Like most major league hitting coaches, Dale Sveum wasn't exactly a world-beater as a major league hitter. He was good enough to accumulate 2810 plate appearances over 12 seasons but hit just .236/.298/.378, which is probably part of the reason he got the opportunity to play for seven different teams in those 12 years.
Sveum set a career high in his second major league season by hitting 25 home runs in 1987, and three of them came on this day. Starting at second base and batting ninth, Sveum hit a solo shot off Angels starter Mike Witt in the third inning, a two run shot off Witt in the fourth, and a three run blast off reliever Chuck Finley in the seventh. Rob Deer also homered in the game and the Brewers won 12-2.
This was one of just four multi-homer games in Sveum's career, and his only three homer game. He finished his career with just 69 long balls.
With help from the B-Ref Play Index, happy birthday today to:
- 1982-85 Brewer Pete Ladd, who turns 55.
- 1974 Brewer Deron Johnson, who would have turned 73.
- 1961-64 Milwaukee Brave Roy McMillan, who would have turned 82. McMillan also managed the Brewers for two games in 1972.