Milwaukee Bound!

The White Sox and Twins might not know if they are going to the playoffs but I know I'll be making my debut! Shira and I are hopeful we can land tickets for Game one Brewers-Phils on Wednesday, but at the very least I'll be at game three! Shira gave me her blessings saying, "You might not get this chance again." I've had this grin the last 24 plus hours. Shira added she won't have to trek out to Milwaukee now. I owe many thanks to my friend Dave for making this happen. We've been buds at the wood for years and he's always been more than generous in hooking me up with Brew Crew gear. This whole scenario has been worth the wait and the true fun hasn't even begun!

Brewers return me to 1982

Last week I spoke to my friend Dave and we were both dejected about the Brewers squandering their playoff chances. Now we are both in an ecstatic state and making playoff plans after our beloved Brew Crew landed a playoff spot. Years ago I remember listening on my walkman at the WP Bowl as the Brewers came back from two down to beat the Angels and get to the World Series. That was one of the first things to enter my mind as victory seemed real today. I have waited since 1982 and never thought the day would arrive when we made it. Ironically neither New York team got in! C.C. threw a gem and made a memorable one-handed snag. Then Braun launched a homer that will send him into Brewers immortality. Loyalty sure pays off I knew this one playoff opportunity would be worth the wait. Strangely the Brewers will face Shira's Phillies. It'll be more exciting days ahead!

Celtic outtake photo

Wow! What a week! The Celts got it done! Rit picked us up title shirts today( and he met MCA). Celts by 39 points and to think a year ago they were the worst. This spring Celts and Red Wings won. Hey the Dolphins went 1-15 so I desrved a good spring, and the Brew Crew isn't playing so bad. Hopefully Sheets can stay healthy and they'll play some important games. On Memorial day weekend, Shira and I saw Brewers beat Nationals. On that day Celts beat Pistons in a Eastern Conf game and Wings took game 1 of Stanley Cup. We watched 3 of the finals games at fern!What a series!

Beat L.A!

Wednesday Night, Red Wings win 4th Cup in my lifetime.
Thursday Night, Celtics win a game in Finals for the 1st time since I was 15.
Wow.

Stadium #20 Nationals Park

A brief donning of the home team cap outside of stadium #20, Nationals Park. This was the fifth stadium I saw the Brewers in so I quickly took off the "W" cap and handed it to Shira. Nationals Park did not disappoint. The first hour was spent in the outfield concourse. We bought a Teddy Roosevelt doll and Screech claw. We had time to get some blue slush puppies and see the DJ, cherry blossoms, and guitar hero center. The seats were fantastic(thanks Andy) and Shira found a pracice ball on our way to giving Suppan the Book of Bert. Stadium twenty was a huge success. It was the third team I've seen two homefields( Pirates, Phillies, Nationals).

Celts return to Finals!

We interrupt this blog to report that the Celtics are returning to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1987. Let's see I was finishing 9th grade at tha time. Now i've been teaching for 9 years! I watched the game with my Dad who raised Rit and I to be Celtic fans. Who wouldv'e thought a year ago we'd be at this point. Then the summer time trades gave us hope. Now game 1 of the finals this Thursday vs... The Lakers?!? Should be fun!

April Showering with Baseball

What a hectic April it's been?!? Tax Day! Green Lantern Bday! Varsity Baseball Season! Book Release Parties! Somehow managed to squeeze three games into the 08 Season, so far. This pic is from my third trip to Camden Yards. Enjoy!

Munchkin Land, U.S.A.

In Kansas City they busted out the last remaining Munchkin from the Wizard of Oz. I've seen other Munchkin's since and I'm not sure of the discrepancy. While we were in the Midwest trolling with Munchkins my bro saw Shaq on his vacation.

Leap Day '08!

It's not every day you get to blog on February 29th. Actually it's every four years! But you know that! This pic is from our 2005 trip to KC. We took a pic automatically and then an usher came over and asked us if he could take our pic. Just like NY !?!
Shira and I plan on going to DC sometime this year for my 20th stadium.

N.L.B.M.

The Negro League Baseball Museum is located in Kansas City. It is not a Hall of Fame but a history of the defunct league that existed before and for a brief time after Jackie Robinson's debut in MLB. At the time of our visit Buck O'Neil was still alive but he was not at the museum. Last year Buck passed away, ever the gentlemen Buck was never publicly miffed at not being placed into Cooperstwon Hall. Hopefully one of these days MLB will get it right and honor Buck O'Neil. The NLBM shares the premises with the Jazz Musuem and is well worth the visit if one is ever in KC.

*Snow Day*

Crazy, snowy day here! My bro locked his keys in his running car while we were shoveling our parking spots. To commemorate this snowy day how about a pic from Canada!

Wheels, Bovines, & Wreaths

This photo was taken during my third and briefest trip to Cooperstown. Just paying my respects to the Scooter who departed this earhtly plane in summer 07. This upcoming softball season will be dedicated to his memory.

Schmidt Mitt!?!

Philadelphia 2005- Shira and I outside Citizen's Bank Ballpark at the Mike Schmidt statue. Games we've been to since the park opened:
September 19, 2004 vs. Montreal Expos
June 12, 2005 vs. Milwaukee Brewers
May 20 & 21, 2006 vs. Boston Red Sox
August 30, 2007 vs. New York Mets

Head First Into '08!

Almost a year with this blog and about 50 posts AND I still haven't posted my St. Loooie Card pics?!!? Here is the Cardinal sliding under the tag of the Wizard of Oz, Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith!

Pitchers, Catchers, Congressman Report

It's ironic that Bonds, Clemens, and Sosa may all end up eligible for the Hall of Fame the same year. It seems all three will have a hard time getting in without paying admission. I hope they have AAA because they'll at least get the rebate. In this pic I'm posing near the Gwynn Shrine. Shira is at the Ripken shrine.

More Ball Droppin'

As kids Mom and Dad were great at taking us to the ballpark. In the late 70's we were screaming for Rick Cerone and Lou Pinella's attention. Coach Mike Ferraro was kind enough to toss us youngsters a ball. Jim Rice also answered our call by autographing our program (in the Bronx no less?!!?)

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.