The Brewers season is officially underway. Duh. I say that as if you people live on Mars or something. I know. The season has been ongoing since April 1, but as you can tell, I’m a little behind on my posts, so bear with me, friends.
Looking back a couple of weeks ago, during the home opener at Miller Park I was really trying hard not to think about all of the people playing hooky from work as I tuned into the sold-out game via my desktop radio. I couldn’t help but feel envious toward the crowd cheering on the 2-1 Brewers and getting their first up-close look at this year’s team, simply because I was stuck at my cubicle writing press releases. Boo! I suppose it could have been worse though...
Coming off a three-game road trip in Chicago, the Brewers closed the game with a victory thanks to my boy Billy Hall and his two homeruns and six RBIs, a record high for number two. Despite missing Milwaukee's Opening Day 13-4 romp against San Francisco, I did, however, kick-off the Brewers’ season that Saturday, which seems like eons ago.
That morning, getting out of bed was a beast since I failed to get to sleep before 3 a.m. due to Nada Surf's long set and double encore at their show in Chicago the night before. With half-opened eyes and while moving at a decaffeinated pace (very, very lethargically), I found my Bill Hall T-shirt, got ready, and was able to brew a pot of Alterra coffee just before Eric came to pick me up.
As soon as the caffeine began to flow through my bloodstream and my zombie mode subsided, the excitement was ubiquitous. Eric and I met my buddy Justin and a bunch of other people at our friend Ryan’s house. We loaded three cars with several coolers, three grills, and the rest of our tailgating necessities – utensils, hot dogs, brats, burgers, buns, chips, pasta salad, Rice Krispies treats – and by 10 a.m. we were in a stream of traffic headed toward Miller Park for an early lunch and game two of the series against the Giants.
Tailgating is always much more fun in a group, so we made sure to invite nearly two-dozen people to help celebrate our first baseball game of the season, and hopefully another win. As I looked over the sea of royal blue T-shirts and navy blue baseball caps flooding the parking lot, I noticed the rampant camaraderie between fans – folks were mingling, sharing food and playing ball – and I could feel a rush of excitement in the air! It also helped that the day dawned sun and warm temperatures.
The entire afternoon was perfect. I was anticipating rain and biting cold weather but instead, we were blessed with one of those spring mornings where it was too warm to keep a jacket on yet too cold to take it off. Still, between the sun and the smoldering grills, we were basking in 60 degree temperatures. We couldn’t have asked for better weather, especially for this time of year when Milwaukee isn’t completely in the clear of Old Man Winter’s wrath.
For me, the best part about tailgating is the eating. Luckily, between the 20 of us we definitely had a ton of food to pass around. Eric was "grill master" and cooked-up some mean cheeseburgers and a couple of turkey dogs prepared just the way I like them, charred. I came with no restrictions knowing that it’s nearly impossible to evade any temptations, the smell of charcoal and simmering dogs are enough to entice my taste buds into two or three servings. Needless to say, I mowed down quite a bit of food until I was distracted by a friend’s bean bag toss game, which was horribly addicting.
By noon we finally made our way into the bustling stadium. Inside, beneath the closed roof, it was a glorious afternoon of baseball once again. Eric, Justin and I parted from the group for a bit to check out the new additions around the ballpark. These new add-ons included the retail store near home plate and the Associated Bank Kids Zone with its mock Bernie Brewer slide, batting and pitching cages, and giant oversize glove for toddlers to climb on. Yeah, I’d be lying if I said that this playground didn’t make me wish I was five again...I wanted to whirl down Bernie’s slide, dang it!
Additionally, around left field on the loge level, the team is opening a Big League Blast Custom Shop, featuring state-of-the-art T-shirt printing machines. These machines can lift images from a computer and make a T-shirt, pennant or sweatshirt while you wait the 20 seconds it takes to print. So, if you’re at a game when Sheets pitches a no-hitter, a T-shirt can be made to immediately commemorate the momentous day. How cool is that? I think all of the aforementioned major additions will enhance the ballpark experience, but the three of us didn’t want to miss anymore of the game, so the boys and I went to find our seats.
Soon after, we made our way up the escalators and found our friends sitting way, WAY up at the top of the gorgeous ballpark. We were so close to the retractable roof that we could almost reach up and use a steel beam for a cup holder. (Which we didn’t do. I was just saying.) The view from the nosebleeds wasn’t really that bad thought. I mean, they certainly weren’t "Uecker seats" and we could see everything but the ball, which was fine. Really, what fan would complain about scoring tickets to one of the first Brewers games of the season anyway?
The stadium was pretty packed – over 37,000 people were in attendance that afternoon. Even though the number of fans didn’t break any records like the 45,212 crowd on Opening Day, the same anticipation and excitement ensued on Saturday. While we watched the Brewers win a quick two hour game, we sang slurry renditions of Take Me Out to the Ball Game, cheered on Klement's Famous Racing Sausages, and witnessed several security guards sack two foolish interlopers really, really hard in the open outfield. Ha!
The game itself was a no hitter all the way into the fifth inning when the Brewers finally brought in a run. Yost was playing many of the team’s reserves, which I didn’t necessarily mind, mostly because they deserved to play.
Rookie pitcher Manny Parra didn’t give up a hit until the sixth inning. I was impressed by the lefty – he pitched with maturity and confidence. He also struck out seven Giants, if that’s any consolation. Based on the way players like Parra, Rivera, Kapler and Kendall played on Saturday, I don’t hesitate when saying that none of the reserve players came from the scraps bin. If you want, you can read more about the game by clicking here.
With another Brewers victory, a 5-4 squeaker against the San Francisco Giants, it made me proud to be a Brewers fan, especially since such an existence was once difficult to bear. Saturday was a turnabout day. It was our kick-off to the summer with the flowing drinks, tailgating and comradeship, plus it was another ballgame that proved why there’s so much expectation and enthusiasm surrounding Miller Park.
I’m happy as can be that baseball has started again. Here’s to a really terrific season!
Why is it the guys are always the better cookers on the grill? My husband always does a really good job too!
Eric looks like a keeper! Nice kind eyes! I enjoyed reading about your day. I always feel like I'm where ever you are!
Good blog.
Posted by: wfbdoglover | April 16, 2008 at 02:13 PM
I love tailgating! Every time I go it's always really windy or really cold. But, we always brave the weather just to cook out for the game. Silly Milwaukeeans. :)
By the way, good call on the turkey dogs. I have trouble restraining myself at tailgate parties too. If I bring turkey dogs though, I don't feel quite as guilty about scarfing down more than one.
Posted by: Amanda | April 16, 2008 at 04:46 PM
Aw, that's really sweet. Yeah, Eric is pretty okay. :D
Regarding grilling, I hear you. When I try to cook anything on the grill, I have a hard time gauging whether or not it's done. Chicken always comes out undercooked and burgers are usually burnt. (That's when the microwave is a saving grace.)
I consider myself a good cook, but for some reason I don't have the knack for cooking over an open flame. Seriously, why are men better at grilling? It infuriates me!
Posted by: Karen | April 16, 2008 at 04:49 PM
Amanda-
Turkey dogs are the best! They taste just like regular, fatty dogs...well, sorta.
Posted by: Karen | April 16, 2008 at 04:50 PM
This is a fun post. I really like that you're into sports and seen to know a decent amount about the game.
Too bad your boy Bill Hall fell into a slump. But it looks like he's coming back, especially after the game on Saturday.
As for our pitching, well, that's another story...
Posted by: sam | April 21, 2008 at 02:29 PM