Field of Dreams

Just down the road from where we live you will find our local Field of Dreams in the tiny town of Kolberg Wisconsin.  It's a regulation ball park with a small set of bleachers, a new fence and backstop along with a new concession building including bathrooms.  Home to the Kolberg Braves - included in the lineup of teams belonging to the county's baseball league.

We spent yesterday afternoon with friends for the last game of the season.  What a spectacular summer afternoon in the shade with a cold beer or two, brats, peanuts admission and parking for a fraction of the cost of VIP parking at American Family Field in Milwaukee.

Braves over the Bays - 7 to 0. 

 

Kolberg defeats Sister Bay to bring home another Peninsula County League Championship!

 

Mr. Baseball

 Bob Uecker passed away yesterday at the age of 90.  

He was one of the game's most beloved figures throughout his 70-year career in baseball.  In his six years in his hometown of Milwaukee as well as St. Louis, Philadelphia and Atlanta Bob made many friends among the  baseball stars of the 1960s.  He was a member of the 1964 World Series Champion Cardinals.

Uecker spent 53 years doing what he loved most, calling Brewers games on the radio.  So popularly successful the Baseball Hall of Fame honored him in 2003 with the Ford C. Frick Award; a testament to his ability to elicit smiles and laughter.

Uecker's six seasons as a backup catcher began in 1962 with the Milwaukee Braves and his .200 lifetime batting average supplied plenty of material for decades of his shtick. Nevertheless, of Uecker's 14 career home runs, three were off future Hall of Famers: Sandy Koufax, Fergie Jenkins and Gaylord Perry.

God Speed Mr. Baseball...

Cardinals management fined both Bob Gibson and Bob Uecker for holding hands with big goofy smiles on their faces.  The Team Photo had to be retaken.

 

Peninsula Ball

Big baseball day here in Southern Door.

 

Kolberg Braves v Washington Islanders for the championship!

 

 

With the ball park only about a mile or so down the road, Sunday home games are a regular on our calendar.  Parking is free, admission is $4, burgers and brats are $4, hot dogs $3, frosty-cold canned beers are $2 and salted in the shell peanuts are $1.  $20 stretches pretty far for the Missus and I for an afternoon of baseball.  And a game doesn't go by without bumping-into a neighbor or friend.

 

Today's game was a duel of pitching staff and substitutions.  And was a white knuckle affair right to the bitter end.

 

Kolberg went into the 9th with a 10 to 5 lead.  Comfortable margin, right?  The Islanders rallied and closed the gap to within 1 run of Kolberg's 10 run lead.  With two outs and bases-loaded for the Islanders Kolberg held fast winning the championship 10 to 9.

 

 

More exciting (to this blogger at least) than Brewers baseball back in the Naked City.

 

Take Me Out to the Ballpark

There is no professional baseball for us this year.  To be fair - our attendance is minimal in the best of years - so I'll just add this to my growing list of things that never happened this year because of the virus.  It didn't have to be this bad.  Crap.

That said - we had a ballpark tailgate dinner the other day.  

Old-fashioned wiener - you know - the kind with a real casing that 'snaps' with each bite, homemade pickle, baked beans and chips.  Frosty beer on the side.

Good grub if you can get it.  

Play ball!

Live Strong

Random actuarial factoid of the day. 

According to Metropolitan Life Major League Baseball players lived an average of four years longer than then the average male – especially if you are a third baseman.

The Party Never Ends

By the time you read this the Canadian branch of Jill's family will have commenced their travels home.  And I will be back at the day job considering how in the heck we're going to consume all of the leftover pulled-pork, potato salad, fresh fruit, cold-cuts, rolls, pizza and more.  What's in my bag lunch today?  Use your imagination.

In any event the previous three days of virtual non-stop socializing was a terrific time and the object of everyone's attention was Jill's mom who celebrated her 90th birthday.  That's quite remarkable when you think about it.  It wasn't too many generations ago that the average age of the average human was half that number of years.  And if you were fortunate enough to live to that ripe old age without becoming dinner for a larger predator you became a shaman, sorceress or chieftain of your tribe of hunter-gatherers.  But I digress.

If you've never enjoyed the pleasure of duckpin bowling there are a couple of watering holes in the Milwaukee area where you can indulge.  Koz's Mini Bowling in Milwaukee and the Thirsty Duck in Wauwatosa,  I've been to both and the Thirsty Duck happened to be convenient for all of us so Monday we topped a beer-infused day with an evening of bowling, pizza, cheese curds, tall-boy PBRs and yucks. 

I recommend it.

Last night we reconvened at the same joint for a terrific pregame dinner of tasty pub food and more of those tall-boy PBRs and rode the shuttle to Miller Park to watch the Cardinals humiliate the Brewers.

 click on images to enlarge

Baseball scores, horrified visages and disappointing stats notwithstanding there was consensus that this generation of cousins needs to continue - and in-fact ramp-up - the level of socialization.  I know we have on my side of the family - because we're all orphans now.  Besides, time is short and precious.  But I digress.  Again.

Channeling Robert Earl Keen it is instructive to remember this: The road goes on forever and the party never ends...

Play Ball!

Door County Baseball League.

Spent part of the afternoon watching the Kolberg Braves defeat the Egg Harbor Indians - 1 to 0.

 click on images to enlarge

Admission for two adults - $8.  Two beers, a brat and a burger - $12.  Total out-of-pocket - $20.

A great dollar value.