On this day in 1952, Dwight Vern Bernard was born in Mount Vernon, Illinois. He went to Belmont College in Tennessee and was drafted by the Mets in the second round of the 1974 draft, eleven picks after the Brewers selected Moose Haas. Bernard spent portions of the 1978 and 1979 seasons as a Met, then was traded to the Brewers. It would be almost two full seasons before Bernard made his Brewer debut, appearing in six games down the stretch for the 1981 team.
Bernard went on to be a key member of the bullpen on the 1982 World Series team, making 42 appearances with a 3.76 ERA and picking up six saves. His most memorable outing, unfortunately, came on October 2, 1982: He allowed four runs on six hits in just one inning of work as the Orioles piled onto the Brewers in an 11-3 victory. The loss tied the Brewers and Orioles for first place in the AL East, setting up a winner-take-all showdown the next day.
Bernard's biggest claim to fame, however, might be this: He pitched four perfect outings for the Brewers over two playoff seasons...and the Crew lost all four games.
| Date | Series | Opponent | IP | Result |
| 10/7/1981 | ALDS | Yankees | 0.2 | L, 5-3 |
| 10/11/1981 | ALDS | Yankees | 1.2 | L, 7-3 |
| 10/5/1982 | ALCS | Angels | 1 | L, 8-3 |
| 10/19/1982 | WS | Cardinals | 1 | L, 13-1 |
Bernard returned to the Brewer organization in 2003, serving for one season as the Minor League Pitching Coordinator. He's currently the pitching coach of the Tacoma Rainiers in the Mariners organization.
Bernard turns 59 today. With help from Brewerfan.net and the B-Ref Play Index, we'd also like to wish a happy birthday today to:
- AZL Brewer Mike Schaub, who turns 19.
- Wisconsin Timber Rattler Charly Bashara, who turns 25.
- 2001 Brewer Mac Suzuki, who turns 36.
- 1996 Brewer Tim VanEgmond, who turns 42.