Tag / Miller Park

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Games Per Stadium By Year

With the 2019 season in the rear view mirror, let’s take a look at the number of games I’ve attended per year at one of the 25 different stadiums I’ve visited over the years.

 

Year Stadium Name Total Games
2008 US Cellular Field 46
2003 Wrigley Field 46
Surprise playoff runs for the White Sox in 2008 and the Cubs in 2003 led to my highest single season totals ever, boosted by post-season play.
2007 Wrigley Field 43
2004 Wrigley Field 41
My highest non-playoff total saw me attending over half of the home games for the Cubs in 2004.
2011 US Cellular Field 40
2009 US Cellular Field 40
2010 US Cellular Field 36
2005 Wrigley Field 34
2008 Wrigley Field 34
2017 Guaranteed Rate Field 33
2006 US Cellular Field 32
Post World Series championship started an attendance jump.
2016 US Cellular Field 32
2012 US Cellular Field 31
2015 US Cellular Field 31
2007 US Cellular Field 29
2014 US Cellular Field 28
Continue reading →
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Games Per Stadium – All Time

It’s been 3 years since we’ve taken a look at the now 22 different stadiums I’ve been to and how often I’ve been to them.  With the World Series over and the off season upon us, it’s time to update that list.  Again, I’ve only added 2 additional stadiums in this time, one in 2015 and the other this year.  Different names for the same physical stadium are counted separately.

Games Per Stadium
Stadium Name Total Games
US Cellular Field 414
Wrigley Field 344
Comiskey Park II 38
Guaranteed Rate Field 33
Comiskey Park 12
Great American Ballpark 7
Miller Park 6
Ameriquest Field 4
PETCO Park 3
Ballpark in Arlington, The 3
Target Field 2
Comerica Park 2
AT&T Park Continue reading →
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Fitbit III: Week 26

Another great week, as I surpassed 60,000 steps for the second time in the last 3 weeks and extended my streak of days over goal to 14.  The week got off to a decent start on Sunday, where morning brunch led to just surpassing my daily goal of 6500 steps.  Monday started at the Will County Courthouse in Joliet for what was supposed to be a week of jury duty, but an early exit brought me to Wrigley Field for day 1 of crosstown action, finishing well over 7000 steps.  Tuesday was the big day of the week, thanks to a return trip to Wrigley followed by my first trip to the Hollywood Casino Amphitheater in 21 years to see Sir Paul McCartney.  Wednesday was my down day of the week, with no plans and a mere 12 steps above goal.  Thursday, the crosstown action moved down to Guaranteed Rate field and I notched my second 10,000 step day of the week.  Friday was the first day I made it to the office all week, which I followed with a trip to Miller Park in Milwaukee, scoring my third 10,000 step day of the week.  After sleeping in on Saturday, I took a trip to the car wash, followed by exciting Sox/Indian action.

Total steps: 63,225

Daily average: 9032.1

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Brewers All Time Leaders – Through 2015

brewersWith 3 months until baseball in Chicago returns, I thought it would be interesting to look at the all time leaders in both offensive and defensive categories for all 30 teams. We continue today with the Milwaukee Brewers.

The Brewers began life in 1969, joining the American League as the Seattle Pilots.  After one year, they moved to Milwaukee and became the Brewers.  In 1998, the Brewers became the first team to switch leagues when they moved to the National League as the expansion Tampa Bay Devil Rays joined the American League.  I’ve seen them play 36 times, first in 1993 battling the White Sox at their old home of Milwaukee County Stadium and most recently last May, once again battling the White Sox, at Miller Park.

Home Runs

Name Total
Richie Sexson 4
Prince Fielder 4
Bill Hall 3

Hits

Name Total
Ryan Braun 26
Prince Fielder 23
J.J. Hardy 19
Corey Hart 19

Runs

Name Total
Ryan Braun 14
Prince Fielder 14
J.J. Hardy 11
Rickie Weeks 11

RBI

Name Total
Ryan Braun 18
Prince Fielder 17
Richie Sexson 13

Doubles

Name Total
Prince Fielder 9
Corey Hart 6
Ryan Braun 5

Triples Continue reading →

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Fitbit Week 15

Week15_FBA good week, where I passed the 5500 mark each day and even broke the 11,000 step plateau for my best day yet using the Fitbit.  The week got off a decent start thanks to a Mother’s Day trip to Brookfield Zoo, although the weather made sure that it was a short trip.  Monday was a normal day of work, thanks to an afternoon coffee run.  Tuesday added to that with a trip up to Milwaukee to see the White Sox battle the Brewers at Miller Park, which accounted for the high total.  The rest of the work week enjoyed decent weather, so there was some outdoor activity along with coffee runs.  Saturday also entailed a nice walk around the neighborhood.

Total steps: 53,059

Daily average: 7579.9

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A Wrigley Field For The 21st Century

2015marqueeThe Cubs kicked off the 2015 baseball season by hosting the Cardinals Sunday night, giving the world their first look at the first stage of Wrigley Field renovations.  Despite the best laid plans of Crane Kenney and the Cubs business team, the stadium was, sadly, not ready for prime time.

B7lCcWaCcAAeiq8As expected, the renovations that were planned to be completed over this past offseason were not completed on time.  The Cubs had peviously announced that the bleachers would not be ready for the beginning of the season.  To mask their emptiness, they were covered with tarps featuring images of the late Ernie Banks.

RFBleachersThe new video board planned for right field has not been installed yet, but the big Budweiser sign certainly was in place.  There were small changes to the centerfield scoreboard: removing the ribbon board underneath the board and replacing it with the new between-inning timer.  In left field, the new monster video board was in place, having been installed within days of Sunday’s ballgame. Continue reading →

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Games Per Stadium – All Time

20109565It’s been more than 3 years since we’ve taken a (single) look at the 18 different stadiums I’ve been to and how often I’ve been to them.  Sadly, I’ve only added 2 additional stadiums in this time, both of which were this year.  Once again, different names for the same stadium are counted separately.

Stadium Name Total Games
US Cellular Field 351
Wrigley Field 317
Comiskey Park II 38
Comiskey Park 12
Great American Ballpark 7
Ameriquest Field 4
Miller Park 4
Ballpark in Arlington, The 3
PETCO Park 3
Target Field 2
Continue reading →
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Games Per Stadium By Year

With the 2014 season in the rear view mirror, let’s take a look at the number of games I’ve attended per year at a particular stadium.

Games Per Stadium Per Year

GameYear StadiumName TotalGames
2008 US Cellular Field 46
2003 Wrigley Field 46
Surprise playoff runs for the White Sox in 2008 and the Cubs in 2003 led to my highest single season totals ever, boosted by post-season play.
2007 Wrigley Field 43
2004 Wrigley Field 41
My highest non-playoff total saw me attending over half of the home games for the Cubs in 2004.
2011 US Cellular Field 40
2009 US Cellular Field 40
2010 US Cellular Field 36
2005 Wrigley Field 34
2008 Wrigley Field 34
2006 US Cellular Field 32
Post World Series championship started an attendance jump.
2012 US Cellular Field 31
2007 US Cellular Field 29
2014 US Cellular Field 29
Continue reading →
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Ballpark Tour: Miller Park

Stadium Name: Miller Park

Location: Milwaukee

Home Team: Brewers, Indians, Astros

Years in Service: 2001 – Present

Visits: 4

After spending the first 26 years of their existence in Milwaukee’s County Stadium, the Brewers broke ground on a new stadium on November 9, 1996, in a parking lot behind County Stadium, with plans to open the park for the 2000 season.  Construction was delayed in 1999 after a crane collapsed while lifting a 400-ton roof section, killing three workers.  This caused the opening to be delayed for a year, and the new Miller Park did not open until April 6, 2001.  In 2007, the stadium hosted an Indians series against the Angels after snow storms in Cleveland forced the cancellation of the previous series against the Mariners.  The Astros called Miller Park home for two games in 2008 when Hurricane Ike stormed through Houston.

I made the first of my four visits to Miller Park during the inaugural season of 2001.  That May 7th contest had the Cubs squeaking out a 7-6 victory against the hosting Brewers.  This was my first experience with a retractable roof stadium and I enjoyed it.  Miller Park was a vastly superior replacement over County Stadium, and I’ve enjoyed each of my subsequent trips up to Milwaukee.

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Ballpark Tour: County Stadium

Stadium Name: County Stadium

Location: Milwaukee

Home Team: Braves, White Sox, Brewers

Years in Service: 1953 – 2000

Visits: 1

Milwaukee County Stadium was built with the intention of drawing a major league baseball team to Milwaukee, and it worked quicker than anybody would have expected, as the Braves announced they would be moving from Boston 3 weeks before the stadium, and the 1953 season, opened.  The Braves would call Milwaukee home for the next 13 seasons before leaving for Atlanta for the 1966 season.

Across the 1968 and 1969 seasons, the struggling Chicago White Sox wound up playing 20 home games at County Stadium in an effort to keep the baseball fandom alive in Milwaukee.  In 1970, local businessman Bud Selig purchased the expansion Seattle Pilots out of bankruptcy court and moved them to Milwaukee and rechristened them the Brewers.  The Brewers would call County Stadium home until 2000, when they would move next door in to the newly built Miller Park.

I made one trip up to County Stadium for a White Sox/Brewers tilt on July 18, 1993.  The White Sox were victorious thank to a 2-run single by Bo Jackson in the 9th inning. I remember sitting out in the bleachers, but, beyond that, have no particular memory of the stadium or what amenities, if any, it offered.