Not Much to Say

Hey there, Brewer fans. Sorry I've been MIA lately, but I really haven't had much to say. I'm afraid if I get on here and start commenting on the recent games, I might not stop. Nothing has gone right for the Brewers as of late, or the whole season, for that matter. I'm just very frustrated lately and wouldn't be able to think of anything positive to focus on.

So, with that being said, I'm trying to stay optimistic and not focus on the fact that the Crew needs to go 19-10 the rest of the season to even finish at .500. Maybe they can get it started tonight against Houston.

So until next time, go Brewers!

Mercedes-Benz Field Haus

I was fortunate enough to watch last Friday's victory over the Astros from the new Mercedes-Benz Field Haus. My friends Lea and Matt were kind enough to invite me after Lea's dad won 20 tickets in a silent auction. I was very excited because I knew the picnic area meant free beer and food!

As it turns out, you get only two free beers per ticket. Luckily, Lea's kids and a few others were underage, so we had plenty of tickets to go around. The buffet included standard ballpark fare - hamburgers, hot dogs, brats - as well as BBQ chicken and cookies. Not a bad spread, all in all. It was also really great to not have to wait in line for a beer, or have to miss any of the game while you go get one. We had our own personal bartender, who did a very nice job keeping our beer cups full!















I was a little disappointed in the view. Don't get me wrong. It was pretty cool to basically be on the field, but it was hard to see what was going on in the infield. I spent most of the evening watching the game on the screens installed inside the field haus. As you can see from the photos, you get a great view of the outfield, as well as a nice shot into the visitor's bullpen.




The one thing I complain about when I attend games is the lack of instant replay on close calls. But in the field haus, you get the excitement of being at the game, with the benefit of television.

There is one other aspect to the field haus that is pretty cool. You have to go through the field bleacher section to get into the field haus, and there is an usher stationed there who opens the gate for you every time you go in or out. There is something to be said for being able to come and go from an area that is restricted, so to speak. I know it sounds kind of snotty, but there's that feeling of "I can go in and you can't" as you walk through the bleacher section. Makes one feel somewhat superior for a couple of hours. It's also kind of neat to look up into the front row of the field bleachers and see the faces looking down enviously at the folks sitting in the picnic area. Of course these feelings were all very short-lived, as I was back in the loge section for the game on Tuesday.

In addition to the beer and food, Field Haus ticket holders get to take home a replica batting helmet. I insisted that Lea and I take a goofy photo wearing our helmets. That photo, as well as some others taken from the field haus, can be seen by clicking here, or on the link to the right. Until next time, go Brewers!

PNC Park

The Brewers finally won a series there. Of course the one game they lost was the one I attended. But perhaps my presence in the park spread some good karma that bolstered the team on to the next two victories. Probably not, but it's a nice theory.

And it's a very nice park. I arrived early and parked across the river, wanting to walk across the Roberto Clemente Bridge, as I'd seen so many fans doing when I watched the games on television. Not to mention that it's much less expensive to park in a garage across the river and walk. It's also a treat to see the great views of downtown Pittsburgh from the bridge.

I take a leisurely stroll across the bridge, and set out in search of the will call window to pick up my ticket. As it turns out, I was able to print out my ticket from a self-serve kiosk just outside the left field entrance. This was very convenient, as there was quite a line outside the manned ticket windows.

My seat was on the other side of the field from where I printed my ticket, so I took that as an opportunity to check out the outside of the stadium. Patio tables offered outside seating for the restaurants lined up along the East side of the building, and for a moment, I forgot it was a baseball stadium.

I walked completely around the building, to the entrance closest to my seat, and the views from the West side of the building were just as spectacular as those from the East side. My ticket is scanned, and then I'm technically inside the park, but I'm still outside. That's because the gate through which I entered provides access to the riverwalk that runs behind the stadium.

Of course, there were no signs indicating which direction I should go to get to my seat, so I was walking blind for a while. I finally found signs at the top of the stairs as I entered the lower level concourse in right field.

I made my way down to the field and watched some batting practice. I was surprised that not one Brewer player came over to the side of the field to greet the fans, some of whom, like myself, had traveled from Milwaukee. I always thought it would be easier to talk to the players, get autographs, etc., on a road trip because there would be fewer fans for them to deal with, but apparently not.

After batting practice, I decided to check out more of the park. I walked around the lower level concourse and marveled at the food selections, but was even more impressed by the area provided in which to eat the wide variety of food.



At Miller Park, when you hit the concourse area on the lower level, you can go no further than the vendors and restrooms. At PNC Park, however, the concourse extends beyond the vendors to an outdoor picnic area, complete with views of downtown and the Allegheny River, and decorated with twinkle lights. It was somewhat similar to the beer garden outside Friday's at Miller Park, but much larger, and simply provided a very nice place to sit and eat.

After my little tour, I made my way back to my seat, which was very good, and watched the game. Those of you reading this already know how it turned out, so I won't bother rehashing it here. The between-inning entertainment was fun, and the scoreboard also included closed captioning for the hearing impaired, which I thought was a nice touch. I also got to experience what life is like for baseball fans who don't have a retractable roof when it started raining in the 7th inning. As the locals ran for cover under the concourse, I simply donned my rain coat and continued to watch the game. For once the weather channel was accurate, and I had come prepared!

Instead of racing sausages, PNC Park has racing pierogies. The race starts on the big screen, and shows cartoon images of the pierogies racing through downtown. Then the "live action" pierogies enter the park at the right field corner and race to the edge of the visitor's dugout. Not nearly as exciting as our sausages.

After the game, the Brewer fans were once again disappointed as the players quickly retreated into the clubhouse. A few stayed behind to sign balls for the kids, though, which I thought was very nice seeing as how they had just lost.

All in all, I had a great time at PNC Park, in spite of the final outcome on the scoreboard. It truly is a gorgeous ballpark, and I look forward to returning. To see all of my photos from PNC Park, just click here, or on the link to the right. Until next time, go Brewers!

Short and Sweet

Well the Brewers have won two in a row against the Cubs. (About time!!) Of course they lost on Tuesday, when I was there. So far I'm 0-3 in games in my ticket package. I'm definitely going to explore other options for next season. But that's neither here nor there.

Dave Bush was "wildly effective" last night, according to him and Ned Yost. Call it whatever you want. It worked for me! He even carried a no-hitter into the 6th when, in my opinion, Bill and Daron jinxed it away. They were talking about it nonstop, and as soon as they shut up about it, the very next batter got a hit. When will they learn?

Doug Davis managed to notch another win today in an exciting rubber match. It looked like the guys might try to give it away there in the end (pay attention in the outfield fellas!), but once again, Francisco Cordero worked out of it. I'm loving this guy so far!

Unfortunately, I'm going to have to keep this short today. I'm heading out of town in the morning and still have many things yet to accomplish. I'll be in Pennsylvania visiting family, and with any luck, I'll be able to watch the Brewers play the Braves on TBS. On a very exciting note, I will be at PNC Park Monday night when the Crew takes on the Pirates. Maybe you guys will see me in the crowd! Until next time, go Brewers!

Sheets Hurt? Again?

I wasn't a Brewer fan yet when Ben Sheets had his big breakout season and got the big fat contract. I really started watching in 2005, and I never saw a lot from Ben that impressed me. At least not enough to justify his $38 million contract. Everyone kept telling me how great he was, but I never saw it.

So naturally, I was skeptical when Sheets came off the DL once again. But in his first three starts, he pitched well. Really well. So well that I started to believe all the hype about Ben Sheets, that he really was that good.

Then he pitched tonight. Sheets lasted just one inning, leaving the game with pectoral tightness. I can't help but wonder what is going on with this guy? Being from Louisiana myself, I would hate to think that Ben is just a wimp. But come on. A tight chest muscle? Isn't that something that should have been sufficiently stretched before the game? Or shouldn't it have been discovered when Ben threw his warm up pitches? How do you suddenly discover that your muscle is tight?

At least the bullpen came in and rescued Sheets. Geremi Gonzalez had a little trouble, giving up three runs, but Rick Helling threw three shutout, no hit innings. It really just pisses me off that the Crew was actually able to come back and score three against the Cards, but not win. I just want to tell Ben to suck it up. Needless to say, the faith that had started to build in Ben Sheets is out the window.

The Crew still has a chance tomorrow to win the series with Chris Capuano on the mound. He said during an interview today that he felt like he worked some things out in his last start in Colorado, throwing five great innings after struggling through the first three. I guess we'll see. Until next time, go Brewers!