Tag: mlb

One more ballpark day #2 “28 Down and Two To Go”

by reissmd, posted in Milwaukee

Today we made it to MLB ballpark #28 when we saw the Atlanta Braves play the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field.  Isn’t that a great name for a baseball stadium? It was especially fun today because I had a chance to reconnect with one of my best friends from college, Larry. 

The seats were spectacular except that the retractable roof did not quite block the sun so it was incredibly hot.  We sat in the shade in some other people’s seats until game time.  By then we had protection from the sun and all was perfect.  The field, the seats, and the fans were perfect. 

The ceremonial first pitch was performed by a fan (sorry I didn’t get his name). He is now 100 years old.

Think the Dodgers would like me to do this when I am 100?

During the game, Patrice was sitting next to the mother of Braves relief pitcher, Brent Suter.  Mama was very proud of her baby (who is a father of 3 boys and he is soon to turn 37).  She was very excited when he came into the game.  When the first batter got a hit I was worried we might have a problem with her but fortunately for everyone he pitched 3 scoreless innings and mama was very happy.  

The big game moment we had been waiting for was the sausage race. Our friends Zara and Chuck are big sausage race fans and they told us to make sure we were in our seats during the 6th inning so we didn’t miss it. You can Google Milwaukee Braves Sausage Race and see what I am talking about but take my advice  and don’t waste your time. 

Our friend Chuck, posing with the sausage boys. Yes, I am worried about Chuck.

After the game we headed to the Pfister Hotel [1424 E. Wisconsin Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53202.  Phone: 414-273-8722] at the recommendation of my friend, Jeremiah.  This iconic structure was built in 1893.  Upon entering the building you are confronted with an architectural wonderment. We wandered around enjoying the sights. At the recommendation of the bellman we headed to the bar on the 23rd from where we enjoyed a breathtaking view of Lake Michigan. 

Pfister Hotel entry. This picture doesn’t come close to capturing its magnificence.
This is the menu from October 10, 1942. I am interested in the 25 cent shrimp cocktail.

We then walked next door to the Mason Street Grill and had a meal that will make me feel guilty for weeks if not for years to come 

Crab cake appetizer
Interesting take on a wedge salad (it was delicious).

No picture of the filet mignon. I am feeling guilty about ordering it (I don’t want Peta to bomb our home) and eating it (I don’t want my cardiologist to see me eating red meat).

We then had the 90 mile drive back to Chicago where we said goodbye to Larry and were soon off to bed (after first writing the blog)

Friend for close to 60 years. Damn, doesn’t he have great hair. I don’t have great hair but I do have a great hat.

Ciao

One More Ballpark Day #1 “Jeremiah the Savior”

by reissmd, posted in Chicago, Milwaukee

Today we are on our way to Milwaukee via Chicago to visit our 28th of the 30 MLB parks.  But it was a trip that almost had us traveling to Milwaukee for naught. Yes, in my brilliance I had planned to travel to Milwaukee on Saturday, attend the game on Sunday, tour the city on Monday, and fly home on Tuesday.  Lucky for us (well actually lucky for me, because I don’t think Patrice in her wildest dreams would have ever cared if she saw a game at one MLB park let alone all 30) we had a visit from our friend Jeremiah.  The most important thing to realize about Jeremiah is he is a loyal follower of the blog.  Of secondary importance is that he is very savvy when it comes to Major League Baseball. During Jeremiah’s visit we discussed Patrice and my upcoming trip to Milwaukee. Jeremiah informed me that the Sunday game will not be played in Milwaukee but rather in Williamsport, Pennsylvania the home of the Little League World Series.  Upon hearing this I immediately went into panic mode.  I would not be able to make it to Milwaukee on Friday without taking the day off from work.  Not that missing work would be horrible but I have missed a lot of work due to our Spain trip so there’s a huge number of my patients who need to be seen. Once more Jeremiah came to the rescue. He suggested we take a direct flight to Chicago and just drive to Milwaukee for the game. He felt Chicago would be much more fun than Milwaukee so here we are in Chi-town ready to drive to American Family Field (yes, that is the name of the Milwaukee Brewers ballpark) tomorrow. 

The flight here was pretty smooth but it started off with something I’d never seen on a flight.  The pilot came out and talked to the passengers about a variety of topics. He apologized and explained the reason for the delay. He talked about our route and how he planned to go in a curved rather than straight pattern to avoid bad weather. He also told us that we were flying on a new plane and mentioned some of its advantages. It was really interesting.  I’m not sure if this is something this pilot does or if it is the policy of United Airlines.  I guess we will find out on the way home. 

Our pilot giving us the low down of what to expect on our way to Chicago.

Thanks for following us to Illinois and see you in Wisconsin tomorrow. 

Ciao,

Robert 

Let’s Add Another Stadium Day #1 “New York, New York”

by reissmd, posted in New York City

We are in NYC to add one more stadium to our growing list.  After seeing the Braves play the Mets today we can add Citi Field to our total which is now 27.  Milwaukee, Cleveland, and Cincinnati are the only stadiums remaining for us to visit.  

Lucky for us, our daughter in law, Robyn is here with her youngest son, Julian (yes, the Julian from our Carnegie Hall visit).  Robyn’s brother, Corey, and his two children were also with us. We had a hot time at the game and I do mean hot.  The temperature was in the high 80s and it was very humid.  It was still a great day (how could going to abaseball game not be a great day?). 

Getting ready for some baseball

If you don’t recognize the statue behind us it is a rendition of Met legend (and former USC Trojan) Tom Seaver.  Years ago Patrice and her friends saw Mr. Seaver. This was many years after the 12 time all star, 3 time Cy Young Award winner had last played the game.

Left to Right: Patrice, Marlene, Tom Seaver, and Lynn in 2019.

Little did “Tom Terrific” know what a big baseball fan his was talking to when he met my wife. Here is a picture of Patrice with our grandson, Julian, during today’s game.

Patrice and Julian tuned into the action of today’s game.

The city is really hopping.  As you might know the NY Knicks won the NBA championship last night. It was their 3rd title and first since 1973.  At the baseball game, there were a lot of references to the Knicks win last night.  It’s been less than 24 hours since the Knicks’ victory and I’m already sick of hearing about it.  A sobering fact is that they  need 14 more championships to catch the Lakers and 15 to tie the Celtics, but whose counting?  I’m just glad they didn’t burn down the city which seems to be the tradition across the country when the home town team wins a title .  

After the game we had a wonderful dinner at Becco (355 W. 46th Street, NY 10036 Phone: 212-397-7597).  The meal and service were spectacular. Their specialty consists of 3 unique pastas and a salad (Caesar salad or Antipasto).  The pasta is an “all you can eat” style which for me is very dangerous.  

Tomorrow we are planning as exploration of my childhood.  Sounds scary to me.  Maybe I will take a nap instead. 

Ciao