My love of Gracie and baseball

You can mark 2011 down officially as the year my daughter, Gracie, became a Brewers fan. She is very attentive during the game, sings during home runs, has a handful of favorites (Randy Wolf, Tony Plush, Prince Fielder), and cheered when Braun, Weeks and Fielder were introduced at the All Star Game tonight.

With the Francisco Rodriguez acquisition for the Brewers tonight, it may be realize that the Brewers are making a run at a World Series this year, but it also made me realize that Gracie will most likely have to say goodbye to one of her favorites in the same calendar year that she became a fan. I remember how heartbroken I was when Gorman Thomas was traded to Cleveland in 1983, and I am now starting to prepare to have the Prince Fielder conversation with her this winter.

In an honest moment tonight, Gracie mistook Jose Reyes for Rickie Weeks, and looked genuinely sad to see what she thought was Rickie Weeks wearing anything but a Brewers jersey. She exclaimed, "Daddy, Rickie Weeks is a Met?"

Her favorite Brewer is Randy Wolf. We will be getting his bobblehead on September 25th, and I will buy her his t-shirt on the way to our seats. I'm sure this will be a huge thrill for her. It will be hard to tell her that Randy Wolf is no longer a Brewer, if and when he ever leaves for the next town on his journey, but I guess that's baseball. It may be hard, but in a way, it will be a bonding moment for father and daughter.

Just a few things I'm thinking about tonight. I love that Gracie has embraced baseball, like her father. What a thrill ....