Top 10 best/worst Brewers trades All-Time

[Tbadder]

I think that Milwaukee's greatest trade was Bud for Mark. Thanks for the list and the work though, I'd almost forgotten some of those names.

[MickeyDavis]

I remember the controversy when Boomer became the first Brewer to make $100,000 a year.

[Fatter than Joey]

I do have to say that the Gorman Thomas trade is #1 on the worst list. It sucked the life out of Milwaukee, and they've never been to the playoffs since. It is the curse of Gorman Thomas.

 

Agreed 100%. That trade made a lot of little kids cry.

[JohnBriggs12]

Worst trade of all time in my book occured June 14, 1975.

 

Johnny Briggs for Bobby Darwin.

 

At the time he was traded Briggsie had a .447 OBP, and .432 SP for an OPS of .879. Furthermore, outside of Darrell Porter, he was the lone lefthanded power threat on the team.

 

Darwin on the other hand had an OPS of .650 on the day of the trade, and ended up striking out 54 times in 186 AB's for Brewers and never showed anything near the power he had done as a Twin.

 

At the time of the trade, the Brewer record was 28-28. After the trade, they went 40-66 and Del Crandall lost his job.

 

Briggs who felt his career was resurrected in Milwaukee after years of platooning in Philly, did not like leaving the Brewers and retired after the 75 season at age 31.

[hawing]

I do have to say that the Gorman Thomas trade is #1 on the worst list. It sucked the life out of Milwaukee, and they've never been to the playoffs since. It is the curse of Gorman Thomas.

 

Agreed 100%. That trade made a lot of little kids cry.

With all due respect to JohnBriggs12, put me down for the Gorman Thomas trade.

 

June 6, 1983 (I didn't have to look up the date). I remember where I was when I heard about it. I didn't cry, but I was greatly disappointed. I've disliked Rick Manning - fairly or unfairly - ever since.

 

So if it's a curse, how do they break it? Sign Gorman for a day?

[funkyplaidcoat]

So if it's a curse, how do they break it? Sign Gorman for a day?

 

We did. 7/16/86. released him 3 months later. The curse must lie with somebody else.

[Invader3K]

We did. 7/16/86. released him 3 months later. The curse must lie with somebody else.

Paul Molitor.

[Ashford Lando]

I do have to say that the Gorman Thomas trade is #1 on the worst list. It sucked the life out of Milwaukee, and they've never been to the playoffs since. It is the curse of Gorman Thomas.

 

Agreed 100%. That trade made a lot of little kids cry.

Count me as one of them...

 

However, it did help me early on in life to accept the fact that I may not understand everything the Brewer's brass may choose to do -- something that has paid off extreme dividends.

[THEbrewguru]

Worst trade of all time in my book occured June 14, 1975.

 

Johnny Briggs for Bobby Darwin.

I remember this trade like it was yesterday. For some reason, Johnny Briggs was my first hero with the Brewers and I was devastated when he was traded.

 

However, being that I was 11 years old, I recovered soon enough. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[THEbrewguru]

With all due respect to JohnBriggs12, put me down for the Gorman Thomas trade.

 

June 6, 1983 (I didn't have to look up the date). I remember where I was when I heard about it. I didn't cry, but I was greatly disappointed. I've disliked Rick Manning - fairly or unfairly - ever since.

 

So if it's a curse, how do they break it? Sign Gorman for a day?

The thing that really cranked me about this trade wasn't so much losing Gorman, it was the explanation behind it.

 

Harry Dalton said the Brewers were unbalanced, too much offense and not enough defense, so he acquired Manning for his D. Well, for one thing, you NEVER trade a 30-40 home run hitter for a singles hitter who plays great defense and he got ripped in all kind of national publications for that one.

 

But the bigger thing was that Manning was a free agent after the '82 season. If they wanted him, they should have just gone out and signed him and then traded Thomas for some pitching.

 

But, on the bright side of things, who can ever forget Thomas being interviewed on the 5pm news that day sitting at Ray Jackson's just hammered! I wish that was on Youtube.

[Postseason2006]

I think that Milwaukee's greatest trade was Bud for Mark. Thanks for the list and the work though, I'd almost forgotten some of those names.

Ulice Payne was before Mark. I sat in the first row...actually 3rd which is right behind the dugout, and was a row away from Ulice at a couple games. Almost forgot about that....

[SoCal Brew Crew Fan]

But the bigger thing was that Manning was a free agent after the '82 season. If they wanted him, they should have just gone out and signed him and then traded Thomas for some pitching.

 

But, on the bright side of things, who can ever forget Thomas being interviewed on the 5pm news that day sitting at Ray Jackson's just hammered! I wish that was on Youtube.

Great memory brewguru. I'll never forget that interview...one of the saddest in this sports fan's memory. In many ways the day Gorman was traded was "The day the music died" for Milwaukee baseball...only rivaled by allowing Molitor to leave. However, let's face it, Gorman didn't have a lot of gas left in the tank either and didn't really do much post-Milwaukee. From a sentiment standpoint...number one no doubt. From a quality of trade standpoint, borderline top ten worst...maybe not even on the list.

 

The Cooper trade will always be my fave. I kept thanking everyone in Boston last weekend for that one...they had no idea what the heck I was talking about. The Burnitz/Seitzer deal needs to be in the top 5. Great list...great work...a fun stride down memory lane.

[LouisEly]

So if it's a curse, how do they break it? Sign Gorman for a day?

 

Some ghosts haunt for a long period of time. Just ask those folks down by Clark & Addison in Chicago how long the curse of that damned goat has been hanging around.

 

Proof it was the Curse of Gorman Thomas:

1) Never been to the playoffs since

2) All major player accomplishments since were by players already around when Thomas was traded or by players with a connection to Thomas

- Molitor's hit streak (already around when Thomas was traded)

- Yount's 3000 hits (ditto)

- Nieves' no-hitter (what was his uniform number? #20, same as Thomas)

- Listach's ROY (played SS, Thomas' original position)

- First Brewer in HR derby, only Brewer to advance in HR derby - Burnitz (what was his uniform number? #20, same as Thomas)

- Most HRs in a season in Brewers history - Fielder (broke Thomas' record)

- Next Brewers ROY - Braun (hmmm.....)

3) Current Brewers manager - Yost (played with Thomas)

 

How to break the Curse of Gorman Thomas:

1) Retire #20 with Thomas' name

2) Fire Ned Yost

3) Lock up Ryan Braun long term because he has no connection to Thomas (check)

4) Have no one ever play 163 games in a season (Thomas' last remaining record)

[RockCoCougars]

Cool post...

 

I agree that the Gorman trade was the worst trade in franchise history. Trade a guy fresh off a homer crown for a guy who turned out to be one of the worst Brewers ever. Manning was just awful. The day the glory days ended was when Gorman got traded.

 

I think number two might be the Darrell Porter deal with KC after the 76 season. They basically gave away a top 10 catcher (albeit one with a raging drug problem) for Bob McClure. Don't get me wrong, McClure was decent, but Wohlford and Quirk were bad.

 

As far as good trades, I think you would have to rank the Caldwell acquisition in the top 5. Dumping Jose Cardinal on the Cubs for Jim Colborn would probably be top 10 for me as well.

[hart attack 2006]

Note that six of the worst trades occurred in the 1990s, while only one of the best trades occurred in that decade

[ozzybourne]

worst--getiing sal bando. when we had don money.

 

most worst--putting sal bando in the front office.

 

best--firing sal bando from front office.

 

most, most worst--hiring sal bando's brother to coach 3rd base.

[Samurai Bucky]

Thanks for all of the hard work putting this together.

 

I was only 12 when they pulled off the Vuke/Fingers/Simmons trade. I remember being pretty excited. Those were the days...