The Milwaukee Brewers’ Team Chemistry
The MLB clubhouse is the nerve center of team chemistry. As a second home for the team’s players, the clubhouse and its environment can truly influence a team’s success. Stories of brawls and chemistry-shattering confrontations often come out of the clubhouses of divided, struggling teams. On the flipside, the clubhouses of well-bonded teams are usually breeding grounds for jokes, pranks and overall mischief.
One of the more elaborate pranks in MLB history happened early in the 1987 season. Milwaukee Brewers trainer John Adam decided to hold an Easter egg hunt for the players. He painted each player’s number and nickname on an egg, then hid them throughout the clubhouse while the team was out for BP. Although initially annoyed by the game, as they began finding their eggs, the players got excited and their competitiveness began picking up.
Intentionally, Adam didn’t hide eggs for third baseman Paul Molitor, outfielder Robin Yount and catcher B.J. Surhoff. As gametime approached, the three men grew increasingly angry and began tearing the clubhouse apart looking for their eggs. With no eggs found, the men took the field. As Molitor arrived at his position in the infield, he found his egg sitting on top of third base. Yount found his in the grass of shallow right field. After the first foul ball was hit out of play, Surhoff reached back for another ball, and the ump handed him his Easter egg. With the hunt finally over, those in on the joke stood on the dugout steps laughing at the well-executed prank.
That day, the Brewers pulled off one of the most exciting comebacks in team history to notch their 12th consecutive win. They rallied from three down in the ninth with a three-run and a two-run homer. The Brewers’ tight-knit, lighthearted clubhouse helped them earn 91 wins that season.
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The Milwaukee Brewers’ Team Chemistry
The MLB clubhouse is the nerve center of team chemistry. As a second home for the team’s players, the clubhouse and its environment can truly influence a team’s success. Stories of brawls and chemistry-shattering confrontations often come out of the clubhouses of divided, struggling teams. On the flipside, the clubhouses of well-bonded teams are usually breeding grounds for jokes, pranks and overall mischief.
One of the more elaborate pranks in MLB history happened early in the 1987 season. Milwaukee Brewers trainer John Adam decided to hold an Easter egg hunt for the players. He painted each player’s number and nickname on an egg, then hid them throughout the clubhouse while the team was out for BP. Although initially annoyed by the game, as they began finding their eggs, the players got excited and their competitiveness began picking up.
Intentionally, Adam didn’t hide eggs for third baseman Paul Molitor, outfielder Robin Yount and catcher B.J. Surhoff. As gametime approached, the three men grew increasingly angry and began tearing the clubhouse apart looking for their eggs. With no eggs found, the men took the field. As Molitor arrived at his position in the infield, he found his egg sitting on top of third base. Yount found his in the grass of shallow right field. After the first foul ball was hit out of play, Surhoff reached back for another ball, and the ump handed him his Easter egg. With the hunt finally over, those in on the joke stood on the dugout steps laughing at the well-executed prank.
That day, the Brewers pulled off one of the most exciting comebacks in team history to notch their 12th consecutive win. They rallied from three down in the ninth with a three-run and a two-run homer. The Brewers’ tight-knit, lighthearted clubhouse helped them earn 91 wins that season.