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Milwaukee Brewers: Former Fan-Favorite Named Team’s 'Most Forgotten' All-Star

Originally posted on WI Sports Heroics | By Robin M Adams | Last updated Jul 11, 2025 12:17 AM ET

The Milwaukee Brewers will be sending two players to the 2025 All-Game in Atlanta this year. Freddy Peralta learned on Sunday that he had made his second career All-Star team and followed it up with a stellar performance Monday against the Los Angeles Dodgers, tossing six innings of shutout ball and striking out seven.

Peralta now leads the National League in wins with 10, and leads all of Major League Baseball with 19 starts. His 2.74 ERA is also seventh in the NL.

However, since he is schedule to start again on Sunday, the final game before the All-Star break, Peralta will not be available to pitch in the Midsummer Classic. As a result, Brewers closer Trevor Megill was added to the NL’s active roster, making his first career All-Star team.

The Milwaukee Brewers Have a Long History of All-Star Closers

Milwaukee Brewers: Former Fan-Favorite Named Team's April 26, 2006; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher #59 Derrick Turnbow delivers a pitch against the Atlanta Braves during the ninth inning at Miller Park. Turnbow collected his eight save of the season as the Brewers defeated the Braves 5-4. Mandatory Credit: Photo By Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports Copyright (c) 2006 Jeff Hanisch

What made the naming of Megill to the NL All-Star team so significant is that each of Milwaukee’s last six leaders in saves in a season have made appearances in the All-Star Game. Dating back to 2014, Francisco Rodriguez, Jeremy Jeffress, Corey Knebel, Josh Hader, Devin Williams, and Megill have been the Brewers’ closers.

All of them made at least one All-Star appearance in a Brewers uniform.

But even before them, the 2000s decade saw numerous Milwaukee closers named as All-Stars:

Bob Wickman (2000)
Danny Kolb (2004)
Derrick Turnbow (2006)
Francisco Cordero (2007)
Trevor Hoffman (2009)

Indeed, many fans may have forgotten that some of these players even spent time with the Brewers, but one MLB expert believes Turnbow may be the most forgotten.

Former Milwaukee Brewers Closer Derrick Turnbow Named Team’s Most-Forgotten All-Star

Milwaukee Brewers: Former Fan-Favorite Named Team's Aug 6, 2006; St. Louis, MO, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Derrick Turnbow (59) reacts after giving up three runs to the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium in the eighth inning. The Cardinals defeated the Brewers 7-1. Mandatory Credit: Photo by Scott Rovak-USA TODAY Sports (©) Copyright 2006 by Scott Rovak

As mentioned previously, Turnbow made his lone All-Star appearance with the Brewers in 2006. The wild thing about his inclusion in that year’s Midsummer Classic is that was really just a recognition of what he had accomplished in 2005 more than what he did in 2006.

In 2005, Turbow was 7-1 with an impressive 1.74 ERA and 39 saves, then tied for the franchise record.

And while he did not get off to a terrible start in 2006, his making the All-Star team that year was obviously for what he had accomplished the year prior. As Tyler Kepner of The Athletic wrote:

“At the end of June in 2006, Turnbow had 23 saves and a 3.28 ERA — good enough to earn a trip to Pittsburgh. From that point on, he had one save, four blown saves and a frightful 13.06 ERA. He did pitch a scoreless seventh inning in the All-Star Game, but was finished in the majors within two years.”

Turnbow ended the 2006 season with a ghastly 6.87 ERA. In 2006, he was 4-5 with a 4.63 ERA and 13 saves while appearing in 77 games. However, he lost the closer’s job that year to Cordero, who broke Turnbow’s single-season saves record of 39 (which he shared with Kolb) by notching 44.

He last appeared in the Majors with Milwaukee in 2008, but was 0-1 with a 15.63 ERA in just eight games.

This article first appeared on WI Sports Heroics and was syndicated with permission.

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