it’s been 25 years since the brewers inserted a dh into their line up. That’s when they were in the AL Central, spent four years there, from 1994-1997. Before that they dogged it out, in the tough AL East.
My earliest recollection of the Brewers dates back to 1978 when my dad took me to a double header against the Red Sox. The only thing I remember is that Dick Drago pitched one of the games for the Red Sox. I’m not sure who played DH for the Brew Crew that day, but it might have been Larry Hisle. He was one of a number of players who served as the DH in 1978….51 times for Hisle. He hit 34 homers and drove in 115 runs. The Brewers were 93-69 and yet they finished third in that tough AL East. They were Bambi’s Bombers back then, named after manager George Bamberger and when they changed skippers, to Harvey Kuenn, they got coined – Harveys Wallbangers…..bombs and bangers, lots of homeruns without Atlas physiques.
i was at the dentist yesterday. routine clean and x-ray. there was a painting on the wall of a herd of buffalo crossing a river. Reminded me of the brewers hopefully doing the same this year, entering a new land, an added DH bat, extending their playoff run. They’ve made the playoffs the last four years, but only advanced to the NL championship once, in 2018, losing to the Dodgers. i hate to sound greedy, but with their pitching and defense, anything other than a WS crown would be disappointing.
Newly acquired Andrew McCutchen has appeared in 14 games as the DH.
the Brewers are 12-7 and currently in first place in the NL Central.
brewers baseball and things 
April 28, 2022 at 9:24 am
I believe in the NL it’s gonna be the Brewers, the Dodgers, the Braves, or the …(sigh) Mets.
April 28, 2022 at 11:02 am
I’d love to see the Brewers get another chance against the Dodgers and have the crew’s offense come to life, especially against Kershaw.
April 28, 2022 at 11:02 am
The image of being in a dentist chair and looking up to see a painting of a herd of buffalo for some reason made me flash back to the iconic Hunter Thompson piece, “The Banshee Screams for Buffalo Meat,” that appeared in Rolling Stone my junior year of college in 1977. I think it would be wonderful to hear Bob Uecker read excerpts of Hunter Thompson’s work throughout the season on Brewers’ radio broadcasts.
Being a history buff, your posting made me curious to learn who was the first DH in a Brewers’ regular-season game. I was delighted to find it was Ollie Brown. Brown went 0-for-3 that day at Baltimore vs. Dave McNally, but he hit .280 overall for the 1973 Brewers, including .292 in 82 games as a DH: https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1973/B04060BAL1973.htm
April 28, 2022 at 11:35 am
Thanks Mark. Let’s hope for a hole in the glass house where the Brewers call retractable dome home, a leak and a delay, a long one. Give Ueck an opportunity to read the Hunter piece. In the mean time, I’m gonna search the internet to see if I can find a copy of the Buffalo Meat story. Or maybe it’s available as part of an anthology for purchase? I’ve never read it.
I wonder if there was an award back in 73 for best DH and if so, who won it?
April 28, 2022 at 12:23 pm
Here is an excerpt to give you a taste of the “Buffalo Meat” story: https://www.rollingstone.com/feature/the-banshee-screams-for-buffalo-meat-92685/
Major League Baseball annually has given a Best DH Award. (Since 2004, the award has been named in honor of Edgar Martinez). The first recipient in 1973 was Orlando Cepeda of the Red Sox. He was 35 years old and hit .289 with 20 homers and 86 RBI as the Red Sox DH, but against the Brewers that season he batted .250 with no home runs.
April 29, 2022 at 8:38 am
Thanks for excerpt Mark. I’m reminded of the 300 pound Samoan attorney from the film adaptation of Fear and Loathing, a character hard to forget.
I haven’t consulted the hit spray chart, but from the few times I’ve seen Edgar Martinez at the plate, I recall him hitting to all fields, a nice easy swing, almost Aaron like or maybe that’s a stretch?
April 28, 2022 at 6:45 pm
Good luck Milwaukee. I always root for the Brewers.
April 29, 2022 at 8:25 am
Hey Bob, great to hear you root for the Brewers! An interesting time for sure with probably the best pitching staff they’ve had in franchise history.
April 29, 2022 at 11:49 am
I’ve been to Brewer stadium once. It’s kind of a neat story. I should try to make it work as a short story and post it. But I have a sentimental attachment to the Brewers. Though I have to admit I am not into baseball as much as I used to when younger. I’ve become a hockey guy in my midlife.
April 30, 2022 at 7:50 am
Bob, did you go to the old County Stadium or the new one? I like the old one better, probably because I went there often as a kid. This is the best sports time of the year, don’t you think? with baseball in full swing, and basketball and hockey playoffs and a few weeks ago the final four. Do you root for any particular hockey team?
April 30, 2022 at 12:16 pm
I was there in the 90’s, so I assume the old stadium. I actually had the chance to be on the field. Yes, this is the best sports time of the year. But it’s been a tough stretch for my hockey team (the Buffalo Sabres), who just broke the league record with 11 straight seasons missing the playoffs. Prior to this, the playoffs were the best time of the year. I grew up a Yankee fan. Which I defend because as a kid I grew up in the 80’s and the Yankees weren’t that good then. So when they won in 96, I was ecstatic. And helped get me over the four straight super bowl losses by the Bills.
Other then the Brewers, what teams do you follow?
April 30, 2022 at 5:02 pm
If it was the 90’s when you were in Milwaukee, it was the old County Stadium. Bob, you were on the field! Awesome!! I loved that place. The new one which was originally called Miller park opened in I think 2000. It has a tragic back story with three ironworkers dying from a falling crane. There’s a statue outside the stadium commemorating them.
Must be hard being a Buffalo fan. I don’t follow football anymore, haven’t since the 80’s…haven’t caught the hockey fever, not yet anyway.
No sin in being a Yankees fan, especially in the 90’s. If i remember right, a lot of the players on those winning WS teams were drafted and developed by the Yanks….Jeter, Posada, Rivera and a bunch more I can’t think of off the top of my head.
I grew up in Milwaukee, a yokel local kind of fan. I love the Bucks in basketball and since moving to Canada, i started following the Blue Jays.
May 1, 2022 at 8:45 am
Toronto is a fantastic city. I haven’t been up there in a couple of years cause of Covid restrictions. But I’m pretty sure that is changed now.
Yes. The Yankees drafted and developed most of the core of the team. Which made that team so special.
Do you live near Toronto? Will you catch any Blue Jays games?
May 1, 2022 at 8:52 am
I live in Montreal. For a couple of years, the Jays played an exhibition game here, at Olympic Stadium, right before the season started. I think it was, in part, a way of showing the MLB that Montreal could support a team if the league decided to expand. I saw the Jays and Mets one year. There is talk of the Expos sharing home game with the Rays, kind of a weird proposal – a team playing half their home games in Tampa and the other half in Montreal, but then again, during the last year the Expos were in Montreal, they played a bunch of their home games in Puerto Rico.
I’ve never been to a home Jays game. I did go and see the Raptors a few years ago. That was fun. I definitely want to make a small road trip and see the Jays.
May 1, 2022 at 9:02 am
It’s too bad the Expos are gone. Their logo and jerseys were always classic. That is a strange idea, about sharing home games, but hopefully they decide to have a few in Montreal so you can catch some games. Did you see the Raptors play during their championship season?
May 1, 2022 at 9:15 am
My son and I took the bus to Toronto for that game. It was the Bucks and Raptors, in 2006 or 2007. Three things that stick out from that trip. 1)Waiting for the bus after the game and enjoying the strangeness of a late night bus station, the panhandlers and people sleeping there. 2)Someone on the Raptors making like 10 straight three pointers in the pre-game warm-up. and 3) me yelling at the Bucks coach at the time – Terry Stotts to set up a play for Andrew Bogut.
May 1, 2022 at 9:38 am
Sounds like a fantastic trip. And some great memories. Yes, there is something to a late night bus station, some strange magic. Hopefully the coach heard you!
May 1, 2022 at 9:50 am
I know this must sound far-fetched, but I swear on my 1975 Robin Yount Topps rookie card, after I yelled, coach Stotts looked over towards my son and I. It was right before tip-off. The Bucks won the tip and on the first play, they posted up Bogut. I don’t think I’ve ever felt so important in my entire life.
May 1, 2022 at 10:06 am
Haha! That’s awesome!
June 10, 2022 at 8:54 pm
Nice. Been a Brewers fan since 1970. Despite the current skid, hoping we advance to the WS this years. So badly want Ueck to be able too say hey Milwaukee; you‘ve got another title.