The Milwaukee Brewers have not had the best history of developing their own catchers. Of course, BJ Surhoff, Dave Nilsson, and Jonathan Lucroy stand out as exceptions to that. However, none of them were included on Bleacher Report‘s list of the top 25 greatest catchers in the modern era. As was the case with their list of the greatest centerfielders, the only Brewers that made this list were players acquired via trade or in free agency.
#14. Jason Kendall (Played for the Milwaukee Brewers from 2008-2009)
Like all five of the former Brewers centerfielders that made Bleacher Report’s list, Jason Kendall did not play for Milwaukee until the final stages of his career. He would only play one more Major League season (with the Kansas City Royals) after his two years in Milwaukee were over.
During his time with the Brewers, Kendall hit .244/.328/.315 with four home runs and 92 RBI. His batting numbers during these two seasons were well below his career averages of .288/.366/.378. Despite a decline in his hitting that naturally came with age, he remained one of the best in terms of strikeout-to-walk ratio. In 2008, his first season with the Brewers, he walked 50 times while striking out just 45 times.
Amazingly, especially when considering the high strikeout numbers in today’s game, Kendall drew more walks (721) in his career than he had strikeouts (686).
#9. Ted Simmons (Played for the Milwaukee Brewers from 1981-1985)
Ted Simmons came to the Milwaukee Brewers in the same trade that brought Rollie Fingers and Pete Vuckovich to the team. Of course, what followed was an era of exciting baseball in Milwaukee that saw the Brewers reach the 1982 World Series.
During his five seasons with the Brewers, Simmons made two All-Star teams while hitting .262/.311/.399. His first All-Star season with the Brewers was in 1981 when he hit .216/.262/.376 with 14 home runs and 61 RBI. He was considerably more productive at the plate in 1982, though he did not make the AL All-Star team. That year, he hit .269/.309/.451 with 23 home runs and 97 RBI.
Simmons’ second All-Star season with the Brewers came in 1983 when he hit .308/.351.,448 with 13 home runs and 108 RBI. After his contract with Milwaukee ended in 1984, he re-signed with the club but was traded to the Atlanta Braves following the 1985 season.
Like Jason Kendall, Simmons drew more walks (855) in his career than he had strikeouts (694).
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FAQs
How to Watch the Milwaukee Brewers Without Cable?
DirectTV Stream will give local viewers access to watch the Brewers, regardless of the channel they are playing on, Bally Sports Wisconsin, ESPN, Fox, Fox Sports 1, and TBS. fuboTV will also give viewers access to all Brewers games, except those on TBS.
Out-of-market fans can use MLB.TV to enjoy Brewers baseball from afar.
When Did the Brewers Come to Milwaukee?
The Brewers were founded in 1969 as the Seattle Pilots as part of the American League (AL). After one season, the team relocated to Milwaukee. The Brewers joined the National League (NL) in 1998.
How Did the Brewers Get Their Name?
The Brewers’ name dates back to the early 1900s, originally held by a professional franchise that relocated to become the St. Louis Browns. It honors the beer-brewing industry in and around Milwaukee.
Will the Brewers Win the 2023 World Series?
Sportsbooks have the Brewers at 4000-1 to win the World Series. This is the 14th-best odds among MLB teams. It’s not impossible with players like Christian Yelich, but the odds aren’t in their favor.
