The 1980 Brewers were coming off back-to-back seasons with over 90 wins and expectations were high, but all of that became an afterthought on this day that year when manager George Bamberger suffered a heart attack in the team's Sun City spring training clubhouse.
Bamberger, a World War II Veteran and longtime major leaguer, was only 56 when the attack occurred but required quintuple bypass surgery to repair the damage done to his heart. Buck Rodgers took his place on an interim basis until he rejoined the team in June, then took over again when Bamberger resigned in September.
Over time, thankfully, Bamberger did recover. He even returned to the bench in Milwaukee, managing the Brewers again in 1985 and 1986. He passed away in 2004, when he was 80 years old.
With help from the B-Ref Play Index, happy birthday today to:
- 1973-78 Brewer Eduardo Rodriguez, who would have turned 60.
- Fond du Lac, Wisconsin native, UW-Madison alum and 1901 Milwaukee Brewer Bert Husting, who would have turned 134.