Results tagged ‘ Milwaukee Brewers ’
April 26th, 2010: Pittsburgh Pirates
While working away at my hometown retailer several weeks ago, my coworker Kevin, claimed he could out ballhawk me. I would not let the claim stand. We negotiated the date of April 26th to test who is the best. This is the first hand account…
Today I would have to wake early, as Kevin is the standard college student living on campus, his only transportation being his mountain bike… needles to say, I offered to pick him up. I took this snap shot of my weekend stomping grounds, the UWM campus, or to Milwaukeeans, “The East Side”. I’m going to be honest, most of my memories of the east side are a blur, Milwaukee kids party hard.
Soon enough, I arrive on campus, pick Kevin up and we’re off. We take the scenic route to the ballpark, traveling along famous Lake Drive. The view to our right:
Upon arrival at Miller Park, Kevin was quick to put on his “game face”:
So let’s have a quick review…
Ballhawk Kevin
- 1 career baseball
- Softball glove
- No Pirates gear
Challenges…
Ballhawk Shawn
- Nearly 800x more career baseballs than Kevin
- Wilson a500 outfielder’s glove
- Perfect faux Pittsburgher
This should be good. I’m a big superstition person, and when I see animals at the ballpark, I always have a great day. Needless to say, I was ecstatic when this furry friend scampered into view:
After a few autographs and conversations with players in the lot, Kevin and I got a table at Friday’s Front Row Grill. Brewers batting practice was rather bland. New bullpen coach Fred Dabney fired me baseball #1, while Rickie Weeks hit a moon shot in my direction, caught for baseball #2. Ballhawk Kevin, after I take the lead, 1-0:
After BBBP (Boring Brewers Batting Practice), I switched over to my Pirates gear and prepared for further domination. Upon arrival to the Left Field corner, I snapped this picture of a few bullpen pitchers playing catch. Do you see what I see?:
Moments after I took this picture, Paul Maholm tossed me baseball #3, and Jason Jaramillo underhanded me #4. Kevin and I relocated to Ballhawk’s heaven, or Section 101. It’s a private, clear section in the dead center of the RF power alley. Things would pick up out there. Upon arrival, we were greeted by long time Brewers fan and season ticket holder Don T. Don’s been a Brewer fan for longer than I’ve been alive and he’s got some awesome stories to share about baseball at County Stadium. His baseball IQ is as high as anybody’s. Kevin talks with Don:
Then began the Pittsburgh lefties. Not to brag, but I made it look easy. I barehanded a Ryan Doumit fly ball off the bounce leaning over the railing in the above picture. The very next ball I did my best outfielder impression. Doumit lifted another high fly ball, driven deep in my direction. For those of you who have been to Miller Park, you know what the Tundra Territory is… a suite located in the outfield. Long story short, Toyota wants to keep the “regular fans” out of the section, so they erected a 4 foot wall. Back pedaling, I feel for the wall with my throwing hand, leap at the perfect moment and catch myself baseball #6, home run robbery style. During BP, Keven even hawked his second and third career baseballs, one of which he was instructed to give to a family a few rows up the bleachers. His second is pictured below:
Ryan Church landed number’s 9 and 10 in the pocket of my glove, and that was it for BP. The rest of the game went off without a hitch. Fans can now vote for the All Star game… This is the 2010 ballot, I’ve punched out players who have: Hit me a ball, Thrown me a ball or signed a ball for me (most of which are the first two):
Pirates Bullpen catcher and all around good guy Herbie Andrade hooked me up with Octavio Dotel’s warmup baseball in the 8th inning, and that was the last baseball I would snag tonight:
Final Tally:
Ballhawk Kevin- 4
Ballhawk Shawn- 11
(F)
I’m sorry, Kevin, but you’ve still got the “novice” tag. He’ll have another chance to prove himself on Wednesday afternoon, stay tuned!
Tuesday, May 12th vs. Florida Marlins.
The day started out like any other. Little did I know the
day would get MUCH more interesting. To be more specific, the hour AFTER the
game will end up being more exciting than the actual game…
I got to Friday’s Front row and the place was empty. The
Brewers showed me NO love toss wise or long ball wise… that is until pitching coach
Bill Castro came out to watch Yovani Gallardo get some work in the bullpen.
Bill Castro threw me a ball lying in the back of the bullpen,
Baseball #1. That was it for the
Brewers part of BP. Time to switch over to my standard “USA Baseball jersey”
and Marlin’s cap.
The park opened and I jogged down to the left field corner. Within
15 seconds of the park opening, I got Baseball
#2 from Hayden Penn.
I saw Renyel Pinto tossing the ball with right hander Carlos Martinez. I asked
Renyel for the baseball in Spanish, and all he did was wave back. So I made my
way toward the dugout where Cody Ross was playing Catch.
Baseball #3 Came from
infielder Chris Coghlan, halfway between the pitchers and Cody Ross.
“I think that was awesome when you went in to pitch a few
weeks back, Cody!” I hollered. I was talking about his April 26th outing
(http://florida.marlins.mlb.com/news/wrap.jsp?ymd=20090426&content_id=4434306&vkey=wrapup2005&fext=.jsp&team=home&c_id=fla).
“Haha, thanks man. You liked that?” He replied. A few
seconds later, an unidentified Marlins player threw a ball WAY over my head
into the empty stands. I’m talking maybe 20 or 30 feet over my head. It landed
in the empty seats a few rows behind me, and I scampered up the stairs and
retrieved Baseball #4. After
chatting it up with Alfredo Amezaga for about 5 minutes, I headed back to the
left field corner, where Renyel and Carlos finished playing catch.
One glove wag at Pinto and he threw me Baseball #5. I cleaned house in the left field corner, so it was
time to move on to the right field corner.
As soon as I got to the right field corner, I saw Brett Carroll
shagging fly balls. I made sure to make myself known as a “Marlins fan”. The
very first ball that Brett caught after our interaction, he whipped at me from
about 100 feet away for Baseball #6. Little
did I know, I would have a chance to speak with Mr. Carroll a little later… you’ll
want to keep reading for that, trust me.
I headed out to the bullpen and began talking to the bullpen
coach Steve Foster. Steve and I had quite the conversation about his middle
name, “Eugene”. No luck with the
baseballs.
Batting practice was about over, and I made my way to the
Marlin’s dugout. A huge crowd of grown men was swamping a corner of the dugout.
Usually that means a big name player is singing autographs. I squeezed my way
in and got Hanley Ramirez to sign a ball I got earlier in the day. I then moved
over the top of the dugout.
A Marlin hit a baseball off the net in front of third base.
It rolled towards me, stopping about 30 feet short. Matt Lindstrom came in
after batting practice, picked up the ball and threw it right to me for Baseball #7. He didn’t hold much back
on the throw, either.
After all the players settled in the dugout/clubhouse, I moved
to the bullpen once again. The starter for the Marlins would be John Koronka, a
journeyman to say the least.
It would be his
Marlins debut. Koronka threw an amazing about of fastballs; I can only count 5
or 6 breaking balls out of his 40 or so warm up pitches. He concluded throwing
and bullpen catcher Jeffery Urgelles threw me the warm up ball, Baseball #8.
During the game, I played for Bill Hall’s 100th Career
HR, but no luck. My good friend Roy did snag Rickie Weeks’ HR, barehanded.
After the game I got a mystery ball, rubbed down for game
use… very possibly a third out. The Happy Youngster later informed me that it
was Jorge Cantu who rolled the ball over the dugout, Baseball #9. It was a good day at the ballpark, and the most
awkward event of the day was still to come.
Last season, a good friend and part-time ballhawk/full time
autograph aficionado Dan B. camped out in the parking lot after CC Sabathia’s
first day in Milwaukee. We hopped
the fence after the game and got CC to sweet-spot our baseballs. We like to
call ourselves the first Milwaukeeans to get his autograph. That night we also
got Ryan Braun to sign in the parking lot as well (an EXTREMELY rare occurrence).
It was pouring out that night. We have quirky luck in the parking lot. That
leads me into what happened on this night….
Long after the game ended, we’re talking maybe an hour and
15 minutes after the final out, Dan and I were chilling near the player’s lot.
We congratulated the Brewers as they came out and noticed a line of cabs.
Four Marlin’s players, one of which was Josh Johnson, got
into the cab on the bottom of the picture and took off. The rest of the cabs waited for about 30 minutes,
and figured no one else was coming out… and they left.
Ten minutes after the cabs leave, Marlin’s player Wes Helms
comes out of the tunnel and looks around. He seems very, very confused seeing
an empty lot. He looks up at Dan and I and asks “Where’s the cabs, guys?” in
his southern drawl. I explain to him that Josh Johnson left with a few other players, along with the cabs. He immediately whips out his iPhone and starts
texting. He looks back down the tunnel and hollers “HANLEY, THEY LEFT!” Wes
Helms, Hanley Ramirez, Jorge Cantu and Brett Carroll were stranded! They walked
around aimlessly in the parking lot, and Dan and I approached them near the traffic lights. Dan got
Jorge Cantu to sign a card and I got a nice picture with Brett Carroll.
Thats Brett Carroll. Wes Helms is on the right, and Hanley Ramirez/Jorge Cantu are even more to the right.
We then returned to our post above the tunnel and watched
Ryan Braun get into his car. Braun pulls up next to the Marlin’s players, honks his
horn, and waives them over! They all catch a ride with Ryan Braun. Funny stuff.
The gems:
Odd baseball:
9 baseballs at
this game.
All 9 thrown.
50 this season.
The Ballhawking Side: Braun’s 55th Career Homerun
Here is the video:
http://milwaukee.brewers.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?mid=200807063077585&c_id=mil
If you read post number one, you’d note that I am more than just a critic and baseball blogger; I am a ballhawk. While the number one ballhawking spot lies elsewhere (http://thehappyyoungster.mlblogs.com/), I still strive for perfection. One warm July morning, my mom and I headed to the ballpark to watch the NL powerhouse Brewers face off against the bottom-dwelling Pittsburgh Pirates. July 6th, 2008… our nation’s birthday was mere hours behind us. Teams all around the big leagues would wear their 4th of July caps for the rest of the weekend.
My luckiest piece of clothing happens to be my “bullshirt”. I’ve had it for a long, long time, but had only started wearing it earlier in spring of 2008, down in Maryvale. The ballhawking went exceptionally well that day (3 foul balls, 10 or 12 BP balls), so I decided to add it to the regular season repertoire. Since the “bullshirt” is yellow and black, why not wear it for the Pirates? It looks neutral enough with a Brewers cap on, and it looks right out of the closet of an every day Pittsburgher without the cap.
The Infamous Bullshirt
Ballhawking during BP went decent this day, but nothing worth writing home (or in this case, here) happened. The old summertime cliché, “it’s not the heat, it’s the humidity” rang true this day like none other. It was only about 75 or 80 degrees, but the air was so sticky you would figure you’re in the shower. Sweat would drip and drip, but never evaporate. There was even the old Milwaukee staple, a whiff of the lake in the air. After my mother and I scrounged up some beverages, dogs and burgers, it was time to head to the seats. We presented the tickets and gained access to “the seats”.
A few sips of cola and a few bites of burger forced me to place my glove under my seat. Little did I know, the best moment of my ballhawking career would be happening in a few short seconds. After gobbling the burger, forgetting my glove was under my seat, I pulled out a Gameday program. During the inning, it was announced that Ryan Braun would start the All-Star game. Amazing!
While scanning the program, J.J. Hardy launched a 2-run homer over the right field wall. The starting pitcher for the Pirates, Zack Duke, was obviously going to try and tantalize the Crew’s power hitters with low and away junk balls. The Brewers would have none of that, they would serve those changes of pace to the opposite field, and I took note. J.J. completed his round trip, and Braun stepped to the plate. I cheered for my favorite Brewer, and buried my nose back in the program. Braun takes first pitch, steeeee-rike one. As he digs in the box, my mom poses me this question: “So where does Ryan hit ‘em?”. And as the “e” in “‘em” left her tongue, Braun sent the ball on a 420 foot ride.
As the ball left the bat, my glove was still under my seat, program still in hand. Before the ball left the infield, I answered with “apparently right here!”. I never emptied my hands faster, throwing ballot to the ground. In one motion, I fling everything out of my way, get the glove on, and stand up and brace myself. My friend and fellow autograph collector Roy was seated next to me, and my friend (and biggest competetor) Nick “Happy Youngster” Yohanek was seated a few seats to my left. Of course, they both stuck to my sides like magnets as the ball was in the air.
I had just completely stood up, and the ball was already to me. I put one hand in the air to catch the ball, and the other one followed. I had just caught Ryan Braun’s 55th career homerun, and his first as an All-Star! This is truly the best feeling in the world! This was my first game homerun on the fly, 6th career game homerun.
Here is a timeline that coincides with the video:
0:01: Mother asks, “Where does Braun hit ‘em?”
0:03: I answer “Apparently right here”
0:04: I begin to stand up and put glove on
0:07: I catch the ball!
0:11: I high five people, point to Nick and his party, feel as if I’m accepting an award
0:18: Look to the bleachers and around the stadium and realize 45,000 eyes are on me, as well as the TV audience
0:29: Sheer disbelief sets in, lasts roughly a week
Best day of my ballhawking career!
Real Talk on: Ben Sheets
There is much banter between Milwaukee Brewer fans and baseball fans alike about the chances of Milwaukee retaining (former) “ace” Ben Sheets. For many dismal seasons, Sheets symbolized the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel for battle-tested Brewer fans.
The scoop:
Milwaukee, winter 1998: The Tom Trebelhorn era was long behind us, and the Phil Garner era was also coming to a close. Having just moved to the National League, the Milwaukee Brewers were hoping to turn things around. “It’s always darkest before the dawn,” some fans would say, while other fans and their sports allegiance fled south to Chicago for more lush pastures. Milwaukee winters are renowned for decimating vegetation, and many of the faithful hoped it would do the same for the hometown team’s staff. Easily putting behind them a 74-88 year, Milwaukee welcomed winter like no baseball town should: with open arms.
June 2nd, 1999: The groundwork was laid for a 73-89 season. “The Milwaukee Brewers select Ben Sheets, pitcher, NE Louisiana University.” The words reverberated through Brew Town’s nooks and crannies. The kid has ace potential, but much of the city knows nothing about the 21-year-old Benny. Standing 6 feet 1 inch tall, weighing 225 pounds, the title “savior” had seen more favorable characteristics, but never a more enviable right arm. The kid who struck out 20 Louisiana Tech batters prior to being drafted would soon be in a Milwaukee Brewer uniform, with a few stops in between. The dawn seemed a little closer for Brewer fans.
Summer, 2000: The grandest stage known to man, The Olympics. Countrymen train for years on end, working towards nothing more than a possibility to represent the motherland. For some nations, the Olympics are viewed as a lifeline, a peek into issues the World had been ignoring. For others, it was another chance to dominate the limelight for another four years. Undoubtedly, this was an affair that meant much more than sporting events and sportsmanship. The entire World would watch a select few, the best available, compete at the highest and purest level attainable. Certainly, a 20-something minor league pitcher would crumble, right? Nay, said Ben Sheets. Pitching 22 innings in the 27th Olympiad, yielding only 11 hits, Sheets pitched Tommy Lasorda’s Team USA into the gold medal game. Who else would get the nod for Team USA? Ben got nearly all of the outs by way of the ground ball, shutting out powerhouse Cuba, 4-0. Ben Sheets brought Gold home to America, at the ripe age of 22. The dawn seemed that much closer again for Milwaukee.
April 5th, 2001: The greatly anticipated debut of Ben Sheets was here. All these Olympic heroics and college legends were, as many Wisconsinites though, about to be validated. The kid with 20 Ks in one game in college and a gold medal in his back pocket would take the mound against the Houston Astros. Sheets pitched 6 rock-solid innings, striking 8 out while issuing 0 free passes. The lone blemish, an Adam Everett RBI single, tacked one run onto his career numbers. Jose Cabrera and Mike DeJean would slam the door on Houston, giving Ben Sheets his first career victory, a 9-3 win. The city had seen the second coming, some had thought. Sheets dazzled Houston’s hitters while sending a message to the baseball nation: Milwaukee is here. We aren’t a punching bag anymore. The proverbial dawn was right around the corner.
Fast forward a few seasons. “The kid is letting himself go,” some would say. A few pounds heavier and a few miles/hour less on his fastball, Sheets was still a Brewer, and owner of the biggest contract in franchise history. He continued to dominate the National League, but lackluster run support had him sporting records hovering below .500. Soon back problems and ear infections would manifest in the Adonis’ body. Numerous DL stints caused Sheets to miss large portions of consecutive years, changing his reputation from “dawn-bringer” to “susceptible sissy”. Nonetheless, a highly anticipated 2008 season would begin in Milwaukee, Sheets or no. Ben would start opening day, to be held at Chicago Cubs’ Wrigley field. Benny kept the Baby Bears at bay until Eric Gagne coughed up the lead on a Fukudome round-tripper. “The good guys win in the end” rang true this day, as the Brewers beat the Cubs, 4-3, in extra frames.
The culmination of 25 fruitless seasons was coming: a playoff berth. The best time to be a Brewer fan, ever. “The new ’82 crew” some would call them, and the brand of baseball was somewhat similar. “The Brewers are unbeatable in the short series. Look at our 1-2 punch,” was a popular saying around Wisconsin. The combo of Sabathia/Sheets could carry the team deep into October, and it might even include a parade or two. But it was not meant to be, as Sheets succumbed again to injury, and failed to make one start in the playoffs. The season ended in Milwaukee, with Sheets in a familiar place: the shelf. Sheets filed for free agency this off-season, seemingly ending his ties with the Milwaukee Brewers.
The real talk:
Sheets is garbage, and it’s a shame I’m just realizing this now. Don’t get me wrong, he showed flashes of greatness. 18 Ks vs. the Atlanta Braves (a game I was in attendance for) proves that. The man K’d 264 batters a few seasons back. He showed potential. Potential and actuality are completely different things. He got the biggest contract in club history at the time, and couldn’t even show up to work for the biggest games in Brewer history, the 2008 NLDS. Letting Ben go will be symbolic of the namby-pamby Brewers passing and the wall bangers’ rebirth. Send Sheets, his injuries, sub-par baseball and the stigma of being the Milwaukee Brewers packing.
Please, Doug Melvin, please do not resign Ben Sheets. Don’t even offer him a contract. Sheets milked the Brewers for all they are worth, and didn’t even come up big. Sheets has no place in the 2009 rotation, and that is where Yovani Gallardo steps in. Yovani and Benny are nearly indistinguishable, on the stuff-side of equation. Mid 90s fastball, hit the corners but can blow you away, with decent off speed and high K numbers. You can’t have carbon copies in the rotation. Let the Dodgers and Tommy Lasorda cough up the $20 or $30 million he’ll ask for.
Who can we replace him with? How about someone who is a free agent and has better numbers, for cheaper? Jon Garland. If you’re going by sheer record (a very inaccurate representation), Garland wins hands down. Do you take Sheets’ 86-83 or Garland’s 106-89? To be fair, Garland has made 34 more starts than Benny. Record really isn’t reflective of a pitcher’s skill, but I have no time left.
Note for the Ballhawks: Let me know if Benny has ever thrown you a ball. I’ve only seen him toss baseballs to little kids a few times. He is know as one of the hardest Brewer autographs to get, as well. Why sign autographs? We only pay your salary.
Ben Sheets, take someone else’s money. Sit on someone else’s DL. Miss someone else’s playoff games.
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