Beerleaguer in Baghdad uses blog to stay connected

 
Commander Steven Labows, United States Navy and proud member of the Beerleaguer family, pictured here with a printout of Beerleaguer’s NL East Championship poster, standing in front of Al Faw Palace, Baghdad, Iraq.

Dear Jason: You may ask what a Navy Commander is doing in Baghdad. Over the past few years the Navy has augmented the joint services here to pick up our share of the manpower requirements supporting the efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan. I'm 19 years active duty and got pulled from my position as a helicopter test pilot at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, MD, to serve here for a year. I arrived here in July, spending the last few months as a Budget Officer supporting the Force Headquarters and this week I transition to serving as an aide to one of the Generals on the HQ staff.

Sitting on the outskirts of Baghdad, it's pretty amazing that I'm able to keep up with the Phils and be a proud member of the Beerleaguer crowd. Started following you folks early in the season and as I said, you are a touch of home that is a welcome bit of my day here. I'm hoping this is a long playoff run because I know this distraction makes the days go by a bit faster. Been gone for 100 days and about 300 left to go. 

Killer is that my younger brother (the one who introduced me to Beerleaguer) got three tix for tomorrow's game so if I weren't here I would be at the game with him and my Dad. I hail from Horsham and played ball in the old Bux-Mont league in the days of Jamie Moyer.  He was a few years ahead of me so I never had the pleasure of facing him while he was at Souderton.  I also couldn't hit the curve so varsity had to wait until my senior year. 

Thanks again for the outlet that Beerleaguer provides and I am looking forward to joining the crew tomorrow night. I appreciated your lead-in to the Monday afternoon blog. It's amazing to listen to this group, incoherent rants and all, and realize that there are so many others who have grown up with the Phils and share the same passion. The Internet connectivity lets me feel like I'm in the sports bar with all the Beerleaguers while sitting alone in my trailer in this desert paradise.

I remember back to my pre-teen years playing gin rummy with my grandfather while listening to Richie, Harry and Andy on the transistor radio. Or the middle school nights when I would crawl into bed with the radio under the pillow and listen to the games after bedtime.  Mom always wondered why my radio went through batteries so fast.  One of the hardest things about being here is not being able to share times like this with my kids.  You can be sure they were aware and wore their Phillies shirts to school on Monday.

Hope you enjoy the pictures. The 3PM start time actually works well for me since we're 7 hours ahead of you. Won't keep me up all night.

Take care,
CDR Steven Labows, USN
MNF-I Resource Management
Budget Officer
Camp Victory, Baghdad

Comments

[CJ]

Go Navy!

Beat Army!

(Sister and brother-in-law and Academy class of '96)

[Dan]

God Bless, Commander. Thank you and be safe.

[squatter]

Steve, thanks for everything. You'll be home for next year's playoffs.

[J. Weitzel]

Steven,
This was a tremendously touching and thoughtful tribute, and I’m delighted by your photos and warm words in your letter. Beerleaguer is proud to serve you as you serve our country in Iraq, and proud to include you in the Beerleaguer family!
Jason

[Mike]

Great entry. Be safe Steven and God bless! Come home for the parade.

[from the district]

This post will help keep things in perspective as I roll into work at 630 tomorrow morning, bleary eyed and muttering under my breath, in hopes of being out of here by game time.

Here's to the sun never setting on the phillies empire.

[limoguy]

Before I was limoguy, I was navyguy.

Our military is doing a great overall job. Thanks for your service, Commander, from this former LT, SC, USN.

[bathtubhippo]

wow, so good to read that. thanks for everything, steven.

[Longwood]

Like a true Philly fan never gives up on their team, a true American never gives up on their military. I hope you have the opportunity to finish your job.

[ae]

thanks for the great read, Steven. I think we have the same hat. (in the second picture, that is.)

[Mike H.]

Thank you once again for your dedicated service to your country and your efforts to follow the Phightins!

[phargo]

Thanks for your service, Commander. It's good to see Phillie fandom has gone global! From an earlier post I know that you're the same age as me, and now I see you have the old hat, too! My (younger) spouse assures me it's still cool.

And thanks for the site, Jason. I am far from Philly now, so it's been wonderful to find this you and this crew.

In other news, I really dislike the shape of Holliday's head. I can tell it's going to get on my nerves. Is that petty?

[from the district]

there is nothing too petty when it comes to disliking the enemy.

Matt Holliday has a big head

Todd Helton's beard is stupid and he runs like a girl

Brad "the barbaric" Hawpe has weird name.

Josh Fogg is not good at pitching. I guess this one doesn't count

[Parker]

Steven,

Great to hear that you are able to enjoy some of the aspects of life in this country that most of us take for granted on a daily basis. Stay safe and hopefully the Phils can pull another miraculous finish to this season.

P.S. Glad you are wearing that Phillies cap in the second picture, for a second there I thought you were wearing a Padres uniform. J/K. The Padres uniforms would be great for desert operations, but I'm not convinced about them on a baseball field.

Safe and Happy returns,

Parker

[MG]

Steven - Great picture and stay safe.

[Chstk of Sffrng]

Matt Holliday has a big head

... and he still hasn't touched home plate.

[control13]

FTD:

Holliday's Head: check.

Helton's Beard: check.

Rockies are a strange religious cult: check.

They must be beaten.

[CDR L]

Wow, Jason that's some quick turnaround. I don't think I hit send more than 90 minutes ago and the Beerleaguer family has already wrapped their arms around me. Makes me glad I decided to chime in the other night after months of being an entertained and informed observer. All of your comments make me even more proud to serve and be a part of the crazy nation of Phillies fans.

I do need to make one slight correction to the caption - my office is not in Al Faw, but one of the smaller palaces so that is where the poster resides.

I'll check back in later when I get the chance.

[curt]

Oh and another thing, I wouldn't be too worried about the Rox "fewest errors in baseball" feat. I saw at least 6 errors last night, while the Rox official scorer saw 1.

[THat Dude]

God's Speed Commander!

Question, and this sounds funny considering the timing, but would anyone on here be intersted in having a Beerleaguer Keeper League for next year?

[bsg]

Steve,

Thank you for all you're doing for our country! Camp Victory, sounds like a Great omen for the Phils!!!!!!

[Jack]

Awesome post! Best wishes to you Steven, may the Phils bring you (and all of us) some happiness over the next couple weeks.

It's not Baghdad, but from a Phan in New York City, thanks Beerleaguer for providing this forum. Awesome for all of us who can't be sitting at a bar in the Philly area with our friends discussing the game- this is as close as it gets. GO PHILS

[J. Weitzel]

CDR L: Congratulations! You've fallen victim to the patented Beerleaguer misquote! All fixed.

[PDMalcolm]

Great story Steve and keep safe out there!

I'm a long time reader first time poster from England, have fun all you guys going to the game. I'll be up until 4AM watching it on NASN then going in to share my pain/joy with an uncaring workforce!

Go Phils!

[CJ]

2007 Philadelphia Phillies MVP:

Marlon Anderson

If the Phils lose that game, take away a win and add a loss to us, and take away a loss and add a win to the Mets. Suddenly we have 88 wins and they have 89.

God bless you, Marlon Anderson.

[Crazy Bob]

The picture of Commander Steve moved me even more than the original "YES" poster did!

I'm so very proud to be an American!

I'm ecstatic to be a Phillies fan. I was 12 in '64.
The 2007 Phillies are a class act for the ages.

I'm sorry that I said that Chalie looked like Fred Mertz. He reminds me more of Walter Brennan. I loved Walter Brennan.

I've enjoyed this blog through thick & thin since it was Berks Phillies Fan. Long live Beerleaguer!

[Ribbies]

Steven, I hope you have a safe trip home soon!

Totally unrelated, and not nearly as important, I was hoping this article, "Rockies, Phillies set to rekindle contentious relationship" from today's Rocky Mountain News would offer some grist for some locker room motivation.

It seems the juiciest quote is:

"The Rockies, who won the regular-season series 4-3, predictably were tight-lipped about any festering tensions, but outfielder Ryan Spilborghs allowed this much: "We've only faced Philly a couple times, but we feel we are going to beat them. There's no doubt in our minds that we're the better team, so we're looking forward to it."

Not too exciting. Holliday evened seemed to forget that there was a bit of bad blood between the teams just a few weeks ago.

And, by the way, Holliday still hasn't touched the plate. They're even announcing the fact on the MLB homepage.

[ira]

well when things are going bad over there remember you are a phillies fan, which means you have already been through plenty of physical and mental anguish already. Hope you stay safe and make it home for a parade down broad st.

[Grumpy Gramps]

CJ there are so many games this year that turned on one play and they get etched in the mind. All the what if's, be them good or bad, made for one of the most exciting and fulfilling seasons in Phils history. At least in my time.

[stjoehawk]

"And, by the way, Holliday still hasn't touched the plate. They're even announcing the fact on the MLB homepage."

With any luck, he won't touch home plate (as a base runner) again until spring training.

[Grumpy Gramps]

One thing to keep in mind, the Rockies have never faced Cole Hamels. If their hitters are typical of most hitters facing a new pitcher then I'll take our chances in game 1 and 5.

[Ribbies]

Mr. Met is still being haunted by the Phanatic -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgvuGFj2Zng

"The ladies love that Phillies Phanatic."

[Willard Preacher]

"The team to beat" in 4. Book it.

[a beerleaguer pastor]

Steven, Thanks for your dedication and service; we will keep you in our prayers until we know you are home.

[CJ]

Gramps: No doubt about it. I just picked what I felt to be the MOST bizarre play and a play that ended a game and a play against the one team that could have kept us out of the playoffs.

But, yes... this has been a strange, strange ride.

[Andy]

Colorado getting in on a play where they didn't really score, and not fessing up, just increases their bad karma even more.

I bet LaTroy Hawkins would have tried to touch home.

[squatter]

27 hours til we watch Cole pitch the first game of the playoffs!!! Da-n, I feel like I little kid.

[squatter]

"a little kid"

[kdon]

Wow, not only does Beerleaguer have a Navy Commander, but we also have a pastor!

Who knew?

Steven, thank you for your service and hope to see you and all of your fellow troops home soon.

[Grumpy Gramps]

One of these days in the off-season we should dedicate a day to provide brief bios just to get to know each other better.

[Tim from Williamsport]

Thanks for the service Steve, sometimes I need to remind myself when I am complaining about getting up in the morning to go to work that there are people like you in this world that are doing so much more good in the world under some of the scariest conditions. Thank you! Go Phils!

[rmp]

anybody else notice that moyer is listed on the phillies website to start game 3? maybe i missed something by why not lohse?

[Tom G, ballssticksstuff.com]

One of the coolest things for me is to know that guys serving in Iraq get to stay in touch by reading my site and beerleaguer.com. I'm not kidding when I say it gets my throat a little tight.

[CJ]

rmp: Moyer has been the #3 starter for the most part this year... I suppose that's why. He also has playoff experience. Also, it breaks up the lefty-righty pitchers. Although I preferred:

Hamels-Kendrick-Lohse-Moyer

[rmp]

I'm with you on Hamels-Kendrick-Lohse-Moyer... I can see going with Moyer if we are up 2-0, but if we're 1-1 going into that game, it's a must win and i'd feel more comfortable with Lohse, i believe he has been more consistent than Moyer since he joined

[Ben Keeler]

That picture is awesome. Thank you for everything Steven, and hopefully soon you will be holding up a World Champions Poster from Baghdad.

[Trillosflip]

Thank you for your service Commander.

[Mr. Mac]

Commander Steven -

Thank you for doing what it is all of you do for us over here. If not for you guys, we all wouldn't be able to enjoy our freedom's that we all take for granted, such as blog each other in the comforts of our own living rooms.

As did you as a HH Hatter, I was also a part of the old BuxMont League, being a Wissahickon grad. You just know Jamie Moyer probably dreamed of pitching the Phillies into the playoffs as a youngster, while knocking it around the suburban sandlots back in the day.

Hope you enjoy the playoff run as much as we do. If we listen closely, we may even be able to hear you cheering along with us, from clear across the globe.

[phargo]

"One of these days in the off-season we should dedicate a day to provide brief bios just to get to know each other better."

Grumpy Gramps, I think that's a neat idea. I definitely mental images of certain beerleaguers.

[phargo]

definitely HAVE mental images

If not mental function

[regalmeans]

Steven - thank you for sharing & for your service! Good luck, God Bless and GO PHILLIES! Enjoy tracking the games - I think they're at a better time for you then for many of us!

[Bob]

Steven,

Great post. Thank you, more than we can express, for your service. Glad the Phils and Beerleaguer are bringing a bit of home to you while you're in Iraq, but I think everyone on this site would love to have you back in the States, having a beer and watching the game with you.

You and your buddies stay safe and get home soon. Sounds like you should be back just about in time to see Cole, Chase, Ryan and Jimmy in the 2008 All-Star game.

[Mike Cunningham]

Commander Steven,

Thank you for putting everything in perspective... That while this is still just a game, the national pasttime can make you forget whatever toil you face (be it a cubicle or a tank). Hope we can provide more incoherent rants for you over the next few days.

If the Phillies win this for anyone... Let it be for any Phillies fan serving over there...

They can win it for the Mets fans there too... I guess...

While standing for the Anthem on Wed and Thursday, I'll hold my head a little higher knowing there are Phillies fans serving our country in harms way.

Be SAFE!!!

Get HOME for the Parade!

[Lake Fred]

Commander Steve:

Thanks for reaffirming my pride in being an American and a Phillies fan. Thank you for your sacrifices and service to our country. You are one of my heroes.

Jack was right when he wrote: "It's not Baghdad, but from a Phan in New York City, thanks Beerleaguer for providing this forum. Awesome for all of us who can't be sitting at a bar in the Philly area with our friends discussing the game- this is as close as it gets. GO PHILS!" That goes for me from New Orleans-Hpuston. Beerleaguer is my Philly bar, filled with my Phillies friends.

I discovered I'm the same age as Crazy Bob. I used to watch Sally Starr, too!

[jan spiro]

This old Phillies fan, who has lived in Atlanta for 30 years, thanks Beerleaguer for this wonderful site. I'm rooting hard for the Phils, but even harder for Steven to return home safely to his family.

[Christine]

Commander:

When my brother Mike was in Iraq last year, we would send him pix of the Eagles (we're a football family) as a way to keep him plugged in with the home crowd. I know how much it meant to him, and now I know that it's not just the birds (who are rather sickly these days) but everything Philly that ties us closely to our home and makes the separation a little easier. I'll keep you in my prayers, my thoughts and will remember you with each home run Howard hits.

Godspeed, come home soon.

[cmmphilly]

Thanks so much for your service and you are not the only one stuck at work. Fortunately, I am in the safety of McLean, VA. Hopefully, you can celebrate a Phillies victory tonight by whacking a few Al Queda members. I will be stuck in traffic.

F*&^ Colorado....and F%*& the insurgents.

Go Steve and the Phillies. God Bless you pal.

[Rob]

http://www.thebigtalker1210.com/

[phillydog]

To listen to the game live...go here.

http://www.thebigtalker1210.com/

[phillydog]

Don't tune into the BigTalker until 3 or else you will be subjected to that windbag Rush Limbaugh and no one needs that before this big game!

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