Brewers Walk of Fame

[rickh150]

I have been thinking about this for a while. The Brewers Walk of Fame has not had an entry in many years. What a shame! Many are voted on, by the media I believe (another shame), but in the last five years or so none have gotten in. Here's an improvement:

1. Every year, one person WILL enter the Walk of Fame. This could be a former player, coach, manager, loyal season ticket holder, fan, usher, grounds crewe attendee, broadcaster, or anyone with Brewers scent on them

2. Brewers fans or management may nominate people- perhaps a note or e-mail would be required to describe why this person should be in the Walk

3. Brewers management or the media could cut the nominees to five

4. Brewers fans would vote at the stadium or online for the inductee, one per year

5. The inductee could speak before a Brewers game, throw out the first pitch, talk with Brian and Bill for an inning, and so on. Maybe the other four nominees or family of the nominees would be on hand.

 

The Brewers should have one day a year, maybe in September when All-star balloting is long gone, when being a Brewer is celebrated. Brewer pride should be celebrated in itself. I'm sure some will argue that most players/coaches that haven't gotten the votes yet don't deserve to be in. Yet, if the Brewers are going to have a Walk of Fame, they should have an annual entry. Lower the bar a little to include more good, solid Brewer people, not just the usual all-stars or HOFers. Gary Vandenburg, Dale Sveum, a season ticket holder from 1970, Fielder, Braun, Hart, Gallardo, Counsell, Shroeder, Teddy H. or a few more guys from 82 could be entered shortly or in 10, 20 years. I don't think we'd have a shortage to pick from. How fun would this be!

[trwi7]

1. Every year, one person WILL enter the Walk of Fame. This could be a former player, coach, manager, loyal season ticket holder, fan, usher, grounds crewe attendee, broadcaster, or anyone with Brewers scent on them

 

That's a great way to water down the walk of fame really quickly.

[dlk9s]

I guess they could call it the Brewers Walk?

[rickh150]

So inducting no one is better?

 

Then we probably will have to wait until Braun and Fielder retire. We'd be missing opportunities to celebrate really great Brewer people.

 

I'd rather make it a yearly thing, or even every other year, with a lower bar.

[owbc]

It's the bleeping Brewers walk of fame, not Cooperstown. Who cares if it's watered down? It shouldn't just be about on-field performance, but about connecting with the fans, community, etc.

 

Larry Hisle should be in for his contributions to the Milwaukee community. Bill Schroeder should be in also for all his years in the broadcast booth. Not to mention about 10 other names on that list. Even recent favorites Jenkins and Cirillo are getting shut out for some reason. Guys from the 80s like Teddy Higuera and Ted Simmons aren't even in. I bet when Craig Counsell gets on the ballot he will fall short also--probably because half the media thinks his batting average was too low or something.

 

I agree with rickh, the top vote getter should get in every year, regardless of the vote percentage. The fans also need to have some say in this also.

[RightFieldCoder]

I think the lack of inductees recently is in counter to the rash of people that were inducted in the first 5 yeas.

[rickh150]

After looking at those that are in- Aaron, Fingers, Molly, Robin, Cooper, Selig, Uke, Dalton, Gumby, Gorman, Money, Kuenn, (Braves side) Matthews, Spahn, Quin, Burdett- I believe a solid five could be put out there on a regular basis.

 

2012----Higuera, Vuckovich, Logan, Jenkins, Gary Vanden Berg

2013----Cirillo, Bamby, Caldwell, Adcock, County Stadium Public Address Voice of the Brewers (sadly can't remember his name)

2014--- Crandall, Oglivie, Simmons, Schroeder (about 30 years with team as player/announcer), a season ticket holder from 1970

2015--- Don Sutton, Doug Melvin, Jerry Augustine, Larry Hisle, long-time Brewers usher

2016+ Some from past lists could be included again with a few new names added yearly

 

A loyal ticket holder, long-time usher, or some Brewer faithful in the media could be on this list of five yearly (not to say he or she would be the one voted in). Current players such as Hart, Weeks, Braun, and Yo could or should be added down the road. Fielder and CC would be choices in the future too. Maybe Counsell would be on the list one year.

 

Brewer debate would be good for the organization. A time to remember the Brewers' good, solid players and loyal Brewers' fans or workers would be a welcomed tradition.

 

So, I'll take Higuera in 2012, Bamby in 13, Simmons in 2014(he should be in the HOF), and Melvin in 15(Dalton made two playoffs in 16 years).

[BrewersSuperCollector]

I certainly hope George Scott makes it in before Counsell. How is George Scott not in now?

[TURBO]

Counsell? Walk of FAME?

 

There are a ton of guys who should be voted in long before Counsell even makes it onto a ballot.

[berniebrewer4life]

1. Every year, one person WILL enter the Walk of Fame. This could be a former player, coach, manager, loyal season ticket holder, fan, usher, grounds crewe attendee, broadcaster, or anyone with Brewers scent on them

 

If that's the case, change the name to "Walk of Brewers players we really like". Walk of Fame(to me a tleast) denotes the best of the best, like the Packer's Ring of Honor. It should be hard to get into, it should be an HONOR to be named to it. They don't ALL have to be hall of famers, but i don't want to see guys like Counsell or Tyler Houston on there. Career brewers(or near) and borderline Hall of Famers should be bar to get in. With exceptions being made for players/members of the organization who had a MAJOR impact on the franchise.

[Outlander]

Don't bring the Packers into the conversation as setting the bar because that hall of fame is watered down. Mentioning Tyler Houston is silly, as Rickh150 noted there are plenty of Brewers deserving of the honor.

[berniebrewer4life]

Don't bring the Packers into the conversation as setting the bar because that hall of fame is watered down. Mentioning Tyler Houston is silly, as Rickh150 noted there are plenty of Brewers deserving of the honor.

 

I said ring of honor, not the Hall of Fame(HUGE difference). The ring of honor has 21 players and they are all in the NFL hall of fame(except for Ron Wolf).

[crossface21]

I can see it now, walking along seeing Aaron, Fingers, Molitor, Yount,........Freeway.

[BrewersSuperCollector]

I would like to know why Bobby Thompson is on the Braves Wall of honor. What in the blue hell did he do as a Milwaukee Brave to deserve it?

[igor67]

Given the players not yet included, I think it is fair to say that the process has been too restrictive. Jenkins and Cirillo definitely should be in. Lots of years with the team and very excellent if underrated performances. I have a harder time eye balling the relative career lengths for some of the other guys from the 80's teams, but they could certainly fit in. My quasi-template is something like a player you could just plug into the team for about a decade and get above average performance out of most of those years. Obviously 10 years is not a requirement, nor do they all have to be Brewer years, but he should be someone you can think of as a Brewer.

[gypcasino]

I can see it now, walking along seeing Aaron, Fingers, Molitor, Yount,........Freeway.

 

A talking Freeway statue that says "WHAT ARE SOME OF THE SERIES THAT THE BREWERS LOST THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE WON?" over and over again.

[RockCoCougars]

We've talked about this before, but in my view this 'walk' is way too restrictive for a franchise with exactly zero W.S. trophies. I also tend to think that many of the voters are pretty clueless when it comes to knowledge of Brewers history based on the voting results. Who is the moron who votes for Obermueller every year?

 

I agree with the notion that bare minimum one or two people should be inducted each year. Scott and Higuera seem like the first two logical choices.

[JimH5]

I would not include fans, grounds crew, ushers, vendors, or anyone else who isn't involved in the baseball aspect of the team.

 

I would put Del Crandall, George Scott & Teddy Higuera at the top of the list for future inductees.

[endaround]

Expand the voting. Make it a fan vote if need be for a bit.

[rwa12]

I would add Sheets to the list for the future. I think Jenkins is a no-brainer, Higuera and Cirillo as well. Possible consideration to Surhoff. I agree, no need to make this uber-exclusive, but don't need Ben Grieve in there either.

[Invader3K]

It's silly pretending this should be some super exclusive thing. How many fans even really care or bother to visit the Walk of Fame when they come to Miller Park.

 

And I'm sorry, but you can't really compare the Brewers to the Packers. The Brewers simply don't have anywhere close to the amount of history and championships that the Packers do.

[BradWI]

It's silly pretending this should be some super exclusive thing. How many fans even really care or bother to visit the Walk of Fame when they come to Miller Park.

 

Exactly. And this is kind of the 2nd tier. The big names get statues. Everyone else gets the granite plaques. There is a lot of room and spots for these around the stadium. No need to be as selective as they've been lately. The way things are going they'll build a new stadium before the existing spots are fully used.

[1992casey]

I think that the Braves need more attention than the Brewers. Omissions are egregious, and it's apparent that the voters know little about the players and don't seem willing to research them. A special committee should be set up to deal with the Braves, much like the committee that researched Negro Leaguers for the Hall of Fame a couple of years ago.

 

It can definitely be argued that more Brewers deserve recognition, but at least there's a somewhat logical line in the sand drawn between who's in and who's out.

[TURBO]

I would not include fans, grounds crew, ushers, vendors, or anyone else who isn't involved in the baseball aspect of the team.

 

 

100% agree...

 

Those are feel good nominees, but I don't think they have a place on any walk of fame...

[fondybrewfan]

The only thing that lack of walk of famers tells me is how mediocre the team has been for a long time; there just aren't that many deserving inviduals. Yes this isn't the MLB hall of fame or anything but I have a hard time complaining about the Brewers guys that aren't in there right now. The Brewers have had a huge lack of elite/top tier talent in the last 20 years. Only in the last decade have the Brewers really had WOF type talent (Such as Fielder, Braun, Sheets). The 90's was just a completely lost decade for the most part.