MILWAUKEE -- He was “On-base Jace” during his playing days with the Brewers, who hired Jace Peterson back to the organization in March to be a consultant to the player development and high performance staff. But that’s a mouthful.
You might as well consider Peterson the Crew’s Chief Vibes Officer.
If you watched the telecast of the Brewers’ 5-2 win over the Orioles at American Family Field on Tuesday, you saw Peterson leaning in for a conversation with Brice Turang in the third inning, after the second baseman homered for the first time since April 8 to spark Milwaukee’s third consecutive victory in the wake of four shutout losses in the previous five games.
More good vibes were coming. Sal Frelick, after narrowly missing a home run in his first at-bat, connected for a two-run shot his next time up in the fourth inning. At a Statcast-projected 412 feet, it was the longest of his nine career homers in the regular season and postseason.
Jackson Chourio singled in the fifth inning to snap an 0-for-24 slump. Rookie Logan Henderson delivered five scoreless innings and became the ninth pitcher since 1901 to strike out at least seven hitters in each of his first three starts in the big leagues. Rhys Hoskins delivered an insurance run in the eighth with the Brewers’ third home run of the night, matching the team’s season-high.
And with closer Trevor Megill down for the day, Abner Uribe slammed the door in the ninth, going three up, three down with three strikeouts while pitching for a third consecutive day.
“I think it’s kind of being harped on that we have to get back to last year. We’re a different team,” Frelick said. “I think it’s us getting back to our roots, understanding how we’re supposed to play the game and making sure that’s priority No. 1 when we’re going out there.”
Peterson knows that brand of baseball because he played for the Brewers from 2020-22. He has been in the dugout throughout this homestand helping the team try to turn its season back in the right direction.
“For me, my role is consultant/mentor/making sure there are guys with energy in the dugout when it’s not going good, and keeping guys engaged,” Peterson said. “I’m not always a rah-rah guy, but sometimes it’s something as simple as giving a guy a firm handshake and looking him in the eye and saying, ‘Let’s go.’
“It’s making guys feel the urgency and the intensity. It’s an honor and a privilege to play in a big league game, and it should never be taken for granted. So you’re helping guys push past the grind and try to have fun, have joy, and remember that there’s a reason you’re here – because you’re a good player. Sometimes when you’re not getting results, that doubt can creep in, and that can be heavy. I try to lighten that load for some guys.”
The Brewers hired Peterson in part as a response to a changing game, with rosters getting younger and younger from the big leagues on down. When Peterson first made it to Triple-A in the Padres system in 2014, that club had 30-year-old mainstays Jeff Francoeur and Travis Buck to lean on, along with a 37-year-old Jason Lane, who is now the Brewers’ third base coach.
Today, those veterans are rarities on Minor League rosters, and the Brewers thought that left a leadership void. So, they brought in Peterson, who appeared in the Majors as recently as last season with the D-backs, to rove around the system.
“I got to spend a ton of time with him in the spring and built a great relationship,” Frelick said. “He’s one of those guys that when you see him in the locker room, your day gets made. You know he’s going to bring the vibes. He’s on the top step of the dugout and he’s in the fight with you. That’s what you want.”
Peterson’s first professional manager at Class A Eugene was one Pat Murphy, who said he regards Peterson’s role with the Brewers under the organization’s mental health umbrella. That’s an effort the manager wholeheartedly supports.
“He’s figuring out his future and it’s just a great addition,” Murphy said. “I love having experienced players who I’m comfortable and I believe in, and believe in their mindset. He helps spread that.”
Peterson hasn’t yet formally retired, but he doesn’t plan to play again.
At 35, his future in baseball is a blank slate.
“I never really expected or thought that I would stay in baseball, but I love baseball and I love impacting people,” Peterson said. “I love being on a team.”