Jen_Lada's Blog

I'm sitting here in Philly listening to the ESPN talk radio... It's interesting to hear the local fans perspective on the NLDS series.

Here's what they're saying:

Yovani Gallardo has nothing to lose. If he struggles, people will say "what did you expect?" The 22 year old has just one start under his belt since May 1st and Wednesday will mark the first time a hurler has returned from injury to pitch in a playoff game after not recording a single decision all year.  (The second pitcher in major league history to start a postseason game with a 0-0 record that year.) That scares these fans!

They don't want to have to face CC Sabathia twice in the series. The NL CY Young contender (yeah they're saying it too) takes the hill Thursday and could be back out there in game 5, if necessary. So many of these callers say it's crucial to take every other game and wrap up the series by winning when Sabathia isn't pitching.

And after the horrible 3-game sweep this team (pretty much the same roster) suffered last year in the NLDS, they're a little nervous about how the Phils matchup against the very similar Crew. Ryan Howard and Prince Fielder are similar power hurlers and similarly cruddy in the field (19 errors for Howard and 17 for Fielder - 1st and 2nd in the league for first basemen.) Howard leads the majors in HR's at 48 but Ryan Braun's right there with 37.

There seems to be some consensus about a key to the Phillies success in the series - their starting pitching especially Brett Myers. Which one will they get? The one that struggled consistently recently or the one that beat the Brewers on short rest just two weeks ago? Will Jamie Moyer (the ageless wonder) continue to impress? And Hamels vs Gallardo seems like a ridiculous mismatch to these fans but they're nervous because the '07 NLDS series was supposed to be a mismatch too - and the Rockies no-namers silenced all the big boppers in three straight. But they're ridiculously confident in their closer Brad Lidge (just named Comeback Player of the Year after a 41-for-41 in save opportunities season) and think the 7th and 8th will be the make or break innings.

Pat Burrell may have a back injury - he left yesterday's workout and is having it examined today. If he can't play Geoff Jenkins could get the start in right against his former team! 

And that's what they think Wednesday morning! What do you think?

Members of my family are throwing a party for my husband and I next month (some of you can probably guess the reason) and I'm extremely excited about it! Not only because we'll be receiving some very necessary gifts, or opening our home to joyous family and friends, but because it's a terrific venue to spread a very important message.

I've asked that it be a GREEN affair.

In this case, GREEN is not simply the gender ambiguous hue but a term meaning eco-friendly. We're trying to be as environmentally savy as possible: evites instead of paper invitations, no decorations, carpool options, recycled wrapping paper (newspaper/magazines/grocery bags) etc - just trying to reduce the potential waste as much as possible. I've even gotten some great GREEN gifts to be handed out as party favors and game prizes. It's not meant to be a lecture but a fun and hopefully informative look at easy ways to live GREENer lives.

I even went as far as to research biodegradable plates and bowls online and purchased enough for the day and beyond. So imagine my surprise when the package arrived today and my party supplies were wrapped in miles and miles of BUBBLE WRAP! BUBBLE WRAP! What am I going to do with BUBBLE WRAP (ala Wayne's World's gun rack rant)?

My husband and I have been taking very deliberate measures to live GREENer lives. No more plastic water bottles, energy saving lightbulbs, biking when possible instead of driving, always recycling paper, glass, cardboard etc. So I just don't understand how a company who's livelihood is based on promoting eco-friendly dining can package it's products in such an UN-GREEN manner.

Sure anything's better than those toxic strofoam peanuts but there are biodegradable packing methods and options. Some moving companies use bubble wrap and then take it back and reuse it over and over. Some companies have gone to biodegradable bubble wrap while others only use cardboard equivalents or composting peanuts. I enjoy a mock machine gun session with bubble wrap as much as the next kid at heart but after I've tap danced all over the popping plastic, what then?

For now, I'm stashing it in the basement. Maybe it'll come in handy for shipping a fragile Christmas present cross country or serve as armor during an impromptu game of tackle football. Any other ideas? 

Those of you who've followed the Brewers closely know that one of Ned Yost's more popular pre and postgame retorts when questioned by the media was "If you know anything about the game of baseball..."

As reporters who clearly did know something about the game, the condescending jab was initially infuriating. But as the seasons went on and we'd be presented with the barb more regularly, it became somewhat comical. Like you knew you'd touched a nerve if Yost pulled out his trusty "know anything about the game" dagger.

So imagine my surprise when after months of being reminded just how little we know about the sport, interim manager Dale Sveum informed us of exactly the opposite. It was in his office before Tuesday's game against the Cubs and Sveum was fielding questions. I can't even recall the inquiry at this point but I remember the response - or at least the start of it:

 "You guys know as well as I do..."

 I just about dropped my microphone.

 Now the chances that we really do know anything baseball related AS WELL AS the former player/former third base coach/current skipper are pretty slim. But just the fact that he even offered such a different approach to the question - acknowledging that YES - we do know some things, and YES - our inquiries are often valid, and YES - we do our homework, study the sport and pay attention to all of the little details of the game... well that was incredibly refreshing and appreciated, considering.

In the end, it was the 2008 September swoon that got Yost canned. But there were many other factors that contributed to the otherwise loyal fan base calling for his head. Part of it was his stubborn refusal to accept responsibility, assess blame when warranted and display accountability when things went wrong. Part of it was sticking with players far longer than their efforts and performances warranted. And part of it was the increased defensiveness when - God forbid - someone tried to shine a light on these issues.

In the last few weeks, Yost's management style and actions were the catalyst for a divided Brewers nation. Even the most loyal fans weren't sure they wanted the squad to succeed because a trip to the post season most likely meant another season of Yost's leadership. Upper management was keenly aware of said struggle and by letting Ned go, they allowed those who had turned away to once again throw their support behind the organization wholeheartedly.

But you know as well as I do, it may have been a smidge too late.

For as long as I can remember, my mom has been a big baseball fan.

When I was young, my parents used to corrall the troops and drive us from our house in northern Illinois to the northern suburbs of Chicago to catch the el train. Back then, transportation that could spit you out steps away from Wrigley Field was incredibly impressive. In retrospect, much like the Friendly Confines themselves, I seem to have romanticized that whole experience much more than it deserved. If you've been on the el recently, you understand.

Mom has split allegiances. She was born and raised in southern Illinois and grew up following the Cardinals. But upon moving north (and we're talking Wisconsin-Illinois border north) and marrying a Chicago-ishan, she developed a fondness for the Cubs. Proximity, I imagine, was responsible for our Northsider exposure and even now, I can vividly recall snapshots from many afternoons spent at 1060 W. Addison.

Despite her devotion, my mom doesn't get to a ton of games. My guess is she tries to hit up one or two a summer, sometimes at Wrigley, sometimes at Miller Park  depending on availabilty and scheduling. But she pays attention to every one -whether by radio, tv or recap. And about this time of year, she gets especially excited because one of her two squads will undoubtedly be making a push for the pennant. The convenience of dual-faithfulness, I suppose.

So last night, we're chatting while she and my dad are driving back from Miller Park. Carlos Zambrano has just pitched the stadium's first ever no-hitter and helped extend the squad's lead in the division and mom is incredibly giddy. And we're laughing about the fact that only 23,400 fans got to see it because it wasn't televised and the oddity of it happening in Milwaukee without the Crew on the diamond when it occurs to me - this isn't the first time mom's witnessed something unusual or memorable at the ballpark.

Back in 1988, she and my dad had tickets to the second night of lights at Wrigley Field. The first, scheduled for August 8, was a sellout but shortly after it began, the skies opened up. Fans that night waited hours for the rain to let up but the game was eventually called after only 3 innings. So, as fate would have it, mom and dad attended Wrigley's first full game under the lights after all - on August 9, 1988. How 'bout that luck?

Then just a few seasons ago, my parents filed into Wrigley on June 22, 2002 as the Cubs were getting set to host the Cardinals. But an hour and half after the scheduled start, the teams still hadn't taken the field. My mom reminds me that this was less than a year after the September 11th attacks and a nervous murmur started to travel through the standing-room-only crowd. She overheard an usher telling some people 'it's about as bad as it could be' and moments later Cubs catcher Joe Girardi informs the fans of a tragedy in the St Louis family and the subsequent cancellation of the game. Eventually they'd learn that Cardinals pitcher Darryl Kile had died of a heart attack in his hotel room that morning.

So last night, we're chuckling about the sheer fact that my parents even went to the Cubs-Astros game at Miller Park. And how she'd debated all afternoon about making the trip when it occurred to me: For someone who gets to very few actual, live games she sure has been to some unforgettable ones. Matchups that will live on in stories, trivia games and the record books. There are 2,430 baseball games played every season. Mom only really cares about 309 of those and gets to three at the most. What are the odds of  such limited attendance and still witnessing such unusual games time and again?

Please read this article on a young Somalian athlete who participated in the 2008 Olympics!

It is an inspiring tale of accomplishment, dedication and sacrifice.

For perspective, not a single female sprinter in the 2008 Wisconsin Track and Field state meet ran a 32 second 200 meter. They were all faster.

You are never going to believe this but I swear every detail is accurate. And given the outcome - pretty astounding! But don't take my word for it - read on!

My husband, sister, brother-in-law and I were walking into the Target by our house the other night when I noticed a wallet on the ground in front of me. After picking it up and looking around to see if the owner was still close by, I took it inside and asked the Customer Service desk to page the apparent owner. Honestly, I was hesitant to hand it over - for only one reason: it was ten minutes to closing time and I thought if this person realized they'd lost it after the store was closed, they'd probably have to wait til tomorrow to find out if the store had it. And that meant a whole night of worry and concern and most likely canceling cards. How annoying. And unnecessary if I could just get a hold of the owner to let him know I had found it.

When no one responded to the page, I called 411 to try and get a phone number or address. I figured the least we could do was drop it at the person's home assuming the driver's license info was up to date. But there was no listing. Go figure. So I told my group we'd just have to try the address and hope that person still lived there.

My sister asked to see the wallet so I handed it over for her to inspect. She said maybe there was something else with an address that would help ensure the location before we went driving into the night. Nothing like that but she did pull out a red and black keycard. "Hey I have the exact same one for my work" I exclaimed. "What a coincidence, huh?"

She proceeded to pull out and inspect cards until one caused her to stop dead in her tracks. It was an insurance card and there on the bottom line was the person's employer. "He works for FOX Entertainment in Milwaukee." What? "I work for FOX Entertainment!" - a fact they obviously knew.

A quick call over to our assignment desk confirmed the young man did indeed work for our station. A photographer who handled the morning shifts (which explains why I - a night shifter - didn't recognize the name). I got his phone number, called and arranged a pick up. Turns out he only lives a few miles from us and was understandably thankful when I placed the wallet back in his hands. We introduced ourselves and laughed about the rare odds of a co-worker finding the missing wallet and went on our merry ways.

There are about a million other ways that story could have turned out and few are as funny or positive. I'm still in shock over the coincidence. How about you?

On Sunday, Brewers skipper Ned Yost indicates he's not that impressed with what Mike Rivera has accomplished in a very limited role this season ( a .333 average, a .400 on base percentage, 18 hits and 14 RBI  in 54 at bats) OK. Sure. That's his opinion and he's entitled to it.

But another statement he made on Sunday was absolutely ridiculous... "it's easier to do it the least amount of bats than having a bunch of at-bats."

Huh?

I know those of us in the communications business are often accused of being mathematically deficient but I'm actually pretty familiar with how ratios and averages work. And I'm guessing a vast majority of the southeastern Wisconsin sports fan population is as well. I couldn't be the only one smirking after that comment.

For example - lets say you're digging in your sock drawer with the lights off, hoping to nab a matching pair but taking socks out one at a time. Well it's pretty common knowledge that the more times you stick your hand in the drawer, the better your odds are for finding two of the same. Some times you'll get lucky on that first or second try but your odds improve significantly, the more times you grab.

Here's another one. Let's say you're flipping a coin and you want to gets heads ten times in a row. And you're willing to keep flipping until that combination comes up. Well remedial mathematicians would tell you the chances of that first coin coming up heads is 50%. And figuring out the odds of ten heads in a row is as simple as 50% (or 1/2) to the tenth power. 1/2 x 1/2 x 1/2 x 1/2 x 1/2 x 1/2 x 1/2 x 1/2 x 1/2 x 1/2 = 1/1024. Once again, the more times you flip that coin the better the chances you get the outcome you are hoping for.

In baseball, clearly the preferred outcome is to get on base - whether by a hit or a walk (lets not call 'hit by pitch' preferred) - then eventually score runs. By all accounts, the more times you step into the batters box, the better chance you have of achieving that preferred outcome. Especially if you want to achieve that outcome on a repeated basis. This isn't baseball according to Jen - this is math.

I understand if you're a great hitter and you have early success, a guy can be batting 1.000 through his first few at-bats. And I understand that some players go on stretches where they're raking even in small sample sizes (high averages during a series for instance). But that's not what we're talking about here. We're talking about a guy who sees the diamond the equivalent of once every two weeks and is still able to be productive by baseball's standards. 13 starts for goodness sakes! The ODDS are not in Rivera's favor to have the numbers he has. There's no rhythm here. No mimicking yesterday's motions. No wash, rinse and repeat. More like 'which end of the bat do I hold again?'  So let's give the guy a little credit for defying those odds, shall we? Even if odds are Yost won't.

Sincerest apologies for losing my map to the blogs page here on myfoxmilwaukee.com! I certainly didn't mean for a month to go by without checking in. Hope all's well in all our readers' worlds.

Just wanted to check and see if you all are as into the 2008 Summer Olympics as I am! Have we seen some amazing feats of athleticism or what? Obviously, USA winning gold in the 4X100 freestyle relay was amazing. We honestly thought Michael's Phelps bid for history was done and over when the French took such a commanding lead with a whole leg left to swim! Just goes to show - you really never know.

I think my favorite part of the games is getting exposed to all of the other sports that don't get the national attention on a weekly, monthly, and even yearly basis. We sat in awe this weekend watching WATER POLO matches - man are those athletes in incredible shape! And down right fiesty under water too! My family was also sucked into a game of HANDBALL, Chinese gymnasts performing their FLOOR ROUTINES, VOLLEYBALL, and TENNIS (Roger Federer was playing afterall).

In our house, we watch a lot of baseball, a lot of football, a lot of college roundball (though minimal pro basketball) and anytime Track and Field gets some airtime. But the chance to see all of these other elite athletes excelling in their lesser known but equally impressive sports... bring it on! I love it! Who else?

I have held off on weighing in on the Favre fiasco sensing there are many, many, many details of this situation we (the media/the public) haven't been made privy to. And though pulled in several directions over the last few days, I'm still convinced we aren't hearing the full story. In actuality, we may never hear that without the two sides sitting in the same room on the record but Monday night we'll hear Favre's side and he'll surely try to explain his stance. But even as more information and details are divulged, there is one aspect I simply can not wrap my brain around.

I am competitive. And as far as I can tell (wink, wink) so is Mr. Favre. By the very definition of the term, competitors... want to compete. They thrive on toeing the line and breaking a sweat and pushing themselves to the brink of exhaustion to achieve greatness. But they can not exist in a vacuum. They want to face foes, look 'em in the eyes and smirk because their opponents have no idea who they're up against. True competitors need, desire and appreciate challenges from other competitors. Because winning without competition isn't really achieving anything.

So why, as a competitive person, is Brett not embracing the challenge of not being HANDED the starting position? Does the aging gunslinger deserve to start given his years of service to the organization? I don't know - I don't really believe in entitlement of any kind. But I do believe you reap what you sow. And with all the so-called wavering that Number 4 supposedly did, I can certainly understand the Packers desire to move forward with other options.

But now that he has stated he wants to play again and the team has said he can come back, albeit in a back-up role, I would think this can only play out exactly as Favre hopes. Maybe not immediately... but surely eventually. Don't hold the clipboard Brett. Out-hustle, out-throw, out-scramble, out-think, and flat out out-play your quarterback competition. Go out there every day of Training Camp and make those coaches give you the ball and put you under center! The goal of any franchise and the athletes representing the franchise will always be to win. And I would think they would surely gravitate towards the QB who gives them the best opportunity to win based on the performances they see on a daily basis.

Some of these practices are even open to the public. You don't think if hundreds of spectators (fans and media alike) see Brett out-working the heir apparent, there will be some pressure on the brass to explain their reluctance? You don't think Favre's very presence will force Aaron Rodgers to man up pretty quick? A team with two quarterbacks constantly trying to out-last and out-perform the other is in a much better position than one squad with one complacent starter any day!

Why Brett Favre - one of the greatest and most storied competitors of all time - isn't interested in embracing that challenge is beyond me. Perhaps he will address that when he answers questions from Appleton native Greta Van Susteren Monday night. But if you shy away from that type of challenge, why in the world should you be the guy leading the team Sundays from September to February (God willing)? 

Last night my mom, my brother's girlfriend and I went to Summerfest to catch the Phil Vassar concert at the Briggs and Straton side stage. He puts on a terrific show and we'd been looking forward to it since the schedule of acts was announced. He was slated to come on at ten with a cover band filling the 8pm slot before him.

When we arrived during the cover band's set, the seats were filling up fast and after watching other people creep their way through the chaos, we decided to give it a try ourselves. We assumed correctly that most of the people there were just hanging out for the headliner so we were cautious in our hunt - not interested in stealing anyone's seats or squishing into an already occupied area. It's a delicate dance as anyone in said situation can confirm. So you can imagine our excitement when we found a group that was leaving before Phil's show started who said we could take their places.

This is where it always gets tricky. As far as I know there is no seat saving at these side show stages. Certainly there is an attempt made to be respectful, courteous and accommodating to those around you but when it comes down to it, you really aren't supposed to be reserving acres of space for TBD cronies. Bathroom and food/beverage runs are the exceptions.

As we replaced the departing fans, we caught several glares and snide comments from the surrounding crew. We were later informed they had been saving that area for friends. Wait - the area that up until seconds ago was occupied by those people? You were saving their area? Had you mentioned that to them? And if you had, why would they tell us we could take their places?

In the end it was more of a 'mental saving' like 'should anyone leave, we'll spread out into the vacated area.' Not very binding in my humble opinion but one woman was intent on informing us of the rude nature of our actions. We had a short but terse conversation that ended with us standing pat and her huffing and whispering to those around her. I was amused by the fact she allowed herself to get so worked up over something so silly. Eventually, everyone found their own foot of space on the benches and enjoyed the show with vigor.

But I feel like this comes up every year so I'm really interested in your take on the issue. How do you handle seating at the free side stage shows at the Fest? Are you saving feet of space for people arriving later? And if so by what rule? How do you think this situation (which seems to repeat itself annually) should be handled by the masses? Finder's keepers, Loser's weepers seems a bit ambiguous.

I don't pretend to be a morning person.

My unusual work schedule (like many of my co-workers) often gets me home around 11:30PM and I don't fall asleep for another few hours. So it's pretty common for me to still be drifting through a REM cycle til 9 or 10 in the morning.

So you can imagine my anger when I was stirred at 6:30AM by loud, jarring noise pouring through my open bedroom windows. "What the heck is that?" I wondered (actual thoughts censored for blog.) 

Hoping it would stop soon, I tried to roll over and drift back into dream land but the ruckus continued. With my annoyance level rising by the second, I leapt out of bed and peered next door.

Now my husband and I had just been complaining about the neighbors' need to cut their Serengeti-esque lawn the night before. So a part of me was pleased to realize that's what they were doing. But the other part - the sleepy part no doubt - couldn't believe they'd selected 6:30 IN THE MORNING to spring some ambition. I mean "come on!" 

I did the only thing a 'decent' neighbor could do. I went around and slammed shut all the open second story windows. Violently. Vehemently. I wasn't going to yell all the rude retorts rolling around my head. But I did want to indicate my annoyance. They continued on their mow-wy little way and I eventually fell back asleep.

But am I completely off my rocker to think that a deed like mowing - which will in-deed be heard by 'mow' than just oneself  - should be done at a 'mow' appropriate time? Jeez!

After toe-ing the line in hundreds of foot races over the years, I've decided to TRI something new... my first triathlon this July!

A few months ago I signed up for the Danskin. It's a sprint tri (1/2 mile swim, 12 mile bike, 3.1 mile run) just for women held every summer in Kenosha. And the closer we get to the event, the more nervous I become.

The other day I was biking to the Y to get in a swim (which I'm certain is going to give me the most trouble) when I fell off my bike. Before you go calling me a klutz, hear me out. I'm trying to get used to clipless pedals for the first time and I had to stop quickly on the bike path. Your first instinct is to break. But your first instinct SHOULD BE to unclip your feet. The cycle came to an abrupt stop and I - still locked to my pedals - got a speedy introduction to the concrete. Shaken but seemingly unharmed, I proceeded to the Y for my swim before trekking back home. It wasn't until I woke from a much-needed nap that I realized my right wrist and left elbow were throbbing and swollen. Doctor's report: sprained wrist, fractured elbow. You've got to be kidding me.

The good news is I'm a fast healer. And stubborn. I've followed the doc's orders and after a week (!) off, I finally got back to training today. But no matter how many miles or laps I log, there are going to be elements of surprise. I can't really prepare for the crowds, the conditions or even the reality of the transitions. And for a control freak like me (if you know me, you're knowingly smirking right now) this is probably the toughest to accept.

I'll do everything I can in the coming months to get myself as physically prepared as possible. But if any of you bloggers/readers have any invaluable experience-based advice I would love to hear from you! Lay it on me. The more information I have, the more mentally prepared I'll be come July 13th!

Someone laughed the other day when I opened my trunk to reveal only 5 things: a basketball, a yoga mat, an ice scrapper, an emergency road kit and a GAS CAN.

The gentleman chuckled that I must ride the fumes pretty often and I couldn't disagree. Filling up my tank with 4 dollar-plus gas has to be one of my current pet peeves and I know I'm not alone. So sure I like to roll the dice every once and a while to see just how accurate 'E' really is.

But it was nice to be able to chuckle to myself as I was about to fill up yesterday. After swiping my card and selecting the fuel grade - all the while cursing 4.19 a gallon - the pump had the nerve to ask what has to be a no-brainer for most right now:

"CAR WASH?"

Suuuuurrrreee. I'll gladly drop 3 to 8 MORE bucks to pamper the exterior of my auto! What a joke!

It was a joke, right? :)

I dont' know if this has been discussed or divulged locally but if you've watched Idol this season you've probably seen the orange bracelet David Cook wears. The curiousity finally got the best of me this morning and it turns out it's a pretty cool, inspiring story:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyluBJsKB8g

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/mar/14/little-lind
sey-roses-favorite-idol-singer-wears-wr/

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/723363/why
_american_idol_contestant_david.html

The judges might have been pulling for DA over DC on last night's performance show but the rocker has been my favorite for weeks and hearing/reading the story of the orange bracelets only makes me want him to win even more!

"...from school on out, he always had to have the highest grade. Always had to have the A. That's just how Ryan is. That's just who he is. That's how he was born and luckily it's come to fruition here."

 -Diane Braun

I was lucky enough to sit behind Ryan Braun's parents and grandfather at Thursday's press conference announcing the athlete's new contract with the Brewers. Before Ryan even entered the packed room, I watched as his mom Diane leaned over to her father and whispered "How unreal is this?" with a huge smile on her face. I couldn't help but get a few goosebumps.

All any parent wants to see is their children happy, healthy and successful on whatever career path they choose. And talking to Braun's parents, their pride was palpable. Not only because Ryan continues to prove his worth on the diamond, but because he hasn't allowed the bright lights or big money to compromise the values they instilled in him as a kid. It's too easy for 'big leaguers' to start 'big timing' when their ship comes in but the Braun's seem confident (and hopeful) that won't happen with Ryan. 

Time will certainly tell but the current signs are promising...  A significant portion of his earnings are being set aside to benefit local charities and the 24 year old also promises to dedicate his time and presence to such organizations. Mom also shared this: when Ryan received his signing bonus, the only extravagant purchase he made was a new car for his grandpa. A cynic could certainly argue that mom probably doesn't know every purchase her son made with his earnings but she really gushed about that detail. To her it showed he's taken her advice about 'staying grounded' to heart. And more than being proud of her son for his 8 year, 45 million dollar deal, she seemed proud that the promise of an 8 year, 45 million dollar deal hadn't changed him yet.