Day 69 - That damn fat lady sang

I hate every moment of sitting here writing this post.
Not because I hate to blog...but it's over...She sang....
That damn fat lady sang and it's over...for now.

I wish I could have bottled up the feelings and vibes that I encountered as I walked to the stadium from the parking garage.

The atmosphere was amazing! Everything felt like it was as big, if not bigger than it was during the All-Star Game festivities.

Enough of this blah, blah, blah....STORIES!

Now you'd think that with the final game, there'd be some amazing stories...well, you're right...sort of...there was at least one amazing moment during this final game of the '09 season.

-I walked to the top of a section and a lady in the top row asked for a beer. She looked like she was in her mid-to-late-40's and (who I can only assume to be her husband) was standing behind her. I gave her her beer and then she realized she needed to pay me. She seemed to act a little funny after I handed her the beer. She started to fumble through her pocket and pull out everything but money. She began to talk about how she thought she had some money in her pockets...She emptied out of her pockets a half-dozen receipts, some car keys, chapstick, fingernail clippers and a few quarters. Finally she found a few $1's and then her husband (who I could tell was frustrated/embarrassed by this woman) stretched out his hand with a $10 in it. I gave him back his change while the woman continued to search for money...she was talking to herself...as if she was encouraging herself to find money.

A few innings later I was walking back up to the top of that same section when I noticed this same woman start to walk back to her seat. As she started to sit down, she wobbled back and forth a bit...then gravity decided to her...she fell straight to the floor. She snapped back up and sat back into her seat. As her husband helped her sit upright, he just shook his head ashamed of what just took place. I was right there in front of her and immediately asked her if she was alright. She kept saying over and over again, "I'm Fine!" as if she needed to remind herself.

I followed protocol...alerted the closest usher and other beer men about the intoxicated cougar at the top of section 248.

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Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that unneeded reinforcements were brought in for the game. About 8 beer men from Chicago were brought into our commissary. These guys from Chicago were beer men at Soldier Field. About 50 more people were brought in from the military base in Ft. Leonard Wood to work throughout the stadium. I guess they were expecting a big crowd or something.

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After completing a sale, I tell the beer-drinking fan, "thank & enjoy the game." I had several instances when the fans would return with a, "yeah...well, we're trying to" or a "if we had a few more runs we will." Then towards the end of the game, fans would realize that this was it. The season was over after this game if we were to lose. Then they'd realize that this was potentially my last day of working too. A few fans asked what was next for me. "Are you going to work Blues or Rams games?" I laughed when they asked about Rams games. Then I'd tell them how I just accepted a temp job. I'll be in charge of an email marketing campaign and will be doing that till the end of '09. They would usually just say the usual, 'good luck with that' or 'see you next season'.

Hmmmm....next season...return as a beer man?...well that will be covered in a blog in the near future.

As for the end of this game, this season...it has been an amazing time.

I will post a few more blogs over the next 2 weeks...reflecting on different things that I never talked about during the season...as well as a special Cards/Cubs tribute blog.

So, until later on again this week, thank you faithful readers. It's been an amazing time!...just wish that fat lady could have waited to sing on another day.

Totals for 2009 season:
73 Bags of Cracker Jacks (at $3.50/bag = $255.50)
167 Bottles of Water (at $5/bottle = $835)
293 Bags of Peanuts (at $4/bag = $1172)
4564 Bottles of Beer (at $7.75/bottle = $35,371)
Grand Total for 2009 sales: $37633.50
(no, I did not make that much money, just a small commission of it)

...When the Fat Lady Sings.

Well I'm at a loss of words after last night's nail-biter of a finish between the Cards and Dodgers. ...not to mention the rough night for any St. Louis sports fan or Mizzou fan....but hey, we still have the Rams to keep our spirits high right???...

Sitting here and realizing that tomorrow night very well could be my last night as a beer man....for this season....and potentially forever.

Do I see myself returning next season?...

Timeout...last time I checked, this series is best out of 5. Although, I feel like the Cardinal-Nation has already tossed in the white towel...Perhaps the same white towel that caused Holiday to take a punch in the crotch from that fly ball instead of allowing for it to land in his glove. (If you missed Waino's interview (go to 1:45 mark to catch his remarks about Holiday)...you need to watch it to know what I mean).

Plenty of people have already closed the door on the chance of the Cards of coming back to win this series. Only 4 teams have ever come back from an 0-2 deficit. A little optimistic view on it all...the Cardinals have never been swept in any divisional playoff series.

Maybe the Cardinals are just trying to keep the 2008 tradition of when the Cubs were NLCD champs...and get swept by the Dodgers in the playoffs?

This beer man has some high hopes still. Being my only source of income at the moment...I'd like for the Cardinals to go all of the way to take the World Series...just hoping. Here is to tomorrow night. Saturday night playoff game. Beer sales should be amazing!

Day 45 - The beer man has NOT left the building...

It's taken me a bit to cool down after tonight. I had an amazing night in sales and just an overall great night and then I tried to stay and watch the game.

I'll get to that later...first...the stories from the night...

-I witnessed a man in his 70's have his collar popped on his polo. He was also carrying 2 beers and a huge thing of nachos.

-Manny still got booed...it was plenty worse tonight...guess if your name gets added to the bad list for the '03 season you just get more boo's. I didn't feel bad at all when Manny was booed...he deserved every bit of it tonight. I even noticed some Dodger fans booing him!

-I ran into an old boss. Not just any old boss...but the president of the college where I was laid off from...which has inevitably allowed me to get such jobs as being a beer man at Busch Stadium. He had a sheepish grin on his face as he said hi to me...He was accompanied by 2 professors from said college. I was semi-hoping they would buy a beer from me...but they seemed to have stuck with their soda and peanuts. I'm hoping he saw me in action and felt some regret for the layoff they had to make...I won't lie though...I'm beyond blessed that I'm not still there though! I can't imagine working there with the pay cuts and such that have had to take place over the past few months...not to mention, several other reasons why I'm much happier selling beer and doing contract jobs around STL as a web/graphic designer.

-I have been told before that I have a "booming" voice. I have also had a few nights when I felt like my voice just wouldn't project very far. Well tonight I think I projected very well. I may have accidentally caused an older gentlemen to nearly have a heart attach. I was at the end of the steps in a section knelt down about to yell out my beer call. I projected, "ICE COLD BEER! ICE COLD BUD, BUD LIGHT, BUD SELECT! ICE COLD BEER HERE!" As I said the first part of my beer call, I noticed the older gentlemen next to me jump as if he was scared to death...He immediately reached his hand up to his ear and started to mess with his hearing aid. I felt awful. I could see the expression on his face that he just experienced some pain. I apologized and he said he was okay, he just needed to be sure to keep it turned down a bit when I came by...I apologized again and just made sure I either didn't go down that section the rest of the night or not be right next to him when I'd yell out my beer call.

-I decided that after last night's lengthy game in extra innings, that I wanted to witness something like that again if it'd happen tonight...So I check out and clock out and decide to stand behind the bleachers, next to a merchandise booth behind left-center field. I wasn't blocking anyone's view and I was having to watch the game through the bars of some bleachers...Not the best view, but hey, I could still see the action around the diamond. I watch about 3 or 4 plays when I get a tap on the shoulder. It was one of the supervisors for Sports Services. He motioned for me to come with him. I honestly didn't know what I was gonna hear from him. He just looked at me and said, "You aren't supposed to be in the building." I was kind of shocked but at the same time I wasn't about to fight with him on something and get in some sort of trouble or risk losing my only job. ...not that I could really have gotten fired, possibly written up...but I found out earlier in the night that they have started to let people go recently...starting with the high schoolers who are food vendors and not making much commission...and if they need to cut beer men, they said they will... So he stood there and watched me walk out of the gate...I didn't turn around to see if he guarded the gate, I just decided I'd walk over to Mike Shannon's and watch it there...by the time I got over to Shannon's I decided that I just wanted to get home. I was exhausted and hungry...and when Josh gets hungry, Josh gets cranky. I'm glad I didn't stay...glad I didn't get to stay...since they did cough up the game in the 10th. Oh well...we still won the series!

Overall as for sales, a great night! I've been very impressed and blessed with my sales this week...Looks like I've been nudging my way into the top half of most sales for the beer man of my commissary.

Totals thus far:
73 Bags of Cracker Jacks
90 Bottles of Water
177 Bags of Peanuts
2606 Bottles of Beer

Day 44 - "ID please"...."you're a hard ass!"

I really don't know what I could say that could even compare to the game that took place last night.

I am still mad at myself for leaving the stadium last night. By the time I got through checking out and clocked out, it was the middle of the 9th inning. I decided that I would get to my car in time to beat the traffic since I knew I had a busy day ahead of me. As I was walking across the parking lot next to the stadium, I hear the roar of the crowd as the Cardinals got a runner on second and had the game winning run at the plate.

I walked past Mike Shannon's and stopped to look up at one of the screens that the game was projected onto. The "bouncer" standing there told me to come on in and I could watch if I wanted to from inside...I was rather shocked I wasn't carded...but maybe I'm just used to being the "hard ass" (yes, I was called that last night) that I am carding people in the stadium.

I watched the Cards tie up the game and I decide to head on home...I couldn't go back into the stadium anyways or I would have gone back in...and I personally didn't care to just stand around at Shannon's in my sweat-soaked uniform.

It was weird. I was sitting at home watching the game I was just working at. Then I got pissed. I realized my phone just died, so I went to grab the charger from my room and when I came back and looked at the tv, the game was over. Albert's walk-off hit was amazing...seen through replays...oh well...I have a hunch I'll see him hit many homeruns at a home game this season...

Anyways...last night was pretty amazing...not just the game, but in sales. I did pretty well! I decided that I would stop selling Cracker Jacks and sell bottled water in its place since I'd make more commission off of bottled water. Not to mention, cracker jack sales haven't been the best for me lately...

Stories and such from last night's game -

-I was called a "hard ass". I had a group of 4 ask for 4 beers. The guy on the end asked for them. I only got a quick glance at him and the guy next to him and the girl in the 4th seat down, but not the 3rd person. Since they looked like they were in their late 20's, I still carded them. (Reminder: we are to ID anyone who appears to be under 31 1/2) So the guy asked if I needed all 4 of them and I said yes. Well that 3rd person I didn't get a look at, looked like it was this dude's mom. He showed me his ID and he said he was 33 and his wife was older than him. So he showed me his wife's ID and she was older than him...she was in her late 40's...nearly a 15 year age difference....Anyways the girl at the end who I did see before wasn't too happy either...she asked me if I really needed to see her ID because she was going to have trouble getting it out of her wallet with a sprained wrist...she then lifted her wrist up to show the brace she had on. I asked if one of the guys could please help her and they finally got it. She was upset to the point where she wasn't even wanting the beer and called me a hard ass for carding them when they were clearly old enough...I gave them their 4 beers and collected their money...

My job as a beer man...(my only job and only source of income)...is too important to me to keep than to get fired for not carding someone and possibly getting caught selling to a minor! It seems to be that about every night, I have just one or two groups who get all pissed off about me carding them. Most people already have their ID ready for me to check. What's the big deal? If someone has gray hair and is obviously in their 80's, no, I won't card them...9 times out of 10, people (ladies) appreciate being carded.

-I sold an entire case of beer by only walking down one row of steps into one section...awesomeness! I nearly sold another full case during the bottom of the 7th inning in a different section!

-During the play where Manny caught that ball that cause a stir in the crowd, personally, it looked like it was a homerun where Manny put a little hollywood into it to get it called fan interference...I don't know why all of the fans thought that the beer man would know everything about that play that just happened, but I was bombarded with questions from people asking me what happened and why they called back that homerun...I just replied back that it'd be on Sports Center or Baseball Tonight later tonight...and it was.

Overall, I think I did pretty well in sales compared to other beer men...I sold right at 3 1/2 cases and I was shocked to hear how some of the guys didn't even get past their 2nd case...

I've come to learn that as a beer man, it's not just about making 'regular' customers through a game, but also being in the right spot at the right time....basically having ice cold beer when everyone around you is thirsty. ...mmmmm...that just made me thirsty...

Totals thus far:
73 Bags of Cracker Jacks
86 Bottles of Water
176 Bags of Peanuts
2511 Bottles of Beer

Day 43 - Rain, Rain, Go Away

I wanted to make sure tonight was well worth showing up for work. I had decided to play the responsible card and not go with friends to 6-Flags today and actually go to work...since the stadium job is currently my only source of income. So I told myself that I wanted to be sure tonight was well worth showing up for.

Then the rain came...and never left...well, not until around 8 did it clear up, only to start to sprinkle an hour later for most of the remainder of the game.

With an hour and 35 minute rain delay, we had to stop selling beer at 10. This didn't make many people happy...which I'll get to in a bit.

I had only sold 4 beers before the game started....4! oh, well that's not bad right? well, when I was working for a solid hour and 35 minutes before the game started...yeah...that's bad. You'd think people would just drink away during a rain delay...not tonight...everyone was off to a slow start. I was wondering if being responsible was a mistake for the day and 6-Flags would have been the best option....Finally people started drinking as soon as the first pitch was thrown. It was like a switch that was turned on in them. Baseball game started = time to drink brewskies.

The rain delay caused for plenty of people to crowd the Redbird Club. They were craving for this game to start...and as soon as the teams took the field, the Redbird club looked like a ghost town.

Stories...oh the stories:

-Manny was once again booed. When his name was announced, as he came to the plate, even as he fielded a ball hit into right field...no love for Manny. This actually kind of saddened me. Not that I'm a Manny fan, but for the little kids that showed up that were Manny fans. I saw numerous kids who were decked out in their Manny attire and were there to see their hero play ball. To bad their hero cheated...and most of them (the small children in Manny attire) don't understand that yet...and all they knew was that their hero wasn't welcome in Busch Stadium.

-After the game had started, I started walking the steps through the sections. I was walking down the steps of one section and before I even took the first step, I heard someone next to me ask for a Bud Light. I turn to my right and there is sitting a young guy on the end of the row and with him were two young girls next to him and a guy who might have been 21 next to the girls. I turn around and ask for his ID. He looked like he was already having a rough life and me asking for his ID is what sent him over the edge. He started to cuss and complain about me carding him. He never said it to my face, but as he was digging through his wallet, he would say how it was bullsh*t that I was carding him and how it was going to be f*cking ridiculous to be carded every time he wanted a beer. I read the expressions on the girls' face sitting next to him and they seemed to already be irritated by their friend's attitude. He hands me his ID, and the guy just turned 21 a few months ago. I guess when you turn 21, everyone simply knows you're 21 and you shouldn't have to be carded ever again....FALSE! I handed him his ID back and started to get his beer for him and told him it would be $7.75. He then fumbled through his wallet and started cussing some more about being carded.

At this point, I was already pissed at this kid and now he was sending me over the edge. I had already planned out in my head how I was going to be sure I spread the word to other beer men to keep their eye out for this kid and card him every damn time...or simply cut him off, since we do reserve the right to refuse a sale to anyone.

Anyways...back to this dumb ass sitting here fumbling with his dollar bills. He had to ask the girl next to him for a dollar in quarters cause he only had $6.75 on him. She fished out quarters for him...clearly he wasn't a big tipper...and I didn't expect it from the moment I saw him. He took the beer and handed it down to his friend sitting a few seats down from him. I said, "wait, I didn't know it was for him, I need to see an ID first." The kid buying the beer started to cuss some more about beer men ID'ing him and his friends. The guy who he bought the beer for said, "dude, chill, he is just doing his job." That's when this kid looked up at me as I was getting the other guy's ID and said, "wait, honestly, who do you think looks older?" I looked at his friend who had a much older look about himself and a half-beard growing...and then I looked back at the punk who had the baby-face going for him...and I said, "your friend does." That just pissed him off more...His friend was older. He was 22. So I gave him the beer and his buddy was still pissed and cussing and moaning about me ID'ing him. I just looked at him and told him, "I'm just doing my job. We ID everyone who appears to be 31 1/2 and under. You won't be able to go anywhere else in this stadium and not get ID'd." I then told him thank you for the sale and walked away.

As I made my way back up to the top of the steps of that section a few minutes later, he just glared at me the whole time I walked past him. He looked like he was having fun...like as if he thought he was amazing and had a much older look/appearance about himself...I would love to have that moment relived tonight, because I would have been a much more of a smart ass back to this guy. As the night progressed, I passed by him 2 more times going into that section and every time I would walk up the steps, I'd glance over that way to see if anyone wanted a beer and he'd be there glaring right back at me as if I just ruined his life forever.

-At 9:45, I started to announce 'last call'. Several people didn't like this. Since the game was still in the middle of the 5th, most people were expecting beer sales to continue through to the bottom of the 7th. I had one guy look very confused and almost sad as if he was going to cry and asked why we were ending so early. I explained how we are only allowed to sell till 10 because of the liquor license at Busch Stadium. I won't lie, the guy looked like he was ready to cry. Another group of guys we wanting to know what happened if there was another rain delay and the game lasted till 1 or 2 a.m. I told them that no matter what, we were done at 10. These guys weren't happy. They wanted to know who made those rules and why would we stop selling to beer-thirsty people? I explained it to them, but I think they had already drank a few too many to comprehend anything that was going on.


Totals thus far:
73 Bags of Cracker Jacks
80 Bottles of Water
171 Bags of Peanuts
2427 Bottles of Beer

Day 41 - 42 - Hit the Ground Running

It's been awhile since my last post. It has felt good to take a short break after the All-Star festivities. I did work the Friday night game following the All-Star Game against Arizona...It was decent. Honestly, not that many stories from it.

Several people would ask if I was there during the All-Star Game and wanted to know what that was like. I'll be honest, it still hasn't fully hit me that I was there.

I then took that Saturday game off and I went to the game on Sunday with my smokn' hot girlfriend. 3rd row up from center field in the bleachers...not a single hit out to us the whole game. We won though.

And now after having over a full week away from the stadium, I hit the ground running last night. A sold-out crowd in attendance to welcome in the new Cardinal's we had gained over this past weeks road trip.


Highlights/stories from working last night:

-Manny got booed and it was delicious!

-Holliday received a standing ovation from the his new hometown fans. Personally, I think Lugo should have gotten a standing-o as well, I mean, both guys are on fire!

-I had a really cool group of older guys who were Dodgers fans who kept buying from me all night and told me to come back tomorrow night cause they'd be there and would buy from me again.

-I witnessed an older guy (Cards fan)...I mean he had to be in his late 70's...maybe even 80's and he was standing up yelling and cussing at Manny and the Dodgers for keeping Manny. It was a sight to see...it was simply hilarious to hear an old man cuss.

-I had a fan who kept asking me for Grey Goose. I told him I only had Bud, Bud Light and Select Beer, he would simply respond in a goose-ish yell "Grey Goose". He had a good laugh and every time I walked by him, he'd yell, 'Grey Goose'.

-I think someone crapped their pants in section 251. I didn't even bother going down the steps into that section one time because the smell was so awful and so strong. People were complaining to the ushers and I think someone set off a stink-bomb...

Overall, a great night! Thanks to the bottom of the 7th, and the Dodgers' pitching changes, I was able to sell nearly a whole extra case of beer. I did just as good in sales as I did during the All-Star Game...If I keep this up all week...I could get away with only working at the stadium for the next month...

Games every night for the rest of the week...hopefully lots of stories to share!

Totals thus far:
72 Bags of Cracker Jacks
80 Bottles of Water
165 Bags of Peanuts
2381 Bottles of Beer