Article: Jeff Cirillo Hit and Hit and Hit

[reillymcshane]

When looking at batting average, who is the best hitter in Brewer history? Cooper? Molitor? Young? Braun? Yelich? Well, if you guessed Jeff Cirillo, then you know your Brewer history. Cirillo has the highest career batting average in franchise history - edging out Paul Molitor (.303) and Cecil Cooper (.302).

Jeff Howard Cirillo was born in California in 1969. He attended USC and was selected by the Brewers in the 11th round of the 1991 draft. Cirillo quickly established himself as a quality bat, hitting .350 at Helena his first year. A right-handed hitting third baseman, he progressed through the system, hitting for average at every stop to go with solid power and respectable walk rates.

In 1994, Milwaukee called up Cirillo, and the 24-year old struggled with a .238 BA in 39 games. But the following season saw Cirillo work his way into the lineup on a semi-regular basis as he hit a solid .277 with an .813 OPS. By 1996, he was a regular, and one of the best offensive and defensive players on the team.

From 1996-1999, Cirillo averaged more than 5.0 WAR a year, and hit over .300 three times, including .325 in 1996 and .326 in 1999. His OBP was routinely between .390 and .400, and he hit double digit HRs every year. He made the all-star team in 1996.

As Milwaukee struggled to produce quality pitching, the Crew decided to package Cirillo - along with Scott Karl - in a three team deal that netted the club pitchers Jimmy Haynes and Jamey Wright, plus catcher Henry Blanco. The trade was a disaster for the Crew, as Haynes and Wright struggled in their time in the rotation (although Wright did go on to a long career). Blanco - who also had a long career - was a good defender, but a poor hitter. The club signed free agent Jose Hernandez to replace Cirillo.

Cirillo spent two years in Colorado (hitting over .300 both seasons), before being dealt to Seattle, where his bat suddenly faltered at age 32. 

Looking for work in 2005, the 35-year old Cirillo wrangled a spring training invite from the Crew, and made the club. For two years he provided some quality at bats (hitting .281 and .319) while serving as a reserve infielder. With the promise of more playing time, Cirillo left Milwaukee in 2007 and played a final season - splitting time between Minnesota and Arizona.

After retiring, Cirillo worked for FSN Wisconsin for a few years, then was a scout for the Diamondbacks and Angels. He is currently a partner in Pacific Baseball Ventures, which owns the Walla Walla Sweets and the Yakima Valley Pippins in a summer collegiate wood-bat league located in Walla Walla, Washington. 

Jeff Cirillo played 14 years in the majors, eight in Milwaukee. In his time with the Brewers, he produced a .307 batting average - the best in franchise history. He also produced 26.2 bWAR during that time, the sixth best for position players. His .325 and .326 season averages rank 8th and 9th, respectively, and his .383 career OBP is third - behind only Prince Fielder and Christian Yelich. Cirillo was a doubles machine at his peak, hitting 46 in back-to-back seasons.

 To go along with Cirillo's offensive achievements, he was considered an excellent defensive third baseman as well - especially in his prime. 

Cirillo wasn't a big home run hitter, but he took his share of walks, and he could flat out hit. He was not the most athletic player, but he did a lot of the little things well - and the fans and coaches loved him for it. Unfortunately, Cirillo was part of Brewer clubs that lacked pitching, and the organization used him to try and fill those needs, prematurely ending his great run in Milwaukee. He may not have had the longevity of Molitor or Yount, and he didn't put up the big power numbers, but Jeff Cirillo was one of the finest hitters the team has ever produced.

Please share your memories of former Milwaukee third baseman Jeff Cirillo.

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[igor67]

For 20 years now Jeff Cirillo has been the answer to the question: Who would be really great to slot into 3rd base. Good defense, modest power, high OBP and that high average has always looked good. In Brewerfan world he was appreciated at the time of the trade (and most of us thought the trade wasn't all that great from the beginning), but generally I do think he was underappreciated with that lower HR total in the steroid era.