My Summer of Baseball

Rockstar on the Jumbotron

If you didn't see Charlie's comment this morning, he mentioned seeing Pete and me on the big screen Monday night.

He sure wasn't the only one. As usually happens when Pete makes the scoreboard video, countless people stopped us on our way out of the park Monday night.

"Hey! It's the jumbotron guy!" "Hey, I saw you on the big screen!" It goes on and on.

Crowds part. High fives abound. People wave us in to the crowded exit lanes.

Maybe it's Pete's friendly wave. I guess it could be his Brewers tee. Or I suppose it could simply be the wide grin he wears when the Crew is winning. 

But if you ask me, it's all about the hair. It's that magical combination of Jerry Garcia meets Welcome Back Kotter. And if it gets us waved out of the parking lot a little faster some nights, I'm all for it.

Yeah, Braunie and Branyan are amazing batters. But Pete's hair is major league.

It's All Good

Racing this morning with no time to write, so I'll just say: It's all good.

Good game last night, enjoyed with good friends. Nice batting. Five homers. Fun crowd. And 10,000 Little Leaguers who paraded around the field before the game.

On the radio show "Brewers Extra Innings" after the game, Dan and Treni interviewed Ryan Braun. I have to say, I was impressed. He's sharp, nice, modest, and a little flirty. Best of all, whenever they asked about how well he was playing, he answered about how the TEAM is playing.

Good game, good show, good guy.

More later...

Keeping Up with Dad

When I first started talking about doing this blog, some people seemed to think it was a crazy idea. What software would I use? How would I learn how to program it? What if I messed it up or crashed it?

But I don't really worry about stuff like that. My dad taught me the wonderful skill of just diving in and figuring it out. Things like photography, computers...I have great memories of learning and experimenting with him, and learning some more.

These days, I'm pretty comfortable fiddling with new technology until I get it to work. In fact, I enjoy it -- that's another trait I share with Dad.

Also, enjoying the newest, neatest toy. I'm actually writing this blog on my Mac Air laptop, which I bought shortly after Dad beat me to it with his own.

Most people are trying to keep up with the Joneses. I'm trying to keep up with my tech-savvy father. He's still got me beat with his iPhone and SLR digital camera. But I'm trying.

I'd like to say that all these years of playing with technology have made me an expert. But just this winter I had an Excel challenge that, for the life of me, I couldn't sort out.

My father fiddled around with it for a few days and came up with a perfect solution. Just goes to show, you're never too old for a little help from Dad.

I'm may not be a perfect techie, but I'm one lucky daughter.

Saturday Game Notes

Note to self: The yellow line on the wall counts as 'in," not a home run. Bummer.

Note to other ticket holders: Quit selling your tickets to the enemy. There were more Twins fans than Brewers fans tonight. Ridiculous and embarrassing.

Note to Yost: You might want to reconsider how long you leave flailing pitchers in place. Again.

Note to Weeks, Hardy, Riske and even Gagne: Hurry up and get well. Even more worrisome than tonight's loss was the idea that we'd continue past the 12th, but not have anyone to play.

Note to Branyan: Russell The Muscle, man are we glad you're back.

Note to Brew Crew Ball: The most telling fan post of the night was this one: "Dave Bush as a pinch hitter to end a game -- the human white flag." Sad, but true.

Don't Give Up

Last night at the game, the guy sitting next to me mentioned that our seats used to belong to an old couple. They were in their 70s or 80s, he said, and had been coming to games for years and years.

How great. I love the idea of us, decades from now, still being a nutty couple that never misses a game.

But on the other hand, his words made me ache. What happened? What changed this past winter to make that couple give up their seats? Is one of them gone?

I got a lump in my throat, too, each time the crowd booed Bill Hall last night.

Yes, he made dumb errors. Yes, he didn't deliver at the plate. Yes, we're all frustrated that he's playing the media to get a trade.

But I can imagine, too, the feeling of that terrible moment, when you realize that what's been good for years is starting to slip away.

When the player just can't connect in the role he always held for the team.

Or when it gets too tough for the old man to make it down the steps to the ballpark seats.

And once you recognize that moment, it might break your heart. You'd fight it, but a little part of you could start giving up. Giving up your season tickets. Or giving up on your team.

I hope not. But my blue imagination wonders.

Rooting for Respect

Earlier, I wrote about playing in the family game for my nephew's little league yesterday.

Batting practice today was equally fun...although 24 hours after the game, I've got more injuries than the Brewers pitching staff.

But the Brewers keep winning, so I'm muddling through.

As of this afternoon, the Crew's at .530. Corey Hart is on fire. Kapler got in on the game and, of course, delivered.

And like the little league game, today's Brewer game was FUN.

Yesterday, the coach made the kids tell the families the team's motto: ROOTS.

It's an acronym for all the things that the players have to respect: Rules, Officials, Other players, Teammates and themSelves.

Simple, but cool. We all need a little motto, and a little respect.

Baseball Perfection

When the Brewers walloped five home runs last night and won the game, I have to admit I was pretty gleeful. But my favorite baseball moments actually came earlier in the day.

I'm visiting my sister in Connecticut this week. So when my eight-year-old nephew's little league team had a special event - the kids versus the families - I was in on the fun.

With my sister nursing an aching back, I got to pinch hit twice. It was HUGE fun (and yes, I got a hit). Plus, it brought back memories...
* The way the field looks so different from that one spot next to home plate.
* The anxiety of watching the pitch fly your way.
* And, the amazing old muscle memory that kicked in and told me when to swing.

It felt great.

Of course, the chance to play also brought back my throwing arm...about which my sister dryly noted: "You throw like a girl."

But who cares. The kids won. The families had a blast. And as Pete always says: Even a bad day of baseball beats a great day of work.

And this was a perfect day of baseball.

 

Give Me AM Radio Any Day

I've spent the past two months snickering as the guys on Brew Crew Ball vent about not being able to keep up with game plays using only the Brewers website.

Game Day seemed like a neat tool to me...but that was until I got on the road myself. Now I see that while it's cool how it shows where the pitches go...it sure ain't fast.

In fact, I sense if the guy next door were watching the game on TV, I'd hear him cheering or swearing a good 4-5 minutes before I'd see the plays myself.

I also tried tonight to watch the game remotely on Tivo, using the Slingbox. It's a cool toy that "slings" Tivo content to any laptop, anywhere.

The problem is bandwidth. I'm in an OK hotel with high-speed hookups. But trying to watch choppy video that keeps buffering is only slightly less maddening than giving up four runs in the seventh inning.

Now, I'm not sure it would have been any less painful catching tonight's game on TV or radio. A loss is a loss.

But somehow I think I'd feel just a little bit better about it if it was Jim Powell breaking the bad news. Forget the Internet. I'll take AM radio.

Here's Your Chance

Remember when I started this blog? And you said, oh, I'll write a guest post! I'd love to, you said. You know who you are. Well, here's your chance.

* I'm heading out on the road...and we all know how destructive that is to a good streak.

* I've got a grand slam headache...feels like Gabe Kapler just took a bat to my temple.

* And I'm depressed...but then again, what Brewers fan isn't this weekend.

So please, don't hold back. I'm looking for a pinch poster to get me out of this pinch.

Is It an Art? 'Cause It Sure Ain't a Science

After the Brewers fell apart in the eighth yesterday versus the Rockies - giving up a 4-1 lead to lose 4-6 - the Internet was buzzing about Yost and his formulas.

Mota's been the Brewers' eighth inning pitcher in save situations for most of the season, so even though Villanueva was hot in the 7th, Yost pulled him in favor of the formula.

If A (inning) = 8 and B (lead) is < 4 then C (pitcher) = Mota. 

Yost is approaching it like a science. But where's the art? I love all the stats of baseball, and the fact that there is great underlying strategy. But I love even more the art of it all.

I think that's what makes it possible for Sheets to pitch a complete game, or Corey Hart to hit an in-the-park home run, or Ryan Braun to smack a homer on his own bobble-head day.

Sure there's some science and planning, but there's also something to be said for good vibes and positive momentum.

Villanueva had that Friday night; science sure didn't save us.