As the runaway express known as the Milwaukee Brewers surges to a 3-1 record, a moment to honor the passing of George Bamberger, who died at home the other day at the age of 78. Bambi, the first great Brewers manager, loved the game of baseball and it showed in his teams. He ran a loose club full of outsized personalities who played with a sometimes alarming recklessness and abandon - after more than two decades I still remember watching Stormin Gorman Thomas, Jim Gantner, Charlie Moore, Paul Molitor, Robin Yount, Sixto Lezcano, Sal Bando, Ben Oglivie, and compan (note that there aren't many pitchers on that list). Bambi's Bombers hit a lot of home runs and won a lot of games. He had to step down for health reasons before the team he assembled made it to the World Series, but it was always his team. I firmly believe that the Milwaukee Brewers curse dates back to the management's decision to force Robin Yount and Paul Molitor - the soul and heart of those teams, respectively - to finish their careers elsewhere rather than shell out a few extra bucks. Perhaps a decade is long enough to pay those dues. At any rate, we lift a stein of the best Milwaukee beer to you, George Bamberger - rest in peace.
I feel much the same way about KC manager Dick Howser. He knew the importance of the dinger back in the mid-1980s, when people were still praising the Cardinals for all their speed.
Speed kills.
BTW, Robin Yount spent his entire career as a Brewer. And over his last four years he was basically an average hitter, so I don't think he retired early.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/y/yountro01.shtml
Posted by: Rodger | April 09, 2004 at 11:21 AM
Weird mistake to make about Yount. I thought he spent his last year playing outfield for the California Angels. But looking at the stat book I see that you are right. Ah, how poorly memory serves us - thinking back, I remember a very public controversy over whether or not the Brewers *would* let Yount go, but evidently they didn't. Incidentally, I did have the pleasure of attending the game in which Yount got his 3000th hit. Beauty - one of the real highlights of my sports-going life,
Anyway, Paul Molitor was my hero growing up, and I can't describe the fury I felt with Bud Selig for letting him go as a free agent. And you'll note that 1992, Molitor's last year with the team, was the last time the Brewers had a winning record. So my invocation of the curse stands.
Oh, and Rodger, are you going to revise your Brewers prediction this year?
Posted by: the aardvark | April 09, 2004 at 11:29 AM
Sorry, I'm not revising my forecast on the Brewers. Maybe if they keep losing, management will hire Paul Monitor as Manager or GM.
BTW, I attended Robin Yount's Baseball HOF induction ceremony in Cooperstown, July 1999.
Of course, my baseball hero George Brett was also inducted on that day -- as was Nolan Ryan (and Orlando Cepeda by the Veterans Committee).
Posted by: Rodger | April 13, 2004 at 10:48 AM