Normal me: 🙂
Me at a Milwaukee Brewers game: :)))))))))))))))))
That feeling, a combination of elation, excitement, and pure and unadulterated joy, was exemplified even more last night when I was finally able to break my regular-season Brewers game attendance drought.
As a person who is used to seeing as many Brewers games as humanly possible (I think my record was 40 games in one season), going almost two years without any sort of live and in-person regular-season Brewers games was a bit of a challenge, a struggle, a hole in my little baseball heart that desperately needed to be filled.
If you know, you know.
I was lucky enough to take in some Spring Training games down in Arizona earlier this year, which was incredible! But there is nothing like the thrill of seeing your team play in a stadium full of fans cheering them on to victory in a game that matters.
Which was exactly what I did last night.
When I lived in Milwaukee, where the then Miller Park was just a hop, skip, and jump away from my apartment, it was easy to take in a game. I spent so many summer days and summer nights at the ballpark, my own little version of Friday Night Lights. The park, the people, this team, they all kind of became my second home, my family.
When I moved to Colorado nearly 9 years ago, one of the things that I had to get a bit more creative with was figuring out a way to make sure that I at least maintained a certain level of Brewers game attendance. In a normal year, I’d make a trip back home once or twice to take in a few games, and of course, represent the crew during the once-a-season series against the Rockies at Coors Field.
But then COVID happened.
Which shook our worlds upside down in every imaginable way.
There were so many things that the pandemic took away from us, so many things that changed.
Looking back over a year later, it’s hard to fathom how far we have come. And while we still have further to go, things are ever slowly finding a place of normalcy.
Including sports.
I took myself on a little baseball date last night and still cannot stop smiling like a total goober. Not only was it the first regular-season Brewers game that I had seen since 2019, it was also the first time the Brewers and Rockies had met since that time as well.
I got to the stadium early and was able to take in some batting practice and walk around Coors Field, fully taking it all in. Sitting there with my beer and giant pretzel, I couldn’t help but get emotional. I had been waiting for – and dreaming of – this moment for so long. And it was finally a reality.
Unfortunately, the Brewers didn’t have their best showing last night.
Brandon Woodruff was uncharacteristically not his usual #BigWoody self, and our defense and offense just couldn’t get going.
Playing one of their worst games of the season to start a seven-game road trip, the Brewers suffered massive breakdowns in all three areas of the game in a 7-3 loss to the Rockies at Coors Field.
It was the fourth straight loss for Milwaukee, which collected only three hits and committed four errors to finally drop out of a first-place tie with the Chicago Cubs in the NL Central.
Usually, I would be a little upset that the Brewers lost/played so badly.
But YOU GUYS!! It was a beautiful summer night and got to see my team play live baseball. From where I’m sitting, that’s pretty great. If there was anything that last year gave us all was a deeper appreciation and perspective for the beautiful little and big joys in our lives.
But just to be clear, we’re totally taking the series.
The Brewers look to reclaim that W title later tonight during the second game of the series against the Rockies at 7:40 CST.
As Always:
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