Farewell, Sweet Prince - ALL TRIBE style

Nope, no reference to anyone dieing. No reference to Fatty McFatterson, who happens to play first base for my FIRST PLACE Milwaukee Brewers. I am bidding my farewell to the world of card blogging. For now, of course.

Today is my final day in the Navy. Tonight we are loading up the truck. Tomorrow my wife and I will depart on our 3,036 mile road trip to our new home in Charleston, SC. We will be spending a week in Wisconsin over Memorial Day weekend, spending the weekend cheering on the Brewers as they take on the Twins in interleague play.


I received a package last week from Jack over at All Tribe Baseball that included not only the wonderful CD of baseball-related tunes (including the original "Who's on First" from Abbot & Costello which confused the crap outta the wife) but also had a number of Brewers cards tossed in as well. A nice smattering of years and clubs. Thanks so much, Jack, for the great cards and the CD that will be getting some spin time in the truck this week.

On that note, in no particular order, here are the cards from the "Baseball Dad".

2003 Donruss Estrellas (#47 Ben Sheets, #48 Richie Sexson)

These cards are in spanish. SPANISH!! I've never seen baseball cards in Spanish. French, yes. Gotta love our friends north of the border who enjoy their OPC cards. But Spanish? Awesome. Donruss Estrellas. That's Not-English for "stars". Sheets is a "Lanzador", which is a very formal way of saying "not pitching for anyone this year". Funny, neither is Richie. Bummer, man.

2003 Fleer Ultra Gold Medallion (#139 Ben Sheets, #125 Jose Hernandez)

These cards are your standard cardboard. See that little cutout on the top and bottom? Genius. You wanted it, and Skybox delivered. Get those kids back on the wagon, we need more non-standard cards. Well, not really but they are pretty neat. Sheets still isn't pitching for anyone this year. You know, the Brewers never did announce whether or not they have had to pick up the tab on his surgery. It'd be interesting to find out.

1992 Topps Gold Teddy Higuera, 1999 Skybox Premium Jim Abbott

Teddy Higuera, arguably the greatest pitcher to don the Brewers uniform. Jim Abbott, arguably the greatest pitcher to have ONE HAND. One hand!!! As a child this always amazed me. The guy only had one hand and he managed to do everything better than me. He'd throw, pull the glove off his...handless arm, put the glove on his hand, field the ball, and throw the whole damn thing, glove and ball together, over to the first baseman. That's some Pitcher's Fielding Practice that's tough to teach, folks. That guy was a true hero to all para-athletes out there to be sure. And he played for the Crew, awesome.

2006 Fleer Ultra Rickie Weeks, 1991 Upper Deck Julio Machado


Rickie is leading the Brewers in HRs this year. That's right, the guy who hit just over the Mendoza line last year and has plagued the infield with errors for years, has perhaps finally found his swing and his glove, the same items that made him the ranchise prospect and future all these years. Then came Ryan Braun. But before that, Weeks was going to be the next Robin Yount for the Brew Crew. Well, to nobody's surprise, he's in a contract year and thriving. Isn't that odd when that happens? As I always say, you can't spell Rickie Weeks without 3 E's and 2 K's. Chew on that, kids.

Machado is a badass. Look at him.


Here's a neat scratchoff game from '94 that was included. I'd never seen this before. It features the Brewers "Notre Dame" logo that I never was a huge fan of, but that's alright too. Here's the back...

I think I'll leave this until the Brewers make it to the World Series. It may be a while, but man, it'll be worth it. I'll do this scratchoff and it'll predict the winner of game 1 - Milwaukee.


Well, that's it for a while folks. Keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we travel. We'll take some photos and I'll share those when we arrive in Charleston. Go Brewers!!

Cards from GCRL...Round 2

Back in March I got a package from Jim over at GCRL, and the contents were overwhelming - hundreds and hundreds of Brewers cards, old, not-so-old, and friggin new. Lots of em. Too many for one post. I set aside another posts' worth of cards at that time for a second post - one that would come after I said thanks to a few others for gifts they sent.

We are in the middle of packing up our apartment as we prepare to move 3,000 miles away to sunny Charleston, SC a week from now. Underneath some books and papers was a small stack of cards...the very cards I set aside for the "Thanks GCRL 2 of 2" post. Here they are, folks! And once again, Jim, thanks for the cards.

I have two baseballs from major league baseball games. The first was the one that Paul Molitor threw to me and my father during warmups before a Brewers vs. Twins game in Minneapolis back in '87. I've told the story before as my entry for the Fifth Blog Bat Around...you can read it here. The second one was hit right to me during batting practice, at the same Metrodome in Minneapolis, once again before a Brewers vs. Twins game. Except this time, it came from a slightly more portly player on the Brewers team, Mr. Ron Belliard. I don't know if I still have that one.

I will never complain about an oddball card. There can be nothing wrong with them, because there is no "bar" set. They cannot disappoint. This one is no exception. And the Vuckovich card is from another generation. It's a bit harder to find a leg kick like this anymore...or a mustache like this. I still can't see a picture of him without thinking of nemesis of Rick Vaughn, Yankees slugger "Haywood". On a brief sidenote, it was revealed during the fifth inning of a Brewers/Astros game a few weeks ago that my wife had never seen "Major League". MLB Extra Innings was carrying the Astros broadcast of the game that night, and they had a guest in the booth...Mr. Bob Uecker. I went nuts. He was nothing short of genius, and I was laughing the whole time. I commented on how funny he was in "Major League". I was met by a blank stare on my wife's face. After the game, we watched the movie.

The Jenkins/Burnitz high five was a common site for a few years in Brew Town. This cards scores a couple runs because it's taken from a distance, which gives us two ballplayers frozen in time, with a sea of faceless fans behind them. I love it.

No matter what happened to Matt Childers, he could always brag to his children and grandchildren that he had two of the coolest baseball cards ever. I love these cards. Maybe it's the patriot in me, maybe I just like bright, shiny objects, but they work for me. Matt only made 11 major league appearances earlier in the decade. Last year he pitched for the Phillies AAA club, and this year he's pitching in Japan. Glad he's still in the game.


Add to the list of guys who become sluggers with the Brewers, leave, and then disappear. Maybe it's just him on this list, but for some reason I want to throw in Geoff Jenkins and Carlos Lee - although both of their situations are entirely different. Last season I went to about a dozen Mariners games here in Seattle. It didn't take the fans too long to start booing him last year.

One question, though. Future World Series Hero? What a crappy set. Did they mean that he would soon leave the Brewers for a larger market and hopefully more successful ballclub, or did they mean the Brewers would soon make it to the World Series? Either way, they lost. Dumb, dumb Upper Deck.

Finally, a minor league card. I know nothing about Leon Glenn, Jr, but I do know that he played for the one time A-affiliate Beloit Brewers. By the time I came into my "baseball adulthood", they were already the Beloit Snappers (easier to put a turtle suit on some guy than try to sell the whole "beer" thing to youngsters). The Milwaukee Brewers still own the rights to this logo, though, and as I've said before, I sure hope it'll find it's way onto the Brewers uniforms, at least as a sleeve patch. It shows Wisconsin pride. I like that.

News...and Notes

First of all, the important stuff. I was notified by the Navy that my day of separation will be in two weeks - so, I have essentially 2 weeks to find a job in Charleston, SC (which is over 3,000 miles away) tie up all my loose ends with the Navy, work with my wife to sell whatever furniture we can on Craigslist, pack up the place, and done. The sofa I am sitting on right now will be gone tomorrow - so it's two weeks of sitting on dining room chairs in the living room. I love it.

We've decided to move to Charleston, SC instead of my hometown in Wisconsin for a couple of reasons, mostly relating to the job market and the economy. This will once again put me far away from the land of Cheese and Beer, but just for now. I still have MLB Extra Innings to fill me with my daily need for Brewers baseball.

Which brings me to last night's game...and Ryan Braun. The Crew is facing the MUCH hated Baby Bears from Chicago. I don't care what Cubbies fans say, this is a huge freakin rivalry and we hate them. This weekend is a 3-game series against Chicago, and the series opened with a bang last night. In the bottom half of the 8th last night, trailing the Cubs 2-1, Ryan Braun took a pitch to the bleachers in right center field, plating two runs and giving the Brewers the lead to cement a game 1 victory over the Cubs. 10 minutes later, "Hells Bells" rang true once again in Milwaukee, as closer Trevor Hoffman came in once again and earned his fifth save of the year.

The guys on Sportscenter this morning (actually, I think it was Neal Everett) made the same comment I made last night when he hit the homer. It was something to the effect of "last week he was on the bench with a sore back, and this week he's tearing it up". Actually, my story of last night's game is a bit better than that.

As I said, we're selling a lot of furniture and home furnishing stuff on Craigslist right now, and from about 1pm-8:30 last night I had people coming by to look at items and pick items up. This was during the Brewers/Cubs game last night, but I didn't let it stop me. A woman, her friend, and her child were standing in my living room inspecting the antique dresser they'd come to pick up (turns out, she was a Brewers fan and originally from West Allis, Wisconsin...small world) and I didn't let them stop me from watching the game. I answered questions while staring at the screen. As soon as Brauny hit the 2-run jack in the 8th inning, I channelled Howard Dean and started yelling something fierce...to which the woman turned, smiled, and decided she'd take the dresser and it'd be a good time to leave. At least she bought the damn thing, and for helping load it/secure it in her truck, she through in an extra $10 on top of the price.

Thanks Brauny!

By the way, this is the 2009 Topps World Baseball Classic Ryan Braun card. This card is summer baseball. The sun, the smile, the sky, and the glisten in the eye that smacks of another summer filled with homers like the one we saw last night.

Cinco de Mayo!

Sunday, May 3rd: After being scratched from the lineup for two games, Ryan Braun stays in Milwaukee while the Brewers hit the road for a quick four game road trip in Pittsburgh and Cincy.

Monday, May 4th: MRI on Braun's back turns out negative, Braun boards a plane to join the Crew for their first game in Pittsburgh. At the 7:05pm game time, Braun is still flying en route to Pittsburgh, Bill Hall starts the game in Left Field.

Ryan Braun arrives in the dugout for the 2nd inning.

In the 8th inning with the bases load, Ryan Braun is brought into the game as a pinch hitter.

Braun swings at a 0-2 fastball, and hits a seeing-eye DOUBLE to right field to tie the game at 3-3.

Later, Rickie Weeks would homer to ensure the Brewers' 16th straight victory over the Pirates.

Tuesday, Cinco de Mayo: Tonight, Brauny is starting in left field. Happy Cinco de Mayo, ya'll!

Farewell to Foreign Shores...

Well, the day has come. It seems even the Department of the Navy is not recession proof.

I was just informed today by my chain of command that my rating conversion was denied by the Navy due to manning issues. In effect, I'm not being "retained" because too many people are staying in. Electrician's Mate Second Class at the plate, Honorable Discharge on deck, and Looking for a Job is in the hole.

This means in about 2 months, I will once again be a civilian for the first time in six years. And a long with that, comes the joy of searching for a job. With my transition just ahead, I will have to direct my baseball card budget to more important (gasp!) things - namely, savings account. Rainy day fund. Whatever you call the money saved up for when you lose your job.

I'll keep the posting up, because it's free. But it'll mostly be on Brewers baseball (also free) and odd kinds of themes I can come up with while parousing my stacks and rows and boxes of cards.
This also means the last 3 packages are being mailed out today - Matt F, Padrographs, and a little something for the ladies of Dinged Corners - and that'll be it for quite a while. The inbox will remain open, though, if anyone has to get rid of some cards of the Brewers persuasion.

At least Ryan Braun is healthy, right? Wait a second...

2006 Tristar Prospect Plus #81 Ryan Braun

Oh no, not again!


Nope, not again. One quick look at the back of this card will reveal a hidden gem. A diamond in a pile of coal.

I hope the person that did this didn't lose their job. Well, at least two people saw this before it hit the shelves - the designer and the editor, and I'm sure more were in the line of people who see a baseball card before it gets the "good-to-go" stamp of approval.

The problem with this beauty, is I really don't know whose card this is, Ryan Z. Braun or Ryan J. Braun? Z's picture is on the front, as well as his team's logo on the back. But my Brew Crew Braun is pictured on the back, not to mention his stats are the ones listed as well.

So which is it, Z or J?

It was an accident!

That's what Pirates' pitcher Jeff Karstens said after last night's game. In the 3rd inning, Karstens drilled Braun in the back with a fastball - two innings after Braun hit a solo homer off the right-hander. Later in the game, Braun would draw a walk (this time, not from a fastball in the back), and took nearly 15 seconds to make his way to 1st base. That's my boy. Of course, both sides were warned and no retribution was made during the game.

The fun part about all of this doesn't occur until tonight during Brewers batting practice before game 2 of the Pittsburgh series in Milwaukee. I guess Braun still hadn't seen a replay of the hit-by-pitch until this afternoon, and as mad as he sounded last night after the game, didn't compare to this afternoon. Though he knew last night's beaning was intentional, today he sounded convinced that it wasn't Karstens, but Pittsburgh manager John Russell's idea to hit the left fielder on his first at bat following the first-inning homer. The fact that Karstens wouldn't even look at Brauny after it happened, kind of backs up this idea. Interesting...

Unfortunately, Braun also made a mistake of his own tonight - sending a sort of "message" to the MLB Commissioner's office. From Brewers beat reporter Tom Haudricort...

"Issuing a not-so-wise warning to the commissioner’s office, Braun added, “We play them about 17 more times (actually 13). Tell Mr. Selig, we’ll see what happens. It’s going to be interesting.”

Nice, Brauny. Now you have the Pirates and the league office pissed at you.

Generosity of Dinged Corners

Our favorite desert baseball flowers from Dinged Corners were kind enough to think of me when they came across some Brewers cards in a recent '09 Topps Heritage purchase they made. Well, the first one I kind of asked for - but along with that, they included three other cards of beautiful wonderment. Thanks to Patricia and Lucy for these!

2009 Topps Heritage #121 Angel Salome RC
I have said before that I like the 1960 choice for Topps Heritage this year, but the orange of this card really bothers me. And not "bothers me" as in a good "bothers me", but a sort of nagging annoyance, kind of like the thumping bass of some kid's little honda down the street. You can't hear the music, but you can hear this faint, annoying bass thump. It's kind of like that. But this card is beautiful, what with the pint-sized Catcher showing his best...in a still photo. Anyhow, he's third in line to take over the catching job in Milwaukee whenever Jason Kendall decides to hang 'em up. I have a feeling this guy will be ahead of Wisconsin native Vinny Rottino, though, should he stay healthy.

2009 Topps Heritage #NAP10 Ryan Braun
Not only a great Brewers card, but also a card I can take off my Ryan Braun wantlist now. Good stuff, here. Last night he had another homer in our 10-5 victory over the Pirates. He's also the newest member of the Pawtucket Patriots fantasy baseball club. I had to trade catcher Joe Mauer to get him, but with Mauer still on the DL and my other catcher Jason Veritek at least holding his own in points, I thought it a smart move.

2008 Bowman Chrome First #BCP38 Mike Brantley


So, you've heard about that "player to be named later", haven't you? Well, here he is folks. Mr. Michael Brantley. In last year's trade between the Brewers and the Tribe that sent CC Sabathia to Milwaukee, the main player sent to Cleveland was Brewers top prospect Matt LaPorta. Also were a couple other prospects, and then in October Mike Brantley was named as the final piece of the trade. He's a hell of a ball player, and I'm sure he'll be seeing some time w/ the Tribe soon. Right now's he's up in AAA Columbus, and not on the 40-man roster for the big league club. Give it time, kiddo.

1991 O-Pee-Chee Premier #131 Robin Yount

In the Yount binder already, but what a great card. In 1991 (photo most likely from 1990) Yount had already been in the majors for 16 seasons, but look at that quick first step...he had that until he played his final game. God blessed him with great health, and he worked hard to stay in shape (enter enhibit A, his forearms). And everyone enjoys a great Canadian card every once in a while. Haha, Yount is a voltigeur.


Thanks again for the fine cards, gals.

Dental Hot Dam(n)!

I of course am referring to our resident dental expert, Motherscratcher from Achiever Card Blog. I am also making a reference to the movie "Knocked Up", when Seth Rogan and Katherine Heigl (mmmm) are talking about how she could have become pregnant...hilarious. Anyways, I'll try to keep this at least PG-13. If you don't know what I'm talking about, ask your parents.

Motherscratcher and myself have a bit of a love-hate relationship. I love Craig Counsell, and he hates all things Counsell. He is absolutely justified in his feelings - however misdirected they may be. I told him to hate Edgar Renteria instead, Counsell was merely the winning run, not the walk-off hitter. Oh well. So you see, it's love hate.

I recently read his post that addressed why one should post an "appreciation" write-up immediately after receiving a brick of cards from someone, not a couple months later. I chose the later, posting this nearly 2 months after receiving his cards. See man, I do appreciate it! Thanks again Motherscratcher, D.D.S. - man, that's a great title for an early 90's sitcom. Screw NPH, I want Kramer!

Ryan Braun, 2008 UD Heroes #97 (307/399)

Awesome card here. This is a curious set for me. I purchased a couple blasters of it earlier this year at a discounted price from the local K-mart. I guess sometimes my dedication to the craft is less than perfect - this is a prime example. I reallized that there are a number of different variations (blue, aqua, red, purple, charcoal, etc) and I didn't want to start collecting the Brauns until I had received one from someone. This started the ball rolling. I'm bidding on the rest on eBay right now. Help me out a bit, if you have any of the other colors, let me know!

'98 Score Select #22 Robin Yount, #42 Paul Molitor

This Yount is one of only 3 Younts that I don't have (in the base set 1975-1994 Yount binder) so first of all, KICK ASS! Now I just need the '93 Flair Yount, and of course, the big Kahuna, 1975 Topps Yount RC. I have been waiting to buy his rookie card because it will be a big celebration for me, completing the "major sets base card Yount set". Of course, all the oddballs like the '94 Tombstone Pizza card or the '76 Hostess panel will keep me working at this forever, not to mention all the posthumous Yount cards that Upper Deck and SP feel the need to make year after year.

1988 Fleer #171 Dan Plesac, 2004 Topps Cracker Jack #162 Wes Helms

What can I say that hasn't been said about Plesac already? It's all been said. I think for some reason, people fail to look past his semi-respectable career stats and into the hearts of Brewers fans - which, thanks to Dan, are still scarred from the games he absolutely boned. In my home growing up, his name was the ONLY name that was never uttered without the preamble of "Dammit!!". Does that make sense? "Dammit, Plesac!". Okay. But seriously, this is a neat card because it's in the category of "American League pitchers holding a bat" cards, which I always enjoy coming across. Those oh-so-clever photogs, man.

The Helms card is my first Brewers Cracker Jack card. Never was a big Wes Helms fan, of course it's hard to cheer for a guy who gives himself a major knee injury during a rain delay. No kidding.

1987 Donruss #486 Bill Schroeder

Aside from San Diego's Mark Grant, "Rock" is possibly the best color commentary guy in baseball. His years of actually usefull experience in the game really add to it, as he not only shares funny stories, but the ins, the outs, and the what have you's of dugout and clubhouse life. The Brewers FSN broadcast each game has a segment called "Tavern of the Game", which of course is sponsored by the Tavern League of Wisconsin. If they are selected during the broadcast, they have until the following morning (because when you're drinking at a bar during a Brewers game, nobody remembers to call in that night) to call in and claim their 30 or 40 free Brewers tickets. Anyhow, Rock seems to have been to every one of the bars that win this contest. A couple days ago the winning bar was "UpChucks" in Arcadia, WI. Good stuff. Rock had fun with that one.

1983 Topps #424 Jerry Augustine

Another former Brewers player that is part of the television broadcast team now. "Auggie" takes the place that Jeff Cirillo had in the studio last year. Even though I live about 1,750 miles from where I grew up, I always feel like I'm at home whenever they put Auggie on the screen. The guys sounds just like everyone I grew up around. I'll attempt to give you an example, bear with me. Here's what it sounds like : "So da Brewers should have da win tanite if dey can close er out wit Coffey an dem." Here's what that means in English: "So, the Brewers should have the win tonight they can close out the ballgame with Coffey and the rest of the bullpen". I love that this guy is on primetime television.

1992 Topps Stadium Club #502 Jim Gantner

I didn't have this card either, so that's the first plus. The second thing I like about this card is how it ties together two different generations of Brewers, in TWO different ways! Stay with me now as I try to explain. You see, Jim Gantner played for Milwaukee for the entirety of his 12 year career. He now manages the Wisconsin Woodchucks of the Northwoods League (an NCAA summer league) in Wausau, Wisconsin. That's the first part. The second "tie" in this card is the first baseman - Cecil Fielder. He of course is the father of current Brewers first baseman Prince Fielder. Nice. I showed this card to my wife, asking her what was so special about it. She said "Oh wow, that's Fatty's dad playing first base!". Yes sweetheart, it is in fact Fatty's dad.

1979 Topps #596 Jim Wohlford

Jim only played for Milwaukee for 3 seasons, and was never what you would call an "All-Star", but he had a great glove - so I'm told. I don't remember him, too young you see. What I do know about him, and what most people don't know about him, is he came up with one of the most famous baseball one-liners of all time - one that is often attributed to Yogi Berra. He was the one who originally said "Ninety percent of this game is half-mental". Sounds just like something Yogi would say, so I understand the confusion. Nice card.

Ernie Riles (1988 Fleer #172, 1988 Donruss #478)

There's a guy who plays for San Francisco right now, Eugenio Valez, who looks just like Riles. I swear, the first time I saw him (last year during a Giants/Brewers game) I thought it WAS Riles. Valez is 6'1'', and only runs about 160 lbs. That's probably when he's soaking wet, with rocks in his pockets. Ernie Riles suffered way too many injuries, but in '85 he finished 3rd in Rookie of the Year voting, behind Ozzie Guillen and Teddy Higuera. That's heavy company man.

Ned Yost (2006 Upper Deck #1113, 1982 Topps #542)

He even looked like a douchebag in 1982.

1993 Upper Deck Teammates #43 - Paul Molitor, Pat Listach, Robin Yount

Ah, yes. Brew Crew. This card will always be one of my all-time favorite Brewers cards. It is the old guard, and what was at one time the promising new guard - in Pat Listach. He won the '92 AL Rookie of the Year, but only played for 6 seasons in baseball. Last year he managed AAA-Iowa for the f*ckin baby bears organization, but I am pleased to say that this year he is the third base coach for the Washington Nationals. Hells ya, welcome back Pat.

Check out the folks at the game who are forever immortalized in cardboard...

Finally, I want to close this "Thank You" post with a tribute to Motherscratcher, and his appreciation for the Subhelmet Hat Alliance. I give you Mr. Dion James.

Almost a No-No for Bush

I didn't plan on doing back-to-back Dave Bush posts, but things just kinda worked out that way.

Dave Bush took a no-hitter into the 8th inning today as the Brewers battled the Phillies during their rubber match in Philly. With one out, pinch-hitting Matt Stairs (a former Brewer) saw a 3-1 pitch that he liked, and the rest is history. Solo shot.

Amidst the Brewers struggles at the mound, Bush showed Brewers fans once again why he is in the starting rotation. He'd had a pretty rough couple of outings before today's start, but finally receiving some run support (six runs) from his teammates seems to make the difference for Bushy. He finally gets his first decision, a 7 2/3 effort that yielded only one run.

This was the second time Dave Bush had taken a no-hitter into the 8th inning. The last time was June 19th of last season against the Toronto Blue Jays.

The hit that broke up that no-no came off the bat of Lyle Overbay. Another former Brewer. Talk about no love for your former mates.

TTM Dave Bush

As of late, I find myself being reminded by fellow bloggers (Motherscratcher, and Patricia & Lucy) that the season is young. Some players just have slow starts, that's all. Perhaps these souls are correct, and things will turn around for the Brew Crew. A 4-9 start isn't what I had in mind, but then again, how a season starts most often has no bearing on how it will finish. At this point in the season in 1987, Milwaukee had just been handed it's first loss. Their record on Earth Day that year was 13-1. Two weeks later, they would begin a streak of 12 straight losses. They failed to make the playoffs that year.

Words of encouragement seem to mean a lot more coming from a Cleveland Indians fan, for surely they would know about patience and such. I know of a dentist in Ohio who must be the most patient of baseball fans.

As bad as the Brewers are playing right now, one thing hasn't changed about my outlook on the game: the cards. In fact, even though Milwaukee can't pitch their way out of a wet paper bag, new cards continue to come out, which means more Ryan Braun cards for me to get my hands on. And this I like.

I also like it when CURRENT PLAYERS send back the cards I sent them at the beginning of Spring Training. Today's TTM auto is from Brewers pitcher Dave Bush, whose slow start this season just means that he's wearing a Brewers uniform. Bushy has been Milwaukee's most consistent pitcher over the last 3 seasons, averaging 12 wins per. Of course these stats should mean very little to someone whose team doesn't call the smallest media market in all of baseball home, but to a Brewers fan this means a lot.

Now, if only I had sent a note with the letter I DID send with the card, reminding Bushy to allow the ink to dry before placing the card back in the sleeve. Dammit.

Go Crew.

****ing Amateurs...

Tonight the pain hurts...too much. I was looking forward to tonight's Brewers v. Phillies game for a few reasons. First of all, the wife and I went camping this past weekend up in Olympic National Forest, and missed all but 3 innings of the Brewers/Mets series. Second of all, 4 days (during the season) without baseball is too much for me to handle. Also, the wife worked during the day today, so our joint trip to the gym was split up into two trips, and her gym fun is right now (during the current Brewers cluster**** that is game 1 vs. Philadelphia)...which means nothing but me, the Brew Crew, and a couple cold ones...


...however, thanks to the Phillies' INSANE lineup (who was Pat Burrell?) and Milwaukee's inability to field a pitcher who can actually perform his duties, the Phil's lead is 11-3 in the 7th inning. We're losing to a guy who is 45 years old. We have brought in our backup catcher. Our second baseman tonight is a current Cubs' castoff. Our shortstop is batting around .100 . Man, this is not fun.

This, however, is the only ray of sunshine on this rainy night in Philly...

Cards from GCRL...Round 1

A couple months ago (geez, i'm getting lazy) Jim over at gcrl was kind enough to send me a shit load of cards. And they were the best kind of cards as well - the free ones! Sometimes I'll feel like a mooch when it comes to others' generous gifts of bricks and bricks of cards - but just as a Cubs card (or hundreds of them) has no place of welcome in my home, I'm sure others are just as easily separated from their Brewers cards.

I cannot possibly thank Jim enough for all the cards he sent. And it's not as if he threw in three different '92 Fleer brewers team sets just because he had the duplicates. Out of all the cards he sent, the only dupes were 3 of the same Dan Plesac card. And so to give him the proper thanks and credit for this most magnanimous gift, I'll have to do at least 3 posts to share all the highlights. Here we go with Round 1 ...

1979 Topps #577 Brewers Checklist

I have always liked the team photo. Maybe it was the old Packer's team photo/wooden plaque I remember seeing at the American Legion as a kid during the friday fish frys that sealed the deal for me, guess you just can't go wrong with them. This one has some fresh faces in it, too -

A young Robin Yount, sans handlebars of course. Too early to bust those out just yet.

Also, a sophomore player named Paul Molitor. What a cutie. And what County Stadium team photo would be complete without the 'ol Chalet and Keg...

Well, just the keg portion. I love how this is centered in the photo, on purpose. Jim also sent me the team card from the following year of 1980 - and once again, the "Go Brewers" on the former 'largest keg in the united states' shown visibly for all to see, right smack dab in the middle of the card. For those of you not familiar w/ the new politically correct Miller Park and its "Bernie's Dugout" instead of the suds-producing chalet and keg slide, you'll be happy to know that efforts have been underway to restore the once proud chalet, keg and mug to it's rightful home - in left center field of Milwaukee's baseball park. Whatever scandal they are trying to keep the little kids from witnessing by seeing a cartoon costumed guy slide down into a mug of beer, is inevitably going to be committed by nothing more than the very team's name - the Brewers. Come on, folks. Who are we kidding? It's a drinking state with a baseball problem, and we all know it. While we're at it, bring back the keg mascot as well.

Jeff Cirillo - 1999 UD Encore #50, 1999 Fleer Ultra #143

Two cards of the former face of the franchise - wow, that was two too many 'f' words there. I think the kids call it "alliteration", not sure though. EM stands for "electrician's mate", not "english major", as a few of my Nuke School instructors were kind enough to remind me whenever I'd try to correct someone's grammar. This coming from a guy who rarely proofreads his blog posts before clicking "publish".

So back to the Cirillo cards. The first one is probably my favorite card of all the ones in the box. It says it all, doesn't it? At least everything from a Brewers fan anywhere in between 1983 and 2007. Caption? Hmm..."Crew let another one go". "Bullpen hands game over again". "Cirillo's bat not enough in Milwaukee". Same old story, year after year. Cirillo looks like it's all finally hitting him - that perhaps his career might just die here. The frustration, the doubt, the sadness. Captured forever in a photograph.

The second card is a great shot - certainly one that could give the inaugural effort from Stadium Club's "high definition photography" a run for its money. You can see the dirt in mid-air, falling away from his arm as he brushes off after a successful run and slide into second base - or, judging from the look on his face - an unsuccessful stolen base attempt. Hang in there, Jeff - the Brewers will never be good during you're stay in Milwaukee. Sorry bro.

Marquis Grissom ('00 Stadium Club #149), Charlie Hayes ('01 Pacific #230)

For some of you, these are two guys you may not have even known played for Milwaukee. Of course, these years were in the middle of 13-consecutive losing seasons enjoyed by the Brewers and their fans, during which time many MANY faces came and went in some attempt to win ballgames. Grissom came to Milwaukee in '98 mostly because the Tribe resigned Kenny Lofton and couldn't afford to keep both guys, but his 3 years as Brewers lent nothing but frustration to his career. In this card, you can see that the Brewers, in an attempt to bring in more fans after the failed "dime beer night" fiasco, started implementing a dance routine during the seventh inning stretch.

Charlie Hayes was a late-spring free agent signing in 2000, a season which brought in future Brewers "slugger" Richie Sexson from the Tribe as well. Hayes split time between 1B and 3B that year, batting just over .250 for the season. At the end of the summer, he was released and signed w/ Houston in 2001 to play his final 1/2 season in the game. This beautiful shot of Charlie shows his proud belly, the sole reason my father liked him as a ballplayer - he was the Brewers' everyman of 2001.

B.J. Surhoff Rookie Cards - '87 Fleer #U-115, '87 Donruss #28

Along with Yount, Molitor, Gantner and Sveum, B.J. Surhoff was a staple for the Brewers during my formative baseball years. This '87 Fleer Update is obviously a product of the intelligent folks at Fleer actually taking time to do their job - something the current Topps and UD employees seem to have, uh, forgotten. The colors match perfectly with the lovely late 80's Brewers threads, and nothing says "Baseball Energy and Excitement" like a guy who is taking bp somewhere at the end of a long road trip, tired from jump flights and crappy hotel beds. At least Donruss got him to smile. Must have been a woman photographer I suspect. These are two awesome cards.

Bill Hall RC ('02 Studio #121), Carlos Villanueva ('08 Topps Update #UH38)

Two current Brewers players, Bill Hall and "CV" as we call Villanueva. Since the original Studio concept came out as a limited "preview" release with the '91 Donruss factory sets (the one and only factory set I've ever reveived as a Christmas gift) I've always been a fan of the cards. This year, along w/ the '93 Studio set, are my two favorites. I am a fan of vibrant color when it comes to baseball cards, and Studio did it without charging an arm and a leg. Bill Hall - well, what's to say about Bill Hall. We owe him for carrying our team for a couple very slow years. I'm not sure if losing record/not making the playoffs qualifies as "carrying" a team, but we'll go with it.

CV is off to a rough start so far during the 2009 campaign, but that can be said of nearly everyone on the team. Maybe they are still hungover from all the Miller Lite that was consumed during the post-game festivities following the September 28, 2008 game last season. If you've seen any of the locker room photographs, I'm sure you'd agree with me. Here's my favorite:

Oh ya...then-interim manager Dale Sveum (in my opinion, the man who should be their friggin full time manager THIS YEAR, not the hitting coach) doing his best to liven the Wild Card-clinching Brewers' locker room mood that night. So, like I said. We're still hungover from last September.

Geoff Jenkings (2000 Bowman Chrome #138)

Diggin the throwback to the old Bowman cards - and a fitting tribute for a guy who TRULY was the face of the franchise for a good number or years in recent Brewers history. I was sad to see him replaced during the season in 2006 by the young newcomer Corey Hart, but that has worked out well for the Brewers. A bad combination of high salary and offensive slumping sent Jenks to the bench, and later to free agency. That worked out well for him, though, as 2008 had him signed with the Phillies as their right fielder, where he would win himself a World Series.

1999 Skybox Thunder (Jeff Cirillo and Rafael Roque)

I only share these cards with you because they are TOTALLY BADASS!!!! I had never seen this series before I opened the box of cards from Jim, but I'm in love! Are they really in a studio? Did they just get done doing some volunteer commercial painting work? Is there airbrushing involved here? You can tell by their foot placements (fake shadows be damned) that these are doctored pictures, but I don't care. I want to invite them over for dinner, pour them a couple tall glasses of wine, and see where it takes us. Simply beautiful.

Corey Hart (2008 Upper Deck X #58), J.J. Hardy (2006 Topps Heritage #87)

I'll finish up the Round 1 gcrl trade appreciation post with two of my favorite players in the game today - Corey "I bought my local Chuck-E-Cheese restaurant so my kids can still go there instead of them closing their doors" Hart and J.J "my wife would leave me for him" Hardy. Corey is batting .279 so far this year, crediting a new approach at the plate thanks to Dale Sveum for his early success this year. J.J., on the other hand, is struggling out of the gate. After a great Spring Training, he's batting only .114 right now, with 10 strikeouts. It's early, though, and the kinks will get worked out.

Thanks again for the cards, Jim. Like I said, I'll have at least two more posts to cover the rest of the cards you sent.

Brewers take on the Phillies today, first time seeing them since the 2008 NLDS in which we stole 1 game from them before losing the series. Hopefully we can win a game 1 or game 2 during a 3-game road series unlike the last two attempts. It's 0-2 Manny Parra against Jamie Moyer, who was a #5 starting pitcher when Moses was still pitching. Geez.