RIP Mike Hegan… and Paul Blair (post 9)

[BrewersSuperCollector]

http://www.jrn.com/tmj4/wi-sports/milwaukee-brewers/Former-Brewers-player-announcer-Mike-Hegan-passes-away-237258431.html

 

I don't remember him as a player, but I do as a Brewers broadcaster. I went to Mike Hegan's Grand Slam many times back in the day off of Capitol Drive.

[RockCoCougars]

Very sad news, especially today. Mike was the first Brewers TV commentator that I remember, back in the days where a Brewer game on the tube was a treat.

[davego]

Wow. Sad day.

[JohnBriggs12]

I think he was the first Brewer to hit for the cycle on Sept. 3, 1976. I still remember listening in my car when that happened. I was already out of state when he started broadcasting.

 

He's one of a few that had two tenures with the Brewers. Another was Davey May who's also no longer with us. Off the top of my head, there also was Jim Slaton and Gorman Thomas back in the day.

[DocLuna7]

I am very saddened to hear this. I took batting lessons from him as a kid when they had the winter camps at Hegan's Field of Dreams. He was always a real nice guy. This is the third big loss from those 70's era Brewers teams this year (Hegan, May, George Scott). I wish that there would have been a bigger effort to bring some of these guys back to Milwaukee for Brewers related events prior to them all falling ill.

[dlk9s]

http://www.jrn.com/tmj4/wi-sports/milwaukee-brewers/Former-Brewers-player-announcer-Mike-Hegan-passes-away-237258431.html

 

I don't remember him as a player, but I do as a Brewers broadcaster. I went to Mike Hegan's Grand Slam many times back in the day off of Capitol Drive.

Had a couple birthday parties there. Even though he was before my time (not technically, but I was too young to remember him play), he was one of my favorite "old timers."

 

Got to meet him once at an autograph signing at the Grand Avenue Mall when I was maybe around 10-12 years old. Interesting group in the lineup that day: Hegan, Vuke, Ken Sanders, and...Mickey Mantle.

[JimH5]

An original Brewer. And 71 is pretty young, though I think he may have had bad health for awhile.

 

I remember (or I think I remember) him doing the sports report on Channel 4 (or 6 or 12) while he was a player, during the offseason. A nice guy and a significant Brewer from the earliest years.

[1992casey]

He was on Channel 4. I believe he started the gig immediately after the Brewers' first season and continued with WTMJ after he was traded. At the time, Channel 4 also had Lionel Aldridge doing sports during Packer off-seasons.

 

I believe that Mike Hegan and Jim Paschke were the TV broadcasters of Juan Nieves' no-hitter. I think I have a recording of the game somewhere; I'll have to find it and check.

 

As a player, I believe he was recognized as an excellent defensive first baseman. Also, I think you'll probably find him mentioned in Jim Bouton's book [cite]Ball Four[/cite].

[markedman5]

and Paul Blair...one of the best center fielders ever

 

RIP

 

ESPN Stats & Info ‏@ESPNStatsInfo 25m

Former MLB outfielder Paul Blair has died. Blair won 8 Gold Gloves in 17-season career and played in 6 World Series' (winning 4 of them)

[Outlander]

I am a big baseball fan but never heard of Paul Blair until today, who I have heard quite a few people talk about today. Seemed like a heck of a outfielder that always seemed to be on a winner.

[And That]

Blair won a Gold Glove with an OPS of 626 in 1972 and earned his final Gold Glove in 1975 with an OPS of 557. Doubt we'll ever see something like that again. In fact, I wonder if that's the lowest OPS ever by a non-pitcher Gold Glove winner. Has to be pretty close.

 

Hegan played before my time and I only very vaguely remember him as a broadcaster, but I do remember a Brewers' game program from the early 90's that had a story about the four Brewers players who had hit for the cycle at that point. Hegan and Moore obviously stood out from Molitor and Yount a little bit.

[JohnBriggs12]

I am a big baseball fan but never heard of Paul Blair until today, who I have heard quite a few people talk about today. Seemed like a heck of a outfielder that always seemed to be on a winner.

 

Blair was a fantastic CF (8 Gold Gloves). Baltimore dominated the AL for much of the time Blair was there and he was a key component along with Brooks and Frank Robinson and Boog Powell. They may have had one of the best defensive clubs of all time to go with an outstanding rotation. Mark Belanger, who passed away in 1998 at 54, couldn't hit a lick but he was a magician at SS. Surprised you hadn't heard of Blair as at the time those O's team were all household names and Blair ended his career playing on those Billy Martin (and others) led Bronx Zoo Yankees of the mid to late 70's. Then again the Classic stuff you see tends to focus on New York teams and Blair made his name in Baltimore.

 

As an aside, the first year of the Brewers (1970) in Milwaukee, I went to a game they played against the Orioles, and most of the crowd had come to see the Orioles who had much more name recognition than the guys wearing Brewer uniforms. That 1970 Oriole team went a ridiculous 108-54.

[markedman5]

All 4 starters won 20 games.......

[1992casey]

That happened in 1971. In 1970, three starters were 20-game winners: Mike Cuellar, Jim Palmer, and Dave McNally. After the Orioles acquired Pat Dobson from the Padres during the off-season, all four pitchers won 20 in 1971.

[pogokat]

Hegan's wife was a real estate agent---and sold my family a house when I was 8---I met him a couple time's. He was a super nice guy. He was the first former Brewer I had any connection to at all. Sad Stuff.