Brewers Disappoint in Playoffs

The 2021 Brewers went into the postseason with high hopes of a legitimate World Series run, but instead continued a disturbing (or comforting, depending on how you look at it) trend that dates all the way back to their first franchise postseason appearance in 1981.  In that season and every postseason appearance thereafter - 1982, 2008, 2011, 2018, 2019, 2020, and this year - the Brewers have been ousted by a team that made it all the way to the World Series, with 6 of those 8 teams actually winning it.  The Brewers lost 3 games to 1 to the world champion Atlanta Braves in the NLDS in what amounted to a dismal hitting performance.  While it is true that pitching and defense wins championships - something that the Brewers had in spades this year - you do still have to score some runs.  Scoring 6 runs in 4 games and getting shut out in 2 of them isn't going to get it done.  The Crew managed to get the bats hot enough from the day they traded for Willy Adames in May and well into September to make it all the way from 29th in the league in hitting into the top 10, but in the last few weeks of the season, a team-wide slump reared its ugly head and that unfortunately carried into the postseason.  Many people will make a big deal out of the fact that the Brewers clinched a postseason spot so early that they essentially had nothing to play for the last couple weeks of the season, and while that is true, I personally don't see that having any relation to their poor hitting down the stretch.  I think that we overachieved offensively for a large part of the season, and in the end, having a sub-par Yelich once again and notably missing the bats of the retired Ryan Braun and marooned Keston Hiura proved to be too much to overcome.  Baseball is a unique sport in that the best team on paper or in the standings is never a lock to win.  Any given team can win on any given day in a long season, and the playoffs are all about who goes in hot and who goes in cold, and the 2021 postseason was a perfect example of that with the Brewers flopping and the team with the worst record in the playoff field going all the way.

This team will be in an interesting position going into the offseason as they do have a glaring problem to fix in their offense, but not necessarily a lot of holes to fill to fix that problem.  By and large, the Brewers will be returning a sizeable chunk of their 40-man roster, barring any trades or releases.  The only notable positional player that will most certainly not be back is mid-season acquisition Eduardo Escobar.  Manny Pina's contract is also up, but he is likely 3rd in line for catching duties now behind incoming Mario Feliciano, so they may choose to let him walk especially with Luke Maile also on the roster.  The question becomes where to plug in bats, and the answer on the surface is simply that the bats we have need to be better, or at least more consistent.  I don't think it's a stretch to say that even a league-average Keston Hiura and a Christian Yelich that remotely approached his 2018-19 form would have accounted for another 5-7 wins and would have dramatically changed the outlook of the NLDS.  Lorenzo Cain was hurt for much of the year and is also entering his age 36 season.  Omar Narvaez started hot and made the All-Star team but cooled considerably after the break.  Jackie Bradley was never more than a superb defender and contributed next to nothing offensively.  A lot of the stat lines at the end of the year may look decent, but this team also still struck out a ton, which speaks more to our offensive strategy as a whole.  The firing of hitting coach Andy Haines could be a precursor to a change in approach next season.  It will be interesting to say the least on how this team spends its money this offseason, particularly with a lot of our arbitration-eligible players due substantial raises.  The biggest potential move is something I have been clamoring for for 2 years - trading Josh Hader while his value is high.  He could net 2-3 blue chip prospects who are ready to play in the big leagues, and it is getting to the point where it does not make sense to pay a reliever that much money with our payroll.  I could also see a scenario where we pick up Avisail Garcia's option and then trade him to free up salary space, but it would be hard for Brewers fans to stomach losing our best hitter from this season.  I don't envy the job that David Stearns and Matt Arnold have to do this year, particularly with the looming CBA expiration, but one thing the past 5 years has taught us is to trust in the process and know that they will make every attempt to be competitive.

As we wrap up the 2021 season, although it wasn't the ending Brewers fans hoped for, I reflect on it with gratitude.  I don't take for granted that we've made the playoffs 4 straight years and I'm very proud of this organization for that and to call myself a fan.  I'm very surprised and humbled that I was able to make it to 10 ballgames this year when 8 months ago it was looking more like zero.  I'm very grateful I got to see Erik this year and go on a ball trip.  But mostly, I am happy that my family and I continue to navigate this pandemic safely, and I'm excited for what 2022 will bring, including hopefully a trip to the new Rangers ballpark that will be 3 years in the making.

FINAL 2021 GAMES ATTENDED:

Erik - 0

Peter - 10

2021 MLB Postseason

Wisconsin sports fans have been pretty spoiled to have a football team that is expected to complete for the playoffs every year for past 3 decades or so.  I never thought there would be a time in my life when I could say the same about the Brewers, but I think they might be approaching that territory.  The Crew secured a postseason spot for the 4th consecutive season, and have now been competitive every year under David Stearns and Craig Counsell after their first full season.  Here is a fun bar trivia fact that I guarantee nobody outside of Milwaukee will get correct: the Brewers are 2nd only to the Dodgers in total wins in the NL over the past 5 seasons with 395.  Unlike some past years when I was just happy with making the playoffs or maybe just getting out of the first round, this year I legitimately think the Brewers have a chance to win it all, and I'm super pumped for the postseason!

Excluding the Brewers and Covid, there have been a lot of other memorable storylines of the 2021 season.  The early hubbub was the ball tackiness issue which I touched on a few months ago.  Pitch spin rates were at an all-time high and MLB came down hard by banning literally all foreign substances outside of rosin.  The fact that we have not heard much about this since the first few weeks of the ban means that either pitches have adjusted and made a lot of stink over nothing, or more likely, they found some way around the system.  This will be an interesting issue leading into the CBA negotiations this winter.  Shohei Ohtani put up a historic season the likes of which we may never see again - 9 wins, 3.18 ERA, and a 10.8 K/9 rate on the mound, and 46 homers and 100 RBI with the bat.  If he doesn't run away with the MVP then there is something horribly wrong.  Vlad Guerrero Jr. and Marcus Semien broke homerun records for a historically prolific Blue Jays offense.  On the other side of the coin, the Mariners somehow won 90 games despite a -51 run differential.  Sadly, neither of those two teams made the playoffs.  We had 3 100-win teams (two in the same division!) and 4 100-loss teams which I'm sure has rarely if ever been done in the same season, and just further emphasizes a disparity in team salary that needs to also get addressed in the CBA.  Max Scherzer also became just the 19th pitcher ever to record 3,000 career strikeouts and further cemented his hall-of-fame candidacy, and has a good chance of joining Rick Sutcliffe as the only pitcher to win the Cy Young Award after being traded midseason.

This year was not one of my better ones on the predictions front, but if the Brewers win it all I won't really care.

PLAYOFFS START 10/5/21
NL Wild Card - #4 Dodgers v. #5 Cardinals
NLDS - #1 Giants v. WC Winner
#2 Brewers v. #3 Braves

AL Wild Card - #4 Red Sox v. #5 Yankees
ALDS - #1 Rays v. WC Winner
#2 Astros v. #3 White Sox

World Series Prediction: Brewers defeat Rays in 7
Rooting for:  Brewers v. White Sox

Preseason Predictions
#1 Dodgers
#2 Brewers
#3 Mets
#4 Padres
#5 Braves

#1 Yankees
#2 White Sox
#3 Athletics
#4 Blue Jays
#5 Angels

Padres defeat Yankees in 6

FINAL STANDINGS AND SERIES:

Brewers 95-67, 1st NL Central; NLDS v. Braves

Twins 73-89, last NL Central; eliminated

2021 GAMES ATTENDED:

Erik - 0

Peter - 9

Tour 2021: Return to Cooperstown

All photos of Lake George, Cooperstown, and National Baseball Hall of Fame available on Flickr.

This past week, Erik and I got together in person for the first time since the pandemic started, and for our first "ball trip" in over 2 years.  I say "ball trip" in quotations because this was certainly a first (and hopefully last) for one of our trips - we didn't actually go to a ballgame, or any sort of sporting event for that matter.  We made the last-minute and gut-wrenching decision to delay our planned Texas trip once more.  Being in a large crowd during the surge of the Delta variant in an area with one of the highest growing Covid case volumes in the country just seemed like too much of a risk.  And I'll admit that going to one of the reddest states in the country where we were more likely to be surrounded by unmasked and/or unvaccinated folks also played a huge factor in our decision.  I felt particularly bad for Erik since he has not been to a ballgame anywhere since 2019.  But as difficult and disappointing as it was, looking back I know that we made the right choice, and we had a hell of a time at our pinch-hit trip - Cooperstown!  We were not going to go a whole other year without seeing each other, so we made the trek to upstate New York instead for 4 nights.

Before we returned to the hallowed grounds of the Hall of Fame, we spent a couple of days in beautiful Lake George, NY.  Having been to Cooperstown on The Tour and knowing there was not an entire weekend of things to do there nor any decent lodging, Erik made the wonderful suggestion of staying in the Adirondack region of New York, which was only about a 2-hour drive from Cooperstown, and a 3-hour drive from his house in New Hampshire.  Erik picked me up at the Albany airport on Wednesday night and we spent our first night not unlike the first night of most of our trips - tying one on watching ball.  The only difference was this time was a couple of packs of craft beer in our cottage watching several screens, rather than enjoying a frosty Miller Lite from the bleachers.  Our cottage was a part of the Sundowner Resort right on Canada Street, the main thoroughfare of Lake George.  It had a kitchenette, fridge, patio with grill, and just about everything we needed to relax for a few days - most importantly, we each had our own bathroom.  The next day was a pretty relaxing day taking advantage of the resort amenities of hot tub, beachfront deck, and kayaks, and spent a lot of the day on the water.  We walked a good portion of the town on foot and found it to be eerily similar to Wisconsin Dells.  Not much was open on a Thursday afternoon, so after a flight at a local brewery, we just had a nice night in playing some games.  Friday was our busiest day and personally my favorite day of the trip.  We started the day with a drive to the other side of the lake to hike up Pilot Knob Mountain.  I call it a mountain, I'm not really sure if it is or not, but it was over 1,000 vertical feet and I am by no means a hiker, so to me it was pretty difficult.  Outside of the Brewers 10K I ran a few times, this was by far the most difficult physical activity I can ever remember doing, but for the views we got from the top and within, it was well worth it.  After the hike, we toured the lake on a 100+ year old steamboat called the Mohican.  Among other things, I learned that the lake was about 32 miles long and 3 miles wide at its center point, and the western edge was once referred to as "Millionaire's Row" for all of the wealthy Manhattanites and famous elites that had summer homes up there.  Even today it is still scattered with gargantuan homes, breathtaking resorts, and quite a few islands within the lake that are privately owned and of course populated with mansions.  We spent our 2-1/2 hour ride debating over a few drinks which islands we would want to buy, and how cool it would be to camp on one of them if we ever returned.  Following the boat ride, we quickly crushed some dinner back at the cottage and had our one late night out of the trip at a bar called Duffy's.  They had a couple of great music acts, cheap beer, and entertaining locals, just a few of the reliable ingredients in a fun E & P night out.

Saturday was the big day - Cooperstown.  It was a treacherous 100-mile drive that was almost entirely on windy, hilly, and narrow, shoulder-less back-county roads.  On numerous occasions cresting a hill or making a turn, my heart leapt out of my chest wondering if we were going to skirt off the road, and that is no commentary on Erik's driving but rather the sheer remoteness of Cooperstown.  You have to be really dedicated to baseball and to finding this town for the effort it takes to get there - the phrase "in the middle of nowhere" gets thrown out very casually sometimes, but it was true in every sense of the word in this case.  Once you arrive, knowing how you got there simply just adds to the mystique and aura of the place, almost like it is suspended in time.  The entire town is baseball-everything and even still has the old batting cages by Doubleday Field that Erik and I remember embarrassing ourselves at in 2007.  There were a couple new distilleries and breweries in town just like there are in every corner of America these days, but for the most part every other detail is exactly like I remembered it.  We arrived at the museum around 11:30 just as the rain started to fall and headed inside.

Just like in Cooperstown itself, not much on the inside has changed either aside from all of the Covid precautions.  You are advised upon entering to walk up to the 2nd floor and start your tour in the museum portion of the building.  This floor is dedicated almost entirely to the history of the game, starting from the early 19th century all the way through the current year.  It is mostly split up into decades or eras arranged chronologically, featuring exhibits on how the rules or equipment might have looked during that period, as well as artifacts and blurbs on famous players from those times, and plenty of photos and multimedia displays as well.  There was an entire section on the Latin influence and emergence in the game that I did not recall from 2007.  There was also a lot more video and interactive media displays then obviously existed 14 years ago.  Babe Ruth still had an entire section dedicated solely to him and his effect on the game, as well as a "new" Hank Aaron section.  From the 2nd floor you then ascend to the 3rd floor of the museum.  Up here, the exhibits begin with a history of the baseball park, which Erik and I certainly found to be one of the more interesting sections given all the ballpark chasing we do.  There was even a display case featuring a "30 Stadium Tour" shirt like Erik and I still have, and we grumbled as to why we were not in the Hall.  Generally, the American ballpark can be split into 5 eras: the original wood frame structures of the late 19th century (Polo Grounds, Borchert Field), the steel and concrete classical parks of the next 50 years or so that people most associate with baseball (Ebbets Field, Tiger Stadium, original Yankee Stadium, Wrigley Field, etc.), the multi-purpose "donuts" of the 1960s and 70s (Veterans, Riverfront, RFK, etc.), the retro boom of the 1990s and 2000s, and then whatever you want to call the "modern era" of ballparks today.  After this was my favorite section that outlined every major record in baseball and displayed artifacts from them - Ichiro's most single-season hits of 262, Bonds' career homerun record, Pete Rose's hit to break Ty Cobb's record, and many more.  The last chunk of the museum portion of the building has a locker dedicated to all 30 teams, which is nice because it gives an opportunity for every fan to connect to the museum on a personal level.  These lockers constantly cycle through recently game-used items of significance - for instance, the Brewers locker has a pair of Christian Yelich's shoes from one of his cycles in his 2018 MVP season.  There was also a locker dedicated to each of the newest member of the HOF inducted this year - Derek Jeter, Larry Walker, and Ted Simmons.  

Following the museum portion of the building, we were 3 hours into our day at this point and needed a break for lunch.  We got our hand stamped and had perhaps the best meal of the trip, a hoagie from an Italian deli down the street.  We returned to walk through the actual Hall of Fame portion of the building on the main floor and raided the team store up until doors closed at 5pm.  We concentrated on the men who have been inducted since we last visited in 2007, but we of course walked through the whole thing just for old times' sake.  It's super interesting to see how players and even the wording on the plaques have changed over the past 85 years of the Hall of Fame, starting with the original class of Mathewson, Wagner, Cobb, Ruth, and Walter Johnson in 1936.  It's a beautifully designed space that feels sacred the moment you set foot inside (as it should), with an almost cathedral-like feel, both in terms of materials of marble and wood, as well as the height and purposeful use of skylights above.  It is the kind of space where you are quiet out of respect without even being asked, again much like a cathedral.  I spent a good hour or two in this space, deep in my own thoughts and honored to be in the presence of such greatness again for a short while.

Following our full day in downtown Cooperstown, we were unfortunately denied a shot at redemption at the batting cages because of the rain, so we stopped at Ommegang Brewery on the way back to Lake George.  It's a beautifully picturesque brewery on acres of rolling hills and pristine landscape - so beautiful in fact that a couple of weddings were going on there -  that is very befitting of the area and a must-stop for anybody passing through.  We ended our time in Lake George on Sunday with one more leisurely stroll along the lake, and I spent some time with my friend Josh who happens to live in Albany before flying home Sunday evening.  It certainly wasn't the trip we planned, but what in these past couple of years has gone to plan for anybody?  We made the most of it and were happy to see each other and enjoy the trip for what it was - a relaxing time to catch up, watch and talk about ball, imbibe in way too many beers, and already start discussing next year's trip.

STANDINGS AND UPCOMING SERIES AS OF 9/20/21:

Brewers 91-59, +10.5, clinched playoff spot; 4 v. Cardinals, 3 v. Mets, 3 @ Cardinals, 3 @ Dodgers

Twins 65-85, -20.0, eliminated; 2 @ Cubs, 4 v. Blue Jays, 3 v. Tigers, 3 @ Royals

2021 GAMES ATTENDED:

Erik - 0

Peter - 8

More Than Baseball

My post today is more of a plug than it is any original thought.  I regularly listen to the Baseball American podcast, which I will honestly say is super dense and boring for the most part, unless you are the most devout of baseball fan.  But it is also one of the few podcasts that covers prospects and the minor leagues in great detail and BA has an industry-wide reputation as the best at what they do, so in terms of content it is great.  They had a guest on a couple of weeks ago, Jeremy Wolf, who founded More Than Baseball, which is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting minor league players and advocating for their rights and proper living conditions.  

I was made a little bit aware of what sort of hurdles these players have to jump to make a living during the MiLB contraction last year, and I've always known that they do not make very much money, but this podcast and organization really bring these things to light to the casual fan that may not know that much about it.  Unless a player has some sort of signing bonus or major league contract they are playing on with the 40-man roster, most minor leaguers make well below poverty wages, on average under $15,000 per year.  On top of that, they have to supply basically everything except transportation to games - housing, equipment, some meals, etc.  They also do not get paid during spring training or "extended spring," which explains the push for MLB teams to essentially replace Rookie level ball with the AZ and FL summer camp leagues.  For years I've used the cop-out of "I'm not going to feel sorry for somebody that plays a game for a living," but I had no idea that the situation was that bad.  This issue will certainly be at the forefront of the players' union negotiations with the upcoming CBA , and if it's not something is majorly wrong.

UPDATE: Given the dramatic rise of Covid-19 cases due to the Delta variant and the general lawlessness in Texas, Erik and I have made the difficult decision that our pending Tour 2021 trip to the new Rangers ballpark this week will have to once again be postponed.  Instead, we have decided to return to Cooperstown!  Read all about our trip next week.

STANDINGS AND UPCOMING SERIES AS OF 9/13/21:

Brewers 89-55, +14.0, magic number 5; 2 @ Tigers, 3 v. Cubs

Twins 63-80, -19.0, -17.0 WC; 1 @ Yankees, 3 v. Indians, 3 @ Blue Jays

2021 GAMES ATTENDED:

Erik - 0

Peter - 8

Brewers on Pace for Best Season in Franchise History

I've been consciously trying to avoid writing about the Brewers much this year to not jinx anything.  However, with a 10-game lead in the division with 27 games left to play, I think it's safe to say that the Crew is running away with the NL Central and likely playoff bound, barring a 2007-esque collapse.  This has certainly been one of the most enjoyable seasons I've ever witnessed as a fan, and for the first time in my lifetime, I legitimately feel like this team is a World Series contender.  

When the Brewers made the playoffs for the first time in 26 years back in 2008, I think it's safe to say everybody was just happy we made it.  The same could be said in 2011 - that was a better team, but by the time they reached the playoffs, they were so gassed and pitching on fumes that I think we all knew they were not making it to the World Series.  The 2018 team fell one game short of the World Series, but even for how complete that team was with Christian Yelich winning the MVP that year, I would have been happy just making the World Series.  That team's crutch was only having one or two competent starters and relying heavily on the bullpen, and by and large the team continued that philosophy in their 2019 and 2020 playoff runs.  But the 2021 team finally has a rotation that can match the bullpen, sometimes going 6 or 7 starters deep in a rotation without a dramatic drop-off in performance.  Brandon Woodruff, Corbin Burnes, and Freddy Peralta were all-stars this year and all serious Cy Young candidates, and Adrian Houser and Eric Lauer both also are turning in a sub-4 ERA right now.  This team was unapologetically built on run prevention and the defense has been stellar all year, but one could argue it's the emergence of the offense over the last 2+ months that has propelled this team to the stratosphere it's in now.  While certainly not to the level of our previous playoff clubs, they are getting timely hitting, great at-bats, and most importantly fewer strikeouts up and down the lineup on a nightly basis.  Christian Yelich has even emerged from his nearly 2-year slump to start contributing.  Outside of a long-term injury to several players at one time (knock on wood), it's hard to imagine what could slow down this team in September or October.  Besides the rotation, I think that is precisely what sets this team apart - the depth.  Every guy on the 26-man roster contributes and steps up when called upon and there are no wasted spots.  When a player or a pitcher goes down, I have never felt like this team is in trouble, it is a true "next man up" mentality that Counsell and Stearns have been preaching since they joined the management.

The Brewers are currently on pace for 98 wins, which would be the most in franchise history.  This year would also mark their 4th year in a row making the postseason, something that would have been unfathomable to me 10-15 years ago.  The Brewers are nearing a territory that the Packers have been in for nearly 30 years, in which I expect them to not only be competitive but have a good chance of making the playoffs every year.  I don't remember what the length of time was (I think 5 years but don't quote me), but I heard the other day that the Brewers are 2nd only to the Dodgers in the National League for wins over that time frame, and outside of Milwaukee I don't think many people are getting that answer correct.  This is the year we go for it and this is the year where just making the playoffs is not enough - World Series or bust!

STANDINGS AND UPCOMING SERIES AS OF 9/3/21:

Brewers 82-53, +10.0; 3 v. Cardinals, 3 v. Phillies, 3 @ Indians

Twins 58-75, -19.5, -17.5 WC; 3 @ Rays, 4 @ Indians, 3 v. Royals

2021 GAMES ATTENDED:

Erik - 0

Peter - 7

Inaugural Field of Dreams Game a Success, Returning in 2022

(photo courtesy of SBNation and USA Today)

The first major league baseball regular season game every played in the state of Iowa occurred last week, with the Chicago White Sox defeating the New York Yankees by a score of 9-8 in dramatic fashion at the Field of Dreams movie site.  For those who may have missed the national telecast, it was quite a spectacle for which all parties pulled out all the stops for something that has been years in the making - plus an additional year delay due to the pandemic.  A relatively flat piece of the cornfield behind the original "Field of Dreams" from the movie was cleared to make way for a temporary major league quality baseball field, complete with professional turf with proper drainage, a hand-operated scoreboard, bleachers, concessions, locker rooms, and even a see-through outfield wall that gave the players the illusion that the cornfield formed the edge of the outfield, just as in the timeless movie.  Almost every single small detail was executed perfectly.  Also as in the movie, the players all emerged "from the cornfield," from a pathway/maze cut from the original field to the major league field (and in perhaps the cheesiest part of the night, Kevin Costner joined them whilst seemingly still in character from 30 years ago).

Other than the game being on FOX which meant 3+ hours of Joe Buck, I thought this was a great event and I was happy that it was announced immediately afterward that the Cubs and Reds would be returning next year for another edition.  As much as I loved the event, I do hope that this is not something that occurs every year to cheapen the novelty - nobody is going to care about a random Rays-Angels tilt in rural Iowa ten years from now.  What this means though is that this has to move to the top of my list for a Tour Plus trip next year.  One of the few positive things I will give Rob Manfred credit for doing in his tenure is furthering the effort to spread the reach of the sport both geographically and with special events, with the Little League Classic, Fort Bragg Game, the Montreal exhibition series, and the London series just to name a few.  I would not be surprised and would actually hope that more one-off games like this occur in the future, and I would also be shocked if there are not more MLB games in other countries as well.  How about a ballgame at Yellowstone Park for the first professional game in Wyoming?  Or Mackinac Island off the northern coast of Michigan, where no cars are allowed?  Or a return to Cooperstown?  Sign me up.

STANDINGS AND UPCOMING SERIES AS OF 8/20/21:

Brewers 74-48, +8.5; 3 v. Nationals, 3 v. Reds, 3 @ Twins, 4 @ Giants

Twins 54-68, -17.0, -15.0 WC; 4 @ Yankees, 3 @ Red Sox, 3 v. Brewers, 1 @ Tigers, 2 v. Cubs

2021 GAMES ATTENDED:

Erik - 0

Peter - 7

Goodbye Indians, Hello Guardians

Beginning in 2022, the Cleveland Indians will officially become the Cleveland Guardians.  The club strategically announced this much-anticipated event on July 23rd, which was a Friday night and the opening night of the 2020 Olympics, and with a video narrated by America's most beloved human Tom Hanks, all in an attempt to soften the blow as much as possible.  No matter how controversial the old name was and well-intentioned the name change, it was bound to cause a stir, so it was smart on their part to try to bury the lead, so to speak.  It was also smart to announce this in the middle of the previous season to give it time to sink in rather than spring it on fans in the offseason.

At the surface level, I think it's hard to argue with the logic of changing the name, even if you don't agree with it.  I think even the most die-hard Cleveland fans can understand that the moniker "Indians" might have been just fine in 1915, but is at worst racist, and at best severely tone-deaf in the 21st century.  Unfortunately, there are still many people grumpily sighing at the change.  I think it's really important to separate these reactions into two categories: those that don't like the new name, and those that don't like that the name changed at all.  The first of these categories is subjective, and second one is just objectively wrong.  I was admittedly not a fan of the name when I first heard it, but once I learned a bit more about the meaning behind the name, it has started to grow on me.  "Guardians" is in reference to the 43-foot tall Art Deco stone pylons that adorn the Hope Memorial Bridge, which are instantly recognizable and identifiable landmarks in Cleveland and referred to as the "Guardians of Traffic."  The logo reflects some of the elements of the statues and it's clear a lot of thought was given to a name that is distinctively Cleveland, yet not kitschy like a minor league name might be.  I was rooting for Spiders to be the new name, which is one of the former names of the franchise pre-dating the Indians, but "Guardians" represents a look to the future rather than reminiscing on the past, which is the whole point of the name change.  By that I mean, it's your choice to not like the new name, but that doesn't preclude anybody from not understanding the logic of the change itself.  

This brings me to the second category of displeased fans.  The honest reality is that the major demographic of baseball is still old white men, and it is a game that is more steeped in history and tradition than perhaps any other sport, not to mention that we are living in the most polarizing political period in our nation's history, so I can't say I'm surprised there has been some animosity.  I'm not going to sit here as a white man and pretend that I speak on behalf of Native Americans, but from my perspective, I would just say to those people that are opposed to the change that there are some things are bigger than baseball and bigger than a name.  "Indians" is a moniker, and more importantly a logo, that has offended the Cuyahoga Tribe for decades, and is something that has misrepresented to generations of Native Americans everywhere that the best they can achieve in life is some caricature of a sports warrior.  Many non-Indians may say "Cleveland Indians" and think hey it's just a name, like the Notre Dame Fighting Irish is just a name, but in fact it represents a reference to a time when an entire race of people was cruelly treated and thought of as just a stereotype.  I also don't hear any Irish people coming out en masse protesting that name, and that's a big part of it too.  There are certainly some teams, for instance the Florida State Seminoles and the Spokane Indians, that have worked tirelessly with local tribes on how to best represent themselves and educate their community about Native Americans, and therein lies the rub.  It doesn't mean that racism is ok in Washington or Florida but not Ohio, it just means that some teams have been more pro-active about finding a solution and common ground than others.

Whatever side of the aisle you fall on, there's no doubt that a lot of positive change is happening in Cleveland and it's an exciting time to be a fan.  It was recently announced that a 15-year lease extension was signed to remain at Progressive Field through at least 2036, as well as intent to spend another six-figure sum to further update the ballpark.  It makes me happy to know that my children will grow up solely knowing of this franchise as the Guardians, and hopefully getting to see Progressive Field stand for many more years.

STANDINGS AND UPCOMING SERIES AS OF 8/6/21:

Brewers 66-44, +7.0; 3 v. Giants, 4 @ Cubs, 3 @ Pirates, 3 @ Cardinals

Twins 46-63, -17.5, -15.0 WC; 4 @ Astros, 3 v. White Sox, 3 v. Rays, 3 v. Indians

2021 GAMES ATTENDED:

Erik - 0

Peter - 7

Goodbye Pohlman Field

Sunday, July 18th marked the final game in the history of Pohlman Field, as the Beloit Snappers prepare to transition to the much-anticipated and LONG overdue new ballpark, ABC Supply Stadium, on August 3rd.  Anyone who's read this blog for the last 15 years knows my feelings on how disgraceful the park is by today's minor league standards, but this is still a sentimental time for me as I'm sure it is for the people of Beloit.  For as much grief as I give the ballpark and city, aside from the Brewers, this is one of my most frequented ballparks of all time.  It had crossed my mind after attending the 35th Anniversary Home Opener in 2016 that it might be my last trip ever to that ballpark, but surely I thought it would be for reasons of moving the team, not a new ballpark, so it's a little hard to grasp that this is actually happening.

Pohlman Field reflected a bygone era of simple, affordable, community-centric minor league baseball that just does not exist anymore, and there's something to be said about that.  It's easy to overlook the fact that a major reason the ballpark has not had any major upgrades in its 40 years is because prices were always kept low to make this affordable to fans, and nearly every penny of profit went back to the city.  In the 11th hour, when it looked like MLB was all but set to abandon the market with the new minor league takeover, the community stepped to the plate once again to fund this new park almost entirely with private financing, most significantly by team owner Quint Studer and local philanthropist Diane Hendricks (think of her as the Herb Kohl of Beloit).  Nutty political views aside, Diane saved this franchise almost singlehandedly, and that spirit is what embodies this team and the city of Beloit.  The Snappers and the city deserve a new ballpark, but it would not exist without the decades of building a fanbase and community at Pohlman Field first.

Erik and I have never been so excited to go to Beloit in our lives.  I'm pumped to see the new stadium, which looks gorgeous, and the new branding as well.  We may have a very imminent Tour stop in our future.

STANDINGS AND UPCOMING SERIES AS OF 7/22/21:

Brewers 56-41, +6.5; 3 v. White Sox, 3 @ Pirates, 3 @ Braves, 3 v. Pirates

Twins 41-55, -17.0, -13.5 WC; 4 v. Angels, 3 v. Tigers, 3 @ Cardinals, 2 @ Reds

2021 GAMES ATTENDED:

Erik - 0

Peter - 6

Inaugural Tour Molly Trip: Capital Credit Union Park

All photos of Capital Credit Union Park and Green Bay available on Flickr.

This past weekend was one of the more exciting and proud moments for me as a baseball fan - my first baseball roadtrip with my daughter Molly!  I kind of have the same view of baseball with my kids as I do church - we're going to be going regularly whether you like it or not, so you might as well get accustomed to it.  She's 3-1/2, so the attention span is still definitely not there for an entire game (but what adult fan can really say they can sit for 9 innings anyways), but she's old enough that she can watch some of the game and entertain herself in a chair for awhile, and have fun without entirely understanding what's going on, so long as I'm pumping her full of unhealthy food and lemonade.  We arrived mid-afternoon on Friday to the Home2Suites in Green Bay, just a few blocks from the ballpark, and hit up the pool for a good hour before walking to the game just in time for the gates to open before the 6:35 first pitch.

Capital Credit Union Park opened to much fanfare in 2019 as the home to the former Green Bay Bullfrogs, who rebranded as the "Booyah" for the move.  The internet tells me that "booyah" is a chicken stew that is indigenous to the area, and legend has it the name is accredited to someone in Green Bay whose thick Wisconsin accent could not pronounce "bouillon."  They actually sold authentic booyah at the ballpark, and to me it just looked like chicken noodle soup but it seemed to be very popular.  Going even more all-in on the branding, the mascot is a chicken (whom was very popular with Molly), and the ballpark claims to have the world's largest booyah kettle at 2,000 gallons, not to mention a bounce house shaped like a kettle.  

The reason I say the ballpark opened to much fanfare was just the continuous saga of trying to get the Bullfrogs out of horribly deficient Joannes Stadium.  Erik and I visited Joannes on the O.G. Tour in 2007, and to call it a "stadium" is quite laughable.  It was really not much more than watching a ballgame in a slightly beefed-up local park diamond, similar to some of the lower-tier collegiate parks I have been to.  There was nothing wrong with Joannes in their inaugural season of '07, but the league has grown so much both in terms of footprint as well as relevance in the summer collegiate landscape that an upgrade was needed.  For several years, the then Bullfrogs were trying to obtain financing and approvals for a 2500-seat brick ballpark in downtown Green Bay, but that fell through in 2016.  It was at that point that Big Top Baseball stepped in and purchased the team (same owners as Mallards and Kingfish among others) and scrapped the project in favor for the current site in Ashwaubenon, not too far from Lambeau Field, and the rest is history.  

When Big Top Baseball gets involved with a team, you know you are going to get a number of things - great fan experience, a very unique stadium that salvages as much existing materials and buildings as possible, fantastic branding and marketing, and affordability.  The Booyah most certainly check all of those boxes.  Approaching the ballpark from the north, it really looks nothing like a ballpark.  The primary structures are two buildings clad in vertical metal corrugated siding that just look like ordinary warehouse buildings (albeit a bold blue color).  Once you dig a little deeper, it's pretty clear that at least one of the buildings is a repurposed old building.  In fact, a former 17,000 SF concrete warehouse was re-clad and re-purposed into the main service building for the stadium, including a team store and ticket offices below; restrooms, concessions, and locker rooms on the main level; and suites and offices on the 2nd floor.  There is actually no other permanent structure accessible to fans other than this one building; all other concessions and things are in carts and tents.  This unfortunately makes the concourse almost useless other than just walking to your seat, as almost everything a fan would need is within sight of the main gate.  This main gate is adjacent to the main building and has a set of steps inside up to the main level, which opens up on the 3rd base side.  It's here that the weird shape of the stadium is immediately apparent.  CCU Park is primarily built for soccer and that is reflected in both the 100% field turf playing surface and the peculiar dimensions.  It is rectangular shaped in order to fit the other stadium use - sort of like Dolphin Stadium from when the Marlins used to play there, or the Polo Grounds for anybody familiar with baseball history - in that it is short down the lines (very short in the case of right field, less than 300 feet) and with a huge left-center field alley well in excess of 400 feet.  The Booyah make up for the dangerously close right field wall by building a wall that is 20'-7" tall, or in other words, 19 feet and 19 inches tall in homage to the Green Bay Packers' inaugural year (there is no escaping reference to anything Packers no matter where you are in Green Bay).  There is probably the largest media wall/jumbotron I have ever seen at a ballpark that takes up most of the right field wall, and I'm not sure how that is financially possible at this small of a park - perhaps using 80% of it for advertising is the answer.  Another quirk of the ballpark is that it is two levels, but both are very small, so when you couple that with the short porches, it is a very intimate feel.  There are only 7 rows of seats on the field level, and maybe 5 rows in the suite/group area upstairs.  Overall I give this high marks for aesthetics and atmosphere, not necessarily because it is beautiful or particularly rowdy, but because this park is precisely the visual and auditory buffet I have come to expect and crave at Northwoods League ballparks.

The game itself was a 2-0 loss for the cellar-dwelling Booyah to my adopted home/favorite team, the Kenosha Kingfish.  From what I did get to see of the game (again my daughter is 3 years old), it was obviously a pitchers duel, and probably one of the quietest overall offensive games I have seen in this league.  Both starters went 6 innings, with Logan Lee of the Booyah giving up just 2 runs, and Joey Kosowsky of the Kingfish giving up only 2 hits and striking out 8, lowering his ERA to 2.68 as of this game.  A 2-run 4th inning bomb to right by Justin Janas was all the offense K-Hole needed for the victory.  The lone All-Star for the Booyah, Max Wagner, sadly did not even play.  I did manage to see one of the best defensive plays I have ever seen in person, as the Booyah 2nd baseman Chase Estep stopped a grounder bare-handed to start a nifty 4-6-3 double play to end the 2nd inning.

Another nice little bonus of the game was that my friend Phil was in town from South Carolina, who I see very sparingly these days and is probably the biggest baseball nerd I know outside of Erik, so it was a lot of fun to shove our kids into the bounce house together for a few innings and catch up over some ball.  The next day, we had breakfast with Phil's family and got back to Milwaukee around noon.  I am beyond thrilled to pass my love of baseball and ballpark chasing onto my daughter, and very much looking forward to turning this into an annual tradition for as many years that she will indulge me.  There are a number of ballparks in Michigan I still have yet to visit that I already have on my future "Tour Molly" list.

Note for park rankings below: for purposes of all of my "Tour Molly" ballparks visited, I have added a 15th category - kids area.  My ranking for this category will be based on accessibility, proximity to field, ability to keep my child distracted, and cost if applicable.

park rankings and statistics: 

aesthetics - 9 (points for uniqueness, not beauty)

views from park - 4 (can see Lambeau from the entrance)

view to field - 10 (all seats very close)

surrounding area - 2

food variety - 2 (literally 5 things on the menu at only one stand)

nachos - n/a

beer - 7 (some local beers separate from main stand)

vendor price - 9 (hard to find food under $5 these days)

ticket price - 9

atmosphere - 7

walk to park - 5 (close but unexciting)

parking price/proximity - 9 (adjacent lot fo' free)

concourses - 6 (very close to field, but really only 1 of 4 sides is active)

team shop - 7 (very nice store and selection, points deducted for nothing in Molly's size)

kids area - 7 (no charge - bounce houses in shape of booyah kettle)

best food - chicken booyah

most unique stadium feature - field shape (rectangular to fit soccer)

best jumbotron feature - just in generaly having a giant jumbotron

best between-inning feature - bat dog retrieving bats from batters after plate appearance

field dimensions - 338/386/282 (415 to left-center)

starters - Joey Kosowsky (KEN) v. Logan Lee (GB)

opponent - Kenosha Kingfish

time of game - 2:25

attendance - 1946

score - 2-0 L

Brewers score that day - 2-0 L

STANDINGS AND UPCOMING SERIES AS OF 7/12/21:

Brewers 53-39, +4.0; 3 @ Reds, 2 v. Royals

Twins 39-50, -15.0, -11.5 WC; 4 @ Tigers, 4 @ White Sox

2021 GAMES ATTENDED:

Erik - 0

Peter - 6