Harvey Edward Kuenn Jr. (; December 4, 1930 – February 28, 1988) was an American professional baseball player, coach, manager and scout. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a shortstop and outfielder, most prominently as a member of the Detroit Tigers where he won the 1953 American League Rookie of the Year Award and the 1959 American League batting championship. A ten-time All-Star, Kuenn also played for the Cleveland Indians, San Francisco Giants, Chicago Cubs, and Philadelphia Phillies. He retired as a player with over 2,000 hits and a lifetime batting average of .303.
After his playing career, he led his hometown team as the manager of the Milwaukee Brewers, winning the 1982 American League pennant and came within one game of winning the 1982 World Series. He later worked as a major league scout for the Brewers. Kuenn was inducted into the Milwaukee Brewers Walk of Fame in 2005, and the Milwaukee Brewers Wall of Honor in 2014.
Early life
Kuenn was born on December 12, 1930, in West Allis, Wisconsin, but raised in neighboring Milwaukee and attended Lutheran High School. He was the only child born to German-Americans Harvey and Dorothy (Wrensch) Kuenn. He played baseball, football and basketball at Lutheran. He played quarterback, and once kicked (dropkicked) a 52-yard field goal for Lutheran in a football game,
Professional baseball
Detroit Tigers
Kuenn was signed by Detroit as an amateur free agent on June 9, 1952, after the collegiate baseball season ended. This would be his only time spent in the minor leagues. Kuenn was named the starting shortstop after joining the Tigers late in the season, starting in 19 games and hitting .325 in 80 at bats, and had a .962 fielding percentage at shortstop.
In his first full season in 1953, he hit .308 with 94 runs and led the major leagues with 209 hits, leading the league in that category as well. Kuenn also led the league in at bats and plate appearances, and had the fourth best at bats per strikeout ratio. He received 23 of 24 possible votes from the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Also in that season, he received the first of his ten consecutive selections to the All-Star Game (with two All-Star Games in 1959 and 1960). During his early years with the Tigers, he was mentored defensively at shortstop by Johnny Pesky and Joe Gordon. In 1956, he set career highs with 12 home runs and 88 runs batted in (RBI) and raised his average to .332,
A year later, he slumped badly to .277; the only time he hit less than .300 for the Tigers. In that season, he switched to the outfield, where he played all three positions over the remainder of his career. (The trade is often referred to by Cleveland fans as "the curse of Rocky Colavito".). With the Indians, playing in right field, Kuenn hit .308 in the 1960 season, high average on the team. It was his last all-star season, and only year in Cleveland. The Giants lost to the Yankees 4–3 in the 1962 World Series.
Kuenn played two more years with the Giants (1963-64). He hit .290 in 1963, but had less than 500 plate appearances for the first time. In 1964, his average fell to .262 and his playing time again decreased. said that Kuenn was one of the "'most dangerous hitters in baseball. The guy can hurt you a million ways. He has no weakness at the plate that I have ever noticed.'” In the latter, he struck out for the final out in Koufax's perfect game. Under Kuenn, the Brewers went on to finish the season with a 72–43 record, winning the American League east title on the last day of the season over the Baltimore Orioles, with whom they had been tied. Many Brewers players believed Kuenn's managerial philosophy led to their success, as he encouraged his players to relax and have fun while playing the game. The Brewers were nicknamed "Harvey's Wallbangers" after their manager.
In 1982, Kuenn managed the Milwaukee Brewers to their only World Series appearance to date (as of 2025). He was selected by the Associated Press as the AL Manager of the Year, after taking the Brewers in June from a 23–24 start to the AL East title with a 95–67 overall record. Milwaukee then won the AL pennant after rallying from a 2–0 deficit and beating the California Angels in the best-of-five American League Championship Series. They ultimately lost the 1982 World Series to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games. Because of an injury, the Brewers top relief pitcher, future Hall of Famer Rollie Fingers, was unavailable for the World Series. Fingers was the 1981 American League Cy Young Award winner and Most Valuable Player, and had 29 saves during an All-Star 1982 season.
In addition to Fingers, the 1982 Brewers' roster included All-Stars Cecil Cooper and Ben Oglivie, American League home run leader Gorman Thomas, 1982 Cy Young Award winner Pete Vuckovich,
Kuenn was fired as manager after the Brewers finished fifth in the AL East with an otherwise respectable 87–75 record in 1983, replaced by Rene Lachemann (who was fired after one year). The 1983 Brewers had been without the services of Fingers for the entire year, and Vuckovich until August.
After being replaced as manager, Kuenn worked as a major league scout and minor league hitting consultant for the Brewers, until his death in 1988. and the University of Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame (1991). He was part of the inaugural class included in the Brewers Wall of Honor in 2014.
Personal life
On October 29, 1955, he married former Miss Wisconsin 1954, Dixie Ann Sarchet in her hometown of Stevens Point, Wisconsin. They were divorced in 1971. In 1974, Kuenn married Audrey Cesar, with hall of fame broadcaster Bob Uecker as his best man. Audrey Kuenn remained an ongoing presence with the Milwaukee Brewers, even after Kuenn's death. Her family's tavern, Cesar's Inn, was a gathering place for the team during Kuenn's managing days.
During the off-seasons, Kuenn worked at a West Allis bank. After he retired as a player in 1967, Kuenn worked as the ten o’clock sports anchor with WVTV in Milwaukee. The expansion Montreal Expos manager Gene Mauch offered Kuenn a coaching job in 1969, but his family did not want to move there. His eulogy was delivered by Bob Uecker.