All-Time great Brewers 25 man roster

[Fatter than Joey]

Given that it was just shortly after the civil rights period of the 60s his personality did rub some the wrong way but screw them.

 

He used to wear a batting helmet when he was play 1b, because people chucked things at him.

[cubfan1126]

I'm just curious as to how some of you come up with these names and leave off others.

Ryan Braun has had 1 season in left field but he's your all-time best left fielder?
CC Sabathia 1/2 of a season (an outstanding 1/2 I'll admit) put's him on your list?
I agree that Jenkins should probably be there - I know he gave us fits
I also know that Rob Deer struck out a lot but for those that want to include Branyan on the good list why not Deer?

More notably is the bad list
In your 40 year history you can't find a worse closer than Turnbow - perhaps you forgot about 2005
Yeah Glendon Rusch had a 1-12 mark in 2003 but you forgot about 2002 when his numbers were only a little behind Sheets? I really think a 1970 version of Gene Brabender would have been a better inclusion.
100 losses in 2002 isn't a worse managing job than Ned did in his years?

[1992casey]

Victor "The Vampire" De Los Santos

 

Victor Santos ("The Vampire")

Valerio de los Santos

[GormanHarvey]

Oops! I meant Santos. Not sure what made me throw the "de los" in there. I guess because they were both with the Brewers but it was Victor I had in mind

[GormanHarvey]

I'd like to see Victor "The Vampire" Santos find his way onto diener34's team - either in the rotation or the pen for day games. Ben Grieve was a joke!!

I actually didn't think Ben Grieve was all that bad for us. He had a .364 OBP and a .779 OPS. Not spectacular, but far from "a joke".

I will admit he was always good at drawing walks but I think it may have been because he was too lazy to swing the bat. He seemed completely non-nonchalant to me and may have been one of the slowest position players the Brewers have ever had (not including catchers or 1st basemen). He was also quite bad in RF

[Scooter1027]

I'm a little stunned no one has mentioned Geoff Jenkins. He was a great corner outfielder for his first 6-7 seasons, had 3 .900+OPS seasons, one .888, and 4 others right around .800.

I agree with joepepsi here. Jenkins should be on there. He definitely should be there over the overrated Vaughn, who in 7 full seasons with the Brewers only had two .800+ OPS seasons, and had 3 seasons with a .725 or below. On 3 different occasions he also carried batting averages in the .220s. These are not good numbers for a corner OF. He had a big half-season the year we traded him, and had a nice 3 year stretch outside of Milwaukee, but there's no way I'm taking him over Jenkins.

 

I'm also torn on Braun. I think we all know how special he is, and he seems destined to be one of Milwaukee's all-time greats, but like the Cubs fan said, he's only been an OFer for 1 season. I have a hard time putting him on the list at this point ahead of Jenkins, Burnitz, Oglivie, and Thomas.

 

I'll also agree that Molitor should be put at 2B to allow either Don Money or Jeff Cirillo to slot in at 3B, rather than having to stretch for a guy like Gantner at 2B.

 

Also -- Gary Sheffield? His name should never be mentioned on an exercise like this. Not only could he not wait to get out of town...he wasn't good while he was here (OPS' of .695, .640, .771, and .597 as a Brewer). Unless you're including his accomplishments while outside Milwaukee (which I'm not, for the sake of this list), he has no business being on the 25 man.

[Fatter than Joey]

100 losses in 2002 isn't a worse managing job than Ned did in his years?

 

Correct. Ned would have lost 200 games in 2002.

 

Ned Yost was worse than Cop Rock, the good thing about Cop Rock was that it lasted only one episode.

 

In your 40 year history you can't find a worse closer than Turnbow

 

With substantial innings, I would agree.

 

Ryan Braun has had 1 season in left field but he's your all-time best left fielder?

CC Sabathia 1/2 of a season (an outstanding 1/2 I'll admit) put's him on your list?

 

Agreed on both counts. Braun has been great, but in the same vein -- we would have put Cal Eldred on this list in 1992

 

I also know that Rob Deer struck out a lot but for those that want to include Branyan on the good list why not Deer?

 

Another great point -- Deer was the guy who started the whole 3TO craze. My guess -- it's the first name "Russell"

 

If we need a LOOGY -- It probably should be Bob McClure.

[RobertR]

Yeah, I'd put Sabathia, Sutton, Lee, and Braun on the "not here long enough" list.

 

Pete Vuckovich might be the worst pitcher to ever win a Cy Young, which he did mainly due to great run support. Good pitcher, but he wasn't better at his peak than Sheets and Higuera. Arguably Bosio and Caldwell too. Or the partial years turned in by D'Amico and Eldred. The best starting pitcher list should start with Higuera, Sheets, and Caldwell.

 

Gantner really only has longevity and a good glove for his case. Vina was probably better on average, although lacking the durability and longevity. Cirillo certainly has a much better case for being among the top 8 or 9 position players in club history.

 

Catcher is definitely the weakest position in club history. Porter, Simmons, Surhoff, Matheny, and Nilsson are pretty much it and none were great while in Milwaukee.

 

There's probably a good case to be made that Jose Valentin is the third greatest SS in team history, after Yount and Hardy.

 

Robert

[joepepsi]

As a LF'er Braun had a .888 OPS. Jenkins matched or beat that 4 years.

[diener34]

I actually put Branyan on the list because he is my favorite baseball player of all time (Bought a full game worn jersey of his from 04 for 300 bucks). I wasn't necessarily going for the worst brewers of all time, just guys that fans really liked or hated. I was also a big Tyler Houston fan, and regretfully a Yost supporter for a long time.

 

I actually used Brewers.com all time player list, and I had to make some tough decisions http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif Guys like Paul Rigdon and Jason Bere almost made the cut.

[Bikeage77]

That's why I like this thread, it's designed for discussion. If we all agreed, we'd have the first post, and then 25 "I agree" replies, then it'd be over.

 

Obviously Sabbathia only had one half season. But man, what an incredible one half season. Without the playoffs, he would have been left off for me. Braun is still current, but if he's not on the list when his contract expires, I'll come back to this thread and edit it. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

 

When I ran the Brew Crew myspace page (RIP, thanks MLB), I had a list that was a little different paying more attention to numbers (based purely on numbers in Milwaukee). The list given I came up with was pretty much off the top of my head.

[Sundown Kid]

I think part of the subjectivity of this thread is determined by the rationale one uses for selection. If one were to choose an "All-Time Team," I agree with those who would go with Jenkins over Braun. My team was selected as if I were choosing a roster to go into a season with. That's why it includes Braun and Gallardo (which really emphasizes what someone else has posted--the pitching history of this franchise is sad). If we're picking the all-time team, Jim Gantner is the second baseman, no question. But based upon my chosen rationale, I am admitting a mistake and benching Gantner in order to start Molitor at 2B, Cirillo at 3B.

 

Here's a name for loogy consideration: Jesse Orosco.

[Never Outhustled]

Props to JoePepsi for putting Jenkins in the proper light. His career will never be fully recognized because management surrounded him with so many crappy players. ( and trainers)

[trwi7]

Any Brewers all-time list that doesn't have Brooks Kieschnick as a PH/RHP is not a list in my opinion.

[Patrick425]

I just noticed this thread. When I was a kid, I tried to find a necklace that looked like the one George Scott use to wear.

[phxMILWfan]

I suppose Sheffield doesn't belong on the list. Does Overbay deserve a spot? I know he's not better than Cooper, didn't have the power Sexson had or Fielder has.

[3Putt]

Mike Fetters gets on the team for "the stare-down" alone... http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

I believe Fetters implemented his "Whatchoo talkin bout Willis" stare-down after he left the Brewers so I don't think he qualifies.

[giffted1]

Gantner gets a lot of recognition for being on the '82 team and in Milwaukee his entire career, but I'd give Mark Loretta the nod at second base.

[dikapalooza]

Put Nomo in as one of diener's starters and we'd have 4 former rookies of the year! If you sub out Kevin Barker and put in Franklin Stubbs? Unstoppable!