Your Best Encounter with a Brewer?

[sveumrules]

We also saw Gamel have a major meltdown at a coach when he was told he'd be a level lower than he though he should be, he was especially mad that LaPorta would be a level higher.

What year was this? In 2007 Gamel was at Brevard while LaPorta split between Helena/West Virginia. And in 2008 they were both in Huntsville all year until the CC trade.

[halfnard]

I have several encounters but the one that stands out is a chat I had with Mark Loretta. It was a 1996 winter tour stop for the Kiwanis Club in Sheboygan. I asked if it was difficult to play with superstars, transitioning from fan to competitor? He relayed a time when he doubled and while standing on second base Cal Ripken Jr. teased him by saying he let the ball get passed him because Mark wore "His" number.

 

I loved the winter tour stops because it always seemed to be rookies, gritty veterans and the manager. A story about "going out to get some brats" being confused as ""going out to get some Broads" by Daryl Hamilton because of the southern accent disconnect was another tale of the MLB from one of these stops.

 

I also recall meeting Paul Molitor when I was a kid at a Pepsi Pitch, Hit and Run event. I know I talked to him because I have the photo's to prove it but can't remember what was said. Paulie was my favorite player after Thurman Munson died (I was a catcher through Summer Legion ball) so my eyes are gleaming and wide in the pictures. Awestruck!

 

Later in life I was riding my bike in Mequon when I saw a very hairy man in shorts pushing a mower. I stopped and told Molitor I was a big fan and that my mom was watching a house in the neighborhood. He shook my hand and thanked me and said he had to finish before the bugs got bad and off he went.

[greeg35]

What year was this? In 2007 Gamel was at Brevard while LaPorta split between Helena/West Virginia. And in 2008 they were both in Huntsville all year until the CC trade.

 

 

It was 2006, I must have inserted Laporta's name in my memory instead of whoever it was. Either way, entertaining.

[hawing]

Later in life I was riding my bike in Mequon when I saw a very hairy man in shorts pushing a mower. I stopped and told Molitor I was a big fan and that my mom was watching a house in the neighborhood. He shook my hand and thanked me and said he had to finish before the bugs got bad and off he went.

I wonder how many MLB players nowadays mow their own lawns.

[Oldcity]

I interned for the Brewers in the summer of 2005. I embarrassingly fell during the office kickball game (played at Helfair Field) and sprained my wrist pretty badly. I was in a splint for about a week. As if that wasn't embarrassing enough, a couple days later in the office, I notice Jeff Cirillo walking through. This was during the time he was out with a broken hand after being hit by a pitch. He noticed my arm, walked up to me and said, "So, you too, huh?" He talked to me for a minute or two, and of course asked how I did it. I sheepishly told him, and he just smiled and said "Ohh, ouch." Awesome and embarrassing at the same time.

[PrinceFielderx1]

Just wanted to add that my father played catch with George "Boomer" Scott in 1976 in New Berlin, WI right before he was traded back to Boston for Cecil Cooper.

[Pointer1VB]

Mine was actually with Joe Crawford, who wasn't on the roster but was the video coordinator and was always in uniform during batting practice.

 

It was at Maryville during spring training and me and a friend were in the lawn seats shagging some batting practice. There is a guy there with a baby in a stroller standing near the wall that was also trying to get balls. Anyways, there is a shot that was heading to my right and I started going after it, but I saw the stroller and stopped because I didn't want to run over a baby. To my horror, the ball is heading right at the stroller. The guy with the stroller completely misjudged the ball and was running backwards away from the stroller (ended up about 15 feet away from the baby). I went into a state of shock because this ball was going strait for the baby. Luckily the ball hits the top of the fence and bounces right over the baby (two inches higher and the baby would have been hit directly). Meanwhile, the dad is running after the ball as it came pretty close to him after the bounce. He ended up not getting it, but Joe Crawford grabs a ball, throws it to the guy, and yells at him something like, "Here's your damn ball, now get out of here." The guy leaves with the stroller and Joe proceeds to talk with us about how the guy was an idiot and almost got the baby killed.

 

Also, not with a player per se, but on Memorial day in 2006 I was at a game with my dad and brother in Pittsburgh. The ticket vender was awesome because they were giving away two tickets per military ID that day, but when I showed him mine he gave us three tickets for free that were first row along the first base side. Then, during the game, I forgot who was doing the sideline reporting, but he comes over and interviews me for about 5 minutes during the second inning. I remember Doug Davis was getting destroyed during the interview and in the in game thread here everyone was complaining that the interview with me was causing the bad luck (tongue in cheek obviously).

 

Also, during that same road trip, before a game in Philadelphia Matt Wise comes up to me and my brother during batting practice (we were along the outfield wall) and throws us a ball saying how wearing a Brewers jersey in the bleachers at Philly takes guts and we deserve the ball.

 

All of these stories are 2006 where I managed to go to 29 games (most of them on the road) and the Brewers went 3-26 in those games. I think I kept them out of the playoffs single handedly.

[hawing]

All of these stories are 2006 where I managed to go to 29 games (most of them on the road) and the Brewers went 3-26 in those games. I think I kept them out of the playoffs single handedly.

Good stories, but that record is epically bad. I had a better record in games attended in 2002!

[rwa12]

By far my best experience meeting a player occurred this past week. I met Ben Sheets while at Disney World with my family. He was there with his family, and ran into him in line for A Bugs Life show at Animal Kingdom. Really nice guy, we chatted for 10 minutes. He was pretty funny and candid. I asked him his opinions on some Brewer questions. FWIW he feels they will win the division this year. Talked about kids, his boys are Packer and Badger fans from their time in WI, it irritated him as a Saints/LSU fan, but in a joking way. Very cool guy, and a great experience!

[Warning Track Power]

By far my best experience meeting a player occurred this past week. I met Ben Sheets while at Disney World with my family. He was there with his family, and ran into him in line for A Bugs Life show at Animal Kingdom. Really nice guy, we chatted for 10 minutes. He was pretty funny and candid. I asked him his opinions on some Brewer questions. FWIW he feels they will win the division this year. Talked about kids, his boys are Packer and Badger fans from their time in WI, it irritated him as a Saints/LSU fan, but in a joking way. Very cool guy, and a great experience!

You should have asked Sheets if he thought he could put up a lower ERA than Wolf even with a torn flexor tendon.

 

[ELCABALLO45]

I met/saw Manny Parra at a best buy once in the Milwaukee. Did not say to much to him but just kinda said hey Manny! and he smiled and waved.

 

I have also mentioned this before on this board but I actually coach a little league team with Jarrod Washburn. He almost was a Brewer so that kinda counts right?

[chuckiehacks]

Had to dig this thread up after the game last night. A little backstory - My ex-wife cuts Manny Parra's hair. She's talked to him about our kids and when she last saw him, she told him that I was taking our 5 year old to Tuesday night's game. Manny said to come out near the bullpen and get Marcus Hanel's attention. So we go out there around the 3rd inning, call down from the 200 level bleachers. Hanel gets Manny, who waives to the little guy and tells us to wait until the half-inning. While we waited, I almost caught (got impailed by?) the Maldonado grand slam. After the inning, Manny tosses up an autographed ball.

 

Say what you want about some of these players (actually, don't - let's remember the good times). It's the end of the season, meaningless game, and didn't even have to come out of the little bullpen shelter. But he did, and he absolutely made a 5-year old's day.

[hawing]

That is super cool, chuckiehacks.

My SO caught a foul ball that was originally pitched by Manny in 2008 and I have been hoping to get it signed. I tweeted him about it but his lack of reply makes me think that he doesn't do that kind of favor for grownups. That's completely his right, but I wish he had just said so.