Most Brewers fans have enjoyed a beer and a brat at Miller Park, proudly sported a hat with the iconic ball-in-glove logo, and listened to Bob Uecker call a game. Names like Pete Yuckovich and Gorman Thomas are just as familiar as Robin Yount and Paul Molitor. But even the most die-hard fans don't know everything about their beloved Brewers. In 100 Things Brewers Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die, Tom Haudricourt has assembled the facts, traditions, and achievements sure to educate and entertain true fans. Do you know which player regularly stopped by tailgates before games? Which pitcher worked as a garbageman before joining the Brewers? And why was Uecker's first scouting report covered in mashed potatoes and gravy? All of the key figures and events are here: Bud Selig's purchase of the Seattle Pilots in 1970; Harvey's Wallbangers of the early 1980s; the 2011 NL Central title, and even the team's recent development under manager Craig Counsell.
Now fully revised and updated for 2023! Chronicling the Brewers from the Suds Series of 1982 to the MVP season of Christian Yelich in 2018, and from Bambi's Bombers of the late '70s to Harvey's Wallbangers of the early '80s, Bill Schroeder, a longtime Brewers color commentator and former Brewers catcher, provides insight into the Brewers inner sanctum as only he can. Read about what goes on in the equipment and training rooms, how batting practice can be chaotic, what it's like to travel with the team, and off-the-wall anecdotes, like the time Steve Sparks injured his shoulder trying to rip a phone book in half after listening to a motivational speaker.
The 1982 Milwaukee Brewers, affectionately dubbed ?Harvey's Wallbangers? after legendary manager Harvey Kuenn, carved a permanent niche in the hearts of Milwaukee Brewers fans with their captivating march to the 1982 World Series. Led by future Hall-of-Famers Robin Yount, Paul Molitor and Rollie Fingers, this close-knit, blue-collar team captured the very essence of the city, a major reason why those players remain so popular 25 years after that glorious summer. Where are the ?82 Brewers today? Many remain in baseball but others found different paths to take in retirement. Their stories are as varied as their personalities and the unique roles they served on that championship club. In the first-ever compilation of interviews with each player on the roster, we learn what moments remain vivid from that season, and how the experience affected their lives for years to come.
In Suds Series, J. Daniel takes readers back forty years, telling a story that is part baseball history, part urban history, and part U.S. cultural history, the narrative weaving together the development of the Midwest cities of St. Louis and Milwaukee through their engagement with beer and baseball. As the National and American League champions squared off for the 1982 Fall Classic, the St. Louis Cardinals, owned by Anheuser-Busch, took on the Milwaukee Brewers, so named by owner Bud Selig in homage to the city’s baseball and brewing past. Even nominal baseball fans will enjoy reading about legendary players, teams, and personalities that emerged in the 1982 season: the year Ricky Henderson stole 130 bases; Reggie Jackson led the league in home runs; and Cal Ripken Jr. began his remarkable playing streak. Readers will also enjoy the cultural references, including the Pac-Man craze, a chart-topping album by Rush, and the “Light Beer Wars” waged by Anheuser-Busch and the Miller Brewing Company through a series of humorous TV commercials featuring well-loved professional sports figures.
Drawing from more than 125 years of Cardinals history, this lively, detailed book explores the personalities, events, and facts every St. Louis fan should know. It contains crucial information such as important dates, player nicknames, memorable moments, singular achievements, and signature calls. St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter Derrick Goold covers everything from the artifact on public display that pays homage to Busch Stadium, the story behind the infamous "kidnapping" of Flint Rhem, the unforgettable acrobatics of "The Wizard" Ozzie Smith, and, of course, all 11 World Series championships. Fully up to date for 2019, this is the essential volume for all Cards faithful.
The St. Louis Cardinals are a team steeped in history and a winning tradition. For proof look no further than the epic 2011 World Series! The secret to their success? It’s those special players who have been lucky enough to don the Birds at Bat. But whatever happened to those players once the bright stadium lights were dimmed and the cleats were hung up for good? St. Louis Cardinals: Where Have You Gone? provides the fascinating answer as the authors catch up with over thirty-five former Redbirds in this one-of-a-kind volume. Fans will delight in hearing about the post-baseball careers of stars from every era. Dick Groat shares his return to the sport closest to his heart: basketball; Bob Tewksbury hits the books and learns to write papers again as he completes his master’s degree in sport psychology; and Vince Coleman shares his playing skills with a new generation as a minor league coach and celebrity golfer. Life after baseball can be an unforeseen business venture, a few rounds of charity golf, 788 acres of seclusion, a minor league dugout, a PhD, or a blessing in disguise—whatever the outcome, it’s always an adventure any true Cardinals fan would love to share.
Forget what people might say at Duke or North Carolina, UCLA or Kansas. Nobody loves their college basketball program like Kentucky fans -- nobody. Where else but Kentucky would a charity auction see a book signed by former President Jimmy Carter go for $70 ... and a basketball signed by Joe B. Hall go for $300? That happened in 2003, a good twenty years after both men had done their best work. You'll find Hall in this book, by the way. Kentucky fans sell out Rupp Arena for home games and invade opposing gyms for road games, earning the nickname The Blue Mist. Kentucky fans loved their basketball players, and that love doesn't fade over time. Years and even decades after their playing careers are finished, Kentucky basketball players routinely win whatever political office they seek in their home state. The 2003 election for state agriculture commissioner came down to one former Kentucky guard (Richie Farmer) against the wife of another former Kentucky guard (Scotty) Baesler). You'll find Farmer and Baesler in this book, by the way. This book is for you, Wildcat Nation. Catch up with more than 50 of your former heroes, guys who went on to become politicians and pastors, artists and dentists, convicts and coaches. Catch up with two former victims of Duke villain Christian Laettner -- Aminu Timberlake (The Stomp) and Deron Feldhaus (The Shot). Learn the heart-warming tale of Dirk Minniefield, who overcame his drug addiction to become a drug cunselor for the NBA. Learn the heartbreak of Tom Payne, who broke Kentucky's color barrier in 1970 in his only season with the Wildcats but has spent most of his adult life in prison. Whatever happened to perhaps the greatest Wildcat of all time, Bill Spivey? It's in this book. How about Tubby Smith's son and point guard, Saul Smith? He's in here, too. Mike Casey? Gimel Martinez? Lou Tsioropoulos? In here, in here, in here. You don't have to be Bob Wiggins, who once saw 615 consecutive UK game and remains the most intense Kentucky fan alive, to enjoy this book. Whatever happened to Wiggins? We checked--he's still attending games. This book is for Wiggins and the rest of the Blue Mist, and for anyone else who has ever wondered, Where have you gone, Linville Puckett?
