division, but the front running Cubs swept the Brewers in a four-game set at Miller Park. While the Brewers were still holding on to the Wild Card lead, the division was never seriously challenged for the remainder of the year.
The Brewers came off the sweep from the Cubs with an amazing August, winning 20 of 28 games in the month. Sabathia made history by becoming the first pitcher in over 90 years to win his first 9 games after being traded mid-season. With a steady five game lead for the Wild Card, the hope of a playoff spot seemed secured, but the Brewers struggled in September, first getting swept by the New York Mets
2008 New York Mets season
The 2008 New York Mets season was the franchise's 47th season. The Mets finished the season with an 89–73 record, second place in the National League East, three games behind the Philadelphia Phillies, and one game worse than the wild card winners, the Milwaukee Brewers...
, and then just over a week later, getting swept in four games by the Philadelphia Phillies
2008 Philadelphia Phillies season
The Philadelphia Phillies' 2008 season was the 126th in the history of the franchise. The team finished with a regular season record of 92–70, first in the National League East. In the post-season, the Phillies won the World Series; this was the first major sports championship for...
, losing their lead in the Wild Casid. Feeling a change was needed, the Brewers fired manager Ned Yost with just 12 games left in the season, replacing him with Brewers third base coach Dale Sveum
Dale Sveum
Dale Curtis Sveum is a former Major League Baseball player and the current manager of the Chicago Cubs.-Playing career:A talented athlete, Sveum was an All-State and All-American quarterback while attending Pinole Valley High School, in addition to being a fine baseball player...
. Sveum named Garth Iorg as his replacement as third base coach, and made Robin Yount
Robin Yount
Robin R. Yount is an American former Major League Baseball shortstop and center fielder. He spent his entire 20-year baseball career with the Milwaukee Brewers . In 1999, Yount was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.-Early years:Yount was born in Danville, Illinois...
the new bench coach, replacing Ted Simmons
Ted Simmons
Ted Lyle Simmons is an American former professional baseball player and coach. A switch-hitter, Simmons was a catcher for most of his Major League Baseball career with the St. Louis Cardinals , the Milwaukee Brewers and the Atlanta Braves...
. With the final 6x games at home, the Brewers were still in the hunt for the Wild Card behind the New York Mets. They first swept the Pittsburgh Pirates, thanks to walk-off home runs by Prince Fielder
Prince Fielder
Prince Semien Fielder is a Major League Baseball free agent who plays first base. He is currently listed at 5' 11" and . He was selected by the Brewers in the first round of the 2002 Major League Baseball Draft out of Eau Gallie High School in Melbourne, Florida.He is the son of former Detroit...
and Ryan Braun
Ryan Braun
Ryan Joseph Braun is an American right-handed Major League Baseball left fielder for the Milwaukee Brewers. A perennial standout, he was ranked No...
, tying the New York Mets for the Wild Card lead with 3 games to go against the NL Central division champion Chicago Cubs
2008 Chicago Cubs season
The Chicago Cubs' 2008 season was the 136th season for the Chicago Cubs. It is considered one of their most impressive regular seasons in the entire history of the franchise. Despite 97 regular season wins—the most since 1945—they failed to make it past the first round of the playoffs, losing 3-0...
.
The Brewers took the first game thanks to a pinch-hit home run by Rickie Weeks
Rickie Weeks
Rickie Darnell Weeks is a Major League Baseball second baseman for the Milwaukee Brewers....
and stellar relief pitching by Seth McClung
Seth McClung
Michael Seth McClung , nicknamed Big Red, is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. In his career, he has pitched as a starting pitcher and as a relief pitcher....
. The Cubs took the second game, with the Wild Card race still in a dead tie. CC Sabathia was called to pitch his third game in a week, and was stellar, pitching a complete game, while Ryan Braun hit possibly the biggest home run in club history with a 2-run shot in the 8th inning to break a 1–1 tie. The Brewers won 3–1 while the New York Mets lost to the Florida Marlins
2008 Florida Marlins season
The Florida Marlins' 2008 season was the 16th season for the Major League Baseball franchise. Fredi González returned for his second season as manager...
4–2, sealing the Brewers the Wild Card spot.
2008 NLDS
The Brewers finished the 2008 season one game ahead of the New York Mets with a final record of 90–72, and faced the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLDS. This was the first time the Brewers reached the playoffs since 1982.
The Brewers played their first postseason game in 26 years on October 1. Pitcher Yovani Gallardo
Yovani Gallardo
Yovani Gallardo is a Mexican-American right-handed starting pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers. He was selected in the second round of the 2004 Major League Baseball Draft out of Trimble Technical High School in Fort Worth, Texas....
made his first postseason start and only his second start since coming off the disabled list in late September. The Brewers lost the first game of the NLDS 3–1 on a dominant performance by Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels
Cole Hamels
Colbert Michael "Cole" Hamels is a left-handed starting pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies. Hamels throws a four-seam fastball, a circle changeup, a curveball, and a cut fastball, which he added in 2010...
. Hamels allowed only two hits and struck out nine Brewers batters in eight shutout innings. The Brewers mounted a comeback in the 9th inning as closer Brad Lidge
Brad Lidge
Bradley Thomas "Brad" Lidge is a reliever who is currently a free agent. Nicknamed "Lights Out", he is the all-time leader in strikeouts per nine innings among pitchers with at least 200 appearances in their career...
allowed two hits, a walk, and a run to score. However, Brewers right fielder Corey Hart struck out with runners on second and third to end the game.
The Brewers lost game 2 of the NLDS due to ace CC Sabathia giving up a grand slam early in the game, leaving after 3 and 2/3 innings (his shortest and last outing as a Brewer). The Brewers hosted their first playoff game in 26 years on Saturday, October 4, and won 4–1. However, the Brewers season would come to an end on Sunday as Jeff Suppan allowed three home runs to lose 6–2, eliminating them from the postseason in four games.
The Brewers lost several key players from the 2008 playoff campaign following the season. The 2009 Brewers were without CC Sabathia, Ben Sheets
Ben Sheets
Ben M. Sheets is an American baseball starting pitcher who is currently a free agent. He is a four-time All-Star, but has been hampered with injury problems throughout his career.-Prep and college:...
, Guillermo Mota
Guillermo Mota
Guillermo Reynoso Mota is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher. He stands tall and weighs . He throws and bats right-handed. Mota has played for the Montreal Expos, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Florida Marlins, the Cleveland Indians, the New York Mets, the Milwaukee Brewers and the San...
, Gabe Kapler
Gabe Kapler
Gabriel "Gabe" Stefan Kapler is an American Major League Baseball outfielder.He has played portions of 13 seasons with the Detroit Tigers, Texas Rangers, Colorado Rockies, Boston Red Sox, Milwaukee Brewers, and the Tampa Bay Rays...
, Ray Durham
Ray Durham
Ray Durham , nicknamed The Sugarman, is a former Major League Baseball second baseman.A two-time All-Star, Durham in his prime was one of the premier offensive catalysts in all of baseball, providing prototypical lead-off hitting with power...
, Russell Branyan
Russell Branyan
Russell Oles Branyan is a Major League Baseball first baseman. He throws right-handed, bats left-handed, and primarily plays first base, but is capable of playing third base and the outfield. Branyan began his professional career in the Cleveland Indians minor league system...
, Salomon Torres
Salomón Torres
Salomón Torres Ramirez is a former Major League Baseball player. He began his career in with the San Francisco Giants, and also played for the Seattle Mariners, Montreal Expos, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Milwaukee Brewers.-San Francisco Giants:Torres is best known for starting the last game of the...
, and Brian Shouse
Brian Shouse
Brian Douglas Shouse is a former left-handed Major League Baseball relief pitcher. Starting in 2001, Shouse pitched with a distinctive sidearm delivery, which replaced his earlier, more traditional, overhand delivery.-Career:...
.
2009: Missing playoffs
During the off-season, the Brewers lost C.C. Sabathia when he filed for free agency and signed a lucrative deal with the New York YankeesNew York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
. Despite the loss of a starting pitcher in Sabathia, the Brewers were able to sign all-time save leader Trevor Hoffman
Trevor Hoffman
Trevor William Hoffman is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. During his 18-year career from 1993 to 2010, he pitched for the Florida Marlins, San Diego Padres, and the Milwaukee Brewers, spending years of his career with the Padres. A long-time closer, he is the Major...
. The Brewers were not able to build on their success from the year prior falling below .500 but were witness to Prince Fielder setting the all-time franchise record for RBI.
2010
The Brewers attempted to shore up their starting pitching with the signings of free agents Randy WolfRandy Wolf
Randall Christopher Wolf is a left-handed pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers of Major League Baseball. Randy's older brother Jim is a Major League umpire. Unlike his brother Jim and Houston Astros relief pitcher Ross Wolf, Randy is a boss...
and Doug Davis, but the Brewers still struggled. After just one month, the Brewers released Jeff Suppan
Jeff Suppan
Jeffrey Scot Suppan , is a Major League Baseball pitcher, who is currently a free agent.-Baseball career:Suppan was drafted out of high school by the Boston Red Sox in the second round of the 1993 amateur draft, and rapidly ascended to the Majors making his debut at the age of 20...
, Doug Davis got injured, and Trevor Hoffman struggled to get saves. The only bright spots of the season was the Brewers' hitting. The Brewers were the only team in baseball to have three players with 100+ RBIs in Ryan Braun, Casey McGehee, and Corey Hart. The Brewers lost 9 games in a row in May and never fully recovered, finishing the season 77–85, which was good for 3rd place in the National League Central division, behind the Cincinnati Reds and the St. Louis Cardinals. The only other bright spots of the season was Trevor Hoffman getting his 600th career save and the emergence of new closer John Axford
John Axford
John Berton "The Ax Man" Axford is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers.-Path to the majors:...
. After the season, the Brewers chose not to renew the contract of manager Ken Macha. In October, just days after the World Series, the Brewers hired Ron Roenicke, bench coach of the Los Angeles Angels, to be the Brewers' new manager.
2011 season: NL Central champs
With the trades for Shaun MarcumShaun Marcum
Shaun Michael Marcum is an American professional baseball starting pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers of Major League Baseball.-Early life:...
and Zack Greinke
Zack Greinke
Donald Zackary "Zack" Greinke is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers. Greinke won the American League Cy Young Award in 2009 with the Kansas City Royals.-High school & minor leagues:Greinke was born in Orlando, Florida...
, the Brewers were tabbed by many experts as favorites to not only win the NL Central Division, but also contenders for the National League pennant. The Brewers did suffer some early losses in spring training, as Zack Greinke was lost to a rib injury that would keep him out for a month, and Corey Hart was out for the first half of April with a hamstring injury, which caused the Brewers to make a last-minute trade at the end of spring training for Washington Nationals outfielder Nyjer Morgan.
The Brewers struggled during the first month of the season, losing their first 4 games of the season and fell as far down as to 5th place in the NL Central Division, but the Brewers rebounded starting at the end of May and throughout June and early July. By the All-Star Break, the Brewers were in 2nd place in the divsion, behind Pittsburgh and St. Louis. To address some needed bullpen depth, the Brewers made a shocking trade just hours after the All-Star Game, trading two Class-A prospects to the New York Mets for ace reliever Fransisco Rodrieguez, who immediately became the Brewers set-up reliever for closer John Axford.
The Brewers went on a hot winning stretch through the month of August and by the beginning of September were 10 1/2 games ahead of St. Louis for the NL Central lead. Though the Brewers scuffled some in September, the Brewers clinched the division on September 26, beating the Florida Marlins 4-1. The Brewers finished the season with a 96-66 record, the best record in franchise history.
Along with their team accomplishments, the Brewers had many individual achievements from their players. Ryan Braun finished the season with 33 homers and 33 steals while finishing second in the National League in batting average, hitting .332 while Prince Fielder finished second in the league in both home runs and RBIs, hitting 38 home runs while driving in 120.
The Brewers starting pitching was also drastically better than 2010. Each of the Brewers 5 regular starters had 10-plus wins during the regular season. Yovani Gallardo won 17 games, the most by a Brewer since 2005, Zack Greinke won 16 games despite missing one month, both Shawn Marcum and Randy Wolf won 13 games, and number five starter Chris Narveson won 11 games. It was the first time since 1982 that the Brewers had five pitchers with 10 or more wins in a season. The Brewers also used fewer starting pitchers than any team in baseball, using only six starting pitchers, with Marco Estrada
Marco Estrada (baseball)
Marco René Estrada is a Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers.-Early life:...
filling in for 7 games when Greinke and later Narveson were out with injuries.
Logos
| 1978–93 | 1994–99 | 2000–present |
1970–1977
The original Brewers uniforms were "hand-me-downs" from the Seattle Pilots. There was no time before the 1970 season to order new uniforms, so the team simply removed the Seattle markings and sewed "BREWERS" on the front. The uniforms had unique striping on the sleeves left over from the Pilots days. The cap was an updated version of the Milwaukee Braves cap in blue and yellow.The Brewers finally got their own flannel design in 1971. These were essentially the same as the 1970 uniforms but with blue and yellow piping on the sleeves and collar.
In 1972, the Brewers entered the doubleknit era with uniforms based upon their flannels—all white with "BREWERS" on the front, blue and yellow trim on the sleeves, neck, waistband and down the side of the pants. This is the uniform that Hank Aaron would wear with the club in his final seasons, and that Robin Yount would wear in his first.
During this period, the logo of the club was the Beer Barrel Man
Beer Barrel Man
The Beer Barrel Man is a mascot logo first used in the 1940s by the Milwaukee Brewers, a Minor League Baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin...
, which had been used by the American Association Milwaukee Brewers since at least the 1940s.
1978–1993
The Brewers unveiled new uniforms for the 1978 season—pinstripes with solid blue collar and waistband. The road uniforms continued to be powder blue, but for the first time the city name "MILWAUKEE" graced the chest in an upward slant. In addition, this season saw the introduction of the logo that was to define the club—"M" and "B" in the shape of a baseball glove. The logo was designed by Tom Meindel, an art history student at the University of Wisconsin-Eau ClaireUniversity of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
The University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire is a public liberal arts university located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, United States. It is part of the University of Wisconsin System and has an annual enrollment of more than 10,000 students...
. The home cap was solid blue, and the road cap was blue with a yellow front panel. The club would wear these uniforms in their pennant-winning season of 1982. Only minor changes were made until 1990; the color of the road uniforms changed to grey in 1985, while the blue-yellow-blue road cap was abandoned the following year.
In 1990, the Brewers made significant modifications to their uniforms, switching from pullover to button-down jerseys (the last American League team to do so). Their individual uniforms showed other changes as well; at home, the blue piping was removed and the block lettered "BREWERS" was changed to a script version similar to the script that spelled their road uniforms, while those outfits had their piping changed from blue-yellow-blue to blue-white yellow.
1994–1999
In 1994, in collaboration with the Brewers celebrating their 25th year in baseball, the team did a radical makeover of their uniforms. The creative but outdated ball-in-glove logo was removed and replaced with a stylized interlocking "M" and "B" set on a pair of crossed bats and a diamond background. The royal blue changed to navy blue, while the yellow changed to a metallic gold. Forest green was added as a third color. The jerseys swapped pinstripes for retro-themed piping around the color, buttons, and sleeves, following a trend that was very popular in the 90's. The uniforms' lettering had the same style of letters as the new cap logo with heavily stylized "BREWERS" lettering on the home jerseys and "MILWAUKEE" on the road grays. For the first time, an alternative jersey was introduced. It was navy blue with the home "BREWERS" lettering on the front and featured the Brewers' logo on the lower left side. These uniforms were also the first in franchise history to have the players' last names on the back. The home cap was completely navy blue, while the away cap featured a navy blue upper and a forest green bill.In 1997, the uniforms were slightly modified, with the main logo removed from the caps and replaced with an "M" and the alternative jersey was removed. All navy caps were worn with both the home and away uniforms, while the away green socks were changed to navy blue.
2000 – present
Before the 2000 season, to coincide with the anticipated opening of new Miller Park, the Brewers changed their uniforms again. The block letters were removed and replaced with a flowing script "Brewers" on the front and green was removed as the third color. The cap logo was a script "M", similar in style to the Miller logo, with a head of barley underlining it, symbolizing Milwaukee's beer-making industry. The home uniforms also featured a patch on the left sleeve consisting of the cap logo with a gold outline of the state of Wisconsin behind it, showing the Brewers statewide appeal. The road uniforms would be grey and would feature the same script "Brewers" on the front, with a simple patch on the left sleeve with a script "Milwaukee" on it.Although the uniforms were supposed to debut with the opening of Miller Park, an accident involving one of the cranes damaging the new ballpark, which cost the lives of three workers, delayed the opening of Miller Park one year, so the uniforms spent one year at County Stadium, the old ballpark's last year.
The uniforms also featured an alternative navy-blue jersey that had the same features as the home jersey and were many times favored by the players as the jersey is made with a lighter, more breathable fabric.
In 2010, the Brewers debuted a new alternative road jersey which, like the other alternative jersey, is navy-blue, but instead with a script "Milwaukee" in the front.
In 2005, new Brewers owner, Mark Attanasio, introduced Retro Sundays, where the Brewers would wear uniforms featuring the beloved "ball-in-glove" logo. The uniforms are similar to the uniforms worn from 1978–1989, but with some modern modifications, such as the uniforms being button-up instead of pullover, players last names on the backs of the jerseys, and a "ball-in-glove" logo patch on the left sleeve. In 2007, the Retro day was changed from Sunday to Friday, which continues to this day.
The retro uniforms have since been heavily favored by many Brewers fans and many continue to campaign to have them be once again the regular Brewers uniforms.
In addition, the Brewers have also worn special uniforms. The Latin Nights uniform is gold (originally blue) with a script "Cerveceros" in front, most recently worn on June 11 against the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
. On August 13, 2011, in a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
, the Brewers also wore a special uniform to commemorate German Heritage Day. This jersey, which pitcher Zach Greinke accidentally wore during the previous night's game as well, is similar to the home blue alternates, but with the German "Bierbrauer" script lettering in front. The gold jersey was also worn on September 10 against the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
, except that the script features "Brewers" in front. This time they were worn for 'Gold-out Night'.
Season-by-season record
| Milwaukee Brewers 10-Year History | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | |Post-season | ||||||||
| Record | Win % | Home Record | Away Record | Finish | GB | Record | Win % | Result | |
| 2002 2002 Milwaukee Brewers season The 2002 Milwaukee Brewers season involved the Brewers' finishing 6th in the National League Central with a record of 56 wins and 106 losses.-Offseason:... |
56–106 | .346 | 31-50 | 25-56 | 6th | 41 | – | – | – |
| 2003 2003 Milwaukee Brewers season The Milwaukee Brewers' 2003 season involved the Brewers' finishing 6th in the National League Central with a record of 68 wins and 94 losses.-Offseason:... |
68–94 | .412 | 31-50 | 37-44 | 6th | 20 | – | – | – |
| 2004 2004 Milwaukee Brewers season The Milwaukee Brewers' 2004 season involved the Brewers' finishing 6th in the National League Central with a record of 67 wins and 94 losses.-Offseason:* November 13, 2003: Chris Coste signed as a Free Agent with the Milwaukee Brewers.... |
67–94 | .411 | 36-45 | 31-49 | 6th | 37.5 | – | – | – |
| 2005 2005 Milwaukee Brewers season The Milwaukee Brewers' 2005 season involved the Brewers' finishing 3rd in the National League Central with a .500 record of 81 wins and 81 losses.-Offseason:... |
81–81 | .500 | 46-35 | 35-46 | 3rd | 19 | – | – | — |
| 2006 2006 Milwaukee Brewers season The Milwaukee Brewers 2006 season involved the Brewers' finishing 4th in the National League Central with a record of 75 wins and 87 losses.-Offseason:... |
75–87 | .463 | 48-33 | 27-54 | 4th | 8½ | – | – | — |
| 2007 2007 Milwaukee Brewers season The 2007 Milwaukee Brewers season marked the 25th anniversary of the Milwaukee Brewers winning the American League Championship and the 50th anniversary of the Milwaukee Braves winning the World Series. During the offseason, the Brewers re-signed free agents Bill Hall and Chris Capuano... |
83–79 | .525 | 51-30 | 32-49 | 2nd | 2 | – | – | — |
| 2008 2008 Milwaukee Brewers season The 2008 Milwaukee Brewers season opened with optimism as the team attempted to build on the success of the 2007 season - their first winning season since 1992.... |
90–72 | .556 | 49-32 | 41-40 | 2nd | 7½ | 1–3 | .250 | Clinched National League Wild CardLost NLDS 2008 National League Division Series -Philadelphia Phillies vs. Milwaukee Brewers:-Game 1, October 1:Wrigley Field in Chicago, IllinoisThe Dodgers swiped Game 1 from the Cubs at Wrigley Field. Mark DeRosa gave the Cubs an early lead in the second inning with an opposite-field home run. James Loney's fifth inning grand slam proved to... vs Philadelphia Phillies Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League... , 3–1 |
| 2009 2009 Milwaukee Brewers season The Milwaukee Brewers' 2009 season was the 40th season for the franchise in Milwaukee and 41st overall. It was Ken Macha's first season as manager of the team... |
80–82 | .494 | 40-41 | 40-41 | 3rd | 11 | – | – | – |
| 2010 2010 Milwaukee Brewers season The Milwaukee Brewers' 2010 season was the 41st season for the franchise in Milwaukee, the 13th in the National League, and 42nd overall.-April:... |
77–85 | .475 | 40-41 | 37-44 | 3rd | 14 | – | – | – |
| 2011 2011 Milwaukee Brewers season The Milwaukee Brewers' 2011 season was their 42nd season for the franchise in Milwaukee, the 14th in the National League, and 43rd overall. The Brewers posted a franchise-best record of 96-66, winning their first-ever National League Central Division title... |
96–66 | .593 | 57-24 | 39-42 | 1st | – | 5–6 | .455 | Clinched National League CentralWon NLDS 2011 National League Division Series The 2011 National League Division Series were two best-of-five playoffs comprising the opening round of the Major League Baseball postseason, played to determine the participating teams in the 2011 National League Championship Series. Three divisional winners and a fourth team—a wild card—played... vs Arizona Diamondbacks Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field... , 3–2 Lost NLCS 2011 National League Championship Series The 2011 National League Championship Series was a best-of-seven playoff pitting the winners of the 2011 National League Division Series, the St. Louis Cardinals and Milwaukee Brewers, against each other for the National League championship and the right to be the league's representative in the... vs St Louis Cardinals, 4–2 |
| 10-Year Totals | 773–846 | .477 | 429-381 | 344-465 | – | – | 6–9 | .400 | — |
Franchise individual records
- Most Home Runs in a season: Prince FielderPrince FielderPrince Semien Fielder is a Major League Baseball free agent who plays first base. He is currently listed at 5' 11" and . He was selected by the Brewers in the first round of the 2002 Major League Baseball Draft out of Eau Gallie High School in Melbourne, Florida.He is the son of former Detroit...
, 50 (2007) - Most RBIs in a season: Prince FielderPrince FielderPrince Semien Fielder is a Major League Baseball free agent who plays first base. He is currently listed at 5' 11" and . He was selected by the Brewers in the first round of the 2002 Major League Baseball Draft out of Eau Gallie High School in Melbourne, Florida.He is the son of former Detroit...
, 141 (2009) - Most Hits in a season: Cecil CooperCecil CooperCecil Celester Cooper , nicknamed "Coop," is a former first baseman in Major League Baseball and the former manager of the Houston Astros. From through , Cooper played for the Boston Red Sox and Milwaukee Brewers...
, 219 (1980) - Most Runs in a season: Paul MolitorPaul MolitorPaul Leo Molitor , nicknamed "Molly" and "The Ignitor", is an American former Major League Baseball designated hitter and infielder. During his 21-year baseball career, he played for the Milwaukee Brewers , Toronto Blue Jays , and Minnesota Twins...
, 136 (1982) - Most Stolen Bases in a season: Tommy HarperTommy HarperTommy Harper is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder and third baseman. He played with the Cincinnati Reds , Cleveland Indians , Seattle Pilots , Milwaukee Brewers , Boston Red Sox , California Angels , Oakland Athletics , and the Baltimore Orioles .-High School...
, 73 (1969) - Most Strikeouts in a season, Pitcher: Ben SheetsBen SheetsBen M. Sheets is an American baseball starting pitcher who is currently a free agent. He is a four-time All-Star, but has been hampered with injury problems throughout his career.-Prep and college:...
, 264 (2004) - Most Wins in a season, Pitcher: Mike Caldwell, 22 (1978)
- Best ERA in a season, Pitcher: Mike Caldwell, 2.36 (1978)
- Most Saves in a season, Pitcher: John AxfordJohn AxfordJohn Berton "The Ax Man" Axford is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers.-Path to the majors:...
(2011), 46
Franchise leaders
Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games Played; R = Runs; H = Hits; RBI = Runs Batted In; HR = Home Runs; * = current Brewers player| Home Runs | RBI | Hits | Runs | Stolen Bases | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Baseball Hall of Famers
The following inducted members of the Baseball Hall of FameNational Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 25 Main Street in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of baseball in the United States and beyond, the display of...
spent part of their careers with the Brewers.
Retired numbers
 Paul Molitor Paul Leo Molitor , nicknamed "Molly" and "The Ignitor", is an American former Major League Baseball designated hitter and infielder. During his 21-year baseball career, he played for the Milwaukee Brewers , Toronto Blue Jays , and Minnesota Twins... 3B-DH: 1978–1992 (1999) |
 Robin Yount Robin R. Yount is an American former Major League Baseball shortstop and center fielder. He spent his entire 20-year baseball career with the Milwaukee Brewers . In 1999, Yount was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.-Early years:Yount was born in Danville, Illinois... SS-OF: 1973–1993Coach: 2006, 2008(1999) |
 Rollie Fingers Roland Glen Fingers is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. During his 18-year baseball career, he pitched for the Oakland Athletics , San Diego Padres and Milwaukee Brewers . He became only the second reliever to be elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1992... P: 1981–1985 (1992) |
 Jackie Robinson Jack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson was the first black Major League Baseball player of the modern era. Robinson broke the baseball color line when he debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947... Retired byMajor League Baseball(1997) |
 (1976) |
The number No. 50, although it has not been retired, has been placed in the Brewers' Ring of Honor for Bob Uecker
Bob Uecker
Robert George "Bob" Uecker is an American former Major League Baseball player, later a sportscaster, comedian, and actor. Uecker was given the title of "Mr. Baseball" by Johnny Carson...
and his half-century in baseball.
Although Hank Aaron played only two seasons for the Brewers in the twilight of his career, he played in Milwaukee from 1954 to 1966 with the Braves, until their move to Atlanta, and won his only World Series in Milwaukee (1957).
Championships
| colspan="3" style="text-align:center;"| American League ChampionsAmerican League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
|-
| style="width:30%; text-align:center;"| Preceded by:New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
(1981
1981 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 13, 1981 at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New YorkIn Billy Martin's return to Yankee Stadium , the Yankees drew first blood in front of their old skipper...
)
| style="width:40%; text-align:center;"| 1982
1982 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 5, 1982 at Anaheim Stadium in Anaheim, CaliforniaThe Angels jumped to a 1–0 lead in the first when Brian Downing scored an unearned run on a sacrifice fly by Don Baylor. Milwaukee came back to take a 3–1 lead with a two-run homer by Gorman Thomas in the second and a run...
| style="width:30%; text-align:center;"| Succeeded by :Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
(1983
1983 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 5, 1983 at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, MarylandPlaying in their first postseason game since the 1959 World Series, the White Sox jumped out to a 1–0 series lead behind a complete-game victory by Hoyt, the American League Cy Young Award winner...
)
|-
| colspan="3" style="text-align:center;"| American League Eastern Division Champions
American League East
The American League Eastern Division is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions . This division was created before the start of the 1969 season along with the Western Division...
|-
| style="width:30%; text-align:center;"| Preceded by:New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
(1981)
| style="width:40%; text-align:center;"| 1982
1982 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 5, 1982 at Anaheim Stadium in Anaheim, CaliforniaThe Angels jumped to a 1–0 lead in the first when Brian Downing scored an unearned run on a sacrifice fly by Don Baylor. Milwaukee came back to take a 3–1 lead with a two-run homer by Gorman Thomas in the second and a run...
| style="width:30%; text-align:center;"| Succeeded by :Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
(1983)
|-
| colspan="3" style="text-align:center;"| National League Wild Card Winners
|-
| style="width:30%; text-align:center;"| Preceded by:Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
(2007)
| style="width:40%; text-align:center;"| 2008
2008 National League Division Series
-Philadelphia Phillies vs. Milwaukee Brewers:-Game 1, October 1:Wrigley Field in Chicago, IllinoisThe Dodgers swiped Game 1 from the Cubs at Wrigley Field. Mark DeRosa gave the Cubs an early lead in the second inning with an opposite-field home run. James Loney's fifth inning grand slam proved to...
| style="width:30%; text-align:center;"| Succeeded by:Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
(2009)
|-
| colspan="3" style="text-align:center;"| National League Central Division Champions
National League Central
The National League Central Division is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. This division was created in 1994, by moving two teams from the Western Division and three teams from the Eastern Division of the National League...
|-
| style="width:30%; text-align:center;"| Preceded by:Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
(2010)
| style="width:40%; text-align:center;"| 2011
2011 National League Division Series
The 2011 National League Division Series were two best-of-five playoffs comprising the opening round of the Major League Baseball postseason, played to determine the participating teams in the 2011 National League Championship Series. Three divisional winners and a fourth team—a wild card—played...
| style="width:30%; text-align:center;"| Succeeded by :TBD
TBD
TBD is an abbreviation often meaning in ordinary writing "to be discussed" "to be done", "to be defined", "to be decided", "to be determined", etc...
(2012)
Minor league affiliations
- For a complete list of all-time affiliates, see List of Milwaukee Brewers minor league affiliates.
As of the 2011 season, the Brewers have the following minor league
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
affiliates:
| Level | Team | League | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| AAA | Nashville Sounds Nashville Sounds The Nashville Sounds are a minor league baseball team of the Pacific Coast League , and the Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in Nashville, Tennessee, and are named for the city's association with the music industry... |
Pacific Coast League Pacific Coast League The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The... |
Nashville, TN Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home... |
| AA | Huntsville Stars Huntsville Stars The Huntsville Stars are a minor league baseball team of the Southern League and are the Double-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in Huntsville, Alabama and are named for the space industry with which Huntsville is economically tied .The Stars play their home games at Joe W... |
Southern League Southern League (baseball) The Southern League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the Southern United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The original league was formed in , and shut down in . A new league, the Southern Association, was formed in , consisting of twelve teams... |
Hunstville, AL Huntsville, Alabama Huntsville is a city located primarily in Madison County in the central part of the far northern region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Huntsville is the county seat of Madison County. The city extends west into neighboring Limestone County. Huntsville's population was 180,105 as of the 2010 Census.... |
| Advanced A | Brevard County Manatees Brevard County Manatees The Brevard County Manatees are a minor league baseball team of the Florida State League, and are the A-Advanced affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers... |
Florida State League Florida State League The Florida State League is a Class A-Advanced minor league baseball league operating in the state of Florida. They are one of three leagues currently operating in Class A-Advanced, the third highest of six classifications of minor leagues... |
Viera, FL Viera, Florida Viera is a master planned community located in the central coastal region of Brevard County, Florida. It is part of an unincorporated section adjacent to the Melbourne, Florida area.-Geography:... |
| A | Wisconsin Timber Rattlers Wisconsin Timber Rattlers The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers are a minor league baseball team of the Midwest League, and the Class A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in Grand Chute, Wisconsin, and are named for timber rattlesnakes. The team plays its home games at Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium... |
Midwest League Midwest League The Midwest League is a Class-A minor league baseball league which operates in the Midwestern United States.-History:Six teams – the Belleville Stags, the Centralia Cubs, the Marion Indians, the Mattoon Indians or East Frankfort White Sox, the Mount Vernon Braves, and the West Frankfort... |
Grand Chute, WI Grand Chute, Wisconsin Grand Chute is a town in Outagamie County, Wisconsin, United States. The city of Appleton and unincorporated community of Apple Creek are partially located in the town... |
| Rookie | Helena Brewers Helena Brewers The Helena Brewers are a minor league baseball team in the Pioneer League and are the Advanced Rookie League affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in Helena, Montana... |
Pioneer League | Helena, MT Helena, Montana Helena is the capital city of the U.S. state of Montana and the county seat of Lewis and Clark County. The 2010 census put the population at 28,180. The local daily newspaper is the Independent Record. The Helena Brewers minor league baseball and Helena Bighorns minor league hockey team call the... |
| AZL Brewers | Arizona League Arizona League The Arizona League is a minor league baseball league that operates in and around Phoenix, Arizona. It is a rookie-level professional baseball league run by Major League Baseball since 1989. Games are played at the spring training complexes of the team's parent organizations from mid-June until the... |
Phoenix, AZ Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data... |
|
| DSL Brewers Dominican Summer Brewers The Dominican Summer Brewers are a minor league baseball team of the Dominican Summer League that began play in 2010 as a Rookie-level affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in Santo Domingo, Distrito Nacional, Dominican Republic, and play their home games at the Jose Rijo... |
Dominican Summer League Dominican Summer League The Dominican Summer League is a branch of affiliated minor league baseball which is played in the Dominican Republic. The league was founded in 1985. The 2011 72-game season begins May 28 and ends August 20... |
Santo Domingo Santo Domingo Santo Domingo, known officially as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city in the Dominican Republic. Its metropolitan population was 2,084,852 in 2003, and estimated at 3,294,385 in 2010. The city is located on the Caribbean Sea, at the mouth of the Ozama River... , Distrito Nacional Distrito Nacional The Distrito Nacional is a subdivision of the Dominican Republic enclosing the capital Santo Domingo. It is not within any of the provinces, but is itself counted as a province. Before October 16, 2001, the Distrito Nacional was much larger, including what is now known as Santo Domingo Province.... , Dominican Republic |
Radio and television
The Brewers' flagshipFlagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
radio station is WTMJ
WTMJ (AM)
WTMJ is a radio station in Milwaukee, Wisconsin broadcasting at 620 AM. It is a 50,000-watt station airing a format of news, talk and sports. WTMJ is owned by Journal Broadcast Group, which also owns the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and sister station WLWK-FM....
(620 AM
AM broadcasting
AM broadcasting is the process of radio broadcasting using amplitude modulation. AM was the first method of impressing sound on a radio signal and is still widely used today. Commercial and public AM broadcasting is carried out in the medium wave band world wide, and on long wave and short wave...
). Bob Uecker
Bob Uecker
Robert George "Bob" Uecker is an American former Major League Baseball player, later a sportscaster, comedian, and actor. Uecker was given the title of "Mr. Baseball" by Johnny Carson...
, a winner of the Ford C. Frick Award
Ford C. Frick Award
The Ford C. Frick Award is presented annually by the National Baseball Hall of Fame in the United States to a broadcaster for "major contributions to baseball." It is named for Ford Christopher Frick, former Commissioner of Major League Baseball...
from the Baseball Hall of Fame, joined the Brewers in 1970, when the team moved from Seattle, and has been there ever since. Alongside Uecker was Cory Provus, who joined the team's radio broadcast in 2009 and left to become the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
lead broadcaster on radio after the 2011 season. Provus, formerly of WGN radio
WGN (AM)
WGN is a radio station in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It is the only radio station owned by the Tribune Company, which also owns the flagship television station WGN-TV, the Chicago Tribune newspaper and Chicago magazine locally. WGN's transmitter is located in Elk Grove Village, Illinois...
in Chicago, replaced Jim Powell, who left Milwaukee for the Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
radio network. Powell in turn replaced Pat Hughes
Pat Hughes (baseball)
Vergil Patrick "Pat" Hughes has been the play-by-play voice of the Chicago Cubs, working for WGN radio, since 1996. He partnered with color commentator Ron Santo, former All-Star third baseman for the Cubs from 1996 until 2010, when Santo died of cancer. Their unique on-air chemistry came to be...
, who departed to do play-by-play for the Cubs on WGN in 1996.
Most of the team's television broadcasts are aired on Fox Sports Wisconsin (FSWISCONSIN). Brian Anderson
Brian Anderson (broadcaster)
Brian Anderson is an American sportscaster. Since 2007, he has called play-by-play for the Milwaukee Brewers' telecasts on FSN Wisconsin. As a part of his work on the 2007 Brewers Preview Show, Anderson and the FSN team were awarded a regional Emmy Award....
, who has worked on The Golf Channel
The Golf Channel
Golf Channel, known as The Golf Channel before the July 2008 dropping of The, is an American cable television network with coverage focused on the game of golf. Founded in Birmingham, Alabama, the American headquarters and studio are currently located in Orlando, Florida...
, took over as the Brewers' play-by-play announcer for the 2007 season. He replaced Daron Sutton
Daron Sutton
Daron Sutton is the television play-by-play voice of Major League Baseball's Arizona Diamondbacks and Arizona State Sun Devils men's basketball. Sutton is also the son of former pitching great and Hall of Famer Don Sutton...
, who joined the Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...
. The color commentator is Bill Schroeder
Bill Schroeder (baseball)
Bill Schroeder is a former Major League Baseball player and a current television sports broadcaster...
, a former major league catcher who played six of his eight seasons for the Brewers. As of 2011 Schroeder is in his 17th season as the Brewers' color commentator. The 2010 season was the first year where all of FSN Wisconsin's games are broadcast in high definition. Anderson (who also is a part of TBS
MLB on TBS
Major League Baseball on TBS is a presentation of Major League Baseball games produced by Turner Sports and airing on the television channel TBS.-Pre-2007: relationship with the Braves:...
's playoff coverage) also provided play-by-play for the 2011 NLCS due to Ernie Johnson stepping aside for the year due to a medical situation with his son.
Since February 2007, the Brewers, FSN Wisconsin, and Weigel Broadcasting
Weigel Broadcasting
Weigel Broadcasting is an American locally based television broadcasting company. The company is based in downtown Chicago, Illinois, alongside its flagship station WCIU-TV , at the apt address of 26 North Halsted Street in the Greektown neighborhood.- History :The company was founded by Chicago...
came to an agreement to air 15 games and one spring training game over-the-air on WMLW
WMLW-CA
WMLW-CA, channel 41 , is a LPTV independent television station located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Its transmitter is located in Milwaukee's Lincoln Park...
(Channel 41/digital 13/58.2) in Milwaukee each season with FSN Wisconsin producing the telecasts and Weigel selling air time for each of those games; games are added to the schedule depending on weather postponements and pennant race standings. WMLW games are not aired in high definition, owing to that station's low power television status where the station airs all programming in standard definition. In the Madison
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
market, WMLW Brewers games are carried on Charter Communications
Charter Communications
Charter Communications is an American company providing cable television, high-speed Internet, and telephone services to more than 4.7 million customers in 25 states. By revenues, it is the fourth-largest cable operator in the United States, behind Comcast, Time Warner Cable, and Cox Communications...
's "Charter Xtra" channel 87, which is used to carry some high school sporting events. Weigel also airs a few Sunday home broadcasts per year with Spanish language play-by-play on its Telemundo
Telemundo
Telemundo is an American television network that broadcasts in Spanish. The network is the second-largest Spanish-language content producer in the world, and the second-largest Spanish-language network in the United States, behind Univision....
affiliate, WYTU-LD (Digital Channel 63/49.4). Before this, the last over-the-air
Terrestrial television
Terrestrial television is a mode of television broadcasting which does not involve satellite transmission or cables — typically using radio waves through transmitting and receiving antennas or television antenna aerials...
non-Fox broadcast of a Brewers game was on WCGV in the 2004 season
2004 in baseball
-Headline events of the year:*The Boston Red Sox win their first World Series since , ending the Curse of the Bambino.*With 262 hits, Ichiro Suzuki of the Mariners breaks George Sisler's record of 257. Suzuki also sets the record for most singles in a season, with 225.*2004 also marked the final...
. Games also aired on WVTV
WVTV
WVTV is a television station located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA and serves as Southeast Wisconsin's The CW Television Network affiliate. The station broadcasts from the Milwaukee Public Television tower on Milwaukee's northeast side with WMVS/WMVT, along with WCGV , WVTV's sister station...
, WISN
WISN-TV
WISN-TV, virtual channel 12.1 , is a television station located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin serving as an affiliate of the ABC television network. Its signal covers most of southeastern Wisconsin and parts of northeastern Illinois, including Racine, Kenosha, Sheboygan and Waukesha...
and WTMJ
WTMJ-TV
WTMJ-TV, digital channel 28 ; branded as "Today's TMJ4", is the NBC-affiliated television station located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and the flagship station of the Journal Broadcast Group. Its signal covers most of southeastern Wisconsin and parts of northeastern Illinois, including Racine, Kenosha,...
in past years; WTMJ was the original TV broadcaster in 1970.