April 19, 1987

[hawing]

Whether you remember the day it happened or not, this is now a 30-year-old game:

 

Easter Sunday 1987

 

Here's a thread where you can share memories, state or claim that you were there, or reflect on how many "minus" years old you were if not alive on this date in 1987.

 

I was home from UW-Madison for spring break, listening to the radio broadcast on my mom's porch in Monroe. I remember jumping up and down and punching the sky. After the game ended, I thought to use my brother's crappy Realistic Radio Shack stereo with tape deck to record Pat Hughes' 10th inning show onto a crappy Radio Shack cassette - which I still own, and should probably figure out how to make into an MP3.

[Dean Machine]

I always refer to this game as the "Other Easter Miracle" which makes some people laugh and others a little upset. I was 12 and at my Uncle's house in a suburb of St. Paul, MN listening to the game out of River Falls, WI and I also jumped and down like a fool.

[Outlander]

I was 9 at the time and we just sat down for Sunday dinner. It was a nice day and the windows were open and we suddenly heard a bunch of screaming from our next door neighbors.

[AKCheesehead]

I remember hearing all the loud yelling throughout the neighborhood, including myself and family, as we were all listening to it on the radio. It was a glorious day.

[bork]

I was 12 at the time. We didn't typically have sports on during holiday celebrations, so I didn't hear about it until later. But I do remember going to George Webb's to get my free burger. I remember waiting in line and having them pull a flat, nasty, barely warm, pre-made burger out of of cooler. Can't say that I've ever had a Webb's burger since.

[Dragonbait]

I was 3.9yrs, so I have no recollection of the events.

[TURBO]

I was in college, working at a liquor store and listening on the stereo. Thankfully no customers were in the store to hear me yelling like an animal!

[Jose Cardenal1]

I was 19 at the time and did not attend (though I was there two days earlier for win #10). I had to work that day as a waiter at Chi-Chi's. Not surprisingly it was slow on Easter Sunday at a Mexican restaurant so I was sent home in the late afternoon. I remember listening to the game in my car on the ride home thinking that the streak was about to end. Rob Deer hit his HR as I was just about to pull in to my driveway. As noted in the article it was an unusually warm April day and I found my large family sitting on the patio listening to the game (which was very unusual). A few minutes later we were all celebrating as we heard Ueckers call of Sveum's HR.

 

I was also working the night of Juan's no hitter a few nights earlier. My customers could not have been happy as I spent most of the last few innings watching the game from the bar instead of with my tables.

[craigharmann]

One of my last memories with my grandfather. He passed away that June. We were all together for Easter, listening to the game. I was 9 and a huge baseball fan. My grandfather took my dad to Braves games, my dad took me to Brewer games. Now, living in Houston, I'm taking my girls to Astros games. But that's a date that is etched in my head. Thanks for the opportunity to share.

[baybeachbum1]

I do recall reading about that game the next day. However, I remember vividly, and still have the ticket-stub for the game at Baltimore 4 days earlier.

[pitchleague]

My story is pretty much identical to hawing's. Except I was only 14 at the time so, obviously, not home on spring break.

 

But, yeah, my dad was mowing the lawn and I was helping out by moving the stuff in the yard (hoses, chairs, etc.) out of his way. Had the transistor radio in my pocket and I went absolutely nuts when Deer homered and the Sveum homered. My dad had to stop the mower to find out what had happened.

 

And then, almost instinctively, I, too, went to the old crappy boombox and recorded Pat Hughes and the 10th Inning Show on a cassette tape. Which I still have.

 

But, unlike hawing, I HAVE already made mine into an mp3 and I listen to it often.

[reillymcshane]

I was 23. Remember it pretty well. I lived in Madison.

 

I was taking my brother and his girlfriend back to Eau Claire where they went to school. My brother and I went crazy as we listened to the game. Woke up his girlfriend - who was sleeping in the back seat of the car and couldn't have cared less.

 

I remember how I couldn't wait to get back to Madison and see the sports highlights.

 

I mostly remember Deer's HR that tied the game.

[rickh150]

Throwing ball against the shed, listening to game on the radio.

Unstinkin' real.

Goes to show you can't get into the playoffs with unreal month....

[dlk9s]

I was 11. As my household was chock full of Jews, we had nothing to do on Easter Sunday, so my dad asked us if we wanted to go to the game (YES, OF COURSE, DUMB QUESTION). We were down the right field line.

 

Before the ninth inning, thinking we were going to lose, I asked my dad if we could go home. He said AND I QUOTE, "If we leave and the Brewers win, I am going to lock you in the bathroom the rest of the day."

 

We stayed, the rest is history and someone accidentally threw beer on us in his excitement. Nobody cared.

[turnbow59]

I was 16 days old, not knowing what it was to experience a brewers loss yet.

[trwi7]

This was 101 days before I was born.

[Jimbo]

I was at the game with my dad, LGS. You'll have to take my word for it. Stiff breeze coming in from left, which Deer's dinger all the more unexpected. Molitor was on deck with Sveum at the plate. Just wanted Sveum to coax a walk to get Molitor up.

 

I did keep score. If I can find it within the next week, I scan and upload.

[hawing]

Stiff breeze coming in from left, which Deer's dinger all the more unexpected.

The link in the opening post includes the Rangers' TV crew's call of the Deer home run - which I hadn't heard before this week. I enjoy how the first thing on the clip is basically "Rob Deer's going to have a tough time putting this out in this wind," and then BOOM.

[StearnsFTW]

I was 15 and I was there. 3rd base line upper deck. About 5 of us went on a whim. Best County Stadium memory ever other than Robin's 3000th and the 82 Series.

 

I'm sure it's not available, but Ueckers call was unbelievable on Deers HR. They played it every day for the whole season it seemed.

 

Edit: the other very clear memory for me was that I didn't even see the ball leave Deer's bat, but man I heard it. My immediate thought was "I hope it's fair, because it's crushed". It was fair.

[StearnsFTW]

Throwing ball against the shed, listening to game on the radio.

Unstinkin' real.

Goes to show you can't get into the playoffs with unreal month....

 

Uecker: You can't throw Robbie a curveball here.... .CURVEBALL!!!!!

 

Haha. What a great call.

 

Edit: it's actually on Youtube. Can't link from phone. My memory of the call isn't perfect, but it's close enough.

[brwrsfan]

I was just barely 5 years old at the time. I don't remember watching or listening to it - I'm sure I was with my family for Easter Sunday (most of which were big Brewers fans most of my life - and still are).

 

What I do remember however, is getting a Rob Deer starting lineup figure a year or two later (which I still have). From that I day on, I remember hearing about the Easter Sunday game and team streak. While I wasn't there in person, I've heard the play by play for almost 29 years, seen the highlights a million times. It's almost one of my favorite Brewers memories - despite not actually remembering it myself.

[hawing]

Haha, I'm pretty sure I also have a Rob Deer Starting Lineup figure.

 

Later in 1987 there was a Rob Deer Growth Chart giveaway for fans 16 and under. I happened to be at that game and they gave me a poster without even asking my age (I was 21). So Rob Deer graced the wall of my dorm room the following school year (in an all-girls dorm, mind you).

I still have the poster too, and would display it if we had sufficient wall space at home.

[QuevedosTongue]

One of my most vivid Brewer memories.

 

I was 20 and was outside at a park, alone, shooting baskets with the game on the radio. When it happened I had nobody to share it with, nobody else was around. I finally ran into my apartment and told my roommate, who could not have cared less and was furious that I woke him up. Good times!

[Paul77]

I'm a little late to the party on this one, but ...

 

I kind of love this video (link below). It's just the random recordings of some family on Easer Sunday in 1987. But, at about the 2 and a half minute mark, you hear some people talking about the Brewer game (assuming the crew had lost). Later in the clip, you can hear the Brewers post game show in the background. The clip then becomes just a random family listening to the post game show learning how the game ended.

 

Truly a unique look back at this particular day in Brewers history.

 

[dlk9s]

Just looked up the game on baseball reference. The attendance really was under 30,000. I find that very hard to believe.

 

Also, we were 5% to win going into the bottom of the 9th and 11% to win when Rob Deer stepped to the plate.