The 3-1 win over the Cubs amid fervent scoreboard-watching, then waiting to see if the Fish would fry the Mets. You were truly blessed if you were at Miller Park, but no matter where you took it in, you'll never forget the moments.

Thousands packed the Summerfest grounds Monday afternoon--yes, productivity is going to slide dramatically in Milwaukee this week as workers skip the keyboard and grab the remote. Can you imagine what local gin mills are going to look like in the days ahead as otherwise dedicated employees catch Brewers fever?

The guys on the field deserve the adulation. The battled. They fought. They earned deafening applause, and an occasional "boo." Watching them bounce around the infield, hosing each other down with bottled hooch and acting like kids Sunday was worth the price of admission by itself.

As a fan who remembers the day the Seattle Pilots became the Milwaukee Brewers, I can't help thinking about some of the folks who've been with the club through some of the really lean years--bullpen coach Bill Castro and his wife Mary became friends of ours over the years. No two people are more dedicated to the franchise. To see Bill hoist Mary off her feet as the celebration heated up was the culmination of years of frustration.      

I thought about others who've come, gone, or stayed around the club in one way or another. Longtime former ticket director John Barnes--a friend to anyone who ever had a season ticket package and a baseball fan supreme. He's no longer with the club, but his heart still pumps blue and gold.    

And how about Bob Uecker? The voice (and face) of the club virtually from it's inception, a man who has seen the highs and suffered through the lows. Fans can come and go. They can stop buying tickets when the team sucks. They can leave when it's 10-0 in the fourth and go about their lives. Uke, Jim Powell and anyone else that gets a club paycheck can't. Folks like Aleta Mercer, who put together what's technically called "atmosphere". It's the fireworks, the scoreboard, the music--the stuff that makes Miller Park unique, including the Racing Sausages.

Then there's Robb Edwards, who never lifted a bat or tossed a pitch but is truly one of the club's Iron Men. Robb is the only voice Miller Park ever had, taking over at County Stadium for the late Bob Betts. Robb never missed a day until this spring when heart trouble forced him out of the PA chair and on the IR. Some guys need a month and a half to recover from bypass surgery. Robb came back in THREE FREAKIN' WEEKS. That's a MAN.  

It's been more than a quarter century since things broke the Brewers' way. The Wild Card didn't come easy, but then, what fun would it have been if it did? Who knows how long the ride will last? Enjoy each moment, every inning, each pitch. Cheer like an idiot. Eat. Drink. Screw work. Meet new friends. Generate a lifetime of memories. We greybeards know that things like this don't happen ever year.

See you at Miller Park. This is gonna be great!

Gene Mueller
Wisconsin's Morning News

For more from Gene, visit his blog on 620 WTMJ.
The Cold Filtered Ramblings of Gene Mueller

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