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Deer on hand for bobblehead day commemorating iconic homer

Outfielder's 1987 Easter Sunday heroics highlighted fast start for club

MILWAUKEE -- Rob Deer figures he's watched "thousands" of replays of his iconic Easter Sunday home run, which every Brewers fan old enough to rent a car knows was a tying, three-run blast in the bottom of the ninth inning on April 19, 1987, against the Rangers at County Stadium.

The homer extended the game for Dale Sveum's winning, two-run shot, giving the Brewers' "Team Streak" its 12th victory on the way to an American League-record 13-0 start to the season.

Every time Deer presses play on that highlight, he sees something new.

"I forgot about this, but if you see when Dale hit the home run and he comes around home, he runs into me," Deer said. "When he runs into me, he hits me in the nose with his helmet. The game was over, I go back to the dugout, and my nose was bleeding like crazy.

"I mean, I remember that happening, but then when you watch it, you see I get smoked in the face. I didn't even care."

Deer played five of his 11 Major League seasons and hit 137 of his 230 home runs in a Brewers uniform, but nothing ever matched the drama of that Easter Sunday. The Brewers memorialized it Sunday in bobbhehead form, with Deer on hand to throw the ceremonial first pitch.

Video: PIT@MIL: Deer throws out ceremonial first pitch

He remains connected to the Brewers and to baseball, running youth clinics around the Milwaukee area and participating in Bill Schroeder's fantasy camp each year. Whenever he encounters a Brewers fan, Deer said, Easter Sunday is brought up.

"Everything was going right. We had all the breaks," Deer said. "It was one of those special, special times. It seems like it was last week, honestly."

Adam McCalvy is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter at @AdamMcCalvy.
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