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Randy Wolf became the unlikely offensive hero of the Milwaukee Brewers' Alumni Legends Game on July 24, smoking a two-run homer that accounted for the difference in his team's 3-2 win during the three-inning showcase.
Wolf had a 16-year career in Major League Baseball but played only briefly with the Milwaukee Brewers, in 2010, 2011 and more than half of 2012. His best season was the middle one, when he made 33 starts for a team that reached the National League Championship Series.
Here's what to know about Wolf.
Wolf had played the 2009 season with his homestate Los Angeles Dodgers for just $5 million after the Houston Astros had withdrawn an offer for a three-year, $28.5 million deal. He was able to recoup some of what was lost when he signed with Milwaukee on a three-year, $29.75 million deal.
Wolf received counsel from Hall of Fame closer Trevor Hoffman, whose decision to re-sign with the Brewers for a second year in 2010 helped push Wolf toward the idea of joining the Brewers.
Wolf signed the same day that future Brewers manager Craig Counsell rejoined the Brewers on a one-year deal. Wolf, who's 49 years old today, was 33 years old at the time.
Wolf posted a 4.17 ERA in a team-leading 34 starts in 2010, but he was stronger the following year with a 13-10 record and 3.69 ERA in 33 starts. For a team that won the National League Central in 2011, Wolf pitched the most innings.
Wolf threw in four career postseason games, including two with the Dodgers in 2009, and his best outing came in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series for the Brewers against the Cardinals. Wolf allowed two earned runs and six hits in seven innings in the road start, with just one walk and six strikeouts as the Brewers defeated St. Louis, 4-2, and evened the series at two games apiece. The win guaranteed at least one more playoff game at Miller Park, though the Cardinals would win that game and the series, four games to two.
In an era where pitchers hit for themselves in the National League, Wolf did have five career home runs and had a reasonable (for a pitcher) career .184 batting average.
He never homered with the Brewers, though he did have seven doubles and even stole a base in 195 career plate appearances with Milwaukee. He also had a single at the plate in that Game 4 performance against the Cardinals in the NLCS.
His first career homer came with the Phillies in 2002 at Miller Park.
Wolf's older brother Jim actually made it to the big leagues the same year his brother did, in 1999, but Jim made it as an umpire.
Jim worked home plate for a perfect game (Dallas Braden) and was at second base for Armando Galarraga's near perfect game. He's also worked an all-star game and been a regular in the postseason, including eight Division Series appearances and five championship series.
He wasn't allowed to work any of Randy's games and would be removed from assignments where Randy was on the roster for either team.
Jim, 57, continues to work big-league games today.
Those who watched the alumni game surely noticed a moment earlier in the game before Wolf hit his home run, when his catcher, Jonathan Lucroy called time and came out to the mound to hug Wolf. The moment of levity was a nod to their playing days, when the two didn't work together.
The topic was a touchy one at the time, but Wolf almost exclusively worked with backup catcher George Kottaras in his starts, with the understanding that Lucroy and Wolf had "trouble getting on the same page."
Lucroy was a rookie in 2010 when Wolf first joined the team and became a regular in the lineup on the 2011 squad.
In August of 2012, with Wolf struggling (3-10, 5.69 ERA), the Brewers elected to release him. He left on mostly congenial terms, even though he was released on his 36th birthday, saying the Brewers were "a great organization with a great owner, a GM that treated me great, a manager that treated me great, pitching coaches that treated me great. Leaving here, there's no bad feelings at all and I wish everybody the best."
Wolf latched on with the Orioles for the rest of the year, appearing in five games. He was back in the big leagues in 2014 with the Marlins and 2015 with the Tigers but struggled in limited work.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: What to know about Randy Wolf, ex-Brewers pitcher and Alumni Game MVP
Continue reading...
Wolf had a 16-year career in Major League Baseball but played only briefly with the Milwaukee Brewers, in 2010, 2011 and more than half of 2012. His best season was the middle one, when he made 33 starts for a team that reached the National League Championship Series.
Here's what to know about Wolf.
He signed for a deal close to $30 million in late 2009
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Wolf had played the 2009 season with his homestate Los Angeles Dodgers for just $5 million after the Houston Astros had withdrawn an offer for a three-year, $28.5 million deal. He was able to recoup some of what was lost when he signed with Milwaukee on a three-year, $29.75 million deal.
Wolf received counsel from Hall of Fame closer Trevor Hoffman, whose decision to re-sign with the Brewers for a second year in 2010 helped push Wolf toward the idea of joining the Brewers.
Wolf signed the same day that future Brewers manager Craig Counsell rejoined the Brewers on a one-year deal. Wolf, who's 49 years old today, was 33 years old at the time.
He delivered a huge performance in the 2011 playoffs
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Wolf posted a 4.17 ERA in a team-leading 34 starts in 2010, but he was stronger the following year with a 13-10 record and 3.69 ERA in 33 starts. For a team that won the National League Central in 2011, Wolf pitched the most innings.
Wolf threw in four career postseason games, including two with the Dodgers in 2009, and his best outing came in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series for the Brewers against the Cardinals. Wolf allowed two earned runs and six hits in seven innings in the road start, with just one walk and six strikeouts as the Brewers defeated St. Louis, 4-2, and evened the series at two games apiece. The win guaranteed at least one more playoff game at Miller Park, though the Cardinals would win that game and the series, four games to two.
He never homered with the Brewers, but he could still hit a little bit
In an era where pitchers hit for themselves in the National League, Wolf did have five career home runs and had a reasonable (for a pitcher) career .184 batting average.
He never homered with the Brewers, though he did have seven doubles and even stole a base in 195 career plate appearances with Milwaukee. He also had a single at the plate in that Game 4 performance against the Cardinals in the NLCS.
His first career homer came with the Phillies in 2002 at Miller Park.
His brother is a Major League umpire to this day
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Wolf's older brother Jim actually made it to the big leagues the same year his brother did, in 1999, but Jim made it as an umpire.
Jim worked home plate for a perfect game (Dallas Braden) and was at second base for Armando Galarraga's near perfect game. He's also worked an all-star game and been a regular in the postseason, including eight Division Series appearances and five championship series.
He wasn't allowed to work any of Randy's games and would be removed from assignments where Randy was on the roster for either team.
Jim, 57, continues to work big-league games today.
Wolf didn't work well with Jonathan Lucroy
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Those who watched the alumni game surely noticed a moment earlier in the game before Wolf hit his home run, when his catcher, Jonathan Lucroy called time and came out to the mound to hug Wolf. The moment of levity was a nod to their playing days, when the two didn't work together.
The topic was a touchy one at the time, but Wolf almost exclusively worked with backup catcher George Kottaras in his starts, with the understanding that Lucroy and Wolf had "trouble getting on the same page."
Lucroy was a rookie in 2010 when Wolf first joined the team and became a regular in the lineup on the 2011 squad.
Brewers released Randy Wolf in 2012
In August of 2012, with Wolf struggling (3-10, 5.69 ERA), the Brewers elected to release him. He left on mostly congenial terms, even though he was released on his 36th birthday, saying the Brewers were "a great organization with a great owner, a GM that treated me great, a manager that treated me great, pitching coaches that treated me great. Leaving here, there's no bad feelings at all and I wish everybody the best."
Wolf latched on with the Orioles for the rest of the year, appearing in five games. He was back in the big leagues in 2014 with the Marlins and 2015 with the Tigers but struggled in limited work.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: What to know about Randy Wolf, ex-Brewers pitcher and Alumni Game MVP
Continue reading...
