[2] To date, this is the Brewers’ sole appearance in the World Series, and they have the second longest pennant drought in the National League behind the Pittsburgh Pirates (1979).

The Brewers and Cardinals each boasted a dominant closer, with veteran Rollie Fingers holding the role for Milwaukee and Bruce Sutter for St. Louis.

The Cardinals made additional trades for Willie McGee, Ozzie Smith, George Hendrick, Joaquín Andújar, and Sutter, all designed to craft a well balanced championship level team.

[3] The Brewers combined a productive farm system with additional trades as well to build their heavy hitting ball club.

Thomas, Moose Haas, Robin Yount, and Paul Molitor came through the system, while the aforementioned Vukovich, Simmons, Fingers, and Oglivie, plus Cecil Cooper and Don Money, all arrived via the trade route.

On June 1, with the team 23–24 and floundering in fifth place, Brewer GM Harry Dalton replaced manager Buck Rodgers with Harvey Kuenn.

They followed that in the third when Paul Molitor singled, stole second, went to third on a wild pitch by Cardinals starter John Stuper, and scored on a Robin Yount groundout.

The Cardinals scratched back in their half of the third when rookie Willie McGee singled, stole second, and scored on a Tom Herr double.

Longtime American League umpire Bill Haller called his final game behind home plate in this contest.

The Brewers loaded the bases in that inning, but ace reliever Bruce Sutter got the final out to squelch the threat.

Cardinals manager Whitey Herzog argued that Hendrick reached second as he was running with the pitch with two outs and should have been allowed to score on the double, but to no avail.

Before relieved by Jim Kaat, Bair walked Molitor and gave up a bases-loaded, two-run (both unearned) checked-swing single to Yount.

An RBI infield hit by Cecil Cooper and a wild pitch brought in the fourth Cardinals pitcher, Jeff Lahti.

Lahti issued another intentional walk to Oglivie then induced a fly out to left field to end this inning.

Cardinals manager Whitey Herzog made some lineup changes for this game, dropping Tom Herr from leadoff to eighth and Ken Oberkfell from second to seventh.

He led off with hot-hitting Lonnie Smith at DH, started David Green in centerfield and batted him second in place of Dane Iorg, and moved Willie McGee from eighth to sixth.

The Brewers struck first on Ted Simmons's bases loaded groundout in the first off of Bob Forsch, but the Cardinals tied the game in the third on Keith Hernandez's RBI double.

The Cardinals staged a late rally in the ninth as Keith Hernandez doubled in a run and George Hendrick singled him in with two outs.

In the sixth, Iorg hit a leadoff double, moved to third on a wild pitch by Doc Medich, and scored on McGee's single.

The Brewers avoided a shutout in the ninth when Jim Gantner, who doubled to lead off the inning, scored on a passed ball by Cardinals backup catcher Glenn Brummer.

Andujar had decreased mobility after the line drive he had taken off the kneecap in Game 3, while Vuckovich was suffering from severe shoulder pain which would be diagnosed the following spring as a torn rotator cuff.

Ben Oglivie tied it for the Brewers in the fifth with a solo home run, and they took a 3–1 lead in the sixth when Jim Gantner scored on an error and Cecil Cooper hit a sacrifice fly.

However, starting in the bottom of the sixth, with one out, the Cardinals mounted a comeback and held the Brewers scoreless for the rest of the game.

Brewers manager Harvey Kuenn then pulled Vuckovich in favor of Bob McClure, who walked pinch-hitter Gene Tenace to load the bases.

Series MVP Darrell Porter and Steve Braun delivered the key blows in the eighth with RBI singles, giving the Cardinals a 6–3 lead.

Paul Molitor would eventually win the Series MVP Award 11 years later as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays.

St. Louis wouldn't get back to the fall classic until 2004 (losing to Boston) and would not win another World Championship until 2006 when they beat Detroit in five games.

This was the final World Series telecast for longtime NBC analyst Tony Kubek, and the only one for veteran announcer Dick Enberg.

Enberg hosted the pregame shows and alternated play-by-play duties (Enberg called the middle innings) with Joe Garagiola, who was himself working his last Series in that role before moving to the color commentator position alongside Vin Scully (who called the 1982 World Series alongside Sparky Anderson for CBS Radio) the following season.

[14] Tom Seaver provided pregame analysis and also contributed occasional in-game commentary throughout the series, broadcasting from field level rather than in the booth.