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Robin Yount (leaping) and Paul Molitor jump for joy after the Brewers beat the Angels for the 1982 American League pennant. (Milwaukee Brewers Photo)

Nearly all members of the 1982 Brewers will assemble at Miller Park on Tuesday for a special ceremony honoring the team that won the American League pennant. Stadium officials will hoist a pennant memorializing the team before the Brewers take on the Phillies at a special 7:15 p.m. CT start time.

Gorman Thomas, the scruffy, slugging center fielder, remembers that team as a bunch of "castoffs" and "misfits" who came together under manager Harvey Kuenn, a midseason replacement.

"A lot of us from that old team would fit in now, I tell you what," he said in that southern drawl. "We'd be hittin' them outta there all season long from Opening Day. That's just an old ballplayer talking though."

	Robin Yount   /   OF
			Height: 6'0" Weight: 170 Bats/Throws: R/R More info: Career stats milwaukeebrewers.com

When the Seattle Pilots relocated to Milwaukee only days before Opening Day 1970, Thomas became one of the franchise's original minor leaguers. From 1973 to 1983 he led the Brewers to respectability, as future Hall of Famers like Rollie Fingers, Don Sutton, Robin Yount and Paul Molitor were added to the group of "castoffs," like Ben Oglivie, Mike Caldwell and Jim Gantner.

"You can just look at players and see who goes to play, who gets dirty, who's running into walls into the outfield," Thomas said. "We had a whole team like that."

A native of the state, Gantner's baseball life began in Little League games in his hometown of Eden, Wis., between Milwaukee and Green Bay.

The Brewers grabbed him in the 12th round of the 1974 June draft and in 1976 he debuted with the team, which was then in its seventh season of existence and led by an up-and-coming young shortstop named Yount. By 1980 Gantner was the team's everyday second baseman, Molitor had joined the team and the Brew Crew was on the rise.

"That was an awesome time," Gantner said last told MilwaukeeBrewers.com last winter, surprised to be reminded that 20 years had passed since the Suds Series against the St. Louis Cardinals.

"The games are over with for me, but the memories are forever. That bunch of guys was unique. I don't care how many teams you put together, I don't think you could put a team together with so many characters. It was different."

This time, the venue will be different. Milwaukee County Stadium, where Hank Aaron led the Milwaukee Braves to two pennants in the 1950s, and where the Brew Crew won it in 1982, is gone. Miller Park is home of the Brewers now.

"You're never going to be able to recreate what the old place was, but if you take it in your mind or your heart or wherever you feel you want to take it, that's always going to be there," Molitor said at the All-Star Game. "I can picture the stadium, I can picture the locker rooms, I can picture the crowd reactions, I can see a lot of things."

Fans can see it, too. Tickets are still available for Tuesday's game. The ceremony will begin at about 6:30 p.m. CT.

Hank can hit: Many of the participants for Tuesday's ceremony participated Monday in the Pick 'N Save Hank Aaron Golf Tournament. The annual tournament benefits the Hank Aaron Chasing the Dream Foundation, a group that provides financial assistance for local under privileged youths.

Casanova back: Catcher Raul Casanova (elbow) is back from his rehabilitation assignment with Triple-AAA Indianapolis but he remains on the 15-day disabled list. Milwaukee currently has three catchers on the roster: Paul Bako, Jorge Fabregas and Robert Machado.

Fall league rosters set: Arizona Fall League rosters were set last week, and six Brewers will participate in the elite league: Infielders Bill Hall and Corey Hart, outfielder Dave Krynzel and right-handers Mike Adams, Matt Childers and Ben Diggins. Play begins Oct. 1.

Fantasy edge: Richie Sexson's 45 home runs last season tied Thomas' club record. Sexson, traditionally a second-half player, hit 17 home runs in 323 at-bats before the All-Star Break and has hit seven in 110 at-bats since the break. He is on pace for 34 this season.

Adam McCalvy covers the Brewers for MLB.com. This story was not subject to approval by Major League Baseball or its clubs.