The Sports Nut

We interrupt your season of screaming at the Milwaukee Brewers to bring you this late-breaking development.

Sometimes, winning isn’t everything. Or even the only thing.

Yes, the Brew Crew’s big picture looks like it was drawn by Courtney Love after too many Red Bulls. Even with a five-game winning streak, the Brewers remain extreme longshots to even contend for the playoffs, let alone qualify (a probability of less than 1 percent, according to coolstandings.com.)

But the beauty of baseball’s big picture is that it’s composed of a thousand little pictures, and every once in awhile, those tiny portraits are masterpieces.

I started thinking small-picture because two people – one very famous, one completely anonymous – made visits to Miller Park over the weekend.

The first is Bob Uecker, a 75-year-old heart surgery patient who just happens to call Brewers games.

The second is Connor, a 7-year-old video game expert who happens to be the nephew of a certain Sports Nut.

You’re no doubt familiar with Uecker’s story. Sidelined by his heart issues since late April, he’d finally recovered enough to get back to work on Friday. And judging from his pregame comments, it wasn’t a minute too soon.

“When you can’t go to the ballpark, it’s terribly boring. It really is. And you’re at the hospital more than you’re at your home,” Uecker lamented. “Just being in the clubhouse, being around the guys, being here at the ballpark… when you’re around here as long as I’ve been here and you make friendships, you miss that stuff.”

Uecker’s got 40 years of broadcasting memories to miss. Connor? Not quite. In fact, the kid had never been to a Major League game.

But that changed Saturday, when he showed up to Miller Park with seven family members, including 3-year-old brother Sam and yours truly. And while Sam’s a tad too young to appreciate the experience, Connor had appreciation to spare, just like Uecker.

Mr. Baseball, despite his track record, actually had the better seats. Connor wasn’t anywhere near the front row, sequestered way up in Section 417, but that didn’t lessen the experience.

I’ll spare you most of the mushy details from Connor’s big day: getting cotton candy all over his face, getting to see his first drunk escorted from the premises, that kind of stuff. But there’s something refreshing about

See, it’s all in the approach. Like the way he picked out a T-shirt on his pregame gift shop visit.

Connor ended up with a Ryan Braun shirt. Not because of Braun’s restaurants or Remetee reputation. And Connor had no clue about those three All-Star games or the hundred-plus homers or the $45 million contract.

In fact, the only number he cared was the one on the back. Connor just likes No. 8.

True story, folks. And up in Section 417, Connor was more concerned with his frozen lemonade than Braun’s first at bat. We had to remind him that the guy at the plate was his guy. No. 8.

Then his guy hit a homer, and Connor suddenly had more than eight reasons to love him. And when Braun won the game with a walkoff hit in the ninth, Connor gave his final verdict: “That was awesome.” Nice timing, Mr. Braun.

No, Connor doesn’t care about playoff chances or trade rumors or payroll management. It was the moment that mattered. And I imagine that Uecker had a similar sentiment on Friday.

Of course, we’re not all children. Unlike them, we’re all too aware that $100 million contracts are regularly rejected like Bill Gates on prom night. We don’t need someone to explain performance-enhancing drugs or, for that matter, all those Cialis commercials. For the kids, ignorance is bliss.

And of course, we’re not all Bob Uecker. God broke that mold after just one use, probably while laughing at Uecker’s first quip. Moreover, the world has precious few baseball broadcasters with the same legendary cache as Uecker. Maybe, after the passing of gentlemen like Ernie Harwell and Harry Kalas, we’re down to Uecker and Vin Scully.

So while they’re still here, we should appreciate them all the more. Enjoy their big picture by valuing the small ones.

And don’t worry. The Brewers will still be there for the screaming.

No ballgame to watch? No problem. Check out our new TV Guru column to get the lowdown on your remote control options.

Feel free to follow me on Twitter, where I tweet as howiemag. And tune in every Tuesday morning at 6:30 when I join Doug Russell and Mike Wickett on SportsRadio 1250 AM for Tuesdays with Howie.