Brewers History

The 2000 season marked the Brewers final season in the County Stadium and Davey Lopes' managerial debut.The Brewers and Cubs close out a wild four-game series tied the National League record for a nine-inning game as the eventual loser was recorded after four hours and 22 minutes of play. The Brewers and Cleveland Indians entered a seven player trade bringing first baseman Richie Sexson, pitchers Paul Rigdon and Kane Davis, and Marcos Scutaro to Milwaukee in exchange for pitchers Jason Bere, Bob Wickman and Steve Woodard. However, the Brewers registered their 8th consecutive losing season with a 73-89 record. Miler Park was finally inaugurated in 2001 and President George W. Bush and Commissioner Bud Selig threw the ceremonial pitch. In the home opening game, the Brewers defeated the Cincinnati Reds by 5-4. Brewers slugger Richie Sexson secured an 8th inning game-winning HR and set a franchise record with his 45th home run. However, injuries and a Major League record 1,399 of strikeouts dulled all the hopes of the team to win the division title. The team finished the season in 4th place with a 68-94 record. In 2002, Jerry Royster replaced Davey Lopes as their new manager.

Under Jerry Royster, the Brewers continued to struggle and finally settled at the bottom of the NL Central. The team not even hosted the All-Star Game, which the Brewers had been looking for since long. The All-Star humiliation was an embarrassment for MLB commissioner Bud Selig, who owned the Brewers since 1970. The Brewers finished the season with a franchise worst 56-106 record. The same season Richie Sexson drives in his 100th run becoming the only second righthander the history of franchise to register 100-RBI seasons in a row. The Brewers entered the 2003 season with new optimism but the expectations were still not high. Under the new Manager Ned Yost, the Brewers finished the season in last place posting a losing record for the 11th straight season at 68-94.The same season Richie Sexson became the first player in the history of franchise to post two 40-homer campaigns and Scott Podsednik became the fourth rookie since 1900 to hit .300, steal 40 bases and score 100 runs. The following season the Brewers in order to cut their expenses traded Richie Sexson to the Arizona Diamondbacks. With Richie Sexson not on the team’s roster, the Brewers played competitive baseball in the first half of the season. Ben Sheets and Dan Kolb represented the Brewers at the All-Star Game. Lyle Overbay replaced Sexson batting over .300 and leading the team in RBI most of the season. After the All-Star Break it posted a 22-53 record, which ranks as the worst ever for a team entering the All-Star Break with a winning record.

The Brewers finished the season in last place for the third straight year with a record of 67-94. In October 204, Mark Attanasio was introduced as the prospective new owner of the team. The Brewers originally originated in Seattle as the Seattle Pilots in 1969. The Pilots became the charter member of the American League. Due to poor fan support and financial crisis, the team prior to the 1970 season was sold to group of investors from Milwaukee. The team was moved to Milwaukee and was renamed Brewers in honor of Milwaukee's beer-brewing traditions.

The franchise in its first eight seasons played a mediocre baseball losing more than 90 games in their formative six seasons. In the mid-70s, the Brewers featured young talent Robin Yount who became the Brewers’ starting shortstop at age 18. In 1978, the Brewers under their new manager George Bamberger improved their records. Cecil Cooper, infielder Paul Molitor, and outfielder Ben Oglivie powered the offensive front. In 1979 outfielder Gorman Thomas led the AL with 45 home runs and Cooper recorded his second season with a .300-plus batting average and a year later Oglivie topped the AL with 41 home runs. In 1981 Rollie Fingers became the first relief pitcher in the history of major league to win both the Cy Young Award and MVP award in the same year for leading the league with 28 saves and accumulating a 1.04 earned run average (ERA). Due to a player’s strike, the 1981 season was divided into two halves. The Brewers took full advantage of the split season format putting together a solid 31-22 record to capture the 2nd half title of the AL East. In 1982, the Brewers made their first trip to the World Series, but were swept by the St. Louis Cardinals. Yount won the first of his two AL MVP awards, and veteran pitcher Don Sutton joined anchored the Brewers’ pitching staff. Yount won his second MVP award in 1989. From 1983 through 199, the Brewers finished no better than third in their division. In 1992, the team finished in second place. Shortstop Pat Listach hit .290 and scored 93 runs to win the AL rookie of the year award. Thee Brewers continued to struggle in the mid-1990s. Before the start of the 1998 season, the Brewers shifted to the Central Division of the NL from the Central Division of the AL. The move was made in order to accommodate the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. The logo of the team has the word "Brewers" in script similar to a font used by Miller Beer, placed over a baseball inside a circle with the word "MILWAUKEE" above and a pair of crossed barley stalks below. The mascot of the team is Bernie Brewer. The Brewers play their home games in Miler Park.