A Closing Day

We love our Gateway Grizzlies - a little independent league team outside St. Louis. We saw our first game in 2001, we found them in the Baseball Directory and couldn't wait to see the new park. We followed the directions in the directory to get to our first game and wound up in the parking lot of a strip mall in Sauget IL, not the best neighborhood. After driving around a little, confident that there were no tell-tale stanchions anywhere in the vicinity, we called the box office number in our beloved Directory. Apparently, they didn't get around to building that park. Off we went to a small field in a public park where they sold beer from an igloo cooler and all the seats were bleachers. We saw our first "Cross town Clash" the new Gateway Grizzlies vs. the only slightly less new River City Rascals. It was a blast.

By the next season the park was built, it was shiny but not nearly as charming. Luckily, we've given them a couple of chances to win us back and they certainly have.

On one of our last visits we were there for the last game of the season, the Grizzlies hadn't made the playoffs, so it was a little bit of an end-of-season party, lots of shenanigans at the game followed by fireworks. Still very high on our list of promotions was the fact that you could buy a roll of toilet paper for something silly like a dollar and right after the final pitch of the game, we all toilet papered the park. There was a brief melee when we all tossed toilet paper at the field, the stands, each other and the dugouts, and then once the fireworks started each light explosion sillouetted Grizzlies on the field pitching rolls of toilet paper through the field or batting long trailing fouls.

Much pity for the person who was stuck with the mess, but it sure was a great way to celebrate the end of the season.

Opening Day at Busch

Only a little more than 24 hours away and we will be enjoying the 2013 home opener at Busch. Something else to check off the 'bucket' list.

Although we have seen a few minor league opening day games, this is only our second Major League opening day. We saw part of the Philly's opening day game in 2001 - not pretty. Our experience included missing the first several innings trying to find parking - our friend finally gave up on the game, dropped us off and went back to work. And we were amazed that most fans in our section were more interested in watching the drunks peeing off the back of the section than watching the game. If I remember correctly, we too gave up and went back to work early.

We have never been to the Brewers' opening day - the unofficial opening of the out-door drinking season in Milwaukee, but we have learned not to try to have dinner at any restaurants in a 10 mile radius after the game on opening day (out door drinking having begun at the 8a tailgate).

So far (before tomorrow) one of our favorite opening days was a day we had a party at our home on 49th street in Milwaukee. It was a beautiful day, I was working from home that day until noon and first pitch for the brewers was around 1 I believe and the Cardinals had the prime time game. We had a ton of ball park food - turned the TV around so that we could watch the game from the porch. A lot of people came to eat and drink and generally embody the pass-time! Between games, our neighbor kids watched Major League and both the Brewers and Cardinals won that day. It was a perfect day.

Until tomorrow - we hope!