I didn’t get out to get my little brother a card for his birthday, and I pretty much have until he comes down here in two and a half weeks to find a present, and I was too lazy/uninspired to jazz up his site at all, so I figure the least I could do is retell a story to go with the following picture of the two of us:

This was from the last season of Ned Skeldon Stadium, home of the world famous Toledo Mud Hens, August 2001, I believe. After a dinner that included a couple of cold ones, we roll out to the game and meet our friend Rod, who has a backpack full of MGD, I think maybe 6 or 7 16oz. bottles? We finish those, then a draft or two from the concession stand and end up behind the left field fence watching the last few innings (it was cool, you’re allowed back there, and the left fielder loved us). We even had a chance to get a ball out of the deal, but some weasely kid ducked in front of us and bogarted it. Actually, I think we helped him get it over the fence and gave it to him. So anyway, what better way to end a night at the ball park than sit in the stadium bar and have a couple more pints? I forget the exact conversation that went on in there, but that was where Greg continued his rant about why Steve Lombardozzi should be in the Hall of Fame. (After all, he *did* hit .412 in the 1987 World Series for the Twins!) The best part of that story is that he started the campaign by bothering people as they left the stadium, carried it into the souvenir shop, and took a great picture with a random family of four (which I know I have around here somewhere, and it used to be right next to my computer before I moved, but alas, its gone). After the stadium bar, we proceeded to tell some drunk to go to a completely different bar than the one we went to, and contemplated snatching an official “Toledo Mud Hens” trash barrel to take home. I’m sure there’s more, but that’s the down and dirty details. I would share the stories of his bachelor party, but there were no pictures that night, and I think that story is illegal in 47 states and 6 provinces anyway.