Time to Play Ball!

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Photo by Ly Nguyen

Baseball is more than just a hobby for a lot of Milwaukeeans; it’s a way of life. The second the season starts, the collective mood in the city changes. Nobody understands this better than the Shepherd Express’ new baseball blogger, John Reimer, aka The Baseball Buddha, who recently returned from a 365-day nationwide road trip in which he visited every MLB ballpark and saw a game a day. We sat down with him to discuss his relationship with baseball.

How did you get the moniker ‘Baseball Buddha’?

A couple of years ago I went to India, and I went on an introduction to Buddhism retreat. I’ve always had an interest in Buddhism. I didn’t embrace the religion entirely, but there were a lot of concepts that resonated with me. I heard the story of Buddha, and how he found enlightenment.

I returned to some family issues. With this new perspective on the world and baseball having been my escape my entire life, I decided to start my own journey. Call it a midlife crisis if you’d like, but talking to my dad in the hospital made me realize that I should jump into a journey to find personal enlightenment. Life is short, and what I deem to be the purpose of life gets lost with the hectic and frenetic lifestyle adopted by our culture. My lifelong dream was to be a professional baseball player, but I realized I didn’t have the talent.

Instead, I went out on the road and embraced baseball with a new, more open-minded outlook, and found my enlightenment and happiness through it. I really enjoy sharing this new perspective and seeing how many people can relate to it. I quit a very well-paying job to find myself through baseball. I gave up everything to regret nothing.

What do you love most about baseball?

I love the history of the game and how it coincides with the history of our country. Looking back at how it has grown and developed as a national pastime as well as its geographic reach and the historical significance of what Jackie Robinson accomplished.

I also love the energy and the escape it brings to so many people, the way that people become emotionally invested in their team and the camaraderie it creates. I’ve experienced the culture of teams like the Boston Red Sox or New York Yankees, but also small teams like the Rapid City South Dakota American Legion Post 22, who are followed closely by the city and have 1,700 season ticket holders who never miss a game. The community aspect and escapism of the game are huge.

Tell us more about your national baseball tour.

The big thing I wanted to accomplish within the tour was to travel to all 30 MLB baseball parks, which I did. I wanted to go to a game in all 48 continental U.S. states and see a game every single day of that season, which included American Legion games, the College World Series, the MLB regular season, the MLB World Series and high school games. Little did I know that I’d get to watch games with baseball royalty, like Brian Cashman, the GM of the New York Yankees, or legendary baseball writer Peter Gammons out at the Cape Cod league.

What do you think the hardest position to play in baseball is?

Catcher, by far. They’re the field general, they have to know the pitchers, they have to know how to pitch each individual batter. Yadier Molina, even though he’s on the Cardinals, is an incredible presence on the field.

How do you see the Brewers doing this year?

Realistically, in my estimation, the Brewers will struggle this year. They’ll be better than the national press expects, but they’re in a very tough division. Pittsburgh looks great, St. Louis is always tough and Theo Epstein is doing a great job with the Cubs.

Who do you see winning the World Series this year?

Y’know, I believe with the Nationals being as deep as they are and having the best starting rotation in baseball, statistically they should win. But I believe the Dodgers are going to do it this year. It just feels like their year.

To read the Baseball Buddha, visit expressmilwaukee.com and search for “Baseball Buddha.”