Welcome to the latest edition of StaTuesday, where each week we'll give you a different look at sports by examining a particular statistic or numbers. If you have any ideas for future articles, please send us an email.
With the All-Star Game upon us, just how have Milwaukee Brewers players done in the past and what kind of legacy do Ryan Braun and Francisco Rodriguez have to live up to?
Here's a breakdown of some interesting Brewers-related All-Star Game numbers:
-- Only one Brewers player has been named All-Star Game Most Valuable Player: Prince Fielder in 2011. Fielder went 1 for 3, but his hit was a three-run home run off C.J. Wilson in the bottom of the fourth inning to give the National League a 3-1 lead in an eventual 5-1 victory.
-- Brewers players have hit eight extra-base hits in All-Star Games. This includes just one triple (Braun, 2012) and one home run (Fielder, 2011).
-- There have been six doubles hit by five Brewers players. Jonathan Lucroy is the only player to have two doubles, and he got them both in last year's game. The others: Jeromy Burnitz (1999), Fielder (2009), Braun (2012) and Aramis Ramirez (2014). So, yes, Lucroy and Ramirez doubled the franchise's doubles total in one game.
-- Brewers players have only tried to steal a base twice. Tommy Harper was caught stealing in 1970. Thirty-one years later, Rickie Weeks stole second base.
-- Color me surprised, but Robin Yount was selected to just three All-Star Games (1980, 1982 and 1983). He was the starting shortstop for two of them. However, he did not record a hit in seven at-bats. He also walked twice (one intentional), struck out twice and had a sacrifice fly.
-- The player who was selected to the most All-Star Games? Ryan Braun set the record this year, going to his sixth game. He previously was tied with Cecil Cooper and Paul Molitor.
-- The pitcher who was selected to the most All-Star Games? Ben Sheets with four, although he only appeared in two games.
-- Entering this year, 24 times a Brewers pitcher has been selected to the All-Star Game. (Quick, can you name the 18 pitchers who make up that list? Answer below.) Of those 25, 17 faced at least one batter. Of those 17, only two have allowed a run: Rollie Fingers (2 in 1981) and Francisco Cordero (1 in 2007) -- and both allowed their runs on homers. Fingers allowed just nine runs in 1981 (he finished with a 1.04 ERA and 0.872 WHIP) but in this All-Star appearance he walked Ozzie Smith (who stole second, but was out going to third), walked Mike Easler, allowed a home run to Mike Schmidt, gave up a single to Dusty Baker then, with Andre Dawson up, had an errant pickoff throw and was replaced by Dave Stieb.
-- No Brewers pitcher has won or saved an All-Star Game. Only one pitcher took a loss -- Fingers in that above-mentioned 1981 game.
-- The 18 Brewers pitchers who were selected to an All-Star Game in alphabetical order (seriously, how many did you know?): Ricky Bones (1994), Chris Capuano (2006), Jim Colborn (1973), Francisco Cordero (2007), Rollie Fingers (1981, 1982), Yovani Gallardo (2010), Teddy Higuera (1986), Trevor Hoffman (2009), Danny Kolb (2004), Marty Pattin (1971), Dan Plesac (1987, 1988, 1989), Francisco Rodriguez (2014, 2015), Ben Sheets (2001, 2004, 2007, 2008), Jim Slaton (1977), Lary Sorensen (1978), Bill Travers (1976), Derrick Turnbow (2006) and Bob Wickman (2000).
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