not in the cards

Goliath musta been dangling in the Miller Park tailgating lot last night; dangling like a piñata waiting for David to trounce and rally. The Brewers were trailing 4-0 in the top of the ninth inning; their nine game winning streak in serious jeopardy. And then it happened.

The bullpen doors opened and out walked Wei Chung Wang and 27,090 fans knew what was coming next. Wang’s major league debut would go 1-2-3 and the offense would rally for 4, maybe 5 runs to win the game and extend the streak.

Wang; jsonline.com

The 21-year old lefty had not pitched this season. We waited against Atlanta, Philly, Boston, and Pittsburgh, 12 games in all but still no Wang. He was the rule V draft pick Pittsburgh left unprotected and the Brewers must keep him stashed in the big league bullpen all season or the Pirates can steal him back.

The skinny Korean pauses in mid motion like most Asian pitchers do. He curls his right leg and delivers an over the top pitch and it looks good and so does he; standing there all calm and composed and under control. He throws another pitch; a change-up and Jon Jay swings and pops out to shallow left field. Tony Cruz pops out too. Pete Kozma singles, but Doug Descalso flies out to right field. Wang’s debut a scoreless success.

Now it’s David’s turn to topple Goliath; to take down the St. Louis Cardinals, but it doesn’t happen. It can’t; not against the Cardinals. The Brewers go down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the ninth. Curtains.

St. Louis has golden arches, ferry boats and big red wheels turning on the Mississippi, but it’s just St. Louis; home of the Cardinals to Brewer fans and they’ve been a thorn for more than 30 years now- a monkey on the Brewer’s back.  It all started with beer and it was fun; Anheuser Busch in St. Louis and Miller in Milwaukee. And like good drinking buddies, backs were scratched-favors made.

The December 1980 trade sending Ted Simmons, Pete Vuckovich and Rollie Fingers from the Cardinals to the Brewers played a huge role in transforming Milwaukee from a good team to a great one. The Brewers won the second half of the AL East in 1981 and then the AL Championship the following year; losing to those very same Cardinals in the 1982 World Series.

Fingers won the Cy Young and MVP in 1981 and Vuckovich the Cy Young in 1982. St. Louis had opened the door for Milwaukee and like a cruel teaser slammed it shut at the last possible moment.

The Cardinals returned to the World Series in 1985 and 1987, but lost. They won it all in 2006, again in 2011 and last year lost to the Red Sox. A tale of success that began a long time ago when Cardinal’s General Manager Branch Rickey rounded up America’s best talent and filled Cardinal minor league rosters. All in all…11 World Series trophies.

The Brewers enjoyed winning records in 1983, 1987 and 1988, and 1992, but never made the playoffs and never really came close. But solid draft picks and smart trades brought a wild card in 2008 and then in 2011-first place in the NL Central ahead of those St. Louis Cardinals. But there was still an obstacle.

The Cardinals slipped into the playoffs on a wild card ticket and they got hot; real hot. The Brewers beat the Arizona Diamondbacks in round 1 of the playoffs. Only one team stood in their way from reaching the World Series and there they were again, those St. Louis Cardinals. There was Tony La Russa the lawyer/manager who accused Milwaukee of tinkering with its home field lights to distract Cardinal batters.

And yeh, the Cardinals beat the Brewers with little trouble and went on to win the 2011 World Series, but La Russa retired and the new Cardinals manager was Mike Matheny, a former big league catcher who was drafted and developed by the Milwaukee Brewers.

Happy ending to the rivalry? Lion lay down with lamb? I hope not. There’s 18 more games to go against the Redbirds, but hats off to Lance Lynn. He had his way with Brewer batters last night; striking out 11 and allowing three measly hits over 7 innings.

The winning streak is over. The Brewers are 10-3, but there was an ember in the fire. Wei Chung Wang pitched.

I tailgate and therefore I am

A few notes about the following three-minute movie. That’s Jim Powell calling the play-by-play. Bob Uecker always rotates innings with his sidekicks. I-94 West is in the background. Those cars whistling by could be going to Madison, Eau Claire, Minneapolis, Fargo, Bismarck, Billings or just the next exit for County Stadium Parking.

The bratwursts sizzling are probably Klements, but they could also be Usinger’s or Johnsonville brats. The kazoo humming is in sync with “roll out the barrel” as the glorious and human sausages race around county stadium. The dude’s sunglasses are not necessarily Burt Reynolds sunglasses.The movie ends as Ron Belliard steps to the plate with the winning run on third base. It’s the bottom of the tenth. We never know the outcome because “To tailgate is victory in itself.”

But there’s a catch. The game was played the night of October 1, 1999. The video was shot during the late afternoon and then mixed with the game audio. These two beautiful Milwaukee hosers wearing plain white shirts waddle into the game come 7:05 sun down. They watched Belliard hit a single to center field, driving in Mark Loretta for the winning run.

County Stadium died September 28, 2000. County Stadium imploded February 21, 2001. But Milwaukee tailgating lives on at Miller Park. Baseball fans travel a long way to tailgate a Brewer’s game and when it’s over, they say, “It’s not even close. No tailgating compares to Milwaukee.” And to think New York once called us bushville. Sophistication is over rated.

the old baseball field montreal

Milwaukee’s shuttle bus to Miller Park  is #90 with a dashboard flashing “Go Brewers.” The green limousine rolls along Wisconsin Avenue, turns on 45th street and Bluemound Road.

miller park-wikicommons

I like getting off at Robin Yount Drive before the descent into Menominee Valley. The slow stroll along the north parking lot is tailgater dome grills, lawn chairs, frisbee, beer, brats, and banter.

Miller Park disappears from view inside a short over pass tunnel and then there she is looking like a mix of Ebbet’s Field, European train station, and outer space insect.

And when I’m far away roaming Montreal in search of nothing in particular, that descent into the valley is with me like a lucky roll of will, urban design, and destiny turning my feet into a wild card compass; guiding me towards unexpected places.

It’s just an old baseball field on the north side of Mount Royal beside Bates street, but my mind slips into focus.

The home run fence is equal in height from left field to right and equal in foliage hiding traces of an older identity. Only center field is metal and naked with clouds, sky, and horizon easily seen.

There’s a scoreboard in right center. Most of the bulbs for balls, strikes, and outs are missing. Five light towers hover over the field. There is something ethereal about baseball at night.

But there are no more games on this field. All the elements are free to fade away like a savage beach. The sun is out on this day and a family of four is playing. Dad is pitcher, mom catcher. Girl plays first base, boy bats. No one seems to know what day it is. Neither do I.

Delorimier Stadium leftovers-Jackie plaque

There are no ghosts on the base paths and no cleats crunching echoes on the asphalt, but I still wonder about kids from 1976 and their 7 inning game not being enough, hopping on sting ray bikes and riding east along Ducharme and north up St. Laurence  towards Jarry Park for a swim and the Expos hosting the San Diego Padres.

Or maybe it was 20 years earlier in 1956 and kids turned right on St. Laurent street and rode south and east towards Delorimier Stadium where the Montreal Royals were playing the Syracuse Chiefs and Jackie Robinson was at a second base or in the batter’s box adding to his .468 OB% that season, his only one in Montreal.