Hardcore fans in Milwaukee

It’s often said how devoted Wisconsin football fans are. Last night we saw just how devoted Wisconsin baseball fans are, too!

It was only announced on Monday that the Cleveland Indians and the L.A. Angels would be playing their series at Miller Park, and last night, on that short of notice, more than 19,000 fans flooded the stadium to catch the first game.

The Journal Sentinel article from this morning paints a festive picture of the evening, with the Cleveland players being overwhelmed by the number of people at the game, and the stadium full of people erupting into the wave on more than one occasion.

I started the evening with a positive attitude and managed to maintain it until we were back home, which was surprising considering I would have much rather stayed home and watched Dancing With The Stars and the draft of our wedding video that arrived in the mail yesterday.

Dave, though, had a vision in his mind about how the night was going to unfold, and when things didn’t go according to plan, he was bummed out and stayed that way. He had assumed that a few thousand serious fans would show up for the game, that we’d get right in, get great seats and have a fun evening at the ballpark. Unfortunately, 19,029 other folks had that same idea.

We left our place by 5:30 and, even though we live just 15 minutes from Miller Park, traffic going into the stadium had us in the car until almost 6:45. Then there was the line to get tickets, which we stood in for about 20 minutes. We got inside and, famished, decided to get some food. But the food lines were all 25 people deep, and it was already the fourth inning, so instead we found our seats, way out past right field in the bleachers.

We sat down, Dave happy that we were right next to the bullpen, and suddenly we heard a BOOM … BOOM ... BOOM BOOM BOOM.

We turned, and there was a man sitting one section over with an enormous drum that he’d bang on every 30 seconds or so. He was amusing for awhile, and I even clapped along to his beat a few times, but after a bit longer, it just got annoying. A TV camera stood near him, giving him the attention he was obviously so eager for, and we just wondered – how the heck do you manage to get a DRUM inside Miller Park?

We watched about two innings of the game before getting back up to get some food, since we couldn’t contain our hunger any longer. The lines were about 30 people deep now, as there weren’t many food stands open for business. After waiting about ten minutes and hardly moving, Dave made the executive decision that we’d just leave in order to beat the traffic after the game.

So there we were, making the long trek back to our car in the quiet, freezing parking lot, with our empty stomachs growling, having only seen two innings of actual baseball, and I couldn't help but laugh at the situation. We came, we saw, but we did not conquer.

We missed a good game, with the Indians beating the Angels 7-6. At least we were still part of the historical series, even if it was just a small, grumpy part of it.

(For the record, he's a lot less grumpy tonight!)

Game two is going on as I write this, and after the blizzard we were blasted with today, I wonder how many people actually showed up to tonight's match-up.

Probably still plenty!

Comments

[Dave]

Its all true I was pretty pissed off. I couldn't believe that THAT many people showed up and by the looks of it I don't think the front office could believe it either. If anyone else made it to tonight's or is planning on going to tomorrow's game let me know how well they were setup this time around.

[Erin]

Check out Jim Stingl's column today, which is filled with messages from Ohio fans about how friendly and hospitable Milwaukee is.

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=590336

[Christi]

Um..isn't that guy the famous guy, John Adams or something like that, who is like the unofficial mascot of the Indians? I think he brings the drum to every game for like a million years now! I think it's AWESOME he made the treck to Milwaukee. That's a true fan!!! You should have felt honored to be sitting so close to him!!!! =) You're all about local celebrities he he.

I could very well be wrong. Dave, you're the baseball fan...you may have to correct me on that one.

[Krista]

Dude. Even I know who that drum guy is. He was featured on the news the other night. He's, like, the staple Cleveland fan, who's been beating his drum for over 30 years at all the games. Apparently all the fans know him. He's, like, Ohio-famous, man. Anyway, the Indians actually paid for his trip to Milwaukee (for him AND his drum) so he would be at the game to make it feel like home.

Innnteresting. I thought it was kinda cute.

The end.

[Erin]

Oh my gosh, you guys are right. I feel like a huge ass now. :) Well, I do feel honored to have seen him then! Oops. I'm surprised Dave didn't know about him.

"John Adams - You know that pounding you hear during Tribe at bats, or with two strikes on the batter? It all starts in the bleachers with John and his drum, he's been pounding away every game since 1973."

http://www.wikihow.com/Be-a-Cleveland-Indians-Fan

[Erin]

"giving him the attention that he was obviously so eager for" - yeah, I'm a bitch. :::Cringe:::

Well, hunger and cold and loud banging will do that to a person.

You learn something new every day!

[Krista]

It's OK, I like bitches. It's cool.

;-)

[Cleveland Fan]

I agree. There were a TON of people! We toughed out the concession lines for about 45 minutes. Only, once we got to the front, they didn't have any buns for brats or hot dogs. Way to go low-carb for the night. I'm not sure if people were there to support the Indians or Angels as we were, but more perhaps because the tickets were $10 for baseball game. The only thing that was a little too corny for me, was when the last Cleveland pitching change came. They tried to reinact the scene from, "Major League" with Charlie Scheen and "Wild Thing" being played. It was corny, but cool! All in all, it was worth all the crowds to see a baseball game in the cold!

[Christi]

Attention all college kids:

Every time Erin mentions Jim Stingle in one of her posts, you must take a shot.

[Erin]

pffffffffffffft! That was Diet Coke coming out of my mouth, Christi. All over my computer.

Ok, so not really, but I just laughed out loud.

So I like Jim Stingl, ok? His columns are sometimes relevant to what I'm writing about.

Shut up. :)

[Christi]

haha I'm just teasing you. But I think this is the sound diet coke makes when it comes out your mouth: pppRRRRRtttt. Ppfffffttt is the noise your lips and air make together as if to say "pppfffttt, whatever" =)

[Krista]

I love Jim Stingl! When I worked as a night police reporter for, approximately, one minute in 2004, I felt all starstruck whenever I saw him in the newsroom. And then one time we actually spoke to each other, and somehow he has some connection to Beloit, that I don't remember, and seeing as though that is my hometown, I forever felt that we had some connection.

And that is my Jim Stingl story.

[Krista]

Oh, also, I'll take a shot.

[Erin]

Yeah, he's pretty much the coolest.

And I'll take that shot with you!

[Christi]

Lemon Drops all around!

[Sara Molnar]

John Adams is a staple to us Cleveland folk. The Indians actually approached him the day the decision was made and they flew him and his wife to Milwaukee for the games. He's been at every game for 30+ years, they felt it was only right to do that for him. We Indians fans agree.