Padres 6, Brewers 5
1. Things got rough before I got to the Park. Before I had even called down to the concierge to make a reservation for the shuttle to take me to Miller Park, the Brewers had just endured a blood bath and it appeared no one was safe. Milwaukee announced it had sent shortstop J.J. Hardy (two years removed from an All-Star appearance) to Triple-A Nashville, designated third baseman Bill Hall for assignment and had fired pitching coach Bill Castro. Hardy’s demotion paved the way for the call-up of uber prospect Alcides Escobar but I don’t think that was much of a consolation for the many fans wearing Hardy gear.
The roster re-arrangement even brought out owner Mark Attanasio who was seated on the left side of the Brewers’ dugout, directly in front of the batter’s circle. The friendly (and possibly tipsy) grey haired woman sitting next to me pointed him out and made sure to note that those are his usual seats. It’s nice to know he doesn’t sit in the protective casing of a luxury box.
2. They sure do know how to tailgate. As my shuttle puttered to the gates of Miller Park, I was in awe of the hard core tailgating going on in the parking lot. Sure I’ve been to New York Giants games before and seen luxury tents that would rival most people’s living room set-ups, but never anything like this at a baseball game. There were grills out, people lounging in cloth chairs, beer flowing (obviously, this is Milwaukee after all). Even the Polish sausage made a pre-game appearance in one of the lots.
3. They’ve got a pretty nice set-up in Milwaukee. Besides the fact that the Ballpark itself is gorgeous, the interior design is incredibly well planned and airy. On the first level alone there are two large team stores, multiple concession areas and a kid’s play section. The second and fourth tiers (where I was seated for Wednesday and Thursday’s games respectively) had a similar open concept and the bathrooms played the radio broadcast making it nearly impossible to be away from the game. But the best park about Miller Park is the retractable roof. This guarantees fans that the game will be played but also allows games to be played outdoors, weather permitting. Frankly, baseball is meant to be played outdoors and when the roof panels are open (like they were for both games) it really feels like being at an outdoor park like Fenway or Dodger Stadium.
4. Don’t fill up on the brats! I know that’s a hard request for some, but trust me; there is a whole lot of great food to be eaten at this ballpark. Yes, I made sure to chow down on some brats, but I also left room for a stuffed baked potato. And to the woman who loudly asked her husband, “Who would eat a baked potato at a baseball game,” while glancing down at me, I say “I would and you missed out honey.” I went for the bases loaded variety which had cheese, bacon, sour cream and chives. They also had three other kinds including a broccoli and cheese version that looked yummy. There were also nachos, Polish and Italian sausages, hot dogs and popcorn; to name a few options, but the baked potato is a must the next time you visit.
5. They still love Tony Gwynn (Jr.). In May, the Brewers traded Tony Gwynn to the Padres for Jody Gerut. In August, Gwynn made his first visit to Milwaukee since becoming a Padre and with every at bat Gwynn took; the fans loudly cheered him on. (And this was the second game of a three game series). Now that’s love.
6. The Brewers have cheerleaders…or at least woman dressed in sequined dresses with pom-poms.
7. Frank Catalanotto has incredible taste in music. Frank steps to the plate to the musical stylings of The Outfield’s classic “Your Love.” I have to be honest here, “Your Love” happens to be on my work-out mix and I may or may not press repeat everytime it comes on. But when I am in the middle of a run, only I know of my guilty pleasure. When Frank comes to bat, everyone knows of his because they are singing along. Who knew Milwaukee was such a hotbed for The Outfield fanbase.
8. Todd Coffey can run fast. The march from the bullpen to the mound can take many forms. Some like to lightly jog, others prefer to walk with their heads down and then there are those who like to sprint from the bullpen door to the mound in under 15 seconds. Well at least that’s what the billboard clock said when Coffey reached the mound.
9. Sausage Races are amazing. Kind of like hockey, Sausage Races are completely different experience in person as opposed to watching it on TV (or probably YouTube in this case). You can’t gage the speed of the grounds crew members who are suited up as the Hot Dog, the Brat, the Polish sausage, the Italian sausage and the Chorizo. You can’t feel the energy of the crowd as these five people try their best not to tip over from the weight of these crazy costumes. You can’t hear the cheers as people yell for their favorite sausage (Chorizo being mine). No video can prepare you for the true awesomeness of this race. All I can write is that before you die, YOU MUST SEE THE SAUSAGE RACE IN PERSON. And also, suck it to all the imitators!
10. Great Crowd. The fans at Miller Park were wonderful. They were friendly as tends to be the case with people from the Midwest. They were also incredibly knowledgeable about their team, they were supportive and often stood up to cheer for the batter or pitcher depending on what part of the inning they were in. Over 38,000 fans were in attendance for this Wednesday night game and it seemed like almost all of them stayed until the bitter end. Those are my kind of fans.
Check back tomorrow for Things I Learned at the Metrodome (Game 1).
(Photos: PIMC)
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