The Brew Crew

Good morning from Milwaukee! I just boarded the train heading south, so it was a successful day yesterday that had a lot of adventures. I did manage to get some sleep last night, so I'm rested for today. Still, yesterday was a lot of fun here in Milwaukee.

When I last left all of you, I was on the Greyhound somewhere in Wisconsin. I got in to Milwaukee at around 1 in the afternoon and, luckily, was able to check in to my hotel early. This was good because I took a long, hot shower that I felt was needed. Look, the Greyhound was comparatively quick and inexpensive, but I just felt grungy after sitting on a bus for six-hours. I was even able to rest for about a half-hour, but I was too excited to sleep.

I walked down to the Intermodal Station and checked out a bike for a little ride around the city. Riding around Milwaukee is a lot of fun, mainly because it has a lot more gritty feel. Unlike the riding I do in Southern California, or even yesterday in Minneapolis, Milwaukee just has an older vibe about it. The buildings are much older, and there is a dark sense in the city. This isn't a knock against Milwaukee, but it shows that each city is unique and has their own character. The Gothic building loom large over Wisconsin and Michigan Avenues, and being on a bike makes you feel that. It's really a rush that I haven't felt before.

I rode around downtown, down through the Historic Third Ward, along the lakefront to Discovery World, and ended at a craft brewery on Water Street. All in all, I rode about five miles through the streets. It was a ton of fun, and the craft beer I got at the Water Street Brewery was a great cap to the activity of that afternoon.

After my beer, I rode back down to the Downtown Transit Center and boarded the city bus out to Miller Park. Surprisingly, the bus was not crowded and for a gold chunk of time, I was the only person. I kept asking myself why people aren't taking public transportation to Brewers games, until we turned in to the parking lot. Apparently, here in Milwaukee, tailgating before Brewers games is a tradition. The scene reminded me more of a football game than Major League Baseball. The smell of fresh brats on a barbecue on the chatter of tailgaters brought me back to my time in college when my buddies and I would tailgate before Oregon football games.

While we're on the subject of football, Miller Park is definitely not a baseball park from the outside. The structure is massive and can be seen from miles away. It is in between a number of freeways, and the hulking structure reminds you of an indoor football stadium. The Brewers have done a good job of representing their past heritage with statues and a hall of fame of prominent players in Milwaukee history, which also includes the Braves. In admiring all of these statues and stuff, it still took me more than a half-hour to walk around the perimeter of the park.

Once I was inside, the massiveness continued. Unlike last night in Minneapolis at Target Field, Miller Park is not nearly as intimate a venue as it feels very spread out. I had read some negative reviews about Miller Park, however, once I sat down, I had to disagree with some of them. What it lacks in intimacy it makes up for in passion. Brewers fans were in to the game, I saw dozens of people keeping score, and they love the gimmicks. Whether it was cheering when Bernie Brewers would go down his slide after a home run, or during the famous Sausage Race, the fans at Miller Park were into every single aspect of the game. This made my visit very enjoyable, and while I wouldn't put Miller Park into the same category as Pittsburgh or Minneapolis, it was a fine ballpark in its own right.

I had never seen a game in a dome before. I had been to Safeco when the roof was closed, but there the roof acts more as an umbrella. At Miller Park, with the retractable roof closed, you really are in a dome. I wonder if the experience changes when the roof is open, but looking at how it's designed, it seems like even when it's open, the majority of the field and stands are still covered. It is an impressive sight to see the massive roof, but if I do come back to Milwaukee, I'd hope to see a game in what is considered "outdoors."

The visiting Cincinnati Reds got a key 2-run homer from Jay Bruce, and Arolis Chapman got the save throwing 102-mph fastballs, as they beat the home Brewers 5-3.

As I was riding around the city, I saw ominous clouds forming. During the game, the roof was closed at Miller Park due to heavy thunderstorms. As I walked back from the bus stop after the game, I had to break out my umbrella to me dry during the downpour. However, today, the rain has cleared out and the forecast calls for a beautiful day in Chicago.

Six years ago, I went to Wrigley Field for a game that ended up raining out. I was devastated, primarily because I thought that I would never get the chance to go to Wrigley again. Today, that changes as the game is on as scheduled. I'm looking forward to the vindication.

I'm on the Hiawatha train to Chicago. I'll transfer to the El out to Addison and Russell streets for the afternoon tilt between the Cardinals and Cubs. After the game, I'll go back downtown and do a ride on the bike. I'm supposed to meet up with an old buddy for a drink later on, and I might go up to the Willis Tower (formally Sears Tower) observation deck too.

It's going to be a fun, fun day. Keep an eye out on Twitter and Facebook, and thanks so much for coming along!

Always take on a 3-0 pitch ;)