25 Brewers in 25 Days - 2014 Recap - 1st Base

What do you do when something is broken? You fix it of course. That's obvious as shit. So how come the Brewers don't fix 1st base? As soon as they selected Prince Fielder in the first round of the 2002 draft they had to know they weren't going to keep him around forever. He progressed quickly through the minors and made his Major League debut in 2005 and was the every day (and I mean every day - this guy didn't take a day off. NEVER! Not even if there was a fire) first baseman from 2006-2011. They should have drafted his successor and groomed him to take over when Prince left for the money. Well you all know what happened in the last 3 seasons so I'm not going to repeat it. Because it isn't pretty. Hunter Morris was a bust and every non-first baseman that they chose to play the position failed miserably. So for 2014 they signed two veteran players who actually knew how to play the position. They were missing that and veteran leadership in 2013 and that resulted in a lost season. We all know how the 2014 season ended and that offense was to blame for that. And like it or not, the finger points in the direction of 1st base. Every other position performed (with some exceptions) but that is supposed to be a position of production. And 1st base didn't produce.

You can't fault Doug Melvin here. Hunter Morris was the Southern League MVP in 2012 while playing for the Huntsville Stars. He was supposed to be the answer and all the Brewers had to do is keep the base warm until Morris ascended to the throne. Well that never happened, so Melvin did the best he could Lyle Overbay was a fan favorite at Miller Park in 2004 and 2005, so bringing him back as a veteran presence and the left side of a platoon made perfect sense. The "Oooooooooooo!!!!" chants did return to Miller Park and it would have been a good move if they got a better player to form the right side of that platoon. Mark Reynolds came exactly as advertised - he hit homeruns but couldn't bat his weight and he struck out more than me at the bar on a Saturday night. If you like that sort of thing then you have more problems than the only psychiatrist in Punxsutawney can deal with (although he does have an alcoholic now). 

I want guys who can get on base AND drive in runs. That's a recipe for success. Solo homeruns just don't cut it for me. Sure Reynolds did have 21 homeruns, but he only had 54 RBIs (meaning that 21 of those were himself). While the blame is certainly on his teammates for not getting on base in front of him, I think we can also blame him for not getting the job done when guys were on base when he was at the plate. Overbay was the best pinch hitter on the team and he showed some real discipline at the plate (his .328 OBP doesn't jump out at you, but it's nearly 100 points higher than his batting avg of .233). He seemed to come up big in the situations that mattered, which is what you want from a part time player. I have no problem with anything that he did. My problem is Reynolds. It's not that he failed because he was what he thought he would be. But that's the problem. We shouldn't even be signing guys like that. It's a waste of time and the results aren't good enough to justify having him on your team.

I don't need to go into any more detail about these asshats. If you watched any Brewers games this year then you know that Overbay and Reynolds were better than whatever nonsense we have thrown at first base over the past 3 years. But crap is a nicer way of saying shit. It doesn't matter what word you choose - it's the same thing in the end. They weren't special. They just were. And that's the problem. We needed something special to make the playoffs and instead we won 82 games and sat at home during October. That's the reality of it. I haven't even touched on their defensive skills because they were above average. It's nothing to shout from the balcony because they got the job done. Reynolds was adequate filling in at 3rd when Ramirez was injured and also did a nice job at 1st. Overbay was hindered by his age and didn't have the range of his youth, but he still made plays. They were decent 1st basemen. But decent doesn't make you a great team. Average doesn't make you special. I'm not saying that these two players cost the Brewers success in 2014, but they certainly were a factor.

Check out my 3rd video, which recaps 1st Base for the 2014 Milwaukee Brewers, recorded in my car on Friday January 16th on the way to work:

What I didn't realize at the time is that the audio somehow got all mucked up during recording. When I looked at this video the next day, I realized that many parts of it were inaudible, so I could either record a new video or dub over new audio. Since I didn't know exactly what I said, I thought it would be funnier to record new audio because it wouldn't sync up with my lips and it would be like when they dub English over Chinese in martial arts movies. While it's not quite that funny in my video, it was more fun to me than recording a new video.

Lyle Overbay #24 - .242 batting avg, 9 HRs, 38 RBIs, 20 doubles, a great veteran presence in the clubhouse, stellar defense at 1st base and sure to elicit a lot of "Ooooo" faces from every man and woman at Miller Park this season.

.233 batting avg, 4 HRs, 35 RBIs, 14 doubles, 64 starts at 1st, the best pinch hitter since Lenny Harris and still able to get those "Oooooo" faces going despite his age.

Mark Reynolds #7 - .221 batting avg, 21 HRs, 54 RBIs, 145 strikeouts, able to decently play 1st and 3rd base and be the first baseball player to strikeout 9 times in a regulation game (9 innings). 

.196 batting avg (a career low), 22 HRs, 45 RBI, 122 strikeouts, 72 starts at 1st, 29 starts at 3rd and has more strikeouts than a mentally challenged blind kid.

You'll notice that I made very little mention of Jonathon Lucroy in this article. He only played 19 games at 1st (16 starts), so he wasn't much of a factor over there. You have to think that number is going to increase in the future, so he might be a bigger part of the talk at this position if I ever choose to do these articles again. But this is focusing on the past and the past sucked balls. But it happens. I'm done talking about this because I've already wasted too much of my life on the 2014 season.

1st base didn't break the 2014 Milwaukee Brewers but it was one of the cracks that lead to the whole damn thing breaking apart. You can still stay intact with one crack. Sure it looks ghetto as fuck if you don't get that shit fixed, but you can still operate with no setbacks. If you have 3-4 cracks then it isn't stable anymore and it becomes a very fragile piece. That's what happened. It was in danger all season and in September it broke. At the worst possible time too. But do things ever break at the right time? Hell no. There's no such thing as the right time when it comes to breaking things. Except when you're mad. When your're mad it feels great to break things.

- pookon -

www.pookon.com
https://twitter.com/pookondotcom
https://www.facebook.com/MilwaukeeIceman

It's in My Head - #18: What if Apples Tasted Like Mashed Potatoes?

Wouldn't it be weird if one day all the sudden food didn't taste like it was supposed to? I'm not saying that in a bad way, like now everything tastes like shit. I'm saying that now it just tastes like another food. Like suppose you bit into an apple, and instead of tasting like an apple, it tasted like mashed potatoes. So that's really good if you like mashed potatoes, but what if you were really excited to eat that apple? Now you don't get the taste of apples anymore because all apples taste like mashed potatoes. That would make me wonder if this was an isolated incident or if this phenomenon was widespread. I know I would be like a mad scientist given his first government job with unlimited supplies and experimental freedom; I would be testing everything.

So if apples taste like mashed potatoes, I wonder what a chicken sandwhich tastes like. So I run out to the nearest fast food joint and I grab a chicken sandwhich... and I instantly spit it out because it tastes like creamed corn. Yuck. But I'm 1 for 2. I'm batting .500. I grab a handful of spinach and toss those leaves into my mouth. To my surprise, they tasted just like gummy bears! This was the best! I'm going to eat spinach with every meal from now on! But I also got worried. What about my favorite foods? Would I dare try some pizza or french fries? I don't want to know what happened to these foods because my memory of them is too good that I don't want to taint it with realization that pizza doesn't taste like pizza anymore and french fries don't taste like french fries anymore.

I'd be willing to try a whole lot of things that I probably didn't eat before, like gross foreign food, creatures from the sea and domesticated animals just to see if they tasted like Oreo ice cream, spaghettios or cotton candy. Who knows what it tastes like until you try it? Everything you know about food is completely thrown out the window because nothing tastes like it is supposed to. Would that blow your mind or would you be ok with that? I'm really not sure. I'm always open to try new things, but it seems like every time I go to a restaurant, I order something familiar like a hamburger. Someone can't screw up a hamburger, can they? Have you ever had a real, I mean absolutely terrible hamburger? No! Because hamburgers taste like hamburgers. You know what you are getting. 

But what if you didn't know what you were getting? Because the hamburger now tastes like seaweed. And then you eat some seaweed and it tastes like barbecue ribs. Then you get some barbecued ribs and it tastes like skim milk. Then you get some skim milk and it tastes like purple seedless grapes. And the purple seedless grapes taste like Nacho Cheese Doritos. And Nacho Cheese Dorritos taste like scrambled eggs. And scrambled eggs taste like churros. And churros taste like Gerber baby food sweet potatoes. And then you open up the can of Gerber baby food sweet potatoes and it tastes like microwave popcorn. Microwave popcorn now tastes like a banana. And a banana tastes like a steak cooked medium rare. Medium rare steak tastes like sweet and sour chicken but a steak well done tastes like Mountain Dew. Crack open a can of Mountain Dew and get ready for the wild taste of boiled goose. Are you a fan of boiled goose? Well you might not be anymore now that boiled goose tastes like decaf coffee. If you find yourself putting on a pot of decaf in the afternoon because you used to like the taste, get ready for a warm cup of clam chowder. Actually that doesn't sound too bad. I could go for a nice cup of clam chowder in the afternoon. But heaven forbid I crush a couple of saltine crackers in my decaf coffee and almost vomit when I realize that I just put blueberries in my clam chowder.

I would be so mixed up all the time. I'm sure eventually you could learn to accept the madness of the new food world because after all, you've already learned what things tasted like before from trying them and you have developed a connection between taste and sight. Why couldn't you do it again? I'm sure that you could relearn everything enough to remember that when you have a craving for steamed broccoli, all you have to do is unwrap a Werther's original. Thirsty for a cold refreshing Miller Lite? Make sure you grab a string cheese out of the fridge. Up would be down, left would be the 6:00 Evening News and jello would be macaroni and cheese. In some strange way I feel like I would fit perfectly into that world. Because that's what's in my head and my head is a very twisted place. I never know what to expect when I bite into something, so why shouldn't it be something insane? How about you? Could you live in that world? What kind of bizarre food switches are in your head?

 - pookon -

www.pookon.com
https://twitter.com/pookondotcom
https://www.facebook.com/MilwaukeeIceman

25 Brewers in 25 Days - 2014 Recap - Catcher

If Jonathon Lucroy isn't your favorite player on the Milwaukee Brewers, you seriously need to reevaluate what you are doing wrong with your life. Because I promise you that this isn't the only mistake that you are making. If you tell me that Carlos Gomez is your favorite player, I'm willing to give you a pass. I love Gomez so much that I would probably let him marry me (seeing that Rickie Weeks is now off the market). But isn't Gomez married? I know that he has a girl and some kids, but I don't have the heart to look it up if he is legally taken. But why am I talking about him here? He'll get his in due time when I recap his 2014 season. I can't be another one of those assholes who doesn't give proper credit to Jonathon Lucroy after he put up one of the better seasons I've seen in a long time. Sure, some of the numbers may not be all that flashy, but it's what can't be measured in numbers is where he really shines.

There are statistics for everything and I could bore with by rattling them off (but I'm not going to. You're welcome). They even have many defensive stats that help qualify a catcher's worth like defensive runs saved above average, catcher's ERA and of course errors, fielding percentage and stolen bases numbers (runners thrown out, allowed and percentages). OK, so maybe I did manage to bore you a little bit. But know that Lucroy and Maldonado were around the league average in every category. While that certainly doesn't instill a lot of confidence, they were invaluable behind the plate as they helped the pitching staff to championship numbers (3.67 in 2014 as compared to 3.63 in 2011 and 3.85 in 2008). So you can't blame Lucroy, Maldonado or the pitching staff for the great collapse of 2014. These two men crouched behind the plate did everything they could on defense, calling the game and on offensive to get them to the playoffs. But it wasn't enough. The team just came up a little short, but there is no way a finger should every be pointed in their direction.

Braun had to step out of the limelight a little bit because of the whole PED suspension shit, so the Brewers wisely moved Lucroy into the marketing spotlight. He's got Southern charm (born in central Florida but went to college at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and played for the Ragin Cajuns) and seems like an all around nice guy. Fans really got behind the "LUUUUUUUUUUUUCCC!!!" cheer and jumped right on that marketing bandwagon. They voted him in to the All-Star game and he started the game. He hit 53 doubles and led the league, setting a NL record for most doubles as a catcher in the process (falling 1 short of tying Lyle Overbay's franchise record set in 2004). On top of that he gave his time to charity, smiled for the cameras and seemed like an all around nice guy. There's really nothing bad that I can say about Lucroy or Maldonado and that continues in the video below.

Check out my 2nd video, which recaps the Catchers from the 2014 Milwaukee Brewers, recorded at my apartment on January 16, 2015:

It was the middle of the night after I had a few. I don't expect you to watch this because it's a real piece of work (as was I during this video). I should never get drunk. And I should never film a video. And I should never talk about the Brewers. And I should be embarrassed of my actions and where I am at this stage in my life. But I'm not. That's why I have problems.

Jonathan Lucroy #20 - .275 batting avg, 24 HRs, 81 RBIs, 125 games caught and his first All-Star appearance, which is not only well deserved but will also lift him out of the underrated ranks into the catching elite.

.301 batting avg, 13 HRs, 69 RBIs, 53 doubles, 133 games started at Catcher, 16 games started at 1st, made his 1st All-Star appearance (and started the game), was totally snubbed for a Gold Glove award but is at least beginning to earn a little respect, which puts him one step above Rodney Dangerfield.

Martin Maldonado #12 - .215 batting avg, 4 HRs, 19 RBIs, 37 games caught and the best god damn backup since the Time backed up Morris Day. That shit was the mad note! My Jungle Love, oo wee oo wee oo.

.234 batting avg, 4 HRs, 16 RBIs, 29 games caught, 2 games at 1B, 1 inning pitched (0.00 ERA) and a backup extraordinaire like my portable hard drive - there in case you need it in when the primary one crashes (but you hope to God that it never does). 

There's nothing really to say about these bastards anymore. I don't even know why I called them bastards. In fact, I'm sure both of them know their birth fathers, so what I'm saying right now is complete bullshit. But that's the story of my life pal. Bullshit, bullshit, bullshit, real shit, bullshit, bullshit and more bullshit. See how I managed to stick in some real shit in between there? That's because it happened. I don't know how it happened (because I wasn't there) but the 2014 season fell apart, but don't go pointing the finger at these two.

Catchers weren't the problem. Sure, people may point to Maldonado's numbers and have a problem with it, but he's a backup. How much did he really impact the 2014 team? But he was the perfect backup. When Lucroy needed a day off, the team was in perfectly capable hands. How many teams has that kind of benefit? Maldonado could start on a team without a front-tier starter. Could it be a frontier starter? Like Billy the Kid or Wyatt Earp? I could get behind that a whole lot more than the other option. Maybe because I admire Old West dudes who took the law into the hands, carried six shooters on the hips and banged some dirty prostitutes? Western Union train? There's only so much whiskey that money can buy, so you might as well just give that money to some old dusty broads. They're going to die from STDs in a few years anyway, right? And it doesn't matter that they gave you AIDS. A gunshot wound to the chest during a shootout at high noon will kill you faster. How would I know? I don't. I'm just guessing. I have never had AIDS or a gunshot wound to the chest, so I can't weigh in on that. But I have a feeling gunshots are worse, especially without the benefit of modern medicine.

   - pookon -

www.pookon.com
https://twitter.com/pookondotcom
https://www.facebook.com/MilwaukeeIceman

It's in My Head - #17: Sexy Beekeeper

I wanted to post this at the end of October (when I was doing this whole "It's in My Head" nonsense). I realize now that this article is no longer topical, but I still feel like posting it anyway. It's my World pal! And it's my head! I can do whatever I want and you cannot stop me! Ha ha ha ha ha! This must be what evil mad scientists in the movies must feel like. They sit behind their giant desks and have diabolical plans that will change the World and no doubt enact revenge on those who strive to destroy their way of life. I want to be the super villain. But I'm not. I'm the hero that will overcome all odds, defeat evil, save the day and kiss the girl. But where were we? Oh that's right - I believe we were talking about Halloween. And when we talk about Halloween, we talk about a few things - trick or treat, spooks, ghosts, goblins and the most important thing of all - dressing up in a costume and being a complete slut and letting it all hang out on one day of the year when it is somehow acceptable to do so. That's what makes Halloween one of the greatest days of all. And that is what is in my head today, albeit in a way that you probably aren't ready to deal with.

Halloween has become a time of year when girls can dress like total sluts and feel like they can get away with it. Trust me, I'm not complaining about it. If anything, I encourage it. All of the girls out there need to do it more often and they need to do it around me. Lord knows I could use the stimulation. The only girls that I hang out with are my sister and my mother. I do not want them to dress provocatively around me (that should go without saying). So I am left with the dream world where I control everything around me. Think Inception but with only hot chicks in minimal clothing (no offense to Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page, Tom Hardy, Ken Wantanabe, Michael Caine and the crew - I need some hot chicks all up on me and shit. I'm talking Natalie Portman, Britney Spears, Mila Kunis, Scarlett Johansson, Hayden Panettiere, Katy Perry, Emmy Rossum, all of the Spice Girls, Victoria Justice, Kelly Brook and any other random girl that finds me attractive out of my dreams and into my car, Billy Ocean-style). This is my dream. And in my dream these women can't get up off of me. Seriously, I would push them off if it didn't feel so good. Don't worry Natalie and Hayden; there's plenty of me to go around. But where was I? Oh yeah - Sexy Beekeeper.

I don't know how I strayed so far from the point of this article, but I blame the Government. They are always trying to hold the people down. And they are always trying to tell the ladies how to dress. I disagree with this. If a hottie wants to show off the goods, I say let her. Halloween is a time when girls can dress like sluts and put those hot totties on display. You've no doubt seen them - Sexy Cop, Sexy Nurse, Sexy Vampire, Sexy Devil, Sexy (fill in the blank) and the list goes on. I've seen them all. But have you ever seen Sexy Beekeeper?

I'm a little disappointed that there is no Sexy Beekeeper costume. But there is a Sexy Bee Costume. Just look at that scantily clad girl to the right. But why should the sexiness only be allowed for the bees? What if the beekeeper wants to get in on the action? Imagine the mesh hood and boots on a hot chick with her midriff showing and her bosoms exposed to the sting of the members of the hive. She's there to cultivate the honey from the bees and she wants to protect herself, but she also wants to be sexy at the same time. It's hard to be sexy while fully clothed. That's why there needs to be a costume for the beekeeper as well.

So I'm all about the Sexy Beekeeper. But if you were to ask my honest opinion, I'm all about the sexy anything. In my head, every girl (not related to me) is sexy in their own way. Despite your preconceived notions of me, I love women. I love them so much that I obsess about them at almost every moment. They could be wearing footie pajamas with the trap door in the back, or a goose-down jacket with oversized carpenter jeans, or a sexy beekeeper costume, or a full body hazmat suit that protects them from toxic chemicals or nothing at all; I love them. And even though I know how creepy this (and the entire article) is, I can't help it because it's always in my head. This is one of many reasons why I am still single and probably will always be. What's in your head that prevents you from attracting the love of the opposite sex?

 - pookon -

www.pookon.com
https://twitter.com/pookondotcom
https://www.facebook.com/MilwaukeeIceman

Reck Family Christmas Letter 2014

Good day Sirs and Madams. Scott A. Reck, Esquire here. Thank you for welcoming me into your homes. I come bearing gifts! Well, actually it’s the 2014 Reck Family Christmas Letter. You can consider it a gift from my family to yours. They made me do this. Well, actually they asked kindly and used the magic word please. I just couldn't say no. I’m not here to break hearts. So once again I am offering up my services. For the greater good I suppose. But I do get paid in compliments and free eats. They know how to play the game - keep the talent happy.

Kris started off 2014 with the best gift ever - UWM waived a math class and she got to join James, Jenny and I as UWM Graduates. Her degree is in Education. In March we threw her a rocking graduation party and celebrated her hard work and dedication. A lot of you were there, but let me once again thank you for the role you play in her life and always helping her to achieve her goals. She truly has been enjoying time off from studying. There is a sign on the refrigerator that says, “Hmmm, another day has gone by and I still haven’t used algebra!” No truer words have been written! (Editor’s note – she does use math. She handed me an outline and said, “Feel free to edit, add or subtract to what I wrote”. Don’t let her fool you. Math is a part of her life).

She uses her new found time taking her dog Gracie for walks, learning new music, spending time with her family and watching prime time TV. Because of how busy she was, she claims that she didn’t even know these TV programs existed even though they have been around for the past gazillion years. (Editor’s note – there’s that math talk again. Does she love it or what?) She is still teaching music at five (5!) schools for K4 thru 4th grade and also has one middle school choir. At the time this went to press, she had just finished directing the second of five (5!) Christmas concerts. She absolutely loves her job. The smiles she sees on the children’s faces and the joy in their voices is such a gift. Of course the students can be challenging (I’d like to think James, Jenny, Timmy and I prepared her for dealing with anything – you’re welcome), but the rewards are great. She gets so many hugs! And not from strangers! One of the best things that many students have said to her is that “music is so much fun!” She feels blessed. And who wouldn’t be with this family?

James is still working for Krones Inc. (U.S. Headquarters in Franklin, WI) as a Service Technician traveling the country installing and servicing high-speed packaging and labeling equipment for bottling. His job is 100% travel and he has gained a new perspective for how people in different regions of the country act and live. While on the road, he likes to send me Fun Facts of the Day (that he comes across in his travels). One of the benefits of traveling for business is that it has allowed him to visit family in Phoenix (Aunt Linda and cousins Troy + Tyler), Palm Springs (Uncle Gary + Aunt Cari) and friends in Ohio (The Mueller’s - Dan, Gretchen, Jack and Mason). The frequent flyer miles have allowed him and his wife Melissa to travel to Wisconsin on several occasions. They were also able to join us up at Afterglow this summer and we Recked cabin #2 with fun and happiness.

Melissa just completed her first year with the National Safety Council, South Carolina Chapter. She is the Training and Development Coordinator and is responsible for the Alive at 25 Program, driver instruction and training. This program is mandatory for students to receive a driving permit and is taught at 115 SC high schools. She coordinates and trains police officers that are instructors for the program and she also teaches drivers education and gives road tests for driver licensing. Having been a police officer, Melissa enjoys and appreciates her new role because it allows her to be on the proactive side of the law rather than the reactive.

Their two weimaraner dogs Baya (5 yrs old) and Tucker (6-8 yrs old) are the sweetest pair of home (w)reckers. Imagine a hurricane with sad puppy dog eyes that just wants to be your best friend. That’s Tucker. He has eaten and broken out of the front window, ate the couch, ate the kennel used to restrain him in, knocked a crockpot off the counter and shared a feast with Baya, broke through the laundry room bi-fold doors to get to the garbage, sullied the carpets which had to be ripped out... and the list goes on. But they act like perfect little angels when their parents are home. They tried to blame it on the dog, but still haven’t realized that doesn’t work.

When James does make it home to Columbia, SC for the weekend, he enjoys his time with Melissa and their friends. They have created the group “Lake Murray Packer Backers”, which is registered as an official Green Bay Packers Bar on Packers Everywhere (a site that helps Packers fans around the country find other Packers fans for games). They have even converted some “enemy fans” as they gather every week at Schooner’s. May 29, 2015 will be their 5 year Wedding anniversary, and they are celebrating it early at the Hard Rock Hotel in Cancun, Mexico in January. They are going to see the Luke Bryan “Crash My Playa” Tour. And yes, the flights were covered by frequent flyer miles. And no, the hotel was not booked with Funjet Vacations. (Thanks pal).

The ever elusive Sasquatch is still at large. I'll put that out there right away so you don't ask me any more questions about it. I thought that I found him last month, but it turns out I was just looking at myself in the mirror at 3am. "No Shave November" was very unkind to me. Not finding him is my biggest regret in 2014. If that's the worst thing that happened to me, then I suppose it was a pretty good year. I'm still at the Mark Travel Corporation (parent company of Funjet Vacations) as a Product Build Research Specialist. I recently celebrated my 7th anniversary with the company and the last year has flown by real fast as I've learned so many new things while dealing with the daily challenges of the travel industry. Just another day at the office.

From April to September (and sadly not October) I was back at Miller Park for my 13th year working for The Milwaukee Brewers (well Sportservice) as an In-Seat Waitstaff on the Club Level. I was able to make it down to Phoenix in March and got to see Brewers Spring Training for the first time since 2009. After a disappointing 2013 season, this only added to my excitement for 2014. And although things didn't go as exactly as planned (and I have the playoff tickets they mailed me to rub it in), I still went to about 25 games and helped (along with my cousins) to make The Sombrero a popular and fashionable accessory for your head.

My cat Major Korben Dallas and I still reside near 85th and Capital. Although we may never find Sasquatch, we still go on plenty of adventures that don’t leave the house. He has a lively imagination and whisks us away on incredible journeys. So we aren't giving up hope. But we are expanding our horizons. Don't be surprised to find out in 2015 that we have gone looking for the Chupacabra, the Loch Ness Monster, Rhinelander's Hodag, the Lost City of Atlantis or to search for the truth behind the disappearance of the colonists of Roanoke, VA.

Jenny Reck still works at Gramann Reporting in downtown Milwaukee. She has been there for 2 years as a Production Specialist. She enjoys her lunch breaks in the summer walking around downtown and hanging with the Bronze Fonz. Ayyyy!! She still lives on the Eastside around Oakland and Locust. She digs music and is always down for a free show. Luckily Cathedral Square (home to Jazz in the Park on Thursdays) is one of many places with something going on. If you play your cards right in this town, you can always find a good deal. You know the phrase “If it's free, it's for me?” That's wrong. It should be, “If it's free, it's for Jenny.”

But that doesn't mean she won't pay to see something she loves. I have never met anyone who was so dedicated to a band. Most people don't even know what it is to be a fan. You know? To truly love some silly little piece of music or some band so much that it hurts... With her it is Umphrey's McGee. She went to Madison in the fall to see Umphrey's 1999th and 2000th show (which was her 88th and 89th show). I finally saw them for the first time at Summerfest, and I promise you that they live up to her hype. I can say from experience that you will never quite understand it until you see it for yourself. She spends the majority of her free time raging with her boyfriend Brandon, her brother Scotty (that’s me!) and the most eclectic cast of randoms ever assembled. These characters have learned to speak Jenny Reck and help make sure that her life exists in a delicate balance.

It’s been a whole lot of the same while also being different for the Recks in 2014. We miss Timmy dearly, especially at this time of year (Timmy loved Christmas and upheld all of the holiday traditions). He’s always on our minds and in our hearts. We will once again be putting together a Rage for Timmy Concert in late Summer 2015, so pencil that in your schedule (ideally we would do it on Saturday, August 22). Keep that in mind if you want to perform some songs or help out in any way. More details will follow when we can lock down the date. While you have the calendar open, pencil in June 20th for the 39th Annual Reck Family Christmas Party. Why celebrate Christmas only once a year?!?

I leave you with a song Kris wrote entitled “Dragonfly”. She decided the best way to pay tribute to Timmy is through song. She was inspired by a poem about dragonflies and her connection with God gave her the strength to try her hand at songwriting. Timmy would be so proud of her. I won’t say any more about it here. Some things need no explanation. Check out the video below.

Happy Holidays! With love from The Reck Family,

Kris, James, Melissa, Scott, Jenny

Gracie, Tucker, Baya & Major Korben Dallas

 - pookon -

www.pookon.com
https://twitter.com/pookondotcom
https://www.facebook.com/MilwaukeeIceman

25 Brewers in 25 Days - 2014 - Overall Season Results

As I sit here on the night of December 19, I'm a mere few days away from officially putting 2014 behind me. But I put the 2014 Milwaukee Brewers season behind me a long time ago. It hurt. A lot. That's why it has taken me this long to write this article. Something just didn't feel right about this year. Vegas had the over/under at 79.5, so they didn't really expect them to be a winning team. I was out there in March and although I predicted that they would only win 84 games and miss the playoffs, I took the over on that bet. Since they (spoiler alert!) only won 82 games, I ended up winning that bet, but it didn't make up for what ended being a lost season. 

The season started out better than anyone expected. At the end of April they were 20-8, which was easily good for best in the Major Leagues (the next best team was the Oakland A's at 18-10). No one, and I mean it when I say no one, saw that coming. At the end of May they were 33-23 and in 1st place in the NL Central. At the end of June they were 51-33 (June 28th saw them at a season best 19 games over .500). They hit a skid going into the All-Star break with a 2-8 record from July 4th - July 13th, but still ended up at 60-49 and remained in 1st place in the NL Central. By the end of August they were 73-63 and tied with the St. Louis Cardinals for the division lead. And that's when everything went to hell. In September they went 9-17 and played themselves out of the playoffs and ended up finishing in 3rd place and becoming only the 5th team in Major League history (in the modern era)  to spend at least 150 days in 1st place and end up missing the playoffs. So it was a historical collapse. And I was there at the ballpark every day to see it.

I wish I could say that it was a waste of time. But that would be a lie. I loved every minute that I was at Miller Park and various other ballparks in March for Spring Training. All you need to do is visit my "Wearing a Sombrero" Facebook page to verify that I love this team with every ounce of my mind, body and soul. So I was there regardless of the outcome and I will always stick by my team through thick and thin. I may get upset from time to time, but that is part of being a fan. You ride the wave. You go with the flow. You maintain a level head during the ups and the downs. At the end of the day when all of the other bandwagon fans have fallen off, you will always be there for your team. That is why I stuck around until the end of the season even though others had given up. I will never give up. Goonies never say die. So here is my 2014 preseason predictions (in red) followed by the actual results (in blue). I'm hoping they are fairly accurate so that I can once again prove that I know my Milwaukee Brewers more than they know themselves.

Check out my first video which covers my Overall Results for the 2014 Milwaukee Brewers, recorded in The House of Iceman in Miltown, the center of the Universe:

I meant to record this video the night before when I was sitting in the dark listening to Enya at 3:30 in the morning, but I decided to pass out instead. So I recorded this the next morning after a couple cups of whiskey coffee. I have problems.

• The Milwaukee Brewers will finish with a record of 84-78, which will be good enough to make me some money in Vegas but not good enough to make the Playoffs. The Milwaukee Brewers finished with a record of 82-80, which is technically a winning season. They did not make the playoffs, but I did win my bet and the ticket paid me $45.00.
• The St. Louis Cardinals will finish in 1st Place, the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2nd, the Milwaukee Brewers and Cincinnati Reds will battle it out for 3rd and the Chicago Cubs will finish in 5th (otherwise known as last) place. The St. Louis Cardinals did finish in 1st place (92-70 record and won the NL Central). The Pittsburgh Pirates finished 2nd in the division but won the 1st Wild Card. The Brewers were 3rd, the Cincinnati Reds were 4th and the Chicago Cubs finished in dead last.
• The Milwaukee Brewers will be represented by Carlos Gomez and Jonathan Lucroy to the 85th MLB All-Star Game at Target Field in Minneapolis, MN. The surprising start of the Milwaukee Brewers and their 1st place standing at the All-Star break garnered them 4 All-Stars - Carlos Gomez, Jonathon Lucroy, Aramis Ramirez and Francisco "KRod" Rodriguez. I purchased an Aramis Ramirez All-Star jersey because I already owned a Carlos G0mez (from 2013) and figured Lucroy would have plenty of opportunities in the coming years. At 36 years of age, you have to figure this was Ramirez's last All-Star appearance. Besides, he was voted in by the fans to start the game. How could I ignore that honor? 
• Thanks to the 2nd Wild Card, the Milwaukee Brewers will be in the playoff race deep into September, which should allow them to once again draw over 3 million fans. The Brewers ended up drawing almost 2.8 million fans at Miller Park and were eliminated from the playoffs on September 25 (in game 159 of 162).
• Because of this brutal Wisconsin Winter which will carry on seemingly forever, the roof at Miller Park will remain closed until Memorial Day. I'm too drunk right now to do the research, but it seemed like the roof stayed closed for a very long time. I don't think that it necessarily lasted until Memorial Day, but it was pretty damn close. 2013-2014 was the Winter that never ended.

Sometimes I hate being right. Even though I didn't want to admit it at the time, I had a feeling that the Brewers weren't going to make the playoffs. But that didn't stop me from holding on to one last hope that it could actually happen (despite every single other thing pointing at the opposite). With that in mind, I put down my deposit for playoff tickets. My playoff tickets arrived in the mail 2 days before the Brewers were officially eliminated from the playoffs. That was probably the biggest punch in the gut that I've ever received from this team. I've had season tickets several years now (2015 will be the 3rd year with my 20 game pack and I also had a 10 game pack in 2 other seasons) but I never was in a position to purchase playoffs tickets (since I didn't have them in 2008 or 2011). Holding in my hands the physical reminder that we should have been in the playoffs made this year sting so much more. I'm very emotional when it comes to the Brewers and I ride the highs and lows. But I've never been this angry before. I was ready to jump ship and start over with a new franchise, but I realized at this point in my life I was in too deep. I've been a Brewers fan my whole life, have 2 Brewers tattoos, have worked at Miller Park for 13 years, have spent way too much money on them, have a closet full of apparel, almost every bobblehead they've ever given away and I watch or listen to 150 games a year. After that kind of involvement, it's not so easy to walk away. After the anger subsided, I threw them some additional money and guaranteed season tickets (once again a 20 game pack) and a chance to purchase playoff games again in 2015. I'm stuck being a a fan of the Milwaukee Brewers. 2014 did not end how we wanted, but as you will see in the next couple of articles/videos, there were a couple of good things that happened this year. It's too bad that all we will remember will be the final result. 

 - pookon -

www.pookon.com
https://twitter.com/pookondotcom
https://www.facebook.com/MilwaukeeIceman

But What if She was a Robot?

I shouldn't be allowed to think about things in the middle of the night. There should be some kind of restrictive barrier put in place that stops me from voicing my opinion. If the mind is free to wander, the mind is free to consider all options. But what happens when one of those options is not human? That's when things get weird by "normal" standards. But what is normal anyway? It's governed by some thoughts or ideas that your parents, society or religion has pounded into your brain since the moment you started learning. What if they are wrong? What if in your mind and in your heart you know that even though it goes against everything that you have been told throughout your entire life, that it simply isn't possible that a human could ever love you back? We are told that love is a bond between people. That's how it has always been. The definition of love is "a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person. A feeling of warm personal attachment or deep affection, as for a parent, child, or friend. Sexual passion or desire. A person toward whom love is felt; beloved person; sweetheart." All of those definitions reference living humans. That is when love is used as a noun.

When love is used as a verb, the word takes on a new meaning. "To have love or affection for: All her pupils love her. To have a profoundly tender, passionate affection for (another person). To have a strong liking for; take great pleasure in: to love music. To need or require; benefit greatly from: Plants love sunlight. To embrace and kiss (someone), as a lover." We do use love in many ways. I fucking love this In-N-Out burger. I love that part in Gone in 60 Seconds when Nicolas Cage drives the Mustang Shelby GT500 ("Eleanor") through the city of Los Angeles trying to deliver car #50. I love my childhood blanket. I can't sleep at night without it. We toss around love like it is just a casual word. But it isn't. In fact, it may very well be one of the most important words in the human language.

I should never be left alone. I should have either have parental supervision or a life buddy with me at all times to make sure that I don't ever get like this. Because when I'm alone things get weird. And I start thinking about how I will never find true love and how there is no girl on this planet who understands me or is able to put up with who I am... at least for now. That's because she hasn't been created yet. A lot has changed even within my lifetime. Think of something so simple as the first cell phone I had (in 2001) to the one that I'm using today as I to type this very blog post. Technology is crazy. I bet every day, something changes that advances what we know and also lays the groundwork for what we will know in the future. So who is to say that technology and innovation can't succeed where humanity is failing? So far my life I've yet to find a mate. But what if that's because she isn't meant to be human?

Robots and artificial intelligence (or at least the ground work for a truly sentient being) are part of everyday life already. Entire factories are run by machines that don't get tired, don't need a day off to deal with personal problems or don't call in sick. So what's to say that you can't take that same technology and apply it to a robot who thinks, acts and is able to love just like we do? What if we somehow give a robot the ability to have feelings. To have thoughts. To care about another individual. What if the robot could love you in a way that another human being has never done? Could you love it back even though it isn't human? I'm starting to think that I could. Because what is love anyway? It's a feeling. It's something that you really can't quite explain. When you have it, it's the greatest thing in the entire world. But when you don't have it, you search for it. You long for it. You are consumed by the emptiness that overwhelms you. Something is missing. Life just doesn't feel right. And you will stop at nothing to figure it out. 

I've been in love many times in my life. But to my knowledge no one has ever loved me back. I see other people in the world and I know that they experience love. I want what they have. So if science came to me and promised me that I could have that, I would sign on the dotted line. I wouldn't even hesitate. If a robot loved me, I would be able to love a robot in return. In fact, in some weird way I welcome a world in which that is a possibility. And why not? Its not like the current world is working out for me. I feel like I should be able to jump ahead 50 some years into the future, where the possibilities for finding love exist beyond conventional reality. Today it's not acceptable to love a robot and have a robot love you back. But who knows what's going to happen some day in the future? When I dream at night, I don't let restrictions empower my thoughts. I'm free to do whatever feels right. And I'm sorry if you have a problem with the fact that what feels right isn't always human.

Look, I'm not giving up on humanity just yet. All I'm saying is that humanity hasn't given me any hope for the future when it comes to love and relationships. I can't program a human to love me. If I could have, I would've done it already. But there is a very real possibility in the near future that I could program a robot to love me in the way that I desire. A robot that loves me for who I am. Who loves me for what I'm trying to be. Who supports my dreams. Who makes me want to try harder every single day to be the person that I know deep down in my heart that I can be. A robot who I am not afraid to show my real feelings to. A robot who will laugh, who will cry, who will get angry, who will feel emotion and pain. And she will be all that I've ever wanted her to be.

I'm telling you - she exists. You laugh right now. You call me all sorts of names saying that I'm a sick bastard for trying to love a robot and you also probably say that I'm just some drunken asshole that had too much whiskey and started coming up with some asinine ideas in the middle of the night. You might be right. Who knows. But I know. I've spent enough time on this planet to know that there aren't any humans out there for me. I'm never going to rule out the possibility of aliens; but come on - get your head out of the stars man. The answer isn't in a galaxy far far away. The answer is in the palm of our hands. And I know that science can build me what I've been searching for. It's going to happen someday. I will see to that. Because that's all I've got left to keep on hoping for in this life.

 - pookon - 

www.pookon.com
https://twitter.com/pookondotcom
https://www.facebook.com/MilwaukeeIceman

Iceman's Day Off - October 20, 2014

Everyone needs a day off. Ferris Bueller had one, so why can't I have one too? It's only fair. Share the wealth pal. Jenny Reck and I went to go visit our Dad in New Richmond, Wisconsin (up near the Twin Cities) for the weekend. We left on a Friday night and came back home on a Sunday night. It was a real brief trip but we did the best with the time off that Jenny was allotted. I get a lot of time off from my job. It's one of the few perks that I get from slaving away in the office for 8+ hours a day. Since I had the liberty of taking Monday off of work, I decided to do it. Why not? I'm always up for an adventure. Who wants to work anyway? Screw work. It's just a bunch of nonsense anyway. I would rather live life than go to work anyway. Ferris once said, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." I decided to take a day off (just like Ferris) and live my own kind of adventure.

While Ferris had his best friend Cameron and his girlfriend Sloan to share in his day off, I was left alone to my own devices. When this kind of thing happens, I have no choice but to turn to my Twitter account so that I feel like I am being social with someone. Even if I reach but one person, that is one person who gets to share in my adventure. I started out my day doing normal things that you would do on a day off.

I'm so fucking hyped right now. Don't know why except for that I'm not at work today. #IcemansDayOff

Got an oil change and emissions check on my car. Also renewing my license plates. Way overdue on all three. #IcemansDayOff

Mailed in my winning #Brewers sports bet from Vegas (over 79.5 wins) and picked up a prescription from the pharmacy. #IcemansDayOff

Stopped at my Moms to get some food and a soda even though I have my own at home. Over here, it's free to me. #IcemansDayOff

Slapped the bag of box wine and grabbed a beer from the basement. Hanging outside on the deck with the dog. #IcemansDayOff

After some free eats, one beer and a sip of box wine things got pretty weird. Well normal for me, but probably weird for everyone else. It was nice to be able to run some errands and accomplish some of the things that I've been putting off, but it was my day off. I had to celebrate not being at work by taking advantage of this beautiful fall day.

Driving around town with the top down bumping and bouncing to "Brick House" and "All About That Bass". #IcemansDayOff

Hanging out at the park. They're aren't any kids here in the middle of the day, so it's not creepy and weird. #IcemansDayOff

Swinging for the 3rd time in the last week. #SwingSelfie #IcemansDayOff

Mom, kid + a dog just got to the park. I probably should go. Sitting on this bench staring at them just made it creepy. #IcemansDayOff

Mom's friend drives by. She stopped. Had to explain why I was at the park, alone, on a Monday afternoon. Now it's creepy. #IcemansDayOff

.@MomTraining just followed me on Twitter. Now I'm officially creepy. They're probably going to put my name on a registry. #IcemansDayOff

I was having a great time at the park but things got weird once kids started showing up. What kind of single guy in his mid-30s hangs out at the park, alone, on a Monday afternoon? The creepy ones that want to kidnap and molest children. I'm still trying to set myself on a path where a girl will consider marrying me, so I don't ever want to go down that path. That's besides the fact that it's awful and completely fucked up. It was time for me to go home and remove myself from a society that still isn't ready to deal with me. And that's when things got really weird.

Drinking a Bloody Mary with a whiskey sour, Jenny Reck-style chaser. Fuck 5 o'clock somewhere. It's 230pm here. #IcemansDayOff

Standing topless on my back porch giving the neighborhood a free show. Want to see what sexy really looks like? Stop on by. #IcemansDayOff

It's only a smoker's porch. I don't smoke, so I stand out there looking for crime. I'm the hero this city needs right now. #IcemansDayOff

"Tub Thumping" by Chumbawamba just came on random on my iPod speakers. Commence 3 minute dance party rage in my kitchen!! #IcemansDayOff

Looking through the coupons. Went shopping last week and I'm all stocked up, but I appreciate a good deal. #IcemansDayOff

My iPod on random is the best thing ever. Sisqo's "Thong Song" comes on and I'm dancing and shaking it in my kitchen. #IcemansDayOff

An impromptu dance party often breaks out in my kitchen. I wish it would happen more often in real life... #IcemansDayOff

I have a lot of knives. If they weren't stored in my kitchen drawer, a stranger might think I was a stabbing murderer. #IcemansDayOff

Just took out the recyclables and now I'm doing the dishes. There's time for fun and there's a time for my chores. #IcemansDayOff

I go through what most would say is an abnormal amount of ice. Unusual to you, an average amount to the Iceman. #IcemansDayOff

I fancy myself as being a somewhat competent musician. I have several God-given (or parent-given) talents that I don't really take advantage of as often as I should. I used to play in several concert and jazz bands in high school and college but I have since abandoned that in favor of the more traditional band. Throughout the years I've been part of June's Blanket, The Back Alley Burners, The Uncle Greg Band, The 13th Dimension, Whiskey & Whatever and numerous other groups that struggled to get a little bit of love from the listening audience. Obviously none of them ever made it big or else I would be too big to hang out with normal people like you. I suppose it is my fault. I have all of the talent in the World when it comes to certain things but I don't have the drive or determination that it takes to refine that talent and take it to the next level. 

Take guitar for example. I'm never going to be an Eddie Van Halen or Tim Reck, but I could be a Pat McCurdy or Jack Black. All I would need to do is practice and focus all of my energy on being a musician. That's not my priority. I would rather be a writer, but even with that I don't take it seriously (that's a whole different story for another day). But every now and then I like to pick up the guitar when I hear a song and think, I bet I can play that. Then I look up the chords and realize that I can. Sure, I don't exactly sound like Sheryl Crow (because she's a girl) but I think I do an alright job. Take a listen to a couple songs I recorded on my day off.

Playing Alanis Morissette and Sheryl Crow on the guitar for my cat Korben Dallas. If you want a free show, stop on by. #IcemansDayOff

The Iceman - Ironic (Alanis Morissette)

The Iceman - Strong Enough (Sheryl Crow)

I'm better at guitar than I give myself credit for. I need to stop being so hard on myself. I am a rock star. #IcemansDayOff

For my birthday my Mom got me one of those harmonica holders so you could play it while also playing guitar, so I decided to try it out on Strong Enough. I think it turned out alright for a first timer. I (obviously) still have a long way to go before I'm up on stage or on the radio, which will probably never happen, but I have to at least live my life like that is a possibility. Whether or not the World will ever validate it, I need to not think that I am a rockstar, I need to be a rockstar. I have to love what I do and believe in myself. There's no point in trying to compare yourself against others because no one is the same as me and no one will ever be. I'm 100% me and unique in more ways than even I can imagine (at least until scientists let me clone myself).

Ended the day watching Back to the Future and falling asleep on the couch. A very successful day. #IcemansDayOff

It was a Monday, so Iceman's Day off concluded with what some would say a whimper instead of bang, but I beg to differ. It ended in the most perfect way possible. Back to the Future is in my Top 5 Favorite Movies of All-Time and the series is my favorite movie trilogy. If there is a better way to end a day off (within reason, because Natalie Portman waiting for me in my bedroom is still a fantasy) I definitely couldn't think of it. I have a lot of trips/time off planned for 2015, so I might have to save up my vacation time. But here's hoping that very soon I will be able to once again take off of work on a random day and do whatever I want. That my friends, truly is living the dream.

 - pookon -

www.pookon.com
https://twitter.com/pookondotcom
https://www.facebook.com/MilwaukeeIceman