Power Rangers

A few random thoughts:
-A baby and a book on the way! The Brewers in the playoffs...can't complain!
-Speaking of the playoffs...it's cool to hear Brewers announcer Brain Anderson call the games with Darling and Smoltz...not so cool to see them trailing for two games now.
-One thing we all learned...don't pitch to Rangers Nelson Cruz in the 11th...he has two hrs and 7 RBI. Can you say A.L.C.S. M.V.P.
-Red Sox dysfunction continues...Theo leaves to try and end curse in Cubbie-land. Francona allegations along with beer and fried chicken in the clubhouse.
-Received my second Triumph check yesterday! Looking forward to the next editing phase. Really enjoyed the writing process and would love to do it again!

Suds Series, Game One

Wishing Princess Mommy A Happy Birthday!

The Brewers and Cardinals renew their rivalry in another phase. It started in the 1982 World Series, continued in the N.L. Central, and now re-emerges in the 2011 N.L.C.S. Yesterday, we missed the live action of the game, but for good reason. We threw an amazing birthday bash for Shira. When I spoke to our family and friends I mentioned I figured everyone would be giving up Week Five NFL and the day in between Yom Kippur and Columbus Day. Little did we know the Brew Crew would be scheduled for Game One. Cyrus et. all had a blast...the food, the venue, the DJ...all were excellent. It was so great to see everyone on this festive day. I got a few updates from Jon, Mike, and Greg. We caught a few of the final outs at Grandpa Rays. The Beer makers scored six runs on 22 pitches in the fifth inning. The game included homers from Braun and Prince. When they both homer the Crew is 28-9. Jerry Hairston, Jr., son of former major leaguer and grandson of Negro Leaguer, had two hits in the two-hole. The Cards, ironically, give me hope in the post-Prince days that will follow the playoffs. As long as Braun is healthy (and signed through 2020), and the Brewers have pitching (Gallardo, Greinke, Marcum) they should remain competitive in the NLC and able to lure some decent players. Game Two is moments away. I'm looking for another home victory as the playoffs move at a quick pace.

Lions and Tigers and Red Wings...Oh My!

Allie, circa 2000 at Comerica

In the USA Today, there was an article about the return of Detroit's economy and sports teams. While the Red Wings have been to the playoffs 20 straight years, the same cannot be said about the Tigers and Lions. The Lions (4-0) play Da Bears tonight, and the Tigers are up 3-2 in the 7th right now of Game Two of the ALCS. The Lions might actually be in a meaningful game on Thanksgiving. Meanwhile, we are almost at the halfway point of October and still waiting for the fall to show up. Cyrus enjoys watching baseball. He asked me at 10am today if we could watch the Brewers. He is very organized in his thoughts, laying out five or six things in order that he wants to do. Play baseball. Take a bath. Get dressed. Take a nap. Wake up. Read. Play baseball. He pointed at a picture of Earth and said, "That's where we live." **Update** Game Two is going ten! Ex-Red Sox galore...Francona in the booth, Beltre on Texas, Victor Martinez with Tigers. My dad is a Texas Rangers fan now. He likes Nolan Ryan's pitching philosophy and he's tired of pathetic Mets.

Here Come the LCS!

A strange thing happened on the way to the LCS...All Four division winners were outscored by their opponents yet they won enough games to move on. Game One of ALCS is currently on rain delay, the weather and Rangers have gotten to Verlander for a 3-0 lead. Tomorrow we will be throwing Shira a festive "excigen" birthday party. The Brewers-Cards will start during the game, the teams are already passing along nasty comments to each other. I'm really looking forward to the party, I love having family and friends get together like this. Maybe Cyrus will sing!

Tony Plush F Yeah

I remember exactly where I was in 1982 when the Milwaukee Brewers won their only other playoff series. White Plains with my walkman on listening to the 0-2 comeback vs. the California Angels. Tonight I'll remember exactly where I was when Tony Plush aka Nyjer Morgan  knocked in Carlos Gomez to advance the Brew Crew to their first NLCS. The Brewers become the first team to make the ALCS and NLCS in baseball history, but they will face their heated rival and 1982 World Series opponents, The St. Louis Cardinals. I had a feeling only Brewers or Phils would win tonight after Yankee defeat yesterday.  In two nail-biter games that included some pacing and edge of my seat sitting, the Brewers prevailed 3-2 in ten, while the Phils lost 1-0 in a game in which Chris Carpenter threw a gem against his friend Roy Halladay. The Brewers game had all the makings of a choke. The announcers reminded us that Axford had 43 straight saves , the Brewers were 83-1 when leading after nine...well they coughed up the lead. But with Greinke warming up and Gomez on first I finally started to feel confident. Morgan stepped up and I was hoping he'd beat Braun to the game winning punch. Fielder and Nyjer couldn't even speak afterwards, but Braun composed said this is what you play for, it's fun isn't it? I still can't get over this, with Philly loss they now have homefield advantage as long as they play. As I was getting aggravated about Brewers possible blowing game I went into Cyrus' room and gave him a kiss, I can't wait to watch playoff games with him! As my mom pointed out Shira will have to have another baby since each time she has been pregnant the Brewers have been in the playoffs!?

I Love the Red Sox, I Hate the Yankees

Belt Tre

Maybe the easiest headline in baseball history as Adrian Beltre knocks three homeruns to send the Rangers to their second straight ALCS. The magic finally ran out for the Rays who vaulted the Bosox just under a week ago. In Sox news, Theo will soon be talking to Cubbies to try and end that cursed streak. Phils just went up 3-0 on Ben Francisco pinch-hit homer, but now it's a battle of the pens. In what is the last four game day of the baseball season the Brewers and Tigers look to end their series. My guess is they both loss and that A.J. Burnett throws a gem. We are busy getting ready for Shira's birthday party. Cyrus wanted to party todayFeist's album arrived on vinyl today, she personally told me to play "Cicadas and Gulls" as the baby's first song.

Brewtober Time

Signs at Miller Park..."I've waited my whole life for this"...kid, you are ten years old how about me or the fat guy in the row behind you with the kielbasa? Robin Yount threw out the first pitch then went into Beast Mode. Another sign read "Brewers send those snakes on a plane". Ha. A much needed 9-4 victory. The sideline reporter asked Yount who he was rooting for because he briefly coached Arizona. Really? Do some better research. The Crew is up 2-0 for their first post season series lead ever, BUT they were once trailing 0-2 so i'll take nothing for granted here. Braun and Prince already have more hits than last post season, here's hoping they can keep producing. Meanwhile, my dad made his new Yankee Stadium debut. He went with Mike and the boys. The Yanks almost pulled it off as Tigers catcher slipped on wet Yankee logo. Cyrus enjoyed watching some of the game with me, while Shira inches closer to due date!

Bob McClure Blues

2B Jim Gantner batted .333 in the 1982 World Series.

The other night I was thinking about how most of the eight playoff teams had recently been to the World Series. Then I realized more specifically seven of the eight teams had arrived at the Fall Classic in the 2000's. the only team on the outside is the Milwaukee Brewers. Their last visit is the well-mentioned 1982 team. Harvey's Wallbangers were up three games to two in the '82 World Series (the last post season series lead until last night). Without Rollie Fingers though the team faltered as Darrell Porter, Keith Hernandez, and Willie Mcgee doomed the Brew Crew. I'm really pulling for a Brewers-Phillies LCS because I don't want to see anymore success for the Cards, they've had their fair share. Below is listed the most recent World Series appearance for the 2011 playoff contenders:
Texas Rangers 2010
Philadelphia Phillies 2009
New York Yankees 2009
Tampa Bay Rays 2008
Detroit Tigers 2006
St. Louis Cardinals 2006
Arizona Diamondbacks 2001
Milwaukee Brewers 1982

Homefield Beasts!

The Brew Crew fought hard for the home field advantage and it paid off early with a Game One 4-1 victory over Arizona. Yovani stymied the D'backs and Braun and Fielder had five of the Brewers eight hits. After spotting the Cards a field goal, the Phillies roared back for an 11-6 victory. But back to the Brewers, not too long ago we started to show Cyrus some Pixar movies. He's seen all three Toy Story movies, Finding Nemo, and Monsters, Inc. This morning Yahoo ran a story about Brewers Beast Mode connection to Sully and Mike Wazowski. The series continues today at 5pm and you can be sure i'll be donning some Brewers gear.

Rays of Light

Cyrus back in March with his Baseball Guys.

The Tampa Bay Rays might be onto the new market efficiency ...draft picks. As they watch free agents depart the Rays are hoarding picks and parlaying them into prospect studs. Arm after arm seem to be appearing on an as needed basis. Need someone for Game One of ALDS...sure try Matt Moore. In his second major league start Moore held the majors best hitting team to zero runs. Down 7-0 in the bottom of the 8th only 48 hours earlier, the Rays were easy 8-0 victors in the playoff opener. Kelly Shoppach became the latest entrant into baseball's roll call of little known players turned playoff legend. With a stress on player development and a dozen picks in the first 85 this past draft, it's no mystery why the Rays allow Kazmir, Crawford, and Pena leave. Youth has been served with the Rays, according to the TBS broadcast the last time they started a 30-year old pitcher was Jae Seo in 2007. This team should be competitive for years to come. Meanwhile, Yanks-Tigers only made it through one plus inning ruining each team's rotation and most likely assisting the Yankees.

Not So Amazin'

Mets history littered with mundane news

The first half day of MLB playoffs in the books and now a brief look at the 2011 fortunes of the leagues worst teams.
Reds- Votto is for real, but decimated pitching was no match for the Brew Crew and Cards. Bronson Arroyo led the league in homers allowed while graciously lending quotes for our book. A return to Fenway in the future for Arroyo?! Brandon Phillips made a lot of Twitter friends, but not enough to overtake Rickie Weeks for starting 2b spot on the all-star team.
White Sox- Ozzie Guillen trade was not the first time a manager has been shipped. Lou Piniella, Chuck Tanner, Gil Hodges, Joe Gordon have been dealt as managers. Possible landing spot for Terry Francona? Adam Dunn suffered from historically bad season that erased Rob Deer from the record books.
Mets- Since when is a 77-85 season for a large market team a successful season? Terry Collins had his team playing hard until the end, or in Jose Reyes case ...playing hard until he ran off the field in the first inning after bunting his way to batting title. The selfish Reyes most likely made his last appearance as a Met, and the franchise will be better served heading in the "Wright" direction without him.
A's- Possibly one of the biggest disappointments of the season. Highlight of the season arrived on newstand when Brad Pitt appeared in A's hat on the cover of SI to promote Moneyball. Much traveled franchise might soon be heading to San Jose.
Rockies- Just as Andy Reid knew Donovan McNabb was cooked, the Rox knew Ubaldo Jimenez has seen better days. Car-go had a tough start to the season and the Rox didn't have one of their blazing September finishes of seasons past.
Pirates- Flirted with .500 around all-star break, even made some deadline acquisitions to bolster competititness. End result...another sub .500 season. Here come the Steelers and Penguins.
Marlins- The Miami Marlins bring their two franchise World Series titles into a new stadium. Hanley Ramirez and Josh Johnson killed the hopes of many a fantasy owner. Logan Morrison tweeted his way into the Minor Leagues and Trader jack briefly returned to the managerial ranks.
Royals- Kansas City was featured in an SI article casting them as a dominant team in a season or two. Royals brought up several players who they hope will be a part of this future success. Melky Cabrera and one-time prospect Alex Gordon were among hit leaders.
Cubs- Starlin Castro led the majors in hits. Carlos Zambrano led the majors in coolers hit. Did this team drop the ball in hiring Cubs legend Ryne Sandberg?
Padres- Held onto Heath Bell so they could recieve more valuable draft picks when he signs elsewhere. Future Hall of Famer Trevor Hoffman rejoined franchise as Mariano Rivera surpassed him for all-time saves lead.
Orioles- 95 losses but one monumental win that sent Red Sox Nation reeling for days and months to come. Will this once proud organization ever win the AL East?
Mariners- Ichiro misses 200 hits for the first time. Dustin Ackley soon to be the new face of the franchise.King Felix and Michael Pineada anchor the staff.
Twins- Concussed and Injured, at least they won't get swept by the Yankees in the playoffs.
Astros- First 100-loss season in franchise history. Hunter Pence joins Roy Oswalt on Phillies team favored to win it all.

Wait 'Til Next Year

With just 36 hours since the double collapse of the Red Sox and Braves, the ax appears ready to fall in Boston. It is most likely that Terry Francona will NOT surpass Joe Cronin's franchise record for managerial wins. He could end up in Chicago with the White Sox. Chicago could be the new home of Theo Epstein as well. He may decide to end his second curse of the century and try to coax a title for the Wrigley Faithful. Here's a brief list of thoughts on the seasons of some of the non-playoff teams:
Red Sox Worst case scenario for us? Not at all, we've got massive re-writes in store which could only become worse if Yankees win it all. My guess is Papelbon will be gone and Sox might try to trade Crawford. Does he even want to show his face in Boston this winter?
Braves Last in all the buzz of Bosox collapse is how epically bad the Braves were down the stretch. Good thing they won in 1995 otherwise everyone's take on this team would be tremendously different. Whatever happened to Jason Heyward?
Giants San Fran truly shows what it means to "catch lightning in a bottle." Their win last year gives Brewers fans like myself hope that they could pull it off. I bet they wish they could re-do Beltran trade. Posey sparked debate about catcher protection, while Miguel Tejada may have played his last game.
Angels They hung around until the last week, but it was an uphill battle all season. Cy Young effort from Jered Weaver who has signed long term. A likely landing spot for Prince Fielder? They've lost out many times on free agent sweepstakes maybe it's finally their time.
Dodgers 82 wins for snake-bitten Don Mattingly. This guy can't catch a break.Two great seasons from Clayton Kershaw and Matt Kemp. Kershaw favorite to win Cy, Kemp almost wins Triple Crown and 40-40 season. If Braun and Prince split votes he could win an undeserving MVP.
Blue Jays Life in the AL East can't be fun for this 81-win team. Bautista seemed to fade after first half onslaught. A force to be reckoned with in years to come?!
Nationals All signs point up for the former Expos! Strasburg, Harper, Pujols or Prince?!? Davey Johnson at the helm in the nation's capital...a second place finish in 2012...hmmmm.
Indians In it for most of the season until injuries (read lack of depth) and acquisition of Ubaldo Jimenez sabotaged season. Franchise feels it will only get better in always winnable ALC.

Quiet Before the Playoff Storm

Inside Miller Park before Game Three of 2008 NLDS

Talk about a great advertisement before the playoffs...if the country isn't ready for some playoff baseball after Wednesday night they never will be. Just hours away from the start of the 2011 baseball season. There are many reasons that fall is my favorite season and this is one of them! This picture is from my 2008 playoff visit to Milwaukee. The Brewers have clinched home field for the NLDS. They 57-24 at Miller Park including Zach Greinke's 11-0. However, he won't pitch until Game 3 in Arizona when hopefully the Brew Crew has at least one win. In '08 Milwaukee was just happy to be there. This time around there are high expectations. Of course, Johnathan Axford hasn't blown a save since April, so I'm prepared for the law of averages and the worst. GM Doug Melvin was on the radio yesterday, I never realized the 1982 Brewers were the fourth highest paid team in the league. I won't let my Yankee friends in on that piece of info. USA Today ranks Milwaukee #2 out of the eight playoff teams. Yikes. Another kiss of death. Here are my thoughts on the teams involved using the newspapers ratings:
1. Phillies- From perennial doormats to five-time NLE champs. I've long stated this team goes as Rollins goes. However, late season acquisition Hunter Pence could be the breakout player of the playoffs now that he is the main cog in the Phils lineup. Mayberry kind of reminds me of Jayson Werth's first few Phillie seasons. If the rotation performs the way they have all season, it's hard to disagree with the experts that it's their World Series to lose.
2. Brewers- Ryan Braun ranks #10 all-time on the list of most homeruns in first five seasons. Prince Fielder is #11. It would be great to see the Crew take it in Prince's walk year. Braun is signed through 2020 and the rotation is solid so hopefully there are a few more chances for me to fly out to Milwaukee for some playoff baseball. Weeks, Hart, Betancourt will need to provide some fireworks on a steady basis. K-Rod to Axford...fingers crossed!?!
3. Rangers- No Cliff Lee, no MVP-type season from Josh Hamilton, No Vlad Guerrero. But Rangers are back in the playoffs. They won't sneak up on anybody this season. They have a remade pen, Mike Napoli, Kinsler, Cruz, and Nolan Ryan's pitching philosophy. Don't mess with Texas!
4. Rays- The Legend of Longo. I traded Verlander in fantasy for Longoria and Prince. My team was in last place and remained out of it. Longoria's home run was straight out of fantasy, now if only Rays fans would show up for some playoff games. Maddon is a genius! A-rod payroll = $32 mil. Rays payroll = $42 mil. While Manny and Sox watch, Damon adds to his Cooperstown plaque.
5. Yankees- When the Bombers won in '09 we all knew they were the best team, but most agree they are not the best this year. However, they are the Yanks and have won it all with less than 90 win teams.  If they should outslug everyone and win another, I like many Yankee haters will be disappointed. Another Yankee title will lead to massive rewrites of this book. A Diamondbacks-Yankees ten year reunion will be unwatchable for me. Unless Kirk Gibson can pinch hit and homer off of Mariano.
6. Cardinals- Damn you Tony Larussa, Damn you Albert Pujols, Damn you Willie Mcgee! If the Brewers and Cards meet in NLCS it won't be there first playoff battle. The two teams met in the 1982 when I watched Gorman Thomas foul off about hundred balls before succumbing to Whitey Herzog's Cards. A team that should get swept in first round but will most likely be a hard out.
7. Tigers- I'm glad Verlander goes into playoffs with a recent loss. I'm convinced he will lose twice to Yankees. Would love to see him dominate while 2003 Marlin Miguel Cabrera goes wild on Yankees sorry staff. Valverde is another reliever without a blown save, I'm sure the Yankees will him at least once.
8. Diamondbacks- A wonderful worst to first story. But they are playing my favorite team so they won't get any fan interest from me. Built on pitching and D they will most likely beat Brewers or take them to five.

A "Nation" Mourns

Well it appears the Red Sox fortunes have gone full circle. As a matter of fact one could probably say they have a head start on last century. After early century dominance in the 1900's we all know the Sox went into a tailspin after trading the Bambino. A wretched 9-20 September has overshadowed the Atlanta Braves equally bad collapse. With each ending like this Gene Mauch and/or the 2007 Mets move further from memory. This certainly doesn't make writing our book any easier. Just submitted some fun sidebars and glad we did so before Epic fail because I'm not sure I would've had the energy to do. In a strange coincidence our book has been posted on Amazon! We are in the editing stage but it's awesome to see the release date of March 1, 2012. Cyrus knows I wrote a book and can't wait for him to see it. As for the Sox, maybe they'll make a run for CC Sabathia?! He will option out of his contract. As we were watching it unfold I mentioned that this was the best regular season day and Tim Kurkjan went a step further by saying it on TV afterwards. This is undoubtedly the greatest day in MLB regular season history. Would love to pitch the book for this day and the events leading up to it...

Epic Fail.

When the Brewers visited Boston back in June I considered the thought that this could be a World Series preview. After all, in 2009 we saw Phils-Yanks in regular season only to view them in the Fall Classic in October. Well who would've thought the Brew Crew would make the playoffs and not the Sox. It looks like Yovani will be starting Game 1 of LDS vs. the Arizona Diamondbacks. I'm hoping for Rays-Tigers and Brews-Phils in LCS...it'll probably be a ten year anniversary of D'backs and Yanks. In 2009, Shira was pregnant with Cyrus and we drove down to Philly to catch Game 1 of LDS on Yom Kippur. This time around lots of the excitement took place on Rosh Hasanah. Shira has been learning how to use her iPad while Cyrus is now in his big boy bed. We are so proud of him! At the deli last night he was saying, "Go Phillies"!

Wild Card Wednesday

Here come the LDS! But not after the most thrilling day of regular season baseball ever. With 8 games of significance and two dramatic endings on the final day I'm almost ready to forgive Selig for the steroid era. As the Red Sox entered a rain delay they did so knowing the Rays trailed the Yanks 7-0. However, the Rays chipped away as the Triple-A Yanks played. Dan Johnson entered the game to Safety Dance but proceeded to hit a home run to send it to extra innings. As has been the case for much of this summer of book writing, Jon, Rich and I followed the game on our FB page. So we were not stunned when play resumed in Baltimore and the Red Sox choked the season away. In what will most likely be his final game with Boston, Papelbon struck out the first two before pitching Orioles batting practice. Carl Crawford, there's irony for you, failed to make the catch or throw to keep the game tied. Less than ten minutes later, Evan Longoria capped off the comeback with an Epic homer for the ages. Too bad the stadium wasn't packed. With zero playoff match ups set for the ALDS at the start of the night  we now know the Rays will play Texas and Yanks will host Verlander and Tigers. Meanwhile, in the N.L. to much less fanfare from us, the Phillies finished an unnecessary comeback to eliminate the Braves. Atlanta and Boston are now brothers in 2011 misery. Of course, the Brewers made life easier for themselves by winning against the Pirates. They didn't waste the game 162 start by Zack Greinke and prevailed to earn home field advantage over the Diamondbacks and avoid Phils,who get the Cards, in first round. Ryan Braun  played on Rosh Hasanah and Jose Reyes didn't, but anyone who wastes a moment on that story tomorrow is missing the point of this unheard night of baseball. Somebody needs to write a book about this night. of night in baseball. Hmmmmmm....

Clinched!

The Brewers became the first team in MLB history to win a division in both leagues (AL East in '82 & NL Central '11). It's a real thrill to have followed them through both. 29 years...wow that's some wait. From Yount to Braun I've seen it all. Braun came up huge again tonight with leaping catch for double play then clutch homerun. Matt Kemp might have near triple crown and 40-40 but Braun is going to playoffs with Prince, Plush, Weeks, Yovani, Grienke, Axford, and K-Rod! It was very cool how the team watched the Cards-Cubs game with the fans then celebrated afterwards. I felt a wave of nostalgia listening to them in '82 at the bowling alley comeback vs. Angels. I went to Milwaukee in '08, but this time around I'm more hopeful because of the pitching. All right Brewers fans get out your goggles! When I was ten they made it to the World Series can't wait to see how this turns out.

Magic Number?!?

Who would've thought the Brew Crew would have the lowest magic number (11) at this point. only this weekend did I come to the realization that it's looking pretty good for the Brewers. Ryan Braun has taken the batting average lead. He's closing in on 30-30 (27 hrs) and 100 runs and RBI. Here's hoping the pitching, health, and hitting can keep up for some more...

Irene Interruption

Our annual trip to Citizens Bank wasn't meant to be. With Shira being pregnant we were looking to unload the tickets. However, mother nature (who shook things up with an east coast earthquake this week) has Hurricane Irene heading our way. Yesterday the Phillies called us to tell us the game is moved to Saturday night. In the meantime, Rit, Jon, and I are finishing the book up. Jon just informed me that we got Bill "Spaceman" Lee to do the afterwards! Meanwhile, my Brew Crew has a 9.5/10 game lead and they landed on the cover of SI! Hopefully, the weather isn't as bad as it sounds. Looking forward to this fall classic and even more important Cyrus' new sibling!

Bierbraurers!

What an exciting summer! Season 24 has just concluded and  it has been busy, busy, busy. For starters, Shira is in her third trimester and Cyrus awaits his sibling. However, I think Cyrus believes the child will be his size at birth. Rit, Jon, and I have about 15,000 more words to wrap up the Red Sox book due out next spring. We visited Fenway in the spring for some research and are thrilled at the way the book is turning out. Meanwhile, my Brew Crew is in the midst of a 20-3 run. I'm sure by pointing that out they'll cool down, but that's bound to happen regardless of what I think or hope. They are currently up 7.5 but I've seen plenty of epic collapses in baseball to know no lead is safe. Ryan Braun (.327) is second in batting and Prince is second in RBI (92). They are combined for 50 homeruns, let's hope they stay healthy. Gallardo (13), Greinke (12), Marcum (11), and Wolf (10) have led the way on the hill.

All In!

The night of the all-star game was a big one for the Brew Crew. While Ryan Braun was injured and didn't start Rickie Weeks and Prince Fielder did so. Prince hauled in the MVP when he became the 1st Brewer to homer in the all-star game with his towering three-run shot. Fielder may be playing in his final season with the Brewers, but they are clearly making a run for it. Moments after the all-star game the Brewers (tied for first at 49-43 with those damn Cards) sent two players-to-be-named later to the Mets for K-rod. With just a one game lead over the surprising Pirates, the Brewers have plenty of opposition for the NLC. At the half way point, Jose Reyes and Adrian Gonzalez  lead each league at .354. Prince has 22 homers and 72 RBI, while Jose Bautista has 31 homers while batting .334. A second straight "Year of the Pitcher" seems to be happening again. Jered Weaver (1.86) and 12-win Jair Juurgens (1.87) both have sub-2.00 ERAs. Verlander (12) and Sabathia(13) are also having excellent seasons.  Reyes has 124 hits and 15 triples, but the biggest mystery is whether or not he will remain with the Mets. Play resumes tonight with 19 teams either in first or less than ten games out, it should be an excellent end of the season.

Prince or Bust!?

Prince Fielder leads the league in RBI and XBH this has propelled the Brew Crew to a Major League best 27-9 record since May 9th. The Brewers moved into first place last night, and we get ready to go see them take on the Bosox at Fenway this weekend.

Home Brew

The Brewers are currently in 2nd place in the NLC. They have the best home record in baseball at 21-7. Yovani Gallardo leads the majors with 8 wins and Ryan Braun leads MLB in all-star votes. While it seems likely Prince will leave in the off-season, Braun is signed thru 2020!

Phanatic Edges Chicken

The Brewers have won two straight from the Phiilies, but the Phils scored a major win off the field as the Phillie Phanatic was named Top Mascot in sports. The Phillies have been one of the only teams to fill their park this season. As you can tell by this picture Cyrus can't wait to see them in person this August. Meanwhile, the Celtics have waited until the end of Games 1 & 2 to defeat the Knicks. On Sunday, Ray Allen drained a three to win and last night the heroics went to KG. Detroit Red Wings are up 3-0 in Round One vs. the Phoenix Coyotes. The past few years my teams have all played in April-June. Will it happen again this year?!?

Eight Years

Almost two years after Shira and I met we visited San Francisco in 2003. On the trip I proposed to her on the Golden Gate Bridge. Afterwards we went to see the Giants play. Here are a couple of pictures from our trip. That's me out at McCovey Cove and Shira in Golden Gate Bridge Park. In 2011, The Giants are defending champs and Cyrus is enjoying the start of his baseball obsession. We enjoyed listening to him sing Happy Birthday to me! Looking forward to THIS vacation and more memories!

Jimmy Rollins, Nice to Meet You!

As I write this the Phils are winning behind Roy Halladay looking to get to 8-3 & Prince Fielder homered moments ago to give Brew Crew a 4-0 lead as they try to get above .500 for the first time this season. So far Cyrus has seen two Ryan Howard at-bats and both resulted in a homerun. On Saturday he was at Mike and Matt's game shouting "Go Phillies" as he sat with Grandma Diane. Shira has been teaching him the Star Spangled Banner & Take Me out to the Ballgame. I gave him a Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard action figure to calm him down and to play with. He read his baseball book to Jimmy Rollins & I get a laugh everytime he refers to the figure as Jimmy Rollins. Rollins and Howard have had a soothing effect on him (so far).

Opening Day Soon!

Throughout this past week I've been telling Cyrus that baseball is starting soon. I taught him how to catch and he's been mesmerized by his little baseball figurines and felt-field. He has been convinced that he's going to the game after his nap. Opening Day '11 was yesterday for the Brewers and I arrived home to see Cyrus in the outfit pictured. The Brew Crew had the lead all game until the walk-off by the Reds. Today the Phils trailed 4-0 and pulled out the win in the ninth. I wonder if this is a sign of things to come for each team. Either way, Cyrus appears hooked by baseball.

Zuckerberg Rookie Card!

This photo was taken by me in 1993. It shows off some of Mark Zuckerberg's baseball skills at the time. Jon wrote about his signed baseball card I've kept over all the years! Go figure. The article appears on Huffington Post.

Circle Me Bert!

Today the 2001 HOF class was announced and Roberto Alomar and Bert Blyleven were welcomed to the Hall. Blyleven slowly reached the required 75%, while Alomar rec'd 90% on his 2nd year ont he ballot. Next year it'll be nice to see Lee Smith, Larkin, and Jack Morris join them on a ballot that is light with any surefire first balloters. Frank Thomas joins the ballot in 2014 (with Maddux, Glavine & Jeff Kent). The pictures with the post were taken from a Jays game in 2007 in which Big Hurt homered twice to reach 507 and 508.

1/1/11 Duck!! Incoming New Year!?!

In 2001 Shira and I met! It was spring (just after start of the baseball season :) and by the end of the summer we took a road trip to Cleveland. These are a few photo relics from the trip from our pre-digital days. I will try harder than the past few years to upload pics and comments. Granted, family, friends, and Cyrus are probably the only people who will ever read this. The poor Tribe is back to their losing ways and should be especially dreadful as Shira and I celebrate ten years of having met! Interestingly enough this is the 2nd straight New Years I've been trying to organize the basement. This time into a playroom for Cyrus. Time is going too quickly?!?

Another Magical Year in the Books!

2010 was another incredible year for us! Cyrus has grown each moment and he constantly keeps us entertained. This season my parents and nephews accompanied us to our annual Phillies game. Cyrus had a blast with Grandma. They were singing and cheering. You can see his affection towards stuffed animals in this picture. Shira can't wait until he's old enough to appreciate getting a stuffed Phanatic at their Build-A-Bear Center in the concourse. I can't wait until Cyrus is old enough to make trips to Milwaukee!

Back to Milwaukee?!

Xmas is early for Brewers fans like myself! Shortly after trading for Shawn Marcum from the Jays, the Brew Crew traded for 2009 Cy Young winner Zack Grienke from the Royals. In a rare blockbuster trade the Brewers have upgraded their rotation AND somehow managed to have a better offseason than the Yankees. This prompted me to promise my nephew we would go to Milwaukee if they return to the playoffs in 2011. It'll be my 30th anniversary as a Brewer fan and what better way to celebrate. Bark already returned my text and he is down for going back as always.

Cyrus' 2nd MLB Game!

It's hard to imagine a whole year has already passed since we brought Cyrus to his first game. Last year we stayed five innings (Phils didn't score) and this year we stayed 7 1/2 (Phils scored in the sixth). The Astros completed a rare four game sweep. The Phils currently have won 11 of their last 12 day games, needless to say this was that sole loss. I promised my nephew a few years ago that when he was in 3rd grade we'd take him to Philly, now that he's entering 3rd we brought him, nephew #2, and my parents to Citizen's Bank. We took the tour of statues on the outside (Robin Roberts, Schmidt, & Lefty) then entered Ashburn Alley. My nephew ate his 1st Philly Cheesesteak as Shira ate her last Luzinski BBQ Turkey sandwich. After getting autographs from "The Bull" we walked to our seats. I caught a glimpse of the Halladay Perfect game ceremony as we sat. It was a nice view from the first base side as we were hidden from the sun. The 'Stros jumped right on Kyle Kendrick and the Phils. Carlos Lee even made time for a slow homerun trot around the bases. The only Phillies run came as J-Roll dashed from first to home on a Chase Utley double to right. Cyrus enjoyed sitting with my parents, he sang with grandma and pee'd on grandpa! Final score: Astros 5, Phillies 1. The Phils have yet to win with Cyrus in the house, but we have plenty of memories regardless.

Stadiums #22 & 23: New York '09

In updating this site I realise I never posted a pic from my visits to the two New York stadiums last season. My trip to Citifield was with dad and two of my nephews. The Nats were in town and the stadium had a festive vibe. This season we took Oren for his bachelor day. We sat in the Pepsi Porch which was a nice view and its own community unto itself. We checked out the New Mets HOF which debuted this season. My '09 Yankee trip was the aforementioned game vs the Phils. Garlic fries were not as good as SF, but i've probably said that already. Hope to get to Citi soon, but no rush on Yankee museum...i mean stadium.

Moustache + Shea

The 2010 trade deadline has come and gone! The Brewers have kept Prince and Hart, while the Mets made no moves. Big winners seem to be Phils, Yanks, and Dodgers (no real surprise). However, the Padres (who have the best record in NL since a year ago) continue to pitch well and play the all important solid D. Cyrus loves to read his baseball book with Mommy at night and he can throw and pretend to throw when you say Pitch. Oren and Cori recently got married and Jon and Alison just returned from the Tokyodome and Japan. Jax has been keeping Rich and Erica busy as he awaits his wiffle ball debut with Cyrus.

Backman to the Future

Someday I'll get to tell Cyrus about how I picked up former Met & Phillie Wally Backman for a Mustchae Event. This was the first major leaguer Cyrus ever met. He seems pretty interested doesn't he? The Stache Off was to honor Jon and Uncle Rit's book Sweet Stache. It was a stellar night of musical performances and comedy. Plenty of memories and a really cool poster from it!

MMX!

2010 is here! Cyrus enters his 2nd calendar year! A year ago we anxiously awaited his arrival and now we are in a new home with him cruising around. There is something fun and new each day. I finally started to organize the basement and turn into something of a baseball den. My books and some memorabilia are there. I hung up some pennants and pictures as well. Our Vet Stadium seats are facing the TV! Can't wait to take Cyrus to another game...

Thank you '09

I won't forget the past year anytime soon! Cyrus entered our lives in January and we moved in the summer. Maintaining a few blogs became difficult, but as the end of the year comes my urge to document things has me writing. We've been blessed with a good little guy, a fun soul. As expected his birth has put many things in perspective. I'm looking forward to taking him to games to watch his excitement. We will have annual trips to Philadelphia and maybe I'll take him to Yankee Stadium when he's a teen. I'm fortunate to have Shira as a wife, she's put up with traveling the U.S. to see games with me. Typically if there are birds or an art museum we both can have a day on vacation. Looking forward to the coming years, I know there will be ups and downs but I have my family to keep me happy!

Phillies vs. Yankees 2009

When I look at the 2009 World Series matchup of the Phillies and Yankees I can only feel sorry for Mets and Indians fans. Back in 2007, the Tribe and Metropolitans were on the verge of huge success only to run into hard times. If 2007 seems like too long ago let me remind you. The Mets suffered through their first of two epic September collapses and the Indians led the ALCS 3-1 to Boston. This past season was equally unkind to them and the 2009 World Series is just one more kick in the pants to both beleaguered franchises. Congrats to the Phils and Yanks you each get to trot out a Former Indian Cy Young Winner for Game 1 of the World Series. If a Phillies- Yankees World Series wasn’t enough to make a Mets fan blood boil there is the added factor of Pedro. Since Cole Hamels has pulled a disappearing act it looks likely that Pedro will pitch Game 2 at Yankee Stadium.
The Phils, winners of a Yankee-like 16 of their last 20 playoff games, defeated C.C. Sabathia in last years NLDS when he willed my Brew Crew to the playoffs. This year C.C. is not as gassed as he has been in prior seasons, so while the Yanks have loused up the Joba situation they've handled their Sabathia investment wisely. The winner of this matchup will join the Red Sox as two-time Champions in the 2000s. The Yanks try to join the Cards as a team who won the title in the first season of a new stadium.
Below I rank the Yanks and Phils in categories that I feel will be crucial to victory.
- Class Act, Quiet Leader (Ryan Howard vs Derek Jeter) I've been saying for days that whoever gets colder first (A-rod or Howard ) will cost his team a title. But it's Jeter who Howard is like in that he has been postseason clutch in more than one series and he doesn't give the press much ammo. Slight edge to Jeter in that he has four titles to one.
-Mascot (Phillie Phanatic vs Freddy Sez) Is this even a matchup? The Phanatic takes this one hands down over the Yanks one-eyed pot wielder. Edge Phillies.
-Top of the Order Spokesman (J-Roll vs Damon) Both always speak up with the quotes, but it's their bat talking that will take their teams further. Edge to Phils, I still say Rollins has a smoking hot series in him.
-Closer (Mariano vs Lidge) The all-time greatest closer vs The all-time roller coaster closer. Amazingly this is Lidge's third WS, his first was with the Astros. While he seems to have been effective of late the back of his baseball card pales in comparison to Mo. Edge Yanks.
-Infield hitting. Think about 7 of the 8 infielders in this series are allstars. A-rod has 3 MVP's, while Rollins and Howard each have one for the Phils. This season I take the Yanks left side of the infield over Philly, but I take the Phils right side over Cano & Tex. I'm talking offense & not taking into account Utley's poor throws vs LA. Even.
-Cleveland Aces. Cliff Lee vs CC Sabathia. It looks like CC will be going thrice. Lee will probably go 1 & 5. Which leaves a possible Hamels vs CC in potential game 7. CC will get two wins but not be as dominant as prior rounds. Edge Yankees.
I don't know who to pick but I will say this is the first time I ever saw the two World Series teams play each other during the season (thanks Cid, Gerry & Interleague!) I do know this it will go six games and not seven. Enjoy!

Phil In the Blank...

2009 World Series! Philadelphia Phillies vs. __________________. It's incredible to believe that the first team in pro history to 10,000 losses has won 16 of their last 20 playoff games and is returning to the World Series. The Phils will try to become the 4th NL team to repeat as World Series winner. They will play the Yanks or the Angels. I'm sure you know who I'm rooting for, but when Shira and I saw the Phils & Yanks play months ago I had a feeling they might meet in September. The Phils team is one of the toughest in my lifetime and I'm sure it'll be a fantastic matchup in the WS. Enjoy the games!

Sign of Things to Come?

Sorry Yankee fans I don't have access to a time machine. This is not a picture from the 2009 World Series. I took this a few months ago from our five inning excursion to new Yankee Stadium. A friend from work has season seats and she thought of Shira and I because of the Phils. We jumped at the offer and at that point it was the longest Shira had gone without Cyrus. We've since been to a wedding and a U2 concert. The Phils took their first step in the '09 playoffs with a win today vs. the Rox. The Yanks are playing the miracle Twins at this moment. I'll post more pics from the Phils-Yanks game we went to. Rollins homered on the first pitch of the game by the way.

Cyrus Stadium #1

This is one of my favorite pictures of Cyrus. What was neat about the scoreboard was that when the Giants batted there was a pic of the Golden Gate Bridge behind the players. As you may know I proposed to Shira on the Golden Gate. Someday we'll take Cyrus out there to see the Bridge (and a game!)We stayed five innings for this game during our annual trip to Citizens Bank. In total I went to three games this season. But we made sure Cyrus' first was in Philly!

Cyrus and the Playoffs

It's amazing that the past 12 memorable months have blazed by so quickly. It seems like two days ago Shira and I ventured to see the Phils begin their playoff run in 08. Then I hopped on a plane to meet up with Dave in Milwaukee for Game 3 of the LDS. All this taking place while Shira was pregnant with our baby to be! Now it's the 09 Playoffs!?! Cyrus is here to root on the Phils, but my Brewers will be sitting this one out. After last years events I really can't complain. Just hoping that the playoffs are little more exciting than the past six weeks of anti-climatic baseball we've seen. Cyrus will have little memories of the 08 and 09 playoffs but that'll be a story for him someday.