Hall of Fame shortstop Robin Yount says watching the Milwaukee Brewers in the World Series now feels more nerve-wracking than it did during their only previous appearance in 1982. “It’s almost like watching your kids play,” Yount said. “You’re a lot more nervous watching your own kids play than when you played yourself. And I kind of feel that way now.”
The Brewers are chasing their first World Series title after 44 years. Their 1982 team won the American League pennant but lost in seven games to the St. Louis Cardinals. This year, Milwaukee swept the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship Series to reach the final against the Tampa Bay Rays. Game 1 is set for Friday in Milwaukee.
Larry Hisle, who played nine games for the 1982 Brewers before a shoulder injury ended his career, said he has never seen a team impress him more than this year’s squad did against the Dodgers. “In my 80 years on this planet, I have never been more impressed with a team, the way they played against the Dodgers, in my entire life,” Hisle said.
Although the two teams differ in style, they share a similar work ethic. The 1982 Brewers, nicknamed Harvey’s Wallbangers after manager Harvey Kuenn and their MLB-leading 216 home runs, contrast with this year’s team, which hit 154 homers, tied for the second-lowest in the majors. Still, Jerry Augustine, a pitcher from the ’82 team, sees the same respect and grit in the current Brewers. “This team is exactly the same,” Augustine said. “They respect each other. They go out and play hard. They don’t give up. When you play this team, you’d better be ready to play 27 outs.”
Cecil Cooper, first baseman for the 1982 Brewers, praised the current team’s approach at the plate during the playoffs. “You watch every at bat, these guys are grinding,” Cooper said. “They’re not out there just wailing away at the first pitch. They’re grinding at bat after bat. That’s what you do. That’s what winners do.”
The ’82 Brewers roster included five Hall of Famers: Yount, Paul Molitor, Ted Simmons, Rollie Fingers, and Don Sutton. Fingers’ injury in September 1982 kept him out of the postseason, which longtime fans still believe cost Milwaukee the World Series. Yount recalled that despite losing, the team celebrated with a parade. “We got a parade when we lost the World Series,” he said. “How often does that happen?”
Yount described the 1982 postseason as both the greatest and worst time of his career. The pain of that Game 7 loss remains. “Yeah, it stings,” he said. “It hurts. I’m not going to lie, I’ll never get over it until the Brewers win one. So I’m hoping. I hope this happens more often than every 44 years, but I’m pretty excited this year. If it takes another 44, I’m not sure I’m going to be here for that one.”
Bill Zito, general manager and hockey operations president of the Florida Panthers, was a bat boy for the Brewers in 1982. He handled tasks like laundry and preparing baseballs and spent time with the players. Zito brought the Stanley Cup into the Brewers’ clubhouse in 2024 after the Panthers won their first championship. Reflecting on his time with Milwaukee, he said, “I’m guessing maybe some of the guys working there now realize what an unbelievable opportunity it is, to learn and to be around professional sports. The lessons that you take away, maybe I didn’t understand them at the time. … But now, reflecting back, they were all so important.”
The 1982 Brewers remain a beloved part of Milwaukee sports history and were the subject of a documentary released in 2024 titled Just a Bit Outside. That year, the team overcame a slow start under Kuenn, who replaced Buck Rodgers in June. They clinched the AL East title with a winner-take-all game against Baltimore and rallied from a two-game deficit to beat the California Angels in the ALCS.
As the current Brewers prepare for Game 1 of the World Series on Friday, the veterans from 1982 watch with hope that their city’s long wait for a championship might finally end.
According to Yahoo Sports.
