Running the Bases with Alexandra Shloss: brooks raley

I love the Brewers (they're my 4th favorite team, which is pretty impressive). They're the favorite team that I see least, so I don't get as personally attached to those guys, with a few exceptions, most notably my ardent and misplaced defense of Ryan Braun a couple years back (but he is totally forgiven by me.) 

But, not surprisingly, the Brewer I was most attached to was one of my bullpen boys. Brandon Kintzler was a middle reliever for the Brewers the past few years, and had a turbulent career. I honestly don't know how our friendship began (and we are not actual friends, but baseball player friends), but we always had great talks when he came to Chicago or I came to Milwaukee. We also swapped stuff--I gave him a bobblehead. He gave me his game used cleats. He greeted me with hugs and a huge smile. He was very funny, with a deadpan sense of humor: 

Me: "What was draft day like for you, Brandon?" 

BK: "Well, I was drafted in the 40th round, so pretty much a Tuesday."

so much sarcasm:

BK: "Seriously, why do you need more of my stuff? Are you sniffing my shoes at home? Tell me the truth and I won't call the cops."

 ---I hope he was being sarcastic...

and then hit-you-in-the-gut seriousness:

Me: "Ugh. How can you do this all the time? You get to make zero choices about your life. You can get released any minute. You can get thrown in the game any minute. I would have 20 heart attacks."

BK: "Yeah, it's terrible. I haven't seen my dogs since spring training. I just wait to see if I still have a job every day."

He helped me see the very unglamorous side of baseball. He was just a regular guy who just does this one thing that hardly anyone can do. I think that's what I love about Steve Clevenger and Blake Parker and Kyle Hendricks and Andre Rienzo. They're the same way. Just people. Not sure what the future holds but working hard to get to where they want to be.

Anyway, back to the turbulent career. Initially, he was drafted by the Padres in 2004 and played a couple years but never made it past A League. Then he sat out a season. Then he played a couple years of independent ball.  

Then the Brewers signed him to a minor league deal in 2009, and he played some AA ball. The next year he played AAA ball and eventually made his MLB debut. Then in 2011 got hurt. DFA'd in 2012. Suddenly remarkable as the set-up man in 2013 and very successful. Messed up his shoulder in 2014 and saw limited time. Messed up his leg in 2015 and barely played. (I hadn't seen him at all in 2015 except for yelling to him on the field from the Miller Park TGIF the day he came off the DL the first time last season. We actually had a long and loud conversation, where I found out his wife was pregnant). Released by the Brewers in the offseason. 

I wanted to jump off a bridge and assumed I'd never see him again. How many of my favored baseball players had I lost over the past few years? Where the heck is Brooks Raley (playing in Japan or Korea or something, last I heard)? Where is Adrian Cardenas (at NYU becoming a writer or something)? What about sweet Cole DeVries (I'm pretty sure he is in real estate in Minnesota)? Scott Maine (who never thought I was funny or fun or clever, so I completely obsessed about winning him over and eventually succeeded, with the help of Blake and Steve)? Brian LaHair? Cole Gilaspie? Jeff Bellevue? I could list a hundred guys that I became attached to and developed a baseball friendship with (maybe I should just be honest and call it 'rapport," but I refuse) that I will never ever hear of again.

This is baseball life. It's a great accomplishment to have a couple good years in the bigs, and even an inning or two can lead to a great story, but it does not end well for a girl like me, a fan of epic proportions who often roots for the individuals long after they have left my favored teams.

I know that baseball doesn't work for everyone, and if it doesn't, or they get sick of it or whatever, that means I never ever get to see them again. It's a big deal. Because of my stupid attachment issues.

Anyway, back to the turbulent career: To my complete surprise and delight, signed this past offseason by the Twins to a MiLB deal (he did not make the 40-man roster). I made plans for a road trip to see the AAA Rochester Red Wings play....

AND THEN......

The Twins bullpen was abysmal as usual. Shakeups and rumors. Nothing confirmed. Brandon's name coming up a lot but I didn't believe it. Thinking maybe he would be brought up Sunday, and maybe I would see him while the Twins were in Chicago. 

Then out of nowhere, seeing him in the uniform of my Twins, a day earlier than I dared believe, while the Twins were still in MY city, made me so happy. For me to be able to be there for his Twins debut--well, I can't even describe the pride and happiness. Of course it is only fair. I am surely his biggest fan who is not related to him. He looked terrified on his run in from the pen, but he probably wasn't. Aren't baseball players impervious to fear?

He was thrown into a ridiculous situation, either men on the corners or bases loaded (I can't remember because I was still in shock), only one out, and facing two of the toughest hitters on the first -place White Sox. But he was great, pitching 1 2/3 scoreless innings. Striking out Jose Abreu, then forcing Todd Frazier to hit into a groundout. He pitched the next inning and only allowed one base-runner, a base hit to Melky Cabrera. Not bad for a first time out, for a guy who SHOULD NEVER GIVE UP but I would have a long time ago because I am a weak person.

I didn't get to talk to him yesterday, but today I did, and the first thing I said was, "I thought I'd never see you again!"

He looked at me wryly. "I see how much confidence you have in my abilities."

Of course I didn't mean that, but he doesn't know how many people I have said goodbye to. Actually, who I never got to say goodbye to.

I asked him who he was friends with on the team. 

"No one yet," then adding, "I don't really make friends on the team. I don't see a point."

This is that real-life, punch-me-in-the-gut truth-telling that is difficult for me to hear. 

He ran some sprints. I took some pictures, still reveling in my luck. I presented him with the picture below of his strikeout of Abreu, his Twins debut, an omen of all the good he deserves to come his way.

Brandon is special to me, the same way Blake and Steve are. But I can talk to those boys on facebook and twitter. I'm friends with their ladies and they show me great photos and give me updates when the boys are too busy to talk to me. I worry about them, too, but the thing is, if things don't work out. I'll still know them. I'll get to follow their lives in photograph and facebook statuses and I'll know they are happy and healthy.

All I have with Brandon is the thin wisp of a baseball career. And that is not my lack of confidence in Brandon. I think he will shine in Minnesota. I think he will have a home there for a while. But all baseball careers are shorter and less durable than the length of my affection. 

Anyway, I'll enjoy this while it lasts, and my enthusiasm will follow him to whatever team he plays for (if I'm wrong about Minnesota). I just hope he keeps playing, because as long as he does, I can still hold on to that wisp.

(P.S. All of the following pictures are out of order. Just like my life.)

﻿

BK striking out Jose Abreu in his first appearance as a Twin.

﻿

﻿
Kurt Suzuki congratulating Brandon after his 2/3 scoreless inning pitched.

Finally reunited.

I love that the infield boys just stood and watched, like they were thinking, I wonder what stuff this kid has,

Brandon fearlessly holding Melky to a short lead-off at first. A lot of seasoned pitchers are terrified of using the pick-off throw.

I think this was after Melky's hit.

Watching Brandon warm up

Warming up in the pen last night

Throwing long toss like a boss

This is his after-strikeout excitement.

Warming up before his Twins debut

Kurt Suzuki pumping up the kid.

The run in from the bullpen

Now walking in, because it's a long run.

Frazier crying because Brandon made him ground out.

Brandon after his outing.

Pre-pitch whatever he does. Praying? Thinking? Magic?

I've missed that windup.

After sprints

The thing about Cubs Convention is that so far, I had spent a lot of time with people I loved, but I still hadn't seen enough of the people I loved most. Cue Michael Bowden and Steve Clevenger.

Well, here's Michael Bowden. Angela calls him the Angel in the Bullpen, and he really is. He is a good person. Seriously, if he has ever told a lie in his life, I will give you a million dollars. That is how sure I am of his integrity. Oh, and I forgot to tell you he is also a fantastic pitcher. When he came up to the bigs toward the end of the season, he was fantastic.

And here's Steve.

Can I just say one more time how excited I always am when I see Steve Clevenger? Seriously, he is my favorite times a million. And I can't say enough good about him.

Look, you also get the zoomed in version!

And here's Josh Vitters. Usually when I see him, I remind him that me and Angela (but really, just Angela) bought him Sprinkles cupcakes for his birthday.

Here's Keith Moreland, former Cubs player and current Cubs radio broadcaster. Since I spend most of my free time in my car driving, he is the way I usually "see" the game when I am not at the game.

Oh, I think you want to see the zoom.

Brooks Raley....I think when he is up in Chicago on the regs, he and I will become fast friends. He just seems like a nice kid.

Now, here's Chris Rusin. I am still trying to figure him out. For some reason, I am like speechlessly intimidated by him. I don't know why. I am pretty sure he's not mean, and I am pretty sure he's one of those funny people with a dry sense of humor. But he really intimidates me. He's having a really good spring, so it looks like he's going to start the season in Chicago. Maybe my intimidation will wear off. I don't know.