Brewers vs. Twins in Minnesota 2007

We left Friday morning so that we could make it in time for the game that night, and rolled into town right about game time. We parked in our usual spot by the Holiday Inn, which is about a 15 minute walk from the Metrodome. When we got into the stadium, the game was already underway. Now that I think about it, I don't know if I've ever been present for the first pitch or the starting lineups here at the Metrodome. I'm always off somewhere goofing aroudn with Mike, and we lose track of time and walk in late. I'd love to be here on time, because the Brewers are the road team, they get to bat first in the game. But seeing as how the Brewers rarely score first, I know that I never miss much. We sat in the "cheap seats", which only cost $8. But for $8, you get this crappy view in a crappy ballpark.

I'm a very big supporter of Bill Hall. I've been a fan since the 2002 season when he came up as a super utility player. He hasn't been getting a whole lot of love, but in 2006 he got his chance as the everyday Centerfielder. He didn't have a season like his breakout 2006 season, but he still finished with a decent .254 batting average, 14 HR, and 63 RBIs. Not great, but not too shabby.

They really do call these seats up in the boonies the "cheap seats." I'm glad that I only paid $8 for these seats, because they're so bad that even Uecker wouldn't feel comfortable here. But I guess that it wouldn't really matter where I sat because I was with my best friend Mike Bates. He has a unique ability to make every situation a laugh riot, no matter how dull or cheap it really is. That's why Bates rocks.

Last year, Mike and I had stopped at this quarry to do a little cliff diving. We were able to jump off of the small cliff (about a 15 feet drop), but when we went to the big one (40 foot drop) the park rangers/sheriffs yelled at us. I guess it is illegal or something. This year, we walked over to the cliff and jumped off right away, which didn't give the authorities time to apprehend us. I don't know if you've ever jumped off of a 40 foot ledge into anything, but it's scary. You know that eventually you are going to hit the water, but nothing can prepare you for that feeling once you actually do it. And even before it gets to that point, you have to make yourself jump off and into the unknown. Free falling is one of the most unique experiences that I have ever felt, and it was one of those rare moments when you feel like you are in a situation where you can die, and in doing so, feel more alive than ever before. We only jumped once, but that's all I needed to feel alive again.

The Brewers earned the victory and emptied the dugout to congratulate the players on the field. There were a ton of Brewers fans from all over Wisconsin at the ballpark, and we all stood and cheered for our Milwaukee Brewers. We all did it because our team gave us something to cheer for today. 1 down, 2 more to go.

I don't care what the signs on the outside of the stadium say - this is Shouse's House. He came in to relieve Claudio Vargas, and even though the Brewers had a 6-3 lead (and would score 5 more in the final 3 innings) he got the save by pitching 3 complete innings. And that's just one of the reasons why Brian Shouse is the man.

We ran into this chick that knew Bates, mostly cause he looks just like his brother Ryan. It turns out that she is Maddie MacKenzie, kid sister of Kenny MacKenzie, whom we knew from band at Wauwatosa East. Disney was right, it's a small world after all.

I took a picture of the scoreboard so that I could remember just how dominating the Brewers offense was tonight. My favorite moment? How about the 4th inning where Geoff Jenkins hit a grand slam over that plastic bag thing out in right field. That was pretty sweet.

After the game, we went out and met some of Mike's former roommates. It's been a year since I've seen a few of those people form Minnesota (Jess, Sean, Casey) and it's always nice to get up here and see them again. Mike went to college at the University of Minnesota, and I have had the pleasure of getting to know some of his friends over the years. We went out to the 7 Corners area, which I would compare to our Water Street. 3 streets intersect and create some corners and there's a bar on each one. Their favorite hangout bar is called The Corner Bar, and downstairs they have a comedy club. Since there was no one on stage tonight, I took it upon myself to get up on stage and tell Rodney Dangerfield jokes for the audience (Mike Bates) who were entertained by my Rodney repertoire. I fired off every joke that I could remember from the vinyl record I own, the hilariously brilliant "No Respect". Some real comics came on later that night, but none were as good as my Rodney act. I may not look or sound like him, but those are some funny ass jokes.

For the past few years, I have ventured up to the Twin Cities to see the Brewers take on the Minnesota Twins. In 2007, Mike Bates and I drove up once again to watch the games and catch up with some old friends. I know that it is about a year overdue, but I just had to post these pictures and tell some stories because I had such a good time up there. Well, better late then never I guess.