Harvey Kuenn’s Legacy Lives On Through His Foundation

Harvey Kuenn’s legacy is still alive in Milwaukee.

The man who led the 1982 Milwaukee Brewers to their first World Series is remembered for more than baseball.

Kuenn grew up in West Allis, Wisconsin.

He took over as manager of the Brewers in the middle of the 1982 season when the team was 23-24 and seven games back in the standings.

His laid-back leadership style turned the team around.

They became known as “Harvey’s Wallbangers.”

They went all the way to the World Series.

Kuenn did all of this just a short time after a blood clot forced the amputation of his right leg below the knee.

He was 49 years old when he got his first prosthetic leg.

He managed the 1982 World Series with a wooden leg.

That prosthetic leg now hangs from the ceiling at 4th Base, a Milwaukee sports bar, and served as a good luck charm for the 2026 Brewers during their championship run.

Kuenn died in 1988.

Not long after his death, his son Harvey Kuenn Jr. started the Harvey Kuenn Foundation.

“I guess it brings back memories of my dad, but the biggest thing is that we help kids,” Kuenn Jr. said in a July interview.

“The more money we can raise, the more money we can give to the kids.”

The foundation partners with the Hanger Clinic.

Together, they help cover the cost of prosthetic limbs for children who need them.

The foundation also sponsors some little league baseball in West Allis.

Jennifer Cosgrove said the foundation has helped her family tremendously over the years.

“Early on, I would say we probably didn’t know what we were getting ourselves into,” Cosgrove said.

Her daughters Ivy and Anna were born with congenital limb differences.

Ivy was born without tibia bones in both of her legs.

Five weeks after surgery, she was fitted for prosthetics.

“Seeing the girls really thrive and grow and be willing to tackle any sort of challenge has been so encouraging,” Cosgrove said.

“As we’ve gone down this road, we’ve realized that there’s not much that can stop them.”

The foundation’s work is part of a larger story.

Kuenn’s 1982 Brewers were the first team in franchise history to reach the World Series.

They lost in seven games to the St. Louis Cardinals.

It took the Brewers 44 years to get back.

In 2026, the Milwaukee Brewers finally won their first World Series championship.

They posted a 103-59 record in the regular season to win the NL Central.

They eliminated the San Diego Padres in four games in the NLDS.

They swept the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS.

They took a 3-0 lead over the Tampa Bay Rays in the World Series, dropped Game 4, and then closed out the championship.

Hall of Fame catcher Johnny Bench, who won World Series titles with the Cincinnati Reds in 1975 and 1976, recognized the achievement.

“Who was the best team in baseball?”