Brewers honor ’82 team that made it to World Series
MILWAUKEE - Long before the 2017 Milwaukee Brewers bonded in the clubhouse and slugged their way to a first-place showing over the first half of the season, another bunch of fun-loving players made it to the grandest stage of all.
Before the game against the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday night at Miller Park, the Brewers held an onfield ceremony to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the ’82 World Series club. That team was known for having fun, on and off the field, which has been a characteristic of this year’s surprising firstplace team.
“They had so much fun together, and that’s what it should be like,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. “You create memories and enjoy each other’s company, you want to relive that. And you want to re-create it, too. That’s what you get to do on weekends like this.
“Most of them are here, which is nice. It was always a close team and, by them all being here, it shows how much it meant to them. They all want to see each other and share the stories.
“Robin (Yount) always says anytime they get that team together, they have so much fun. That’s awesome. That’s the way it should be. There were big personalities on that team. As I look back on it now, you see they were huge personalities.”
The ceremony included remarks by principal owner Mark Attanasio and his predecessor, Bud Selig, who founded the team in 1970 and will be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown in two weeks.
“This team represented Milwaukee beautifully in every way,” Selig said of the ’82 Brewers. “I can’t tell you, 35 years later, how proud I am of them, not only as players but human beings.
“They brought a lot of pleasure and showed what a team can mean to a community.”
The ’82 Brewers talked about how close they were then and remain now, which led to a fun weekend for those who made it back to Milwaukee for the reunion and celebration.
“It’s been great,” Jim Gantner said. “Everybody’s been telling stories, just like in the old days. I was surprised at how many guys made it back. It’s hard to believe it’s been 35 years. It seems like it was just yesterday.”
The former Brewers said it only seemed like yesterday when they were winning the American League pennant and coming within a game of beating St. Louis in the World Series. During the ceremony, each player came onto the field and stood at his former position, much to the delight of the big crowd that showed up early for the tribute.
“This is great being back here,” Mike Caldwell said. “Those 35 years have gone by faster than you can imagine. It doesn’t take long. It’s good to see so many of the guys made it back.
“It’s fun watching this bunch of Brewers. They score a lot of runs. They have a good ballpark and it looks like attendance has been good. That’s good to see.”
Representing late manager Harvey Kuenn was his wife, Audrey, and son Harvey Jr. The Brewers also brought back many members of the front office from that era to participate in the reunion.