FACT: CC You In The Playoffs

Incredible.

This week's immense highs and lows were a microcosm for the entire season: two walk off home runs to gain and keep ground in the playoff race, taking the wild card lead only to squander it the next day, and CC Sabathia and Ryan Braun coming through to seal the deal during the 162nd game of the season. There are other examples but I'm just too excited to convey them.

Amazing. I'm elated.

Like last year, Molly and I won the "opportunity to buy" playoff tickets. Unlike last year, however, now we actually get to use them. The Brewers are going to the playoffs for the first time since I've been alive.

Some of my favorite photos from today, courtesy of JSOnline...





-KP

Way back! Way gone! Grand slam, Ryan Braun!

To say that was a great game would be a pretty huge understatement.

At about 3pm yesterday I found out that Eric Gagne purchased 5,000 tickets and was going to give them away to fans on a first come, first served basis (by the way-- stay classy, Gagne). I yanked two of those up as soon as they were put up on the interweb and Molly and I made our way to Miller Park.

Yovani Gallardo pitched a stellar first game back and Zach Duke pitched better than he has in a LONG time. With the score tied, Ryan Braun steps to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the 10th. "Grand slam," I tell Molly, "Right field." She didn't find me amusing, thinking I was going to jinx the game and (essentially) end our playoff hopes. The Mets had already won so the Brewers needed to win this to keep pace.

Okay, so I called the wrong field. But Braun hits, on a 2-2 count, a grand freakin' slam (the first grand slam by a Brewer all year). Miller Park erupted. I didn't even see Braun round the bases because I was climbing on the seats and jumping up and down, twirling my rally towel, hootin' and hollerin'. Every game is a playoff game now, and the energy in that ballpark showed it.

Phenomenally phenomenal.

Three games left. Anybody tense yet?



-KP

Bored Now

I think today's brutal, brutal loss is the nail in the coffin for the Brewers' playoff hopes. It would require the fates to align a lot of different variables in perfect order. Bummer.

The game last night was a lot of fun. It was organized by the UWM Alumni Chicago Chapter. We met up at Gooose Island for a social hour before the game and one of my undergraduate professors, Larry Baldassaro, was present. He's a baseball historian (having published a book on Ted Williams and currently working on a book on Italian Americans in baseball). It was nice catching up with him and, through all coincidences, we ended up having tickets next to each other for the game. It was a good time (especially since the Brewers pulled out a win--they are unbeaten in the four games I've gone to this year).

And that's about it here. I'm completely bored tonight. I have energy but don't feel like doing anything. I love when that happens.

-KP

"We like to talk big. Vampires do. 'I'm going to destroy the world.' That's just tough guy talk. Strutting around with your friends over a pint of blood. The truth is, I like this world. You've got... dog racing, Manchester United. And you've got people, billions of people walking around like Happy Meals on legs. It's all right here. But then someone comes along with a vision, with a real... passion for destruction. Angel could pull it off. Goodbye, Piccadilly. Farewell, Leicester Bloody Square."
-Spike, Buffy, the Vampire Slayer

Destination: Wrigley

MoPo and I are braving a trip to Wrigley tonight to see Ben Sheets and the Brewers square off against Jason Marquis and the Cubs. I'm viewing it as a bit of a cultural immersion experience to see how the Cubs fan truly behaves in its natural environment. Up until now I have only witnessed from afar (e.g. last night I saw on TV that Cubs fans were taunting Prince Fielder about his father... stay classy, Chicago).

The Brewers showed signs of vitality last night. Here's hoping they can break through with a heaping load of runs tonight.

And yes, I'm entering enemy territory wearing my Braun jersey.

-KP

One Day More...

I'm starting to get spoiled. This marks Day #2 of the Nielsen office shutdown. Two enthusiastic thumbs up for an unexpected three-day work week. It sure raises my morale!

-KP

Randomnicity (09.15.08 Edition)

1. I almost pulled a Noah to avoid the torrential flooding that the Chicago area endured this weekend. I didn't float away but there was so much flooding that Nielsen shut down today because of a lack of electricity. With a day off, it feels like I'm back in grade school all over again (although I don't think we ever had a "rain day"... just snow days).

2. Today's firing of Ned Yost. Wow. I guess with only 12 games left in the season the Brewers needed to do something beyond changing the batting order to shake things up. But I'm worried it's too little, too late.

3. Speaking of the Brewers, I did manage to see two of September's three victories thus far. Low scoring, but very exciting nevertheless. I've got pictures on Facebook but I still need to put them up on my WebShots.

4. Politics, Part I. *sighs* I love it and hate it all at the same time. It holds true that there are certain things you shouldn't talk about without fear of dismemberment: religion, politics, and (for Wisconsinites) Brett Favre. Politics begets immense frustration. For me, my frustration with conservatives comes in the form of social progress (e.g. equality, fair rights, acceptance, and all those other key words). I get the fact that Republicans are against growing government (I'm not exactly crazy over it, either) but in terms of our society I can't help but feel that conservatives want to keep America from moving forward, from being a better country than we currently are. I don't define myself as a Democrat but there's no way I can vote for a Republican if they take their typical stance on what I consider the key issues.

5. Politics, Part II. A few things I've noticed this year with McCain backers. First, they aren't so much backing McCain as hatin' on Obama. To me, it seems that their inevitable vote isn't so much a vote for McCain as it is a vote against Obama. Instead of spending time trying to highlight their reasons for suporting McCain, all I see is way too much time spent ripping Obama a new one(sometimes with fair points, but more often than not... not). Second, conservatives are more excited over Palin than McCain--almost to the point where I think people sometimes start to think of this as Obama vs. Palin and not Obama vs. McCain. One thing I'm completely over, though: using Facebook to be "crafty" about voicing one's own politics, and to judge--without coming across as judging--others who may not share your viewpoints. I did that last time around and it's not worth the time. My time is better spent in civil conversation (that's how I got a few of my friends to change their minds and vote the other way last election).

Anyways, that was all just stuff on my mind. Moving on...

6. Molly and I ordered and received an eight-piece bedroom set this week. It's part of our systematic room-by-room process of upgrading what we own, and finally starting to part ways with all the hand-me-down furniture we've accumulated. It's pretty awesome.

7. How is summer over already? I feel like I didn't even take full advantage of enjoying the summer season. Is this what's it like when you're working full time?

8. I can already tell that fantasy football is affecting the way I enjoy regular football... "Ooh, ooh go Steelers except only pass to Santonio Holmes because that's who I have and don't pass to Hines Ward or rush with Willie Parker because that's who the other guy has!" This was what Molly endured last night, but I've had very similar experiences.

9. So I've been reading this book called Heyday by Kurt Andersen... since May. Yeah, that's a little ridiculous. But I finally finished it last night! Now I think I've got to finish The Historian, which I'm half way through. I hate reading more than one book at one time--so why am I doing it?

10. You know what I like? Breakfast for dinner. On tonight's menu: waffles. Mmmm....

-KP

"I felt like an idiot so I've been reading up on this Iraq situation. You know what's so messed up? I just got to the part where President Bush gave his mission accomplished speech on a battleship, and I've still got like 400 pages to go."
-J.D., Scrubs

The last laugh?

I hear that it is ill-advised to check up on your 401(k) frequently since, more often than not, you'll drive yourself crazy. This is fact, but given that I'm still new to this whole "saving for your future" concept I continue to get a kick out of how much funds can fluctuate on a daily basis (especially given how the market sucks this year).

I'll provide an example: yesterday my year to date change was -11%. Today it has fallen to -16%. That's basically "bad" to "worse", right? Thankfully, I can laugh this off (I'm buying in at uber-low prices, right?).

-KP

"Thanks to Toby, I have a very strong prejudice against Human Resources. I believe that the department is a breeding ground for monsters. What I failed to consider though, is that not all monsters are bad. Like ET. Is Holly our extra-terrestrial? Maybe. Or maybe she's just an awesome woman from this planet."
-Michael Scott, The Office

Pre-Order Now!

Who needs Guitar Hero 4?

(Thanks, Frank, for passing this gem along).

-KP

Randomnicity (09.02.08 Edition)

1. Let's talk baseball. I like baseball. I like the Brewers. But man, is it stressful liking the Brewers when they are actually in a pennant race. I just witnessed Manny Parra give up a three run home run against a pitcher who is throwing his first major league game. I'm practically throwing things around the room.

2. Every once in a while Molly and I have wine nights, where we go through a couple of bottles of wine between the both of us. Suffice it to say, I go into work the following morning slightly dehydrated. Tomorrow will be one of those mornings.

3. I finally read Watchmen. Quality. Can't wait for the movie.

4. I dislike Palin for the same reason I dislike most Republicans--she's a social conservative. I'm pretty black and white when it comes to that. She also advocates abstinence only education, which as evidenced by her own teenage daughter, doesn't work. I don't take any political pleasure in the fact that her daughter is pregnant... and I do think that it's a topic that should be off limits to debate and personal criticism--but I've never seen the logic in preaching abstinence.

5. I'm switching from wine to beer. I'm classy like that.

6. I'm DVR'ing the 90210 remake. Mind you, it's not because I'm expecting to like it. It's because I'm expecting it to be as much of a train wreck as that one Britney Spears movie. It should be glorious.

7. I'm going to two Brewers games this weekend! We're going with the Grovers Friday night (which is awesome, because I feel like it's been years since I've seen them) and then again Saturday night. But the most important question: do I wear my Braun jersey both nights, or is wearing it two consecutive nights kinda dirty?

8. We finally watched Comedy Central's Roast of Bob Saget tonight. Freakin' hilarious. Incredibly dirty, but freakin' hilarious.

9. Back to the Brew Crew. I like Manny Parra, I really do. But I wish he had it in him to last beyond the fifth inning.

10. Our good friends Frank and Maria moved to Evanston this weekend which, granted, isn't all that far away. But I'll be a wee bit selfish for a second and say that Wheeling is a little less interesting without them.

...and I'll throw in #11 for good measure...

11. I hope David Tennant never leaves Doctor Who. (Yes, I'm a geek).

-KP

"Exterminieren! Exterminieren! Halt! Sonst werden wir Sie exterminieren! Sie sind jetzt ein Gefangener der Daleks! Exterminieren! Exterminieren!"
-The Daleks, Doctor Who