Harvey Kuenn: The Final Puzzle Piece

This article appears in SABR’s “Harvey’s Wallbangers: The 1982 Milwaukee Brewers” (2020), edited by Gregory H. Wolf.

On June 2, 1982, general manager Harry Dalton’s firing of second-year manager Buck Rodgers and appointing longtime hitting coach Harvey Keunn as the interim manager was the final piece in the Milwaukee Brewers’ only World Series appearance. As Bob Wolf, sports columnist with the Milwaukee Journal, succinctly stated, “Kuenn lost no time in proving that he was the right man for the job. He ran a loose ship and just let the players play, and they reacted so well to the change from Rodgers’ tight rein that they began winning immediately.”1

Buck Rodgers, Milwaukee’s third-base coach since 1978, replaced popular and charismatic manager George Bamberger, who retired for health reasons after the 1980 season. After enduring ups and downs, the Brewers rallied to make the franchise’s first postseason appearance, in another playoff level caused by the first midseason strike. They battled the New York Yankees to Game Five before losing. Owner Bud Selig and Dalton felt they owed the only manager to lead them to the playoffs by rehiring him with a one-year contract although concerned with his management style. In September, the Milwaukee Journal published an article quoting undisclosed players’ very critical comments about Rodgers because he overmanaged, didn’t communicate, and didn’t relate to the players. “If they win, it was in spite of their manager. I don’t think anyone on the club likes him,” one said.2

Entering the spring of 1982, Rodgers admitted that his managerial style, playing the percentages by the book, caused questioning the previous year. Unlike his beloved predecessor who made out the lineup and let his players compete, he preferred making moves, removing pitchers quickly, and changing lineups, which caused second-guessing and accusations of over-managing. Rodgers said, “Maybe I’m too blunt but I don’t think so. As much as I can, I let them know where they stand.”3

The Brewers were struggling, falling below .500 and dissension was growing to a boiling point on Monday, May 31, when closer Rollie Fingers loudly complained about Rodgers’ using matchups instead of his closer, with Mike Caldwell giving up the tying run in the ninth in a game lost in extra innings. After the game, Fingers proclaimed, “That’s the nail in the coffin.”4 Others wondered why not use your best pitcher. Change was needed. It was the fourth time in eight games that the Brewers lost a late lead and their 14th defeat in 20 games, dropping them from second place to fifth, 7½ games out of first. After contemplating a change for two weeks, Dalton deciding on the afternoon of Tuesday, June 2, to fire Rodgers and notified him on Wednesday morning.5 Monday’s blowup wasn’t the last straw, he said, adding, “I don’t consider it a question of respect. I consider it a matter of responding to the manager. Whether they respect him, or defy him doesn’t matter. But they were not responding. We were not getting a performance up to their capabilities.”6

Rodgers wasn’t surprised, saying he had been expecting to be fired for two weeks. “If I did wrong, I did wrong. But I did it according to what I believe was right,” he said. “I’d do the same thing all over again.”7 Dalton’s action had immediate effect. The Milwaukee Journal reported, “The mood in the Brewers’ clubhouse was lighter and happier than it had been in some time, but very few players were blaming Rodgers for the recent failures.”8 Mike Caldwell, who battled with Rodgers’ quick pitching hook, said, “Buck to me, just didn’t interject the personality into the club that was needed.” Ted Simmons, who also had issues was conciliatory, saying, “This may sound strange, but it always a little saddening. I don’t like to see people fired. Cecil Cooper responded, “I think we needed a change. We are not a .500 team.”9

The new manager fostered a relaxed atmosphere, reminding the players often that it wasn’t life or death but a ballgame. Kuenn said his primary point to the players was: “I like the club to have a good time, be loose, and have a laugh. Go out and play the game and have fun. But I can be tough if I have to. They all know it.”10 His message was well received. Gorman Thomas, who praised Kuenn for helping him become a major-league hitter, said, “I don’t think you can find a better choice. He’s got the total respect of the players.”11 He showed he was different in his first game when Caldwell struggled in the sixth inning. Unlike Rodgers, he showed confidence in his starter, giving him an opportunity to work out of trouble, and Caldwell did, turning in a complete-game victory.

The fun-loving Brewers went on a rampage, becoming Harvey’s Wallbangers with their nightly power displays. They won 21 of 30 games, returned to the top of the AL East on July 3, and took permanent ownership of first place on August 1. Kuenn’s record was 72-43, a .626 winning percentage, and at season’s end Milwaukee had baseball’s best record, 95-67. With his calm demeanor, he led the team with big must-win games, all the way to Game Seven of the World Series, losing to the St. Louis Cardinals. Kuenn finished second for The Sporting News Manager of the Year Award and was named the Associated Press AL Manager of the Year.12

The players’ respect for Kuenn was captured in an article by Mario Ziino in the Brewers Game Day in 2007, the 25th anniversary of the pennant year. Jim Ganter told Ziino, “It was like playing for your dad. No monkey business. Once the game started he was serious. But he’d always tell us to have fun playing the game.” Gorman Thomas said, “You’d look at him and say this man has given his heart and soul to the game and us. How could I not run through a wall for him?” And the 1982 MVP, Robin Yount, fondly recalled, “Harvey Keunn was my hitting coach when I first came up. We hit it off from the start. He saw something in me. We became very close and he was the biggest influence in my career.”13 Said Bud Selig, “Harvey was the perfect manager for that club. Just let the club play was his philosophy. These guys knew how to play. Harvey was so unassuming and didn’t overmanage. He did a brilliant job”14

After the World Series Caldwell said, “I think more than anything else in the world, I wanted to win it for Harvey Kuenn. Even above getting a ring, getting the money, getting all that stuff in the winter.”15

And the feelings were mutual. Kuenn said after the World Series, “Every player on this team is like a son of mine and they gave it all they had.”16

Notes

1 Bob Wolf, “Kuenn Is a Champion … Even in Defeat,” Milwaukee Journal, October 21, 1982: Part 3, 3.

2 Tom Flaherty, “Players Not Happy with Buck,” Milwaukee Journal, September 13, 1981: Sports, 1.

3 Vic Feuerherd, “Rodgers and Players Working on Understanding Each Other,” Milwaukee Sentinel, April 6, 1982: Part 2, 1.

4 Vic Feuerherd, “Dalton Will Avoid Quick Decision About Rodgers,” Milwaukee Sentinel, June 2, 1982: Part 2, 1.

5 The Brewers 2-1 victory that evening gave Rodgers a 124-102 record, a .549 winning percentage. Of the 19 Brewers managers as of 2018, only Kuenn’s .575 was better (minimum 20 games).

6 Vic Feuerherd, “Rodgers Fired; Kuenn at Helm,” Milwaukee Sentinel, June 3, 1982: 1.

7 “Rodgers: A Sense of Failure,” Milwaukee Sentinel, June 3, 1982: Part 3, 1.

8 “Kuenn Starts New Job with Brewers,” Milwaukee Journal, June 3, 1982: Part 3, 1.

9 “Brewer Players Speak on Managerial Switch,” Milwaukee Journal, June 3, 1982: Part 3, 1.

10 Tom Flaherty, “Kuehn Manages to Win,” Milwaukee Journal, June 3, 1982: Part 3, 1.

11 “Kuenn Starts New Job with Brewers,” Milwaukee Journal, June 3, 1982: Part 3, 1.

12 Tom Flaherty, “Kuenn Wants ’83 One Game Better,” The Sporting News, November 8, 1982: 30.

13 Mario Ziino, “Like a Father, Harvey Kuenn Got the Most from His Boys, Brewers Game Day, Issue 10-2007.

14 Ibid.

15 Tom Flaherty, “A Dream Ends for Caldwell,” The Sporting News, November 1, 1982: 29.

16 Wolf.