By Hal McCoy
UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS from The Man Cave excitingly awaiting Milwaukee’s visit this weekend to Great American Ball Park, hoping the Reds are not entering Barry McGuire’s ‘Eve of Destruction.’
—THE TRUE BLUE CREW: The Milwaukee Brewers aren’t doing it with smoky mirrors, sleight of hand or desert mirages. It only seems that way.
How in the names of Abner Doubleday and Alexander Cartwright are the Brewers the best team in baseball when they’ve lost enough super stars to close up shop and say, “We can’t do it.”
But they can and they are, despite MLB’s smallest market and a payroll of $113 million.
They arrive Friday night in Cincinnati with baseball’s best record (76-44) and riding above the cumulus on a 12-game winning streak. Earlier this season they put together an 11-game streak.
Their .633 winning percentage is downright absurd. The second best winning percentage belongs to the Toronto Blue Jays, far behind at .579.
Over the last couple of years they lost their astute manager, Craig Counsell, who defected to the Brewers’ arch-enemy, the Chicago Cubs.
And the giggles are aimed at him because his Cubs trail the Brewers in the National League Central by 7 1/2 games.
The Brewers lost two of baseball’s best relief pitchers, Josh Hader and Devin Williams. They lost a top-shelf starting pitcher, Corbin Burnes.
And they lost who most fans thought was the heart, soul and pancreas of the team, shortstop Willie Adames.
Believe it or not, the Brewers once were 21-25, but stopped the steep list to the left by going 55-19 since then.
While that’s incredibly good, it isn’t as good as what the 1975 Big Red Machine did. That team began the season 20-20, then went 63-19.
So to match the ’75 Reds, the Brewers need eight more wins in a row. . .and this year’s Reds are Milwaukee’s next three games Friday through Sunday in Great American Ball Park.
That’s a steep hill for the Brewers until you remember that over the last three seasons the Reds are 9-24 against the Blue Crew.
But then who figured that the Reds would not only take the phight out of the Phightin’ Phillies, but embarrass them in the process?
—WITH PICKLES AND ONIONS? — Speaking of the Brewers, it’s free hamburgers for everybody in Milwaukee who wants one.
The George Webb restaurant chain in Milwaukee has had a standing offer since the 1940s, when the Brewers were a minor league team — free burgers if the team went on a long winning streak.
At first it was 17 games. Then it was 13. And the chain never had to pay off. . .until 1987. That team had just moved from Seattle and opened the season with a 13-game winning streak.
George Webb paid off and gave away 168,000 free burgers. It didn’t happen again until 2017, when they lowered the required streak to 12. They gave away 90,000 burgers and 100,000 free vouchers.
Well, it happened again Sunday — 12 straight. The hamburger chain has ordered 25,000 pounds of meat in preparation.
Milwaukee pitcher Brandon Woodruff said he felt extra pressure to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates Sunday and said, “I was nervous. There was a little more at stake today. I wanted those burgers. Who doesn’t want a free burger.”
And wasn’t it apropos that they did it against the Pitts-burgers Pirates?
—REDS REDUX: Some startling facts (at least to me) involving the Cincinnati Reds.
Did you know that Bronson Arroyo has more career wins for the Reds (108) than Mario Soto (100) and Jose Rijo (97). The leader is Eppa Rixey (179) and good ol’ Joe Nuxhall is ninth (137).
Did you know that Pete Rose had more extra base hits (868) than Johnny Bench (794).
During his career with the Reds, Expos and Phillies, Rose had 3,215 singles. Rose and Ty Cobb (3,053) are the only players in MLB history with more than 3,000 singles.
—WHAT A SNUB: There was much talk this year about several players getting All-Star snubs, which brings me to an outfielder with a magic glove.
His name is Juan Pierre and he could hit, too, during his time mostly with Colorado, Florida (Miami) and the Los Angeles Dodgers from 2000 to 2013..
During his 14-year career he hit .296 and batted over .300 six times. He amassed 2,217 hits, the most by any player who NEVER made an All-Star team. Not once in 14 years. Not ever.
—TRIVIA TIME: Baseball stuff only interesting to fans who know almost everything:
—Ever hear of Charlie Silvera? He won seven World Series rings and cashed seven winning World Series checks.
What so special about that? Well, he only played in one World Series game in those seven years. Why? He was Yogi Berra’s back-up catcher.
With his ‘winnings,’ he built a lovely home in suburban San Francisco and said, “I call it ‘The House That Yogi Built.”
—Randy Johnson and Steve Carlton are first and second in career strikeouts by a left-handed pitcher. Who’s third?
That would be recently minted Hall of Famer C.C. Sabathia who said, “When I was a kid I had an imaginary friend.” And he no doubt struck him out four times a day.
—Can a pitcher win a game without throwing a pitch? You betcha. Just ask Sean Newcomb.
In 2024 while pitching for the Athletics, he entered a tie game in the top of the ninth with two outs and San Diego’s Austin Martin on first base.
Without throwing a pitch, Newcomb picked Martin off first base to end the inning. When the A’s scored a run in the ninth, Newcomb received the win without throwing a pitch.
In 1969, MLB expanded with four new teams — the Montreal Expos, San Diego Padres, Kansas City Royals and Seattle Pilots.
Only one guy played for all four of those teams and his name takes some steps to figure out. It’s Matt Stairs.
—QUOTE MACHINE: Baseball people say the darndest things:
—From Yogi Berra to Reggie Jackson at a New York Yankees Old-Timer’s game in Yankee Stadium as a list of deceased Yankees scrolled on the JumboTron: “Geez, Reggie, I hope I never see my name up there.”
—From Home Run King Hank Aaron when the Atlanta Braves acquired Bob Uecker: “That was one of the greatest moments that every happened to professional baseball. When we got Bob Uecker back in our clubhouse I knew right then that we were going to finish another 15 games to the rear.”
—From Bob Uecker, catcher/broadcaster/comedian on the day he retired as a player: “I think I could be head of the Navy. I like boats.”
And. . .”Before every Opening Day, I made sure I stocked the bullpen with sandwiches and candy, because that’s where I’d be the rest of the day, and probably the rest of the year.”
—From New York Mets manager Casey Stengel in 1964 when he saw the new Shea Stadium for the first time: “My ball park is lovelier than my team.”
When Stengel was named manager of the New York Yankees, iconic center fielder Mickey Mantle was asked what he thought about the hiring and he said, “I think we can win in spite of it.”
—From Hall of Famer Dave Parker, when asked why he wore a Star of David around his neck when he played when he wasn’t Jewish: “Because my name is David and I’m a star.”
—SOME SAGE ADVICE, DAD: When I was a sophomore at Akron East High School I dated two girls at the same time, one named Kate and the other named Edith.
My dad said I had to get rid of one, “Because you can’t have your Kate and Edith, too.”
—PLAYLIST NUMBER 104: As poet/author Berthold Auerbach put it, “Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.”
— You Look So Good In Love (George Strait), It’s Now Or Never (Elvis Presley), Right Down The Line (Gerry Rafferty), Two Tickets To Paradise (Eddie Money), The Tears Of A Clown (Smokey Robinson & The Miracles), Purple Rain (Prince).
—Lookin’ For Love (Johnny Lee), I Told You So (Randy Travis), Get Closer (Seals & Croft), Young Love (Sonny James), Rocket Man (Elton John), Smooth Criminal (Michael Jackson), Never Gonna Give You Up (Rick Astley), Losing My Religion (R.E.M.), Here Comes The Sun (Beatles), Take On Me (A-Ha).