Today In Brewer History: Be Glad This Day Is Gone

by Kyle Lobner on Apr 12, 2011 6:01 AM CDT in History

Through ten games this season, Brewer pitchers have posted a 3.59 ERA, and have walked just 32 in 87.2 innings of work. That's 3.3 per nine innings of work.

On this day in 2009, the Brewers played a game that puts those numbers into pretty startling perspective. In front of over 40,000 fans at Miller Park, Jeff Suppan and three relievers combined to walk ten Cubs in an 8-5 Brewer loss. Four runs scored on Suppan bases loaded walks.

Surprisingly enough, the ten walks did not set a franchise record. The Brewers have walked eleven or more batters in a game 31 times in franchise history, including once later in the 2009 season.

The actual record almost has to be seen to be believed: On July 19, 1969 the Seattle Pilots walked 18 opposing batters in a 11-7, 18 inning loss to the Twins. Here's the box score. The nine inning record is a little more believable: Everett Stull and four relievers walked 14 Astros on April 29, 2000.

One of the relievers in that game was Matt Williams, who played his only season for the Brewers in 2000. Williams turns 40 today. (h/t Play Index).

With help from Brewerfan.net, happy birthday today to:

AZL Brewer Max Walla, who turns 20.
1953 and 1961 Milwaukee Brave Johnny Antonelli, who turns 81.
Woodland, WI native Addie Joss, who would have turned 131. Joss played nine seasons for Cleveland's AL team (then known as the Naps) from 1902-1910, and is a Hall of Famer.

Tweet Comment 8 comments | 1 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

It only seems like Suppan was a Brewer for 11 years.

I think the game against the Cubs was in 2009.

by statsllc on Apr 12, 2011 6:49 AM CDT reply actions

Yup, fixed.

This is what I get for staying up much too late working ahead.

Now that's great tasting chicken!

by Kyle Lobner on Apr 12, 2011 7:04 AM CDT up reply actions

Interestingly enough...

1999 was Soup’s first full year as a starter. He was 24. This begs an interesting question — What age would Jeff Suppan have to had been to have a worse Brewer career? From 2007-2010 he was 32-35 years old and posted a 5.08 ERA over 97 starts.

I think you would have to go as young as 20-24. He was marginally better at 24, but he had a rough start out of the bullpen to start his career at the age of 20. If you mercilessly put him out there to throw 175 innings a year from the ripe ages of 20-24, I bet he would have only been slightly worse than what we actually got.

by LosinCatmansLove on Apr 12, 2011 8:11 AM CDT up reply actions

I suspect he would have been better.

His peripherals (e.g. FIP) were much better from 20-24 and over a larger number of innings his ERA probably would have caught up to them. There’s also a reason he was the first pick in the expansion draft (though, to be fair, there was also a reason he was left unprotected).

His 2009 5.70 FIP over 160+ IP is hard to match in terms of terribleness.

Ryan Braun: He loves it. -- Four pitchers in history with 8.5+ WAR and <250 IP seasons: Greg Maddux (age 29), Pedro Martinez (age 28), Roger Clemens (age 27), Zack Greinke (age 25).

by SRB on Apr 12, 2011 8:25 AM CDT up reply actions

wow...good tie in

from today in history, to talking about a more walks day, which had a reliever born on this day. excellent.

rec’d

by PagsBrewCrew on Apr 12, 2011 8:05 AM CDT reply actions

Comments For This Post Are Closed

FanPosts

Community blog posts and discussion.

Recent FanPosts

+ New FanPost All FanPosts >

NL Central Standings

	W	L	PCT	GB	STRK
Cincinnati Red Reporter	26	20	.565	0	Won 1
St. Louis Viva El Birdos	25	22	.531	1.5	Lost 3
Houston The Crawfish Boxes	22	24	.478	4	Lost 1
Pittsburgh Bucs Dugout	22	24	.478	4	Won 2
Milwaukee Brew Crew Ball	19	27	.413	7	Lost 1
Chicago Bleed Cubbie Blue	15	31	.326	11	Lost 11