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1984 Fleer #198
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1974 Topps #523
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Cooper has the fun distinction of playing for the Red Sox in the 1975
World Series and for the Brewers in the 1982 World Series! A fan
favorite in Milwaukee, he was selected to 5 All-Star teams, won a pair
of Gold Gloves and 3 Silver Slugger Awards.
2nd Baseman: Mark Loretta
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1997 Fleer - Tiffany #132
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2007 Topps Heritage #479
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Loretta spent his 1st 8 years with the Brewers before becoming a star
player for the Padres. His trade to the Red Sox is considered noteworthy
because the Red Sox traded backup catcher Doug Mirabelli for him.
(Mirabelli was Tim Wakefield's personal catcher, and when no one on the
team could catch his knuckleball, the Red Sox hastily reacquired
Mirabelli a month into the season). In his lone season with the Red Sox,
he was selected as the starting 2nd Baseman for the AL All-Star team.
Shortstop: Jody Reed
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1994 Collector's Choice #564
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1988 Donruss The Rookies #44
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Jody Reed was a solid ballplayer for Boston, averaging over 3 WAR from
1988 - 1991. He even led the league in doubles for the 1990
season. Reed's contract with the Brewers is considered one of the
greatest "D'oh!" moments in free agency. When he was with the Dodgers,
he was offered a three-year, $7.8 million contract extension, but turned
it down in order to become a free agent. He eventually wound up signing
a one-year contract with the Milwaukee Brewers for only $350,000 plus
incentives.
3rd Baseman: George Scott
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1977 Topps #255
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1977 O-Pee-Chee #210
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I'm cheating a little here. Normally an 8-time Gold Glover at first base
would be an obvious choice for, well, first baseman. However the choices
at this position were thin, and "Boomer" did play over 200 games at
third when he was in Boston. Besides, I had to include him just so I can
show off these 1977 cards side by side! Scott was involved in two
separate trades between the Red Sox and Brewers, going each way. Those
two trades also included 3 other players from this list!
Outfielder: Ben Oglivie
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1987 Topps #586
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1973 Topps #388
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Oglivie started his career with Boston but found success with the
Brewers. In 1980, he became the first non-U.S. born player to lead the
AL in home runs when he hit 40 (tied with Reggie Jackson). He was a
3-time All-Star who was also on the last Brewers World Series team.
Outfielder: Jackie Bradley Jr.
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2021 Topps Gypsy Queen #95
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2019 Topps Heritage #199
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Jackie Bradley Jr. is the greatest defensive center fielder I have ever
had the privilege of watching play (although current player Ceddanne
Rafaela is getting close!) The 2018 AL Championship Series MVP also had
his moments with the bat too!
Outfielder: Tommy Harper
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1971 Topps #260
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1975 Topps #537
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Harper was a member of the single season Seattle Pilots before they
moved and became the Brewers in 1970. He became the first Brewers player
to come to bat that season, and later that season was their first
All-Star and their first 30-30 player. In 1973 with Boston, he led the
league in stolen bases with a franchise record 54 swipes (since broken).
Designated Hitter: Tom Brunansky
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1993 Leaf #226
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1992 Upper Deck #543
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Brunansky is best known as a slugger for the Minnesota Twins, but played
for these two franchises towards the end of his career. His claim to
fame in Boston is a
diving catch in 1990
that helped clinch the AL East for the Red Sox.
Starting Pitcher: Jim Lonborg
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1972 Topps #255
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1969 Topps #109
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"Gentleman Jim" won the AL Cy Young Award in 1967, leading the league
with 22 wins and 246 strikeouts. That made him the 1st Red Sox player to
win the award. Injuries hampered the rest of his time in Boston and he
was eventually dealt (with George Scott) in a 10 player trade
to Milwaukee (Harper was part of the return). He only pitched a single
season for the Brewers.
Relief Pitcher: Mark Clear
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1989 Donruss #528
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1983 Fleer #181
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In 1982, Clear was an All-Star with the Red Sox and finished the season
with 14 wins and 14 saves. He continued being a solid relief pitcher for
the Brewers.
Manager: Ron Roenicke
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2012 Milwaukee Brewers Police
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2021 Topps #436
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Roenicke was the Brewers' manager from 2011–2015. In his first season as
a major league manager, he guided the NL Central champion Brewers to a
franchise-record 96 regular-season wins (since broken). His stint as
Boston's manager occurred during the COVID-shortened 2020 season. He was
previously the Bench Coach under Alex Cora, and took over when Cora was
suspended for his shenanigans in Houston. Cora returned as Red Sox
manager after the 2020 season. No Red Sox cards of Roenicke exist, but
I'm fairly confident he's in the background of the above card...
Congrats to the Milwaukee Brewers on a surprisingly dominate World
Series. You can't help but be happy for the fans who have waited almost
60 years for this moment!
