Our All-Time Brewers Group continues in the present day at second base! Reminders:
We’re on the lookout for one of the best particular person season at every place, not one of the best profession
Gamers can solely be used as soon as
A participant should have performed extra video games on the given place within the given season than every other place
We’ve already accomplished catcher and first base. Time to take a look at second base, the place we made some compromises.
Second Base: Paul Molitor, 1979
140g, .322/.372/.469, 126 OPS+, 27 2B, 16 3B, 9 HR, 62 RBI, 33 SB, 5.6 WAR
There’s a humorous factor concerning the historical past of Brewers’ second basemen: the 2 greatest seasons ever on the place are from guys who had been probably not second basemen. What grew to become clear when doing this challenge was that the place undoubtedly lacks in comparison with the others—it’s, indubitably, the weakest in membership historical past. So, these two seasons that ended up on the high got here from guys who you’d name main stars of the franchise, however each spent much more time on the sizzling nook.
The one chosen right here is Paul Molitor’s second season in 1979, and it’ll require a little bit of clarification, so bear with me. You possible don’t consider Molitor as a second baseman, however we’ll get into {that a} bit later. The second-best season by a second baseman in membership historical past belongs to Don Cash, who—like Molitor—performed far more third base than anything for the Brewers…besides in 1977 when he had one in all his greatest years whereas enjoying second.
However you’re a smart, traditionally conscious Brewers fan, and also you is likely to be saying to your self “there’s no method that 1979 was Molitor’s greatest season as a Brewer.” Effectively, you’d be proper, however right here is the place my arbitrary guidelines come into play. Molitor’s greatest season in Milwaukee was 1987… however he performed extra DH than anyplace else that yr. He did even have wonderful offensive seasons late in his Milwaukee profession (he was higher offensively in 1989, 1991, and 1992 than he was in any of his pre-1987 seasons) however in ‘89 he was enjoying third base and in ‘91 and ‘92 he was principally at DH once more.
The following query right here is “why don’t you simply put him at DH?” That’s legitimate so that you can ask, however right here’s the place I in the end ended up: Molitor’s 1979 is one of the best season ever by a Brewer second baseman, so placing him at DH and utilizing a lesser season at second base hurts the group. Additional, I made a decision simply to not use a delegated hitter on this All-Time Group, for 2 causes: primary, the Brewers solely had a DH for about 60% of their historical past (1973-98, 2020, and 2022-present); and quantity two, the pickings after Molitor are extraordinarily slim (you’re very possible taking a look at Dave Parker’s 1990 season when the 39-year-old Cobra hit .289 with 21 homers however, due to low stroll totals and his standing as a full-time DH, had only one.1 WAR).
Molitor additionally definitely had a few years worthy of consideration at third base, however I made a decision to go together with his 1979 season at second with a purpose to create one of the best group potential. Molitor’s 1979 season is healthier than Cash’s 1977 season, and there have been much more robust seasons within the group’s historical past at third base, so with no DH spot, the group that maximized worth was the one with Molitor at second, which is, I’ll reiterate, one of the best season ever by a Brewers second baseman, regardless that it isn’t Molitor’s greatest. I hope that is smart.
Anyway, again to that 1979 season. Molitor was solely 22 and hadn’t but been knowledgeable baseball participant for 2 years. He’d been picked by the Cardinals out of highschool late within the 1974 draft, however he selected to go to the College of Minnesota as an alternative and have become one of many high prospects within the nation. Milwaukee took him third general within the June 1977 draft and despatched him to Single-A Burlington for the remainder of the season, the place he promptly hit .347/.457/.504 in 64 video games. He broke camp with the Brewers in 1978 and, having by no means performed above A-ball, hit .273 with 26 doubles and 30 stolen bases in 125 video games. He acquired three first-place votes for Rookie of the Yr, ending second to Detroit’s Lou Whitaker.
Molitor was a positional nomad who performed shortstop in faculty (he has the uncommon distinction of being on the one Topps rookie card with a couple of Corridor of Famer: the 1978 “Rookie Shortstops” card, which options Molitor, U.L. Washington, Mickey Klutts, and Alan Trammell), however he was blocked there with Robin Yount within the fold. So he as an alternative performed second, the place he appeared frequently for his first three seasons. Bizarrely, Molitor spent his (injury-abbreviated) 1981 season within the outfield, however in 1982 he landed at third, which might be his house for many of the Nineteen Eighties. Although he completed his profession with extra appearances as a delegated hitter than at every other place, numerous that may be attributed to the truth that Molitor was an awesome previous participant; he didn’t actually begin enjoying DH full-time till 1991 when he was 34. It’s simply that he stored enjoying for an additional seven years after that.
This results in a fast fable that wants busting, the parable being that Molitor was a nasty defensive participant. That is flawed. He wasn’t Frank White on the market or something, however one of the best fashionable estimates of defensive worth now we have present Molitor as a strong defensive infielder up by means of the 1990 season when he switched to DH. Eight years spent as a more-or-less full-time DH despatched his profession defensive worth into the tank, however for greater than half his profession, Molitor was completely high-quality as a defensive infielder.
So, in 1979, Molitor was at second base, and the Brewers had a younger group wealthy in expertise coming off a 93-win season (the primary profitable season in group historical past) and able to contend. Cecil Cooper was approaching his prime at first base. Yount was starting to hit his stride. Cash was nonetheless round enjoying a utility function, as was the younger Jim Gantner. The veteran Sal Bando was at third, coming off a superb 1978 season. Ben Oglivie, Gorman Thomas, and Sixto Lezcano all performed nicely within the outfield, giving the Brewers one of the potent trios within the league.
Molitor was in the course of all of it. At simply 22, he gave the 1979 Brewers what was arguably their greatest all-around season. He hit .322 and was second within the American League with 16 triples. Although he was nonetheless discovering his method as a base stealer, his velocity was apparent, and he stole 33 bases. He was fairly good within the area. The Brewers set a franchise report with 95 wins, a complete they’d not surpass till 2011.
New numbers inform us that Molitor had 5.6 WAR in 1979, which is tied with Lezcano (who had a monster yr by which he hit .321/.414/.573 with 28 homers in 138 video games) for the group lead. It was a harbinger of future success for Molitor, who simply continued to enhance. Other than injury-shortened seasons in 1981 and 1984, he was an above-average hitter yearly from 1979 till his retirement after the 1998 season.
I discussed this earlier, however Molitor’s 1979 season wasn’t his greatest. By OPS+, his greatest season got here in 1987; he performed solely 118 video games that yr however hit .353/.438/.566 and led the league in runs scored and doubles regardless of lacking over 1 / 4 of the schedule. By WAR, Molitor’s greatest yr was 1982, a season by which he led the majors in runs scored and efficiently stole 41 bases in 50 makes an attempt whereas enjoying enough protection at third base.
However his most constant run of success got here late in his profession: from 1991-94, Molitor had an OPS+ of no less than 141 every season, a run that included a World Collection MVP in 1993. In fact, that wasn’t with the Brewers; Bando, now the Brewers’ common supervisor, let Molitor stroll after the group’s surprisingly profitable 1992 season. Bando cited Molitor’s age—he turned 35 in the course of the ’92 season—however didn’t convey up the truth that he’d hit .325 (and led the league in hits and triples) in 1991 and .320 (with 31 stolen bases) in 1992. Molitor stated he wished to remain in Milwaukee, however Bando didn’t make a lot of an effort, Molitor left, and the group went right into a tailspin that lasted years. Many followers—my buddy Vince’s dad chief amongst them—have by no means forgiven Bando.
Given the historic depth the Brewers have at third base and the dearth of a DH for this challenge (in a vacuum, Molitor’s 1987 season is certainly his greatest as a Brewer), it made probably the most sense to make use of him because the squad’s second baseman. As you’ll see beneath, there’s not a complete lot of nice different choices, and placing Molitor there makes one of the best general group, as you’ll see later.
Additionally thought-about: Cash’s 1977, by which he hit .279 with 25 house runs and performed good protection; Brice Turang’s 2024, when he mixed Platinum-Glove-winning protection and elite baserunning with sporadically competent hitting; Willie Randolph’s 1991, when the previous Yankee star inexplicably had arguably his greatest offensive season as a 36-year-old on his fourth group in 4 years; Jim Gantner’s 1983, when he mixed his greatest offensive season with usually good protection; and since he’s perhaps my favourite Brewer ever, Rickie Weeks’ 2010, when he actually discovered his method as a potent offensive drive and was wholesome for the entire season. Additionally a shoutout to my first favourite Brewer, Fernando Viña, who in 1998 had a 114 OPS+ and made the All-Star group.
