.A. The Scott Fletcher tour has him heading for Boston for 1993, marking his fifth different career stop. Besides his brief stay In Milwaukee last year, Fletcher has stopped off In Chicago (both teams) and Texas since arriving In the majors In 1981.
we had- both the fron t office in Sal Sando and on the field with Phil Garner and his coaching staff provided a real solid foundation to a winning atmosphere," Molitor says, who will suit up for the 1993 season as a Toronto Blue Jay. "Their experiences in their playing clays were a big influence on the players here, the veterans and the young guys." The Brewers enj oyed the fruits of having two of the top rooki es in baseball: short stop Pat Li stac h and righthandecl pitcher Cal Eldred. ¡ Listach captured the A.L. Rookie of the Year honors after hitting .290 and stea ling a leag ue-lead ing 54 bases . Eldred won I 0 consecutive starts after being called up from the minors after the All-Star break, fini shing with an 11-2 record and a 1.79 ERA. But Eldred, Li stach, and Ga rner we ren' t the onl y new faces in town. Sando brought in four new coaches for the 1992 season: Easler, Rowe, Tim Foli (first base, in field), and Bill Castro (bullpen). Easler, who played for six different major league teams between 1973 and 12
1987, helped the Brewers improve their been. Stay within the rules, and go out team batting average to .268-second in there and do what it takes to try to wi n a the A.L. to Min nesota. Foli spent 14 ballgame. When it's over and clone, I years in the big leagues as a utility have a lot more peace about the results infielder, mostl y with the New York because I know that I've given of myself Mets and Pittsburgh Pirates. on that field ." "One thing the Lord has done for me Easler and Foli both participated in post-season play during thei r careers- is that being a believer hasn't mellowed Eas ier with Pittsburgh; Foli with the me," says Wegman, who finished 13-14 Mets-and both could see the Brewers with a 3.20 ERA last season. "I' m a being transformed into a pennant-con- competitor, and I think the Lord gave me tending team as the season progressed. my nature for a reason, and that reason "The guys worked hard all year," Foli was to be a baseball player. says. "They pulled for one another, and " I need to be intense. I need to let if they didn't get the job clone, they were other people know that when I'm on the rooting for the next guy to do it." fi eld, I mean business. I don't need to Looking back on the year that was, hurt somebody to prove my point, but I Easler says, "We had a lot of commit- need to stay aggressive." ted guys." Easler says he became a Christian in 1975 while trying to break into major For many of the Brewers, th ough, winning went far beyond baseball. In a league baseball with the Houston Astros. situation that is becoming more and " It just turned my whole career more common in sports, the team had a around," says Easler. "I had more of a large group of players who were com- purpose. I didn' t play for man; I played mitted to something more important than for God. Automatically, I did the best I could." batting averages and won-loss records. He witnessed the same thing happenCoach Foli explains. "Baseball is very important, but it's not the most important ing last summer to the Brewers who are thing. The important thing is we realize believers in Jesus. "I believe their walk with the Lord has that the Lord is No. I in our lives and that we have the Lord as the really improved their perfo rmance, not priority in our life." harmed it, because Skeptics would listen to Foli and argue that these guys play for a rea l purpose," Easler God and Jesus and basesays. "They take their ball do n' t mix. They job seriously. They poi nt to players who have had sub-par perforcome out every day wanting to win." mances after going pubLoving and helping lic with their faith- thus drawing the conclusion one's fellowman is a basic tenet of people that ballplayers lose a who have fait h in competitive fire in their bellies when they "find Jes us Christ. Amo ng the Brewe rs, it was God." commo np lace , says Judging by the 1992 Brewers, that percepScott Fletcher, who enj oyed a one-yea r tion is way off base. stay in Milwaukee Molitor has heard it before, and he thinks he before moving on to Boston for this year. knows why people say .A. Joining Fletcher In Boston "Guys aren't so conthat. "It's a natural reac- will be hitting Instructor Mike tion of peopl e who Easter- who provided both cerned with just themselves," the infielder don't know what a rela- physical and spiritual help In Milwaukee. says. "You see a teamtionship [with God] is all about," says Molitor. mate a little down, you "Sometimes, unfortunately, players who go pick him up and encourage him, and are not playing well are quoted in a fashyou' re not afraid to do that. I think that's ion that's not appealing to the fans. They a valuable part of team play and bringsay it (their performance] was God's will ing a team close together." or whatever. Wegman feels that growing together "When the game's in progress, my spirituall y helped shape team camacompetitiveness is as great as it's ever raderie. The 6' 5" pitcher, who hel ped
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