Milwaukee Brewers (minors)

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Team History[edit]

A number of major and minor league teams based in Milwaukee, WI have been called the Milwaukee Brewers.

Professional baseball first came to Milwaukee in 1878 with a team called the Grays that played in the National League. Unfortunately the team lasted only one season. It would be six seasons before another team would appear in Milwaukee. The team was organized in December of 1883 and was called the Cream Citys. The team would play for almost two seasons, a complete season in the Northwestern League before being invited to the Union Association in late 1884 for 12 games. The short-lived Union Association entry is sometimes called by historians the Milwaukee Brewers. The following year, Kansas City and Milwaukee reformed the U.A. and renamed the league the Western League. The league lasted half a season before folding in June. In 1886, former Kansas City manager Ted Sullivan reformed the Northwestern League and took over the Milwaukee team. This time the team was called the Milwaukees. The team spent two seasons in the NWL (1886-1887) and then joined the Western Association in 1888. Starting in 1890, that team was genrally called the "Brewers", although as the preceding illustrates, nicknames were very fluid at that time. The team went major league the next year, when it was invited by the American Association in 1891 to complete the schedule begun by the Cincinnati Kelly's Killers. The American Association folded at the end of the season and the Milwaukee team re-joined the Western Association, now called the Western League. The Milwaukee Brewers were also a major league franchise in the American League's inaugural season in 1901.

After the major league Brewers moved to St. Louis, MO after the 1901 season, becoming the St. Louis Browns, a new Brewers team joined joined the new minor league American Association in 1902. They won their first title in 1913. Bill Veeck became owner in the middle of 1941 and improved the club drastically before joining the military in 1944. The Brewers finished first each year from 1943 through 1945 but never advanced in the playoffs. Despite a third-place finish in 1947 they won the AA pennant and the Junior World Series (which they had also won in 1936). They finished first again in 1951 and 1952 and won the AA championship and Junior World Series for the third time in 1951. When the National League's Boston Braves moved to Milwaukee in 1953 the Brewers ended their 51 years in Milwaukee and moved to Toledo, OH. The name was revived once again in 1970, when the Seattle Pilots moved to Milwaukee and became the major league Milwaukee Brewers, still active today after moving leagues in 1998.

Stars over the years included Stoney McGlynn, Bunny Brief, Tedd Gullic, Rudy York, Whit Wyatt, Lou Novikoff, Eddie Stanky and Bus Clarkson.

Two Brewers clubs are considered among the greatest minor league teams of all time:

Year-by-Year Record[edit]

Year Record Finish Manager Playoffs
1890 78-41 3rd Charlie Cushman none
1891 59-37 -- Charlie Cushman Team joined American Association on August 18
1892 32-21 -- Charlie Cushman Team disbanded on July 15
1894 50-74 8th Charlie Cushman none
1895 57-67 6th Larry Twitchell none
1896 62-78 6th Larry Twitchell (27-33) / Bob Glenalvin (35-45) none
1897 85-51 3rd Connie Mack none
1898 82-57 3rd Connie Mack none
1899 55-68 6th Connie Mack none
1900 79-59 2nd Connie Mack none
1902 65-75 6th Billy Clingman none
1903 77-60 3rd Joe Cantillon none
1904 89-63 3rd Joe Cantillon none
1905 91-59 2nd Joe Cantillon none
1906 85-67 2nd Joe Cantillon none
1907 71-83 7th Jack Doyle none
1908 71-83 6th Barry McCormick none
1909 88-79 3rd John McCloskey none
1910 76-91 6th John McCloskey none
1911 79-87 5th Jimmy Barrett none
1912 78-85 5th Hugh Duffy (78-84) / Harry Clark (0-1) none
1913 100-67 1st Harry Clark none League Champs
1914 98-68 1st Harry Clark none League Champs
1915 67-81 6th Harry Clark none
1916 54-110 8th Harry Clark (38-75) / Jack Martin (16-35) none
1917 71-81 5th Danny Shay (8-12) / Bill Friel (22-41) / Paddy Livingston (41-28) none
1918 38-35 5th Jack Egan League suspended operations on July 21
1919 58-93 8th Clarence "Pants Rowland none
1920 78-88 6th Jack Egan none
1921 81-86 3rd Jack Egan none
1922 85-83 5th Harry Clark none
1923 75-91 5th Harry Clark none
1924 83-83 4th Harry Clark none
1925 74-94 7th Harry Clark none
1926 93-71 3rd Jack Lelivelt none
1927 99-69 3rd Jack Lelivelt none
1928 90-78 3rd Jack Lelivelt none
1929 69-98 7th Jack Lelivelt (21-37) / Marty Berghammer (48-61) none
1930 63-91 7th Marty Berghammer none
1931 83-85 5th Marty Berghammer (50-53) / Frank O'Rourke (33-32) none
1932 88-78 3rd Frank O'Rourke none
1933 67-87 7th Frank O'Rourke
1934 82-70 3rd Allen Sothoron
1935 75-79 6th Allen Sothoron none
1936 90-64 1st Allen Sothoron League Champs
1937 80-73 4th Allen Sothoron Lost League Finals
1938 81-70 3rd Allen Sothoron Lost in 1st round
1939 70-83 6th Mickey Heath
1940 58-90 8th Mickey Heath (34-47) / Ray Schalk (24-43)
1941 55-98 8th Bill Killefer (21-32) / Charlie Grimm (37-56)
1942 81-69 2nd Charlie Grimm Lost in 1st round
1943 90-61 1st Charlie Grimm Lost in 1st round
1944 102-51 1st Charlie Grimm (11-2) / Casey Stengel (91-49) Lost in 1st round
1945 93-61 1st Nick Cullop Lost in 1st round
1946 70-78 5th Nick Cullop
1947 79-75 3rd Nick Cullop League Champs
1948 89-65 2nd Nick Cullop Lost in 1st round
1949 76-76 3rd Nick Cullop Lost League Finals
1950 68-85 6th Bob Coleman
1951 94-57 1st Charlie Grimm League Champs
1952 101-53 1st Charlie Grimm (24-15) / Red Smith (7-0) / Bucky Walters (70-38) Lost League Finals

Further Reading[edit]

  • Dennis Pajot: The Rise of Milwaukee Baseball: The Cream City from Midwestern Outpost to the Major Leagues, 1859-1901, McFarland, Jefferson, NC, 2009.
  • Brian A. Podoll: The Minor League Milwaukee Brewers 1859-1952, McFarland, Jefferson, NC, 2003.

Related Sites[edit]

Craig Brown's website "Threads of Our Game" 1884 Milwaukee

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