Richie Sexson Was a Big Bat in Every Way

The 2001 club hit 209 dingers - good for second in the league. Leading the big bats of the Brewers at this time was their 6’7” first baseman - Richie Sexson.

Born in 1974 in Portland, Oregon, Richmond "Richie" Sexson was a celebrated high school athlete. He earned all-state honors in baseball, basketball, and football. But baseball would be Sexson's ticket to fame as he set his school's record for home runs. 

The Cleveland Indians selected the right-handed-hitting Sexson in the 24th round of the 1993 MLB draft. Playing primarily first base, he rose steadily in the Indians' minor league ranks, showing good power and a solid batting average. He was, however, limited defensively. In 1997, at AA Buffalo, he broke out by slugging 31 home runs - and earned a five-game cup of coffee in the bigs. 

The following season, Sexson tore up AAA and continued his spree at the major league level - hitting .310 with 11 HR in only 49 games. However, there was one problem for Sexson - the presence of future Hall of Famer Jim Thome - entrenched at first.

To get Sexson’s bat into the lineup, the Indians gave Sexson time at 1B, OF, and DH for the next couple of years. It got Sexson at-bats, but his play in the outfield was not good.

In his sophomore season, Sexson slugged 31 HR in only 134 games, but the following season he slumped, his strikeouts spiking and his power and batting average falling. The Indians - desperate for pitching - traded Sexson to Milwaukee at the deadline for pitchers Bob Wickman, Steve Woodard, and Jason Bere. Wickman had been an all-star for the Brewers. The Crew also got pitchers Kane Davis, Paul Rigdon, and infielder Marco Scutaro. 

The deal provided enormous dividends for the Brewers. Sexson was installed at first base - his best defensive position - and put into the lineup every day. He responded by hitting .296 and slugging 14 HR over the final 57 games of the 2000 season.

From 2001-2003, Sexson smashed 45, 29, and 45 homers, respectively, while hitting between .271 and .279. He also displayed a keen eye at the plate, walking as many as 98 times in a season. On the flip side, he struck out, on average, over 150 times a year (before, it was okay to strike out that often). 

Sexson was named to two All-Star teams. In 2003, he placed 12th in the NL MVP voting.

Despite Sexson's success, these were bad Milwaukee Brewer teams - winning only 68 games during his tenure. With free agency a year away, the Brewers knew that Sexson was short for Milwaukee. So rather than lose him, the team traded him to Arizona on December 1st, 2003. 

In exchange for Sexson, plus minor leaguers Shane Nance and Noochie Varner, the Diamondbacks sent Chris Capuano, Craig Counsell, Chad Moeller, Lyle Overbay, Jorge De La Rosa, and Junior Spivey. The deal helped transform the Brewers.

Sexson spent one injury-plagued season in Arizona - playing only 23 games. Despite his limited playing time in 2004, he signed a four-year, $50 million free agent contract with the Seattle Mariners. He had two good seasons in Seattle, but in 2007, at age 32, his production plummeted. He was released the following year during the season, then spent 22 games with the Yankees before being released again. His baseball career was over. 

Richie Sexson was a big man with a big bat. He was a true, middle-of-the-order slugger and had his finest years in Milwaukee. In 3 1/3 seasons, he slugged 133 HR while hitting a respectable .276 with a .902 OPS. His booming home runs were among the few reasons to go to a Brewers game in the early 2000s. 

In acquiring and trading away Sexson, the Brewers maximized their resources on both ends of his tenure. The trade with Arizona was an important one for the franchise - adding a key pitcher (Capuano) and a quality bat (Overbay) as well as some spare parts (including future Brewer Manager Craig Counsell). 

Despite playing less than 3 1/2 years in Milwaukee, Sexson's name is in the team record books. His career .902 OPS is the second-best in team history. His 45 home runs in 2001 and 2003 are the third-most in a season. His 98 walks in 2003 are the sixth most. His 125 RBI in 2001 is the third highest. In his 12-year career, Sexson hit 306 HRs.

After baseball, Richie Sexson retired to Bend, Oregon, and took up coaching at the high school level - heading up the baseball program at Summit High School for nearly a decade. In 2023, he was named manager of the Windy City ThunderBolts of the independent Frontier League. 

Please share your memories of Richie Sexson and his time in Milwaukee.