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Milwaukee Brewers Return to World Series for First Time Since 1982

The Milwaukee Brewers are back in the World Series for the first time in 44 years. Here is a look at baseball back in 1982.

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Brewers return to the big stage

On Friday, the Milwaukee Brewers will play in the World Series for the first time in 44 years. Milwaukee fans have waited a long time to see their team return to baseball's final stage.

The Brewers lost a seven game series to the St. Louis Cardinals back in 1982. Milwaukee won its first American League pennant 12 years after starting play in the city, before moving to the National League in 1998.

The team has been consistent in recent years, winning five of the last six National League Central titles and keeping above 85 wins every full season since 2016. This year, they beat the San Diego Padres 3-1 and swept the Los Angeles Dodgers after finishing with the best regular season record in baseball.

A look back at the 1982 season

The 1982 team was nicknamed Harvey's Wallbangers after manager Harvey Kuenn. Kuenn took over in the middle of the season after Buck Rodgers was dismissed with the club at .500. Milwaukee went on to win the AL East on the final day of the season by hitting 216 home runs, which was 30 more than any other team.

Gorman Thomas hit 39 home runs, Ben Oglivie hit 34, and Cecil Cooper hit 32. Robin Yount won the American League MVP award after hitting 29 home runs and leading the league in hits and slugging percentage. Brewer pitcher Pete Vuckovich won the AL Cy Young award with an 18-6 record.

In the National League, Atlanta Braves outfielder Dale Murphy won MVP with 36 home runs. Steve Carlton won his fourth NL Cy Young award after leading the majors with 23 wins and 286 strikeouts.

How sports looked decades ago

Major League Baseball was aligned differently in 1982. The American League had two divisions of seven teams, while the National League had two divisions of six. The Detroit Tigers played in the AL East with Milwaukee, while the Atlanta Braves played in the NL West. Teams like the California Angels and Montreal Expos were active under those names.

Other sports titles that season went to northeastern teams. Washington won the Super Bowl with a 12-1 record in January 1983. The New York Islanders swept the Edmonton Oilers in the Stanley Cup Final, and the Philadelphia 76ers swept the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals.

What it means for the next game

Tampa Bay Rays at Milwaukee Brewers (MLB, Sat, 24 Oct): Milwaukee Brewers win 54%, Tampa Bay Rays win 46%; projected score Milwaukee Brewers 4, Tampa Bay Rays 3. Our safest pick: Over 4 runs. Our best value pick: Brewers -1.5.

Tampa Bay Rays at Milwaukee Brewers (MLB, Sun, 25 Oct): Milwaukee Brewers win 63%, Tampa Bay Rays win 37%; projected score Milwaukee Brewers 5, Tampa Bay Rays 3. Our safest pick: Rays +3.5.