Classic card of the week

Bryan Clutterbuck, 1989 Topps

When Bryan Clutterbuck first met his Brewers’ teammate Robin Yount, he introduced himself by saying, “Hi! I’m Bryan Clutterbuck. That’s Bryan with a ‘y,’ and Clutterbuck with a ‘Clutterbuck.’” That happened in 1986, during Clutterbuck’s first stint with Milwaukee, where he immediately became a household name, except not really. He would rejoin the club in 1989, which is when his career really took off, and by “took off,” I mean came to a halt. States the back of the card:

He earned his 1st major league Win: 4-25-89.
He earned his 2nd major league Win: 5-25-89.

One could easily assume – because this is Bryan Clutterbuck we’re talking about here – that he simply chose to space out his victories in perfect month-long intervals, giving him six wins every season (which is, amazingly, exactly what a 44-year old Roger Clemens is worth!). But alas, Bryan Clutterbuck would never see the big leagues again after that elusive second win, a result of him tearing his groin muscle while playing Marco Polo at the semi-annual Clutterbuck Family Reunion.

Bryan Clutterbuck had the look of Brian Scalabrine, and the confidence of a man not named Clutterbuck. He sort of had a mustache. Also, he was a hit with the fans. Legend has it, if you handed Bryan Clutterbuck a Bryan Clutterbuck card, he would sign it. Sideways, and right across his friggin’ face. That was how he rolled. Kind of.



Did you know?
After causing a bench-clearing brawl with an errant fastball in 1989, a headline in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel read: “Clutterbuck causes cluster*uck.”