Milwaukee Brewers: Trip to American Family Field

 The Crew once again clinched the National League Central Title, guaranteeing  #3 spot in 2023 playoffs, even though the Cardinals beat them earlier that day. The Milwaukee Brewers (nicknamed “Crew”) won the title by default because the Cubs lost to the Braves (6-7). Qualifying for playoffs at end of 162-game season means every game counts if you factor in the calculations of positioning. The good part of this particular scenario is that Phillies clinched wild card on same day with a win against Pittsburgh Pirates. With Cubs losing hours later against Braves, the Phils have #4 spot in playoffs secured. Yay!

All this news makes me nostalgic about my trip to the American Family Field,  ballpark of the Milwaukee Brewers. When I went in August 2014 to Miller Park (former name of the ballpark, located in  Milwaukee, Wisconsin),  the Brewers beat the Pittsburgh Pirates (4 - 3) that day. Ryan Braun was in the lineup. Mike Fiers, called up from Triple-A,  was  the winning pitcher, his fourth straight start. He  held Pirates to two hits in seven innings. 

The ballpark has a fan-shaped retractable roof. The grounds have statues to legendary players Robin Yount (Shortstop), Hank Aaron (Designated Hitter) as well as the Hall of Fame radio broadcaster Bob Uecker.  The Milwaukee stadium honors the Milwaukee Brewers and the Milwaukee Braves. Brewers have a number of former or active great baseball players, like Christian Yelich (outfield), Ryan Braun (left fielder), and Prince Fielder (1B). The Crew seems to routinely get into the playoffs, but tend to get eliminated by the eventual World Series winner (eg Cardinals in 2011, Nationals in 2019, Braves in 2021).  That must be tough, but as a fan of the 2008 Phillies team that beat the Crew in the 2008 NLDS, I do not feel that much guilt.

The Milwaukee Brewers were so named for the city’s association with the brewing industry. The franchise was originally founded as the Seattle Pilots, an expansion team in the American League, but they left Seattle for Milwaukee after 1 season. The team has been called the Brewers since 1970.  In 1998, they joined the National League. The Brewers appeared in the World Series only once in 1982. This team is one of only 6 current MLB teams (Rangers, Rays, Padres, Mariners, Rockies, Brewers) that have never won the World Series. 4 of the 6 have a chance to win  it all in 2023, as long as they qualify and get through October.

PNC Park: the Home of the Pittsburgh Pirates

On the western end of Pennsylvania along the North Shore of Pittsburgh lies PNC Park, the home of the Pittsburgh Pirates, since 2001.  This park is next to the Allegheny River and has a view of downtown Pittsburgh.  What is unique about PNC  Park is the liberal use of limestone in the building’s fascade, a riverside concourse, and the steel work around building. The park’s playing surface is Tuckahoe Bluegrass. Drainage system beneath field can handle 14 in of rain per hour. The seating capacity, 38, 496 seats, is the second smallest of any MLB park (the smallest being Fenway). PNC Park has a reputation as a pitcher’s park, with a deep left field and a 21 ft wall in right field (called Clemente wall).

The Pittsburgh Pirates have won 5 World Series (1909, 1925, 1960, 1971, 1979). Originally called Pittsburgh Alleghenys at founding in 1881, the team joined the MLB in 1887 and part of  National League division. The Pirates at the start of the 20th century was considered among the best teams (with Hall of Famer, Honus Wagner). In 1970s, the Pirates had a resurgence behind Roberto Clemente. In 2023, the Pirates have been on the bottom of the standings. This team currently have the 6th longest World Series Championship drought.

The park pays tribute to Roberto Clemente, great Pirate player, by naming the adjacent (6th street bridge) after him. From my seat in 2006, I could enjoy my clear view of the field and enjoy local eateries, like Primanti Brothers.  Seats are angled toward the field and aisles are lowered to give fans improved views of the field.  At 51 ft, the batter is closer to the seats behind home plate than the pitcher.  The majority of seats ( appr. 28000) are on the 1st level. Also, with the exception of bleachers, all seats at park offer a view of Pittsburgh’s skyline.

The present Pirates as of 23 September 2023 was mathematically eliminated from 2023 playoff contention. This did not stop the Pirates from coming behind from a 9 run deficit to beat the Cincinnati Reds, a team fighting for a playoff spot. This was the largest comeback in franchise history. I enjoyed that the Pirates showed a flare of no quit this late in the season.  See link for highlights: https://youtu.be/TpBFLbSIz34?si=AHtmEQIhxYUgWV_P

Kaufman Stadium: Home of Kansas City Royals

The Kansas City Royals have been at Kaufman stadium for 51 years as of 2023. Called the K by locals, this stadium, opened to fans in 1973, has become one of the beloved ballparks in Missouri.   It has been renovated over the years.  The artificial turf was replaced by grass in 1995. The LED video display board is the tallest in baseball and has 3.5 million pixels. 

One unique feature of this ballpark is 322-ft water spectacle  featuring cascading water, that shoots out water during homerun by Royal.  The outfield was pushed back in 2004 season to make it one of the most spacious parks. In fact, Kaufman has the 2nd most playable field square footage in the Majors (behind Coors field in CO). 

The Royals are a MLB team in the American League Central division, founded as an expansion team in 1969 when Athletics (played in Kansas City from 1955 to 1967) left KC for Oakland. The Royals have won 2 World Series (1985 and 2015). The name “Royals” pays homage to the American Royal, a livestock show, horse show, rodeo, and championship barbecue competition held in Kansas City annually since 1899. The Royals have their share of greats, like  George Brett, Whitey Herzog, and Frank White. Their greatest rivals are the St Louis Cardinals (I-70 series).

When I visited Kaufman Stadium in August 2018, the Royals played the St Louis Cardinals.  The Cardinals won (St Louis Cardinals 8 - Kansas City Royals 3). What I liked about this game was the resilience on the Royals team.  They had a losing record (under 0.5). Despite that, the opponent had to bring their A game to beat them at their home park.

In Sept 2023, Royals once again have a losing record (53-102) while their opponent, the Houston Astros  (85-70), are competing for a playoff spot. The Royals know they have a young team, but getting wins (especially series wins) against the defending champion Astros really builds confidence for the future. If your team  cannot be in postseason, beating teams that are competing late in the season is a fun exercise for the young inexperienced Royals.  Watching scoreboards is exciting at the end of regular season, as teams on brink of elimination race to qualify for postseason berths.

LoanDepot Park: Home of Miami Marlins

When I travelled to Miami in 2016, I visited the Marlins park, a baseball stadium that has a retractable roof.  This retractable roof is an engineering marvel, for it closes in 15 min from the open position (5th ballpark that has a retractable roof. There are 8 MLB stadiums with this feature).  Besides rain, the roof also helps with the triple digit heat in South Florida and humidity. Those watching the game at the park can watch in a comfortable atmosphere. Marlins park has the roof closed for most games. It is open a handful of times in the season.

 I still call the Miami Marlins the Florida Marlins, because that is the name they used when they started.  As a Florida resident in my past, I have Marlin attire so I was able to look like a local.  The team officially changed its name in 2012. The Marlins are in the same division as the Phillies, Braves, Nationals, and Mets. As a consequence, we play them a lot especially because MLB has lots of divisional games near the end of the regular season.

This team was an expansion team in 1993. What boggles me is that this expansion team has the same amount of World Series titles as my hometown Phillies.  Marlins won the National League(NL) Pennant and World Series in 1997 and 2003, which happened to be 2 of 3 postseason appearances (all as wild card berths). This is a team you do not want to underestimate.  They can get hot and cause trouble if they make the postseason.

As a baseball park, this stadium did not impress me.  Food was average fare. Crowd was less than what I typically see at MLB games. Because this is a team that has only been around since 1993, the Marlins do not have much of a baseball history compared to other clubs. The only selling point is the roof, but I prefer the traditional baseball park in which the audience gets rained on along with players. I know that means rain delay if rain is too intrusive on gameplay.  That shows my age a bit.  This ballpark would allow the teams playing to play on, for the roof can be closed accordingly. At the particular game I attended, the Marlins (aka Fish) played the St Louis Cardinals and the roof was closed for the game.  I was hoping the Fish beat the Cardinals. Unfortunately, the Cardinals prevailed.  

Now, let us fast forward to September 2023.  My Phillies played the Fish at 7:05 pm (night game).  Phils lost by 1 home run, by a run allowed to a batter that has only hit 5 home runs all season. It was bad luck for us. I am reminded how these Marlins are fighters and they still have a shot at reaching postseason. They are playing for one of the 3 wild card berths in the National League. Phillies should beat this team; we will see how this 3-game series plays out.  

End of Regular Season to Playoffs: Every game means more if team is IN THE RACE

       Baseball becomes a lot more interesting when the teams competing are still in the hunt for a playoff spot. My Phillies are on top of the NL wild card race. Chicago Cubs and  Arizona Diamondbacks have the other 2 spots as of  Aug. 25th.  

The Atlanta Braves have locked down the NL East by being 13.5 games ahead of the second place Phillies.  The only way to get in for the Phillies is to hold on to their wild card spot.

       What does this have to do with my ballpark journey?   As a season holder, I am scheduled to see the Phillies play the St. Louis Cardinals this weekend at Citizen’s Bank park. I am excited for this because Phillies have the opportunity to win the series at home.  I will be adding to my cheers as I contribute to the atmosphere of the winning team.  That is the hope of all the diehard Phillies fans. I will talk about my trip to the Bank after I attend the game. Go Phillies!