A Long Wait for Milwaukee
On Friday, for the first time in 44 years, the Milwaukee Brewers will play in the World Series. Back then, the club's search for its first pennant did not last too long, as the Brewers won the American League just 12 years after starting play in Milwaukee. The Brewers moved to the National League in 1998. After a seven-game series loss to the St. Louis Cardinals, a long drought ensued.
Milwaukee has emerged as one of Major League Baseball's most consistent organizations in recent years. The Brewers have won five of the last six National League Central titles, and have not dipped below 85 wins in a full season since 2016. The Brewers stormed through the National League playoff bracket this year, dispatching the San Diego Padres three games to one before sweeping the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Harvey's Wallbangers and Past Stars
The 1982 edition of the Brewers came with a memorable nickname, Harvey's Wallbangers, a reference to manager Harvey Kuenn and the squad's power-hitting. Kuenn took over in an interim capacity after Buck Rodgers was dismissed with the team sitting at .500 two months into the season. The key ingredient in the Brewers surge was home runs. Milwaukee clobbered 216 that season, 30 more than the next closest team.
Among the team's leaders were Gorman Thomas with 39, Ben Oglivie with 34, and Cecil Cooper with 32. A trio of future Hall of Famers followed closely with Robin Yount hitting 29, Ted Simmons hitting 23, and Paul Molitor hitting 19. 1982 was a particularly stellar year for Yount, who won two of his career MVP awards and led the league in hits and slugging percentage.
Different Times in Baseball
Things have changed quite a bit around baseball since the Brewers last played in the Fall Classic. Major League Baseball in 1982 did not mirror the sport we see today. Instead of three divisions of five teams per league, it was two divisions of seven in the American League, and two divisions of six in the National League.
Alignment was quite different back then. The Detroit Tigers were in the AL East with the Brewers, while the 1982 National League West winner was the Atlanta Braves. The teams were not a one-to-one match to the modern day either. The California Angels won the AL West that season, and the Montreal Expos were still alive and well before their eventual relocation to Washington.
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