New Years Ball Drop!

Don't drop the ball in '08! Have a healthy and safe new year! This is one of two Willie Mays autographs I have. The first I received from my grandfather when he was a caddy master. This ball was signed when Willie made an appearance at a car dealership in Mount Vernon.

Christmas Balls!!!

Yes that is a Bud Selig signed ball. Believe it or not I'm connected through two different paths to Bud. Over the years Dave Barkin,friend,co-worker,member of the Brewer Fam, has hooked me up with too much Brewer gear.This ball is one of the many things he graciously gave me.

Brewing Hot Stove

Why so serious?! Gone from the successful 07 Brewers... Estrada, Jenkins, Cordero. What do they have to show? A couple of relievers from the Mitchell Report. Here's hoping the 08 season is just as competitive as 2007.

Marital Marlins!

Marlins take 2 out of 2 vs Yanks in the Cadaco Spin Game!

Box a Rox in Red Sox

The Red Sox century of comebacks continues... The Sox look to place their stamp on the 2000s with a second WS title. My guess...Josh Beckett and the Bosox tame the scalding-hot soon to be snowcold Rockies in FIVE!

Bugged Out!

The other night as the Yanks and Joba were beseiged by midges I had to call Max as this once happened to us! This photo is from earlier in the game before the flying bugs took over Comerica. The game was stopped a few minutes unlike the ALDS game a few nights ago. Hey wouldn't it be a great Halloween costume to get a Yankee Jersey and hot glue some bugs to it...

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/mlb/news/2000/08/24/detroit_swarm_ap/

Beckett's At It Again!

The last time Josh Beckett appeared in the playoffs he was a member of the World Champion Florida Marlins. That last start was October 25,2003.

Philadelphia October!

I took this photo at the August 30th tide-turning slugfest vs. the Mets. This game concluded the four game sweep for the Phillies. They would take three more at Shea before their historic weekend. Rollins for MVP! (and thats coming from a Brewers fan)

Shira's Phils win NL East

Shira received a belated Birthday gift from the Phils this year... the NL East Crown! The last team the Phils won the east the team was full of mullets. This magical run takes away some of the hurt from the Phils 1964 collapse with Gene Mauch.

Glavine wins #303

While the Mets franchise still can't seem to notch its first no-hitter, Tom Glavine picked up historic win #303. Here's one of three pics i snatched of Glavine from the Phillies Hall of Fame.

Twice Visited Stadiums!

While seated at the Rogers Centre it dawned upon me that It was the sixth stadium I had visited at least twice. Yankee Stadium and Shea are the obvious ones. Ive been to both the Vet and Citizens Bank at least twice. Camden Yards is the sixth. If you want to get technical I saw two games at Wrigley, but it was a doubleheader.

WIS Winners

Dave,Dad and myself. Where's Tarp?!

Shira Stadium #13

Shira is catching up! On our recent trip to Canada, Shira and I went to Rogers Centre to see Jays v. A's. This was Shira's 13th stadium visit, while still stuck at 19.

Stadium #19 PNC Park

August 24, 2006- Astros at Pirates was my 19th stadium, and it was Shira's 12th! My amazing wife has put up with my baseball travels. The trip to Pittsburgh was fun for her as well as we went to the Warhol museaum and Bird Sanctuary.

Stadium #18 Kaufmann KC

Since i was a little kid ive wanted to visit the stadium in KC, and it didnt disappoint. The Red Sox nation overtook the stadium but the Royals won the game. Bronson Arroyo started and Schillin was on the cover of the KC program. Easy access to the stadium via the bus. One of my favorite stadium visits! Got to love the waterfalls!!!

Brideball IV

Shira and I show off our 2007 Golden Gate NL shirts we used at Brideball this year. While I would've liked to have gotten us an Utley and Fielder combo I had to settle for two Jose Reyes tee's. Nonetheless, it was a great night and I'll add some more pics soon.

Stadium #17 Busch

So a trip to the Midwest was necessary because i wanted to add Busch to the list before they demolished it. Of course Pujols was not in the lineup BUT he did make a pivotal AB late in the game. The Cards were defeated by the Giants. the big winner is St. Looie was Shira who won $100 while riverside gambling.

Stadium #16 RFK

The Senators inaugural season and Ichiro and the Mariners were in town. The stadium had a Shea-like shabbiness to it. The game was well-attended and as we know the Senators got off to a strong start in their new DC home. I'm still trying to figure out how the D.C. subway system works though.

Beckett Delivers Once Again For Allie and Shira

October 25,2003. Shira and I get married AND Josh Beckett and the Florida Marlins defeat the Yankees in the World Series. A couple of years later, we witness Beckett not only defeat the Phils but also homer. While Shira was rooting for her hometown Phils I thought this was kind of cool.

Stadium #15 Citizens Bank Park

Since it opened in 2004 Shira and I have gone to at least one game each year. In 'o4 we saw the last season of the Expos. In '05 my Brew Crew was in town, making this the 4th stadium I've seen the Brewers in! Last year we went to two weekend games with Randi and Mike to see to the Red Sox in town.

Brewers in town for rare visit as a First place team

I told Shira there won't be many times in my lifetime the Brew Crew shows up in NYC as a first place team. We got to see the Brewers beat up on the Mets. J.J. Hardy hit a grand slam in their only win of the weekend. I got to high-five an authentic Wisconsinite!

Stadium #14 PacBell

April 15, 2003- The original plan was to post this on TaxDay but due to Northeastern flooding today will have to suffice. It's hard to believe four years have passed since our trip to SF. Y'see the master plan was that i proposed to Shira on the Golden Gate Bridge earlier in the day! Pacbell and its Garlic fries was just a place to relax after sneaking an engagement ring onto JetBlue airways. Don't remember much about the game, Bonds did play (i was still a fan at the time). This photo was taken by Mays statue which i apparently was oblivious of. I was amazed at how quickly we exited the stadium after the game. But that all pales in comparison to Golden Gate proposal.

Stadium #13 Jacobs

2001. Cleveland. Jacobs Field. Red Sox v. Tribe. Saw John Lennon exhibit at Rock N Roll HOF. Followed by an exciting baseball game.

Youppi!

Of course no trip to an Expos game would be complete without a chance to meet Youppi! When we spotted him near left field we made a mad dash from our seats behind homeplate. Since nobody was in the stadium we were able to easily be photographed with the Orange mascot. Don't worry about Youppi being jobless he's currently employed by the Montreal Canadiens. Check the link for his official site on the sidebar.

Stadium #12 Olympic Stadium

Wanted to get to Expos game before they were contracted. Mission accomplished! On my third trip to Montreal the Brewers were also in town. We joined in the Canadien fun by using the unoccupied rows in front and behind us as noisemakers. The subway led right to the underground portion of the stadium. Sadly, there were more Yankee jerseys for sale on the streets than the hapless 'spos. I 'spos thats why they left Montreal.

Stadium #11 Comerica

August 23, 2000- 5th game in 4 Stadiums, 4th Day, 3rd City! When we pulled into Detroit Max thought it'd be best if we left our three goldfish (Doug Flutie, Ben Johnson, and Michael J. Fox) with the parking attendant. I disagreed. Upon returning to the car our goldfish were boiled. BUT we had even more fun at the game! Max wanted to move seats during the game because some bugs kept bothering him. I pointed out that others around the stadium were having the same problem. Besides we had a great view from our seats. Well a little while late the ENTIRE stadium was overtaken by flying ants. The game vs. the Mariners was even postponed about five minutes.

Seppuku

The highlight of the Wrigley games goes to Coach Ditka. He sang Take Me Out to the Ballgame during the 7th Inning Stretch.

Stadium #10 Wrigley

August 25, 2000- How do you top back-to-back days at Skydome and Comiskey? How about a daytime double header at Wrigley! The Dodgers were in town and Max and I scored tickets with "obstructed viewing." As soon as I scan those pics you'll see how obstructed the view was. Anyways, Gary Mathews Jr. hit the first homer I saw there.

Stadium #9 Comiskey II

Poor Comiskey II it opened the year before Camden Yards so they missed out on the Retro stadium vibe. This stadium sort of reminded me of Yankee Stadium in its appearance. Unfortunately these were the pre-digital camera days for me so this lousy pic is the only one of me in Comiskey. This game was the day after the trip to Skydome! Highlight: the only stadium to serve corn on the cob with a variety of seasonings!

Toronto etiquette

This was the first stadium I was ever at in which they would not let you back to your seats until the half inning ended. What a novel and courteous idea. When I got up to buy something I had to wait until the inning was over so I wouldn't ruin the game for any fans. I've only also seen this at San Fran. Good job Caknuckleheads and West Coasters! By the way, the Skydome is "GiNormous!"

Stadium #8 Skydome

I don't care what they call this stadium now it's the SKYDOME! Roof was open when Max and I rolled into town. The previous game I had just been to was the A's at Yankees in which Bernie and Justice hit back-to-back to end it. This game ended on a walk off against the Royals. For some reason I can't recall who hit it. I'll have to check my boxscore. On the way to Toronto, Max and I won three goldfish in upstate NY. They survived Montreal but would ultimately meet their demise in Detroit.

Stadium #7 Camden

I've been to Camden Yards on two occasions. In 1999 it was during one of Cal Ripken's rare days off. That's when this pic is from. The game was pretty uneventful, but the stadium was as good as advertised. My second trip was with a group of friends. Those pics will be up at a later date. It was during Preakness weekend with Smarty Jones in town. The bars were buzzing when he won. We saw the O's play the Angels. Vladimir when yard and as soon as the game ended it started to pour. We did get to see some of the free Eddie Money concert outside the stadium afterwards.

Stadium #6 Three Rivers

First trip to Pittsburgh took place in the "magical" summer of '98. The Dbacks were in town the night before and Three Rivers drew less than 9,000. With Slammin' Sammy Sosa and the Cubbies in town attendance rose to 30,000. Sosa used the stadium as a launching pad during BP. Then he launched #58 during the game. In light of all the HGH and 'roids talk since this story just doesn't have the same resonance. My apologies to Roger Maris for supporting this travesty.

Stadium #5 Fenway

That's me standing outside the monster during Nomar's rookie season. Sat in left field section 33 I believe. Felt like I was watching a game via a time warp, especially since the teams were wearing throwback uniforms. The Braves were in town and they had uniforms with Boston across their chests. Mo Vaughn looked ridiculous in the super baggy uniform. Nomar had a hit in one of the last games of his rookie hit streak. I liked that shirt I'm wearing so much that when I lost it a few months later I went back to get another one in Salem.

Stadium #4 Fulton-County Stadium

August 25, 1996- 1996 Olympic backwash! Rit, Max and I traveled down south with Bram from Holland for a slice of Americana. While we didn't "midget golf" on the trip Bram did get to "hump a wheel chair." The Cubs were in town and Mark Wohlers was...wild! The new stadium was right next door and just recovering from Olympic use. The first few stadiums I went to I bought bibs. Rit is sporting a Stuckey's t- shirt. We saw the World of Coca-Cola and I remember being profoundly disappointed at how Max Headroom was almost nowhere to be found.

The Trophy that Sealed the Deal

Ah, the elusive 1982 World Series Trophy. Still can't get my mitts on it. In 1981 this fans love affair with the Brew Crew began. It was the strike season and the Brewers lost out to the Yanks in the first division series ever. My first of many reasons to hate the Yanks. By 1982 the Brewers won the AL East on their own. They were down to the Angels and pulled out the ALCS in 5 games. I listened on my walkman at the WP Bowl. The WS was a heart breaker, I remember Gorman Thomas fouling off what seemed like a hundred foul balls before finally succumbing to Sutter and the Cards. Damn you Willie McGee!!!

Stadium #3 The Vet

(picture pending) On a return from Graceland, Dan, Max and I decided to stop at a ballpark on the way back north. The only team playing was the Phillies. When we arrived at the Vet, the game was in the third inning. We also realised Hideo Nomo was pitching the next day(hey it was his sensational rookie season). Nonetheless we scored $5 scalped tickets and managed to catch nine innings because it went into extra innings. The game ended on a walk-off Charlie Hayes homer!

Stadium #2 Shea

My earliest memories of Shea are from a weekend of camping. While in Dutchess County we suddenly realized we had tickets for Mets-Braves. This was in late 70s or early 80s when they were both pretty lousy. Later on, we would go to about ten games a year. We did this until we got Nets season tickets but thats for a different blog. One of the most exciting games I went to was during Strawberry's first weekend as a Dodger. I've seen Bonds hit homers at Shea as a Pirate and Giant. I saw Anthony Young break a record for consecutive losses. We saw a four car fire in the parking lot while Pedro Astacio was in the sixth inning of a no-hitter. Someone put their bbq grill under their car. All of this pales in comparison to my brother seeing the Mets clinch the division in 86. He did not tear up the field but did receive some dirt in the parking lot.

Stadium #1 part II

Not all trips to Yankee Stadium included pretzel baths. There are some other fond memories. My earliest was when my dad bought me a Red Sox hat in the 70s. On the way home from the game I thought it'd be cool if I put popcorn in the hat and held it out the highway. Well of course the popcorn blew out the hat, but I didn't forsee the hat blowing out of my hand. My dad, of course, bought me another Bosox hat. Also Red Sox related, at the behest of my mom we were calling for Lou Pinella's attention. He wouldn't come over, but we persisted. That is until Jim Rice came over to sign our program. Another time former Yankee coach Mike Ferraro threw us a ball during BP. In early teens we would visit the Bronx with Uncle Vinnie. His beer drinking put him on the same pissing schedule as my younger brother. Lastly when I was old enough to drink at the stadium I went with a group of friends. One of the guys brought his 17 year old brother. The 17 year was given a ball upon entrance for appearing to be 14 or younger. He was then served a beer for being over 21. Gotta love the stadium!!!

Stadium #1 part I

Despite the Yankee Doodle hat you can clearly see where my allegiance for this game were. In the upper deck against better judgement I have incited the crowds more than once. The first time was when Bo Jackson homered off the Yanks and I was showered with pretzels. The second time in 1993 I pretended I was from Canada and bought a Toronto helmet and banner. I paraded from upper deck behind the plate to my seats in left field. I was greeted with a chorus of boos which only subsided when it was replaced by the "off with his head" chants. The Jays were the defending champs at this point so it gave me some leverage. As time as worn on I don't cause a scene in the Bronx anymore. I do wear hats of the opponents but I'm more concerned for the safety of those around me than I used to be.

91's recap of visits

This is how I summed up my visits on WIS. That's my dad and I in Homestead Grey caps.

• Vet my first visit i saw charlie hayes hit a walkoff HR in extra innings, years later i saw a double header vs a's in final season of vet, now i have two seats from vet in my living room
  
• Fulton-County was there just days after 96 olympics, wohlers was wild and the crowd was laid back
  
• Camden been there twice, first time was one of Cals rare days off, last yr saw Vlad hit HR
  
• on 5 game, 4 stadium, 3 city tour, i was frightened by fireworks at Skydome attacked by flying ants at Comerica, ate loads of corn on the cob at Comiskey II and saw a double header vs LA @Wrigley
  
• Olympic stadium does this count as a MLB game, i saw my beloved brew crew play in a foreign country
  
• Fenway during Nomars rookie season i saw the last game of his hit streak while they played the braves in throwbacks
  
• Pacbell got engaged earlier in the day in SF, then ate garlic fries while kent was booed in his return to SF, stupidly didnt go to see willie mays statue, but it was a pretty good day
  
• Three Rivers saw Sosa's 58th in 98! doesnt have the same clout it used to
  
• Citizens Bank nice new stadium, ashburns alley is sweet, took pictures on mike schmidt statue
  
• Shea go to at least one brewer game a year, remember when darryl returned from LA and he homered, my bro was on the field when they wrecked it by clinching first in 86
  
• Yankee stadium best game i saw there was 1-0 over indians when mel hall hit a walkoff homer for yanks, saw clemens pussyfoot around bonds and walk him several times, was at sox win over mariano and yanks in sept last yr, i remember bombo rivera throwing his helmet into the crowd
  
• Jacobs one of my favorite parks, didnt realize it was so close to Gund, saw a good sox-tribe game
  
• RFK saw 8th win of nats crazy win streak, ichiro was in town, stadium kind of dumpy reminds of shea, but easy transport back and forth
  
• Busch II great fans excellent baseball vibe, bowling HOF right next door, plenty of reg cards were hurt and they lost the gints
  
• Kauffman royals won an extra inning road game against the defending champ bosox, yes red sox nation was in the house, schilling was on the kc program cover
  
• PNC sweet new stadium a little further up the river than old stadium, crossed clemente bridge and saw pirates play stros, freddy sanchez led lead in avg and taveras con't hit streak

Stadium #19 in Summer #19

What a place to start...my 19th Stadium visit! When this tour started I had a lot less gray in the beard as you'll see from the rest of the pics I post. My favorite all-time player is #19 Robin Yount. I wear 19 and 91 in his honor. Strangely enough, I visited stadium #19 (PNC) in my 19th summer of employment at my day camp. I did NOT purchase this throwback cap on this trip to Pitt or on my first trip to Pitt. I actually got the hat at a shop right outside of Wrigley. If you look close enough you'll see former Wallbanger Cecil Cooper in the background.