Cheers! A win at Miller

The Astros won today to split a four-game series in Milwaukee. Miller Park looks pretty fun, the sausage races crack me up, as well as Bernie (I think that's his name) the Brewer, who skims down the slide when the Brew Crew score (beats the train--I love MMP, personally, and I understand the historical significance of the train and all, but it looks like it's carrying freakin' pumpkins. Not cool).

Anyway, what with injuries to Oswalt, Nieve, and Backe, and the continuing anemic offense, all I'm hoping for now is that the team won't completely embarrass themselves over this last 6 weeks of the season. I hope that they act like the professionals that I assume them to be, and play hard in every game even after they are mathematically eliminated (which at the current clip of .476 ball, won't be too much longer). Ah well, at least we're not the Royals, with an E number of 9. That would suck.

One of my colleagues riffed on the first base coach (Jose "Cheo" Cruz) the other day. He doesn't like how Cheo comes up and always puts hands on the players. This colleague is a guy's guy and probably a little homophobic, I imagine. I teased him, "That's it! You've figured it out! The whole reason that they have no discipline at the plate is because they don't want to get stuck at first base and be 'pawed' by Cheo! Of course! If they can't get an extra-base hit, they don't want it!" We giggled, but it's probably as good an explanation as any for the more inexplicable aspects of this season. My BBF (that's Best Baseball Friend) Max and I talked for an hour yesterday about all the things that have gone wrong or were disappointing this year. Of course, always easier to see some things in hindsight. . . .

Anyway, like the good fans that we are, we made plans to attend several more home games before the season ends. With any luck, the weather will be fair and somewhat cool for the last homestand against the Cardinals. The roof will be open, and the long, golden light of late summer will burnish the season's end with the luster of next year's hopes.