The Rise of Ueck Skywalker

A new (to me) sign outside AmFam.

The last Brewer game I attended Milwaukee lost and eleven of the next 17. It's too soon to tell but it seemed a weekend hosting Kansas City instilled them with a healthy dose of the force.

When Milwaukee was an American League team (1969 - 97), the Royals were a division rival. Beginning this season, the Brewers will either host or play in Kansas City every season.

Saturday night was the Brewer's Star Wars Night, the 5th time we lined up for Brewer - Rebellion swag.

A long-time friend joined me for the game. It was fun catching up on the ride to the game, during the game, and on the way home. It's one of the best things about watching baseball; it can be the focus or part of the background as you spend time with family or friends.

The Brewer Foundation used the weekend series to collect food for local pantries. We brought jars of peanut butter, in return we received a small collectible pin with Rowdy Tellez's #11 jersey.

Prized 2023 bobble-head "Ueck Skywalker."

From there we went to the Terrace level to get our bobble-head featuring the most famous person associated with the team, announcer Bob Uecker, who's called the team's games since 1971.

Robin Yount is the best player in the team's history and Paul Molitor joined him in the Hall of Fame. Henry Aaron played with Uecker on the Milwaukee Braves and returned for a season with the Brewers before he retired. Aaron is by far the most accomplished of all those players but most of his career was in Atlanta.

There are usually ceremonial first-pitches thrown before a game; some are thrown by sponsors or people in the community who are being recognized; Saturday night the honor of throwing the pitch went to a young man.

Christian Yelich's 2nd HR trot of the night.

It was his wish to throw out the first pitch on Star Wars night; he walked on the field wearing a character's costume accompanied by a cadre of storm troopers.

The crowd applauded enthusiastically then cheered when the student threw the ball from the mound to the catcher. That's no small feat - throwing off the mound is much tougher than it looks.

Our seats were eleven rows from the field down the left field line. It was a nice vantage point and offered an angle to shoot I've not enjoyed before. The shot at left was one of my better ones.

Chorizo & Hot Dog in a tight race. 5/13/23

It was a tight game. The Royals scored the first two runs, Christian Yelich hit a two-run homer to tie it in the third. K.C. went up a run in the 5th; Yelich hit his second home run of the game to tie it.

It stayed that way until the bottom of the ninth when rookie Joey Wiemer (why-mer) came up with the winning run at 3rd base and one out. He delivered with a fly to center that was the second out but deep enough for Brian Anderson to score from third (see photo below).

The pace of the game is the talk of baseball. If you don't pay attention you might wonder why there is someone standing on base or who recorded an out. The pitcher is essentially throwing the ball every 15 to 20 seconds. The clock doesn't dominate the proceedings; it presents the action of baseball rather than the large amount of inaction that had been allowed over the past decade of seasons.

Brian Anderson at 3rd ready to win on the next pitch.

At this game I had a chance to try the new 414 menu which features four items (soda, nachos, hot dog, and Cracker Jack) priced at $4 each. When many of the food items are at least $8, it's nice to have less expensive options.

The Brewers used their three game series sweep over the Royals to get back into first place in the National League Central Division. There is a lot of baseball to play, it will help if they can beat the teams they should beat and find ways to win two of every three series against the better ones.

We're only a month-and-a-half into the season with four-and-a-half to play. I'm hoping to follow the team for at least one road game and get back to American Family Field for at least one more before the season ends, Go Brewers!

Taken from the Terrace Level - we sat in the section on left where you see a yellow t-shirted man.

The Chorizo, Hot Dog, and Polish Sausages come to race.