Milwaukee Brewers Top Ten: Milwaukee’s Teddy Ballgame
By Tab Bamford
The Brewers were the second franchise to call Milwaukee home. The relocated Boston Braves were the first major league team to make Milwaukee home (1953 to 1965). That team had talented Latinos such as Felipe Alou, Rico Carty, and Felix Mantilla appear with Milwaukee emblazoned across their uniform tops. Milwaukee got another big league team in 1970, when the Seattle Pilots relocated to become the Brewers.
The 1970 Brewers had one regular Latino in its lineup, Dominican-born shortstop Roberto Peña. The following season brought Puerto Rican catcher Ellie Rodríguez and Cubans José Cardenal and Marcelino López to Milwaukee. In 1972 Rodríguez became the first Brewer to make an All-Star team. But it would take a while for the Brewers to produce a Latino from its own system who would earn All-Star honors. While Panamanian Ben Oglivie made the most All-Star Game teams as a Latino for the Brewers with three in the early 1980s, it wasn’t until 1986 when Mexican native Teddy Higuera became the first home-grown Brewer to become an All-Star.
So which players made a big enough impact to emerge in the Brewers Latino Top 10? To determine our ranking, we kept it simple by using WAR (as calculated by Baseball-Reference.com) as our metric of choice. And while this is one measure of the impact of these players, you might have your own opinion as to who deserves to higher (or lower) on that team’s Top 10.
Anyone Latinos missing from the Brewers list? Are there any surprises? Let us know.
Milwaukee Brewers Top Ten
1. Teddy Higuera
Nine years with Milwaukee, 30.5 WAR, one All-Star Game
Mexico
Higuera won 15 games as a rookie in 1985, finishing the runner-up to Ozzie Guillén for the Rookie of the Year Award. He followed that stellar rookie campaign with a runner-up for the Cy Young Award in 1986, winning a career-high 20 games and appearing in his one All-Star Game. Over his nine-year career, Higuera won 94 games and struck out 1,081 in 1,380 innings pitched – all for the Brewers.
2. Ben Oglivie
Nine years with Milwaukee, 21.5 WAR, three All-Star Games, one Silver Slugger
Panama
Part of the “Harvey Wallbangers” crew of the 1980s known for their long-ball abilities, Oglivie was a .275 hitter over his nine seasons with the Brewers. His best season came in 1980 when he hit 41 home runs and drive in 118 while batting .304 and earning a Silver Slugger. He retired as a Brewer after the 1986 season.
3. Carlos Gómez
Six years with Milwaukee, 19.1 WAR, two-time All-Star, one Gold Glove Award
Dominican Republic
Gómez was one of the premiere base stealers of the early 2010s, joining the Brewers in 2010 and swiping 159 bases in 188 attempts during his time in Milwaukee. Gómez appeared in 697 games for the Brewers in which he scored 364 runs and hit 122 doubles.
4. Sixto Lezcano
Seven years with Milwaukee, 19.0 WAR, one Gold Glove Award
Puerto Rico
Lezcano made his debut as a 20-year-old in 1974 and was a solid on-base machine for the Brewers over the coming seven years. His best season with Milwaukee game in 1979 when he hit a career-high 28 home runs and drove in 101; he won his lone Gold Glove Award that season as well. Over 785 games in Milwaukee, Lezcano slashed .275/.354/.452 with 102 homers, 374 runs driven in and 360 runs scored.
5. Yovanni Gallardo
Eight years with Milwaukee, 15.4 WAR, one All-Star Game, one Silver Slugger Award
Mexico
Gallardo appeared in his one All-Star Game in 2010 when he won 14 games for the Brewers. He established a career-high with 17 victories the following season, striking out more than 200 for the second time in what would become a stretch of four straight seasons with 200 punchouts. He would strike out 1,226 in 1,289.1 innings and win 89 games for the Brewers.
6. José Valentín
Eight years with Milwaukee, 11.4 WAR
Puerto Rico
Valentín played in the American League for six years and made the transition with the Brewers to the NL in 1998. A versatile switch-hitter with some pop, Valentín’s best season in Milwaukee came in 1996 when he hit 24 homers with 95 runs driven in. Over 762 games with the Brewers, Valentín hit 90 home runs and stole 78 bases. He was traded to the White Sox in a four-player deal that brought Jaime Navarro to Milwaukee before the 2000 season.
7. Ricky Bones
Five years with Milwaukee, 8.5 WAR, one All-Star Game
Puerto Rico
Bones was acquired from San Diego in the same deal as Valentín in 1992, the deal that sent Gary Sheffield to the Padres. He reached double-digits in wins three times for the Brewers and was named to the 1994 American League All-Star roster. He won a career-best 11 games and threw a career-high 203.2 innings in 1993.
8. Ellie Rodríguez
Three years with Milwaukee, 8.0 WAR, one All-Star Game
Puerto Rico
Rodríguez was a solid backstop for the Brewers between 1971-73, posting a .663 OPS. He was an All-Star in 1972 when he drove in 35 runs and set a career-high with 101 hits. He was a plus defender who threw out 41 percent of would-be base stealers in his career.
9. Jaime Navarro
Seven years with Milwaukee, 7.9 WAR
Puerto Rico
Navarro started his career with six solid years in Milwaukee and had his best season in 1992, winning 17 games and pitching a career-high 246 innings. He signed with the Cubs in 1995 but was eventually traded back to Milwaukee by the White Sox in 1999 in a deal that sent Valentín to Chicago’s South Side.
10. Aramis Ramírez
Four years with Milwaukee, 7.4 WAR, one All-Star Game
Dominican Republic
Ramírez’s best season in Milwaukee was his first when he led the league with a career-high 50 doubles. He joined the Brewers as a 34-year-old after nine years with the Cubs and provided a good bat in the middle of the lineup over the four seasons that followed. Ramírez hit 65 home runs and drove in 262 runs in 455 games with the Brewers.
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