They were a father and son among a sea of fathers and sons. And mothers and daughters and grandparents, for that matter.
It was just past high noon on Saturday, and Steve Kane figured he and his boy Kyle had been at Tippecanoe Park since 9:45 a.m., and they had the sweat to prove it. Shade to stave off the heat and humidity was scarce at best, especially in the line that led to Ryan Braun’s autograph.
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| Ryan Braun meeting Steve and Kyle Kane during Saturday’s Brewers Block Party at Tippecanoe Park. photo by Howie Magner |
The All-Star slugger was the big hit at this latest Brewers Block Party. Since 2007, the traveling show had stopped at 16 other Milwaukee-area neighborhoods, bringing with it players and coaches, hot dogs to eat and Racing Sausages to watch, games to play and merchandise to buy. Brewers personnel conduct a question and answer session with the gathered masses. It’s the closest fans get to having a Brewer in their backyard.
So the fans streamed and strolled and rolled into Tippecanoe Park wearing a veritable catalog of Brewers jerseys and T-shirts. Old ones touting Yount. New ones praising Braun. Even newer ones proselytizing the movement that is Tony Plush.
There were young, fit couples and men with well-earned beer guts. Mothers walked with toddlers attached to each hand. Fathers pushed children in strollers.
For most, the real draw, the holy grail of horsehide, was the chance to land free autographs and spend a few seconds chatting with their baseball heroes. The Brewers randomly distribute 150 tickets for each player or coach at the party. Get there early or don’t get one at all.
Who you’ll get is left to fate. Fans don’t know which Brewers will be there until they show up, and don’t know whose ticket they have until they line up. Spotted at this particular party were Rickie Weeks, Zack Greinke, Carlos Gomez, Takashi Saito, Josh Wilson, George Kottaras, bench coach Jerry Narron and manager Ron Roenicke.
Oh, and that Braun guy.
“Yeah, we got lucky,” Steve said. By now it was about 12:30 p.m., and Kyle was about to stand face to face with Braun. “But when it comes down to it, it doesn’t matter who you get. It’s just nice that they do it.”
Sure, but Kyle wasn’t about to trade tickets.
The line shuffled forward again. A baseball was readied. When Steve and Kyle got to the front, they’d have company. Crowds of bystanders who didn’t have Braun tickets still snapped pictures of him from the closest range allowed by security. Steve’s camera wouldn’t be the only one with Kyle in the frame.
Yes, Braun was already a bona-fide Milwaukee star long before this year. But when he signed that contract extension keeping him with the Brewers through 2020, he became the natural heir to Robin Yount. Here was a hero who wanted to be here for most of his career, perhaps all of it. And here he was in a city park, despite being sidelined for a week with a strained calf. Hard to blame fans for playing the part of paparazzi.
Now it was Kyle’s turn meet him. Braun exchanged pleasantries while signing the ball, today’s one-in-150 moment for the player, a once-in-a-lifetime moment for the kid. Roller coaster rides last longer, but judging from Kyle’s smile, they aren’t nearly as fun.
“I said, ‘Thanks for signing the contract,’ ” Kyle recalled later. “I said, ‘I hope your calf gets better soon.’ He said, ‘Thanks, me too.’ ”
Small talk, to be sure. But not when it’s within earshot of dad. Not when it’s magnified through the memories of a child. And off the child went, fading into the sun-soaked sea with his father.
You tell me which one was happier.
Feel free to follow me on Twitter, where I tweet as howiemag. And listen to me chat sports with Mitch Teich once a month on WUWM’s “Lake Effect.”
