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Upon the recent acquisition of 2007 AL Cy Young Award winner C.C. Sabathia, I thought it appropriate to take a look back at the best Brewer team that I followed (I was only 4 for the '82 team). The 1992 squad finished 92-70, and took the Blue Jays down to the final weekend. They would've been the Wild Card team that year, but the extra playoff team wasn't introduced for two more years.
For the purposes of the debate, OPS+ , which measures the production of a hitter against that season's league averages, will be the main statistic used for the offensive side, while ERA+ will do it for the pitchers.
1992 Brewers vs. 2008 Brewers
C Jason Kendall (.258, .339, .333, 79 OPS +) v. BJ Surhoff (.252, .314, .321, 80 OPS +)
Kendall came to the '08 squad as a free agent signee over the winter. Coming off the worst season of his 13-year career, Kendall has proven to a be terrific defensively, throwing out 41% of would-be base stealers, while maintaining a solid average, walking above that 1BB/10 PA mark that baseball people look for, and calling a great game. The last one is indeed tough to quantify, but there can be no question that these pitchers simply love throwing to him. I've never seen so many comments regarding the way he calls a game, and keeps the pitchers mentally sharp. He's also the best catcher that I've seen on a daily basis at popping out from behind the plates and fielding bunts, nubbers, etc. He has been a terrific signing. Kendall's backup is Mike Rivera, is rarely used, but is effective when deployed, posting a 112 OPS+.
Surhoff, meanwhile, was in the 6th year of his long career, and like Kendall, didn't have a lot of pop (4 HR's), rarely struck out (just 41 times all season, versus 46 walks), and was decent behind the plate, throwing out 35% of runners. In what was a hallmark of his career, B.J. got off to a slow start at the plate (just .136 in April), but turned it on the rest of the way, including hitting .274 in the 2nd half. One major difference between the two was that Surhoff started just 105 games behind the dish, while Kendall is on pace to start nearly 150 times for the '08 team. Surhoff's backups were Tim McIntosh (28 OPS+!) and rookie Dave Nilsson, who posted a respectable 85.
1B Prince Fielder (.270, .357, .488, 121 OPS+) v. John Jaha (.226, .291, 308, 70 OPS+) /Franklin Stubbs (.229, .297, .368, 87 OPS+)
Fielder, coming off a record 50-home run season in 2007, has not approached those kinds of numbers in 2008. He is currently on pace to hit over 30 home runs, and walks at a good rate, and his numbers overall are still very good.
1st base was a real trouble spot for the Brewers in '92. Franklin Stubbs manned the bag for 43 of the first 58 games, and was benched based on his .203 average with just six home runs. The bag was manned by normal DH Paul Molitor and the brutal McIntosh in Stubbs' stead, until after the All-Star break, when prized prospect John Jaha was recalled from AAA and handed the keys to 1st base. Unfortunately, Jaha proved to be even worse than Stubbs, hitting for no power at all. He started 14 of the first 18 games after the break, and posted a line of .222/.250/.296, which landed him back on the bench. Molitor, Stubbs, Jaha, and even Surhoff rotated the final games, and the position posted a .752 OPS for the season, brutal even for 1992.
2B Rickie Weeks (.217, .320, .367, 81 OPS+) v. Scott Fletcher (.275, .335, .360, 96 OPS+)
Weeks, expected by many observers to have a breakout season following a torrid final two months of 2007, has largely struggled again in his 4th season in the bigs. In fact, by OPS measures, he's having the worst season of his career, as his slugging percentage is down, along with his BA and OBP. His defense has improved, but is still no better than average.
Fletcher, meanwhile, was a revelation for the '92 team. He was coming off an awful season for the White Sox, which saw him post an ungodly .528 OPS, and was signed by the Brewers just before camp started in '92. Interestingly, he started the first six games of the year at shortstop, but Pat Listach stepped in after that, and for a while, Fletcher wasn't getting much time, as Jim Gantner was holding down the fort at 2nd. However, he stepped in on June 14, and started 85 of the final 103 games, and put up largely unspectacular numbers (.268, .328, .340). However, I have always remembered Fletcher coming up with huge hits in that season, and indeed that does seem to be the case. To wit: he hit .336 with runners in scoring position, and .344 with two outs and RISP. In “high leverage” situations, he hit .329. He also provided solid defense, committing 4 errors at 2nd.
SS JJ Hardy (.283, .352, .476, 116 OPS+) v. Pat Listach (.290, .352, .349, 99 OPS+)
After putting up a solid season in 2007, Hardy used a red-hot 3-week stretch prior to the break to post numbers of .283, .352, .476, and a healthy OPS+ number of 116. His defense is always steady, and though his range is limited, he has committed just six errors in the half.
Listach literally came out of nowhere to post a very solid season, then reverted back to form and had five consecutive awful years before he was out of baseball. He started the season as a utility guy, but hit .500 in his first four starts, and never relinquished his job on the way to winning Rookie of the Year over Kenny Lofton. He had a very consistent season, as his average never dipped below .274. He was a real threat on the bases, swiping 54 bags while being caught 18 times, an even 75%. His defense was very average, if that, as he committed 24 errors without displaying great range.
3B Bill Hall (.234, .294, .431, 88 OPS+)/Russell Branyan (.245, .331, .604, 140 OPS+) v. Kevin Seitzer (.270, .337, .367, 99 OPS+)
Bill Hall struggled for much of the first half, putting up decent home run troubles, but not much else. Branyan came along and set the world on fire for about a month before going cold as the break neared. He hit 11 home runs in his first 74 at bats, and since then has gone homerless in 47 AB's, while posting a .159 batting average. Defensively, they are pretty average, with Branyan more steady, and Hall able to make the spectacular play on a regular basis, but struggling with the routine chances at times.
Seitzer came to the Crew even later than Fletcher did, signing on April 5 after the Royals released him at the end of spring. He stepped right in and started 146 games at 3rd, and performed very well. He was a consistent performer throughout the year, walked more than he struck out, and committed just 12 errors at the hot corner. His final line of .270, .337, .367 included numbers of .313 with RISP and two outs, and .349 in “late and close” situations.
LF Ryan Braun (.286, .324, .549, 125 OPS+) v. Greg Vaughn (.228, .313, .409, 103 OPS+)
Braun, in his first full professional season, was an All-Star starter, and despite not having great plate discipline, is a hitting savant, and has been about as good as can be expected out in left.
Vaughn had terrific seasons in both '91 and '93 (57 homers combined in those two years), but struggled in '92. He got off to an especially terrible start that season, and he found himself hitting just .183 with 10 home runs on July 1. He did improve in the 2nd half of the season, batting .261 with 13 home runs and a .787 OPS the duration of the season. It's worth noting that he was pretty awful on the basepaths that season, going 15-30 in stolen base attempts.
CF Mike Cameron (.231, .320, .481, 108 OPS+) v. Robin Yount (.264, .325, .390, 101 OPS+)
Cameron has been pretty much as advertised for the Brewers. Although his batting average is a bit lower than his career, he's slugging just fine, and has provided solid defense.
Yount was in the penultimate season of his Hall of Fame career. He started 139 games in center, and 11 more as a DH. His defense was average, as he committed just two errors, but had limited range. Yount had only 8 homers on the season, but did mash 40 doubles and hit .287 with RISP.
RF Corey Hart (.289, .327, .504, 116 OPS+) v. Darryl Hamilton (.298, .356, 400, 113 OPS+)/Dante Bichette (.287, .318, .406, 103 OPS+)
Hart was elected to his first All-Star team in the Final Vote by fans, and earned it with his solid first half.
Hamilton, despite baring a striking resemblance to Milwaukee bleacher legend Freeway, had a terrific season, splitting time with Dante Bichette as the 4th outfielder. He logged 28 starts in left, 30 in center, and 71 more in right, showing his versatility, and was a threat on the basepaths, going 41-55 (74%) in steal attempts. He was a model of consistency the whole season, batting .305 in the first half, and .291 in the second half.
Traded after the season for Kevin Reimer, Bichette was in the his 2nd and final year in Milwaukee. He started 94 games in RF for the Crew, and showed little of the trademark power that would mark his time in Colorado. He hit just 5 home runs in 387 AB's, though he did hit 27 doubles and steal 17 bags.
DH Gabe Kapler (.315, .352, .517, 126 OPS+) v. Paul Molitor (.320, .389, .461, 139 OPS+)
I used Kapler in this spot because he was the player off the bench with the most AB's. What a year it's been for Kapler, whose comeback after a year out of baseball has been well documented.
Molitor had just a stunning season, and his huge numbers in '92 paved the way to him signing a big money deal with the Blue Jays after 15 years with Milwaukee. Molitor finished among the league leaders in many categories, including OPS (10th), Batting average (4th), singles, doubles, and triples. The guy was a hitting machine, and there was not a situation that he encountered, beyond when there was just a man on 3rd base, that he hit less than .300.
IF Craig Counsell (.248, .348, .338, 83 OPS+) v. Jim Gantner (.246, .278, .313, 66 OPS+)
Counsell has improved his performance over that of last year, which saw him go .220, .323, .309. His solid work defensively has allowed him to start at 3 positions on the infield. He may see a bit more action in the 2nd half if Weeks continues to struggle.
Gantner was in the final season of his 17 year career. He started 29 of the first 37 games of the season, and struggled, hitting just .228, .287, .575. Scott Fletcher took over, and for the rest of the season, Gantner would get just 40 more starts, getting playing time at both 2B and 3B. His defense remained solid, as he committed just three errors all season.
>#1 P Ben Sheets (10-3, 2.85 ERA, 151 ERA+) v. Bill Wegman (13-14, 3.20 ERA, 121 ERA+)
Sheets has been able to avoid the nagging/fluke injury bug that allowed him to around 400 innings over his previous three seasons. Not surprisingly, Sheets has excelled, earning a starting bid in the All-Star game, and pitching an NL-high 3 complete games, and another in which he was removed after 8.2 frames.
Wegman was the ultimate victim of lack of run support, as he sported a sub-.500 record on a 92-win team, with an ERA of 3.20. That's very difficult to do, but the Brewers offense scored just 4.23 runs. However, that is an imperfect number, to say the least. The team scored 16 runs in one game, and 15 in another. Take out those two games, and the number goes down to 3.51. In 15 of his 35 starts, the team scored two runs or less, including just one run nine times. Channel your inward Edward Rooney. Nine Times. Wegman came out on fire, pitching at least into the 8th inning in his first 11 starts. He ended up pitching 261.2 innings, good for 2nd in the league, and had a WHIP of 1.17, good for 7th. He would have to be near the top of the discussion for not using wins to evaluate a pitchers performance. Perhaps due to the workload, Wegman' career was shot after that, as he never pitched more than 120 innings, and retired at age 32.
#2 P CC Sabathia (2-0, 2.40 ERA, 179 ERA+) v. Cal Eldred (11-2, 1.79 ERA, 216 ERA+)
Sabathia came to the Brewers in a pre-break trade with the Cleveland Indians, and made an immediate impact, winning his first two starts, which included a fantastic 2nd start which saw him go the distance and hit a home run in the process. He will be counted on to provide a huge push as the Brewers head for their first playoff berth in 26 years.
Eldred was a sensation in 1992, and was the main difference in their amazing 2nd half run. Called up to replace an ineffective Ron Robinson, Eldred made his first start on July 19, four games after the All-Star Break. He was simply fantastic the entire 2nd half, never working less that 5.1 innings, and only twice allowing more than 3 runs in his 14 starts. His strikeout numbers certainly weren't overwhelming (62 in 100 innings), but he only walked 23, and his WHIP was under 1. He finished 4th in the Rookie of the Year voting, despite making only 14 appearances all season.
#3 P Manny Parra (8-2, 3.78 ERA, 114 ERA+) v. Chris Bosio (16-6, 3.62 ERA, 107 ERA+)
Parra, long regarded as the top pitching prospect in the organization, has shaken off minor league injury problems and posted a really solid first half. He was on the verge of being sent down to the minors in late April when things turned around for him. He retired the last 9 hitters he faced against the Cardinals on May 9, and since then has gone 7-0 with a 2.83 ERA. It will be interesting to see if the Brewers try to limit his innings in the 2nd half, as they probably don't want the 25-year old to throw much more than 175 or so before the playoffs.
Bosio was coming off an outstanding season in 1991, and parlayed his terrific '92 campaign into a free agent deal with the Mariners, where he made big money, 83 starts, and little acclaim besides a no-hitter in 4 seasons.
In '92, however, Bos was an innings-eating machine that was very solid. He pitched 231 innings, and his 1.15 ERA was good for 6th in the league. He was amazing down the stretch, going 10-1 with a 2.99 ERA in the 2nd half.
#4 P Dave Bush (5-8, 4.39 ERA, 98 ERA+) v. Jamie Navarro (17-11, 3.33 ERA. 116 ERA +)
Dave Bush had such a brutal start to the 2008 campaign that the Brewers sent him down to the minor leagues after his start on April 23, where he was 0-3 with a 6.75 ERA in four starts. After Yovani Gallardo's knee injury sidelined him indefinitely, Bush was called back up, and wasn't much better in his next four starts, going 1-2 with a 6.65 ERA. Since then, however, he has gone 4-3 with a 2.90 ERA in 9 starts. His home/road splits are so dramatic (2.49 ERA at home, 6.95 ERA on the road) that the Brewers are considering platooning him with Seth McClung based on the location of the game.
Because of his later struggles in his Milwaukee career, it's easy to forget just how good Navarro was when he was right. Just a terrific season from Jamie, as his 234 innings included 5 complete games, and 3 shutouts. He was 8-5 with a sparkling 2.64 ERA after the break, and was a huge reason for Milwaukee's success in '92. Sadly, his performance dropped off the table in Milwaukee the next two seasons. He would go on to have two very good seasons for the Cubs, before finishing his career with four terrible seasons, including five starts for the Brewers in his final season of 2000, which saw him compile a 12.54 ERA.
#5 P Jeff Suppan (5-6, 4.71 ERA, 91 ERA+) v. Ricky Bones (9-10, 4.57 ERA, 85 ERA+)
Suppan started out the year strong with a 1-0, 3.48 start over his first five starts, but since then is 4-6 with a 5.25 ERA. His peripherals are even worse, as opponents are hitting .313 off of him in that stretch, and a 1.75 WHIP. It will be interesting to see how long the Brewers stick with him in the rotation in the 2nd half should he continue to struggle.
Bones was acquired in late March in the Gary Sheffield deal, and was plugged right into the rotation, Bones had a Dave Bush-esque home/road split, having a 3.25 ERA at home, and a horrendous 6.64 mark away from County Stadium. Like the rest of the staff, he got better in the 2nd half, going only 4-5 but posting a 4.08 ERA.
CL Salomon Torres (4-2, 2.74 ERA, 15/17 SV, 157 ERA+) v. Doug Henry (1-4, 4.02 ERA, 29 saves, 96 ERA+)
Torres started out the season as a set-up guy, but moved into the closers role after Eric Gagne. Since assuming the role, he is 14/15 in save opps, and has literally saved the Brewers season from unraveling. He has already thrown 49 innings, and as durable as he is, the workload is a bit of a concern.
Henry took over as the closer in the 2nd half of 1991, and reeled off 15/16 saves, while posting an improbable 1.00 ERA. It was a bit of a roller coaster in '92 for Henry, who converted 29/33 saves, and took the loss in two other games. Like Bones, he had an extreme home-road split (2.72 ERA v. 5.65 ERA), and blew all four of his saves on the road. Henry was later acquired for 2nd baseman Fernando Vina from the Mets, and went on a to a long career out of the pen.
SET David Riske (101, 4.66 ERA, 92 ERA+) v. Mike Fetters (5-1, 1.87 ERA, 207 ERA+)
Riske was signed over the winter after posting a 2.45 ERA for the Royals last season. He's been just average for the Crew this season, and had a month-long stint on the DL as well. The Brewers really need Riske to develop into a dependable set-up man for Torres if the bullpen is going to stabilize .
Fetters, acquired over the winter for Brewers mainstay Chuck Crim, was outstanding in his first season as a Brewer. He posted a sparkling ERA, and maintained a WHIP of .99. His numbers are actually more impressive than they seem, as he carried a 1.19 ERA into his final game of the season, but he allowed five runs over two innings to inflate the number. In fact, his ERA was under all season until August 23.
SET Brian Shouse (3-1, 1.91 ERA, 225 ERA+) v. Jesse Orosco (3-1, 3.23 ERA 120 ERA+)
Shouse has been solid again this season, as the 39-year old LOOGY has already appeared in 44 games. He has allowed 16 of 42 inherited runners to score, which is not as good as previous seasons, but overall has been very solid, allowing lefties to hit just .169. He has allowed four home runs this year, after allowing none in 2007.
Orosco was acquired over the previous winter, and did well in his first of three seasons in Milwaukee. His splits certainly were not what you'd expect, as righties hit just .207 against him, while lefties managed a .273 mark.
SET Guillermo Mota (2-5, 5.77 ERA, 75 ERA+) v. Darren Holmes (4-4, 6 saves, 2.55 ERA, 152 ERA +)
Mota was outstanding to start the season, posting a 2.20 ERA over his first 15 appearances. Since then, however, he's blown two saves, lost two other games, and posted a 9.00 ERA in 19 games. He certainly can't be trusted in a close game, and it will be interesting to see how long they stick with him.
Holmes was in the 3rd year of what would become a lengthy 13-year career, and had a solid campaign. Hitters managed just a .224 mark against him, and he was equally tough on righties and lefties. He also notched six saves in eight opps, and was nails in the 2nd half, notching a 1.96 ERA. Holmes would be picked in the expansion draft by the Colorado Rockies, and pitch five seasons for the Rockies before moving on.
SET Eric Gagne (2-2, 7.33 ERA, 10/15 SV, 59 ERA+) v. James Austin (5-2, 1.85 ERA, 209 ERA+)
Gagne was signed for a 1-year, $10 million deal before the season, and he pitched in some bad luck early, but then began getting rocked, and went on the DL with a 6.98 ERA. While he posted 3 scoreless outings to give some optimism, his last outing before the break was a disaster, as he was touched for four runs, including two home runs, against the Reds.
Austin was unexpectedly rock solid in the pen for the '92 squad. He had flamed out in a call-up in '91 (8.2 IP, 11 BB, 8.31 ERA), and was out of baseball after a mediocre season in 1993. However, despite having a 30/32 K/BB ratio, Austin was terrific for the Brewers. He allowed just 38 hits in 58 innings, and had just two outings all season where he allowed more than one run in a game. Batters hit just .191 against him, with righties in particular struggling, with a .171 mark. He allowed just two home runs in 58 innings of work.
Long: Seth McClung (5-5, 4.16 ERA, 103 ERA+) v. Dan Plesac (5-4, 2.96 ERA, 79 IP, 131 ERA+)
McClung has really been terrific for the Brewers. Acquired in 2007 for another hard-throwing but erratic RHP, Grant Balfour, McClung started out the season in the bullpen, and posted a 3.54 ERA with decent peripherals in 11 games. The Brewers then moved him to the starting rotation, and since then 4-3 with a 4.41 ERA in 9 games as a starter.
In his 7th and final year as a Brewer, Plesac had an interesting role on the '92 team. He started four games, finished 13 games, and had 15 outings out of the pen that lasted at least two innings. He posted a 1.55 ERA in the 2nd half, and was very valuable in his versatility. Following the season, he played 11 more years in the bigs, and finished with 1054 appearances, which is 6th all-time in baseball history.
Long: Carlos Villanueva (3-5, 4.97 ERA, 76 IP, 86 ERA+) v. Bruce Ruffin (1-6, 6.67 ERA, 58 ERA+)
Villanueva started the season in the rotation, and was 2-5 with a 6.43 ERA in the rotation. Since being moved to the bullpen on June 19, he was 1-0 with a 2.60 ERA, though he has given up exactly one run in his last 6 appearances.
Acquired over the winter for current Brewers coach Dale Sveum, Ruffin was the weak spot on the '92 staff. He was in the bullpen most of the year as the long man, where he struggled, and made six starts, where he didn't fare much better. Surprisingly, despite the success of the pitchers around him, this was Ruffin's worst year of his 12 in the bigs, and he went on to play for the Rockies for five years to close out his career.
Conclusion:
These two teams certainly don't have a lot in common. The '92 Brewers had a 3.73 ERA, good for first in the AL by almost half a run! Offensively, they finished 5th in runs scored, stealing an amazing 96 more bases than the 2nd-place team that season. However, they hit just 82 home runs, finishing 13th in the 14-team league. One wonders what the Brewers could have done had they acquired a big bat for the stretch run. There were hardly any bats traded that year, as Jose Canseco was the big name, going to the Rangers for 3 big-leaguers.
Time will tell how this comparison will play out. One thing is for certain, however, and that's that both of these teams have given Brewers fans a lot to cheer about.
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