Happy to share today the first "Baseball Musings & CrewMinations" column from a new guest blogger. It's from a friend who calls himself Superfan 99. Please, by all means, comment back. I'm sure he wants dialogue as much as I do. And, watch for more from Superfan 99 in the weeks and months to come...
Warming Up. So where to start. Well, the Crew is 16-13, and behind both the hated Cubs and the surprising Cards. But not a bad start overall. Kendall has been the biggest surprise of the season to date. Cameron's recent addition has been helpful - a very steady glove in center field and a bat with some pop. Good to see Braunie's bat likewise starting to wake up. You certainly can't complain about the starting pitching to date. But the bullpen? Don't get me started.
Baseball as Metaphor. I agree with what MSOBB said about Turnbow. Baseball players are still people, and no matter how frustrating they can be to watch, it's easy to forget that they are real people with real lives. We all fail at times - in our work, with our friends, in our hobbies and pursuits - but I can't fathom doing it in front of 50K+ fans, day in and day out, with the whole world watching. With the media hell-bent on creating a recession (a topic for another time), it makes me ponder the idea of faith. Faith - in business, in baseball - is critical. When the chips are down and we need to gut it out, it is paramount that we literally "keep the faith" in ourselves. When we don't, bad things happen; it's that simple. As the missus recently said, "Positive thinking is not BS," and I'd have to agree. You could almost see defeat in Turnbow's eyes when he walked out on the mound.... It reminds me of last season, when Capuano set a franchise record for losing. I had to admire his faith and strength in gutting it out, keeping the faith, and hoping for the best.
Baseball Wisdom. After Ben Sheets pitched his complete game shutout earlier this year, his post-game interview provided some classic "Baseball Wisdom." The Brewers' new TV correspondent (Trini, I think her name is) asked him a bunch of questions. Why is your curveball working now? What did you do to your mechanics? To what do you attribute your success so far this year? Ben's response was classic Ben Sheets: "I don't know. I don't really think about it. If I think, it gets in my way." Which - as someone who spends too much time in his head (even when not watching baseball games), struck me as some real Baseball Zen - akin to Kendall's "see the ball, hit the ball" mentality of late. Life is only as complicated as we make it. Wisdom like this is another reason I love baseball.
Missing Damian. Speaking of Kendall, I have to confess that I'm not missing Damian Miller as much as I'd thought I would. Kendall's hot start and style of play certainly don't hurt. But I think more to the point, it's the spirit of this whole Brewers team. They're gutsy. Tough. They run out ground balls. They do the basics (for the most part) well. They're scrappers. Now to be fair, as the Brewers payroll continues to grow over the coming years, it's harder to make the case for them as "scrappy underdogs." But for now, as a young group with a relatively moderate payroll, it's fun to cheer on a team who works hard and loves the game.
Wondering About Damian. I can't help but wonder what it's like to retire from baseball. Jim Powell made a comment during one of last weekend's games about Damian, and said that he was spending a lot of time fishing and hunting. As a Wisconsinite, it's just got to be downright weird for Damian to go on living his life as his team does the same -- just a short drive from his home. It's got to be particularly difficult when the decision wasn't yours -- but it was made for you.
Sheets Speed. There is nothing that I don't do fast. I talk fast. Eat fast. Type fast. Work fast. Drive fast. (Well, that one, not so much since back-to-back speeding tickets.) And that's why I love watching Ben Sheets pitch. No faffing around. No posturing. A model of efficiency. Ben, if you're out there, let's put down some beers and chicken wings together. First round's on me.
Eating Meat. Attention, Media: Prince is fine. Let's move on and get back to important topics like what Obama's pastor said and what type of whiskey Hillary was drinking. Jeesh.
Cubs Bile. One of my clients is a big Cubs fan who likes to gamble. So far this year, I've taken a handful of cash and a bottle of Grey Goose from him (thanks, Brewers). Yesterday, he noted that "I'm starting to hate the Brewers as much as those green and gold guys." Which means we must be doing something right. He also wanted to create a year-long bet (head-to-head Cubs vs. Brewers record). I suggested the loser had to do the Polar Bear Plunge next winter. Certainly links my fate a little more directly to the Brewers' performance than a few bucks or some vodka....
Closing Down. It's a big week for the Crew. And it sure would be nice to start putting some runs on the board - I believe we've had more games determined within two runs or less (as well as the most extra inning games) in the majors. Don't quote me on that - but if it's not true, it certainly feels like it is. This team is due for a couple of big margin wins where we can all sit back and enjoy the ride, versus chewing our nails until the bell rings. I predict we take one of the next two from the Astros and two of three from the Marlins. And then we've got a real showdown next weekend - back home - versus the Cardinals. Hopefully, Miller Park won't be the sea of red it was the last time I was there for a Cardinals game.
Go Crew!
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