Holiday Q&A with Wes Obermueller
Brewers pitcher Wes Obermueller enjoys the holiday season. He remembers it as
a little boy growing up on a farm, always leaving cookies for Santa Claus.
Now he has a whole new take on Christmas, because he is a father. His son is
17 months old, so he's "starting to know how to open up gifts," Obermueller
says.
It will be a wonderful time in the Obermueller home on Christmas morning.
"Holidays now that I am a dad are getting even better," he says.
Recently, Obermueller sat down with MLB.com to discuss his Christmases past
and present, from boyhood to fatherhood.
Q: What was the best gift you ever got as a kid? The worst?
A: The best and worst gifts kind of go together, in my opinion. When I was 10
years old I would always go out to one of my friends' farm and ride around on
his four-wheel, all-terrain vehicle. I would try to get out there any chance
I could get because I loved riding around on it.
I was born and raised on a farm and we had livestock my whole life. So I
thought it would be nice to have a four-wheeler to chase after the cows when
needed, and also ride all over the country for fun! Through the snow in the
winter and mud in the summer! So when I was 10, I kept asking my dad for a
four-wheeler. I told him how practical it was for a farmer to have one, and
that we needed one. I kept begging and begging, needless to say. So Christmas
comes around and I'm so excited because that is all I asked for. And with all
of the time I put in begging and pleading through the year, I thought I
couldn't be denied this surprise.
Christmas morning, I get up and run downstairs and out into the garage. I
figured it would be out there because it would be too big and wide to get
through the doors into the house. NOTHING! I run up to the machine shed,
maybe it is in there! NOTHING! I run back to the house, go inside and my
parents are standing there with a bow on a little toy four-wheeler that you
could push around with two fingers! They say, "Merry Christmas, here's your
four-wheeler! What do you think?" I thought they were just playing a trick on
me. I said to them, "OK, very funny. Where is my four wheeler?" Sure enough,
they had it right there in their hand!
That toy four-wheeler never got played with. It falls into the category of
worst presents that I received. But looking back on it, my parents played a
pretty funny joke on me. They were so proud of themselves about how
devastated they made me that day. Of course, I was thankful for everything
else I received that year, but still heart-broke. The next Christmas I
received the four-wheeler I put so much hard work in begging for! And that
was the best present I received due to the fact that I worked hard for three
years asking for it. But it was a practical piece of machinery for our farm!
Q: Are you the kind of guy who goes crazy decorating the outside of your
house, a'la Clark Griswold in the Christmas Vacation movie?
A: I put a few lights up this year. Nothing too flashy. If the wife would
allow me, our house would make a strong fight for the brightest thing next to
the sun! But my light privileges are cut to a bare minimum of a tree and some
bushes. Just enough to not look like "Scrooges" of the block.
Q: What's your favorite holiday movie?
A: My favorite holiday movie with no question is National Lampoon's Christmas
Vacation. I think every man can relate with Clark Griswold! And every family
goes through a little of the chaos that they (in the movie) go through. Clark
has a tendency to overdo it quite a bit. And when he thinks he is doing good,
it comes up and bites him back somehow! Then there's the point where he loses
his tolerance for everything! I can sympathize for the man, because I've been
there.
Q: How have the holidays changed since you are a dad?
A: Holidays now that I am a dad are getting even better. My boy is 17 months
old this Christmas, and starting to know how to open up gifts. His favorite
toys are tractors and baseballs and basketballs. We took him to a local farm
supply store the other night; it has a lot of tractors that you ride on and
toys that you push around. He was in heaven. The same type toys that I used
to play with when I was his age and older. Just to see his reactions with the
things that I felt the same way about is the best thing ever! I have fun
looking at his type of stuff -- toys -- because it takes me back all the time
to when I was little. I know his mom has fun picking out stuff for him. Too
much fun!
Q: What has been your most special holiday memory?
A: My most special holiday memory is probably one year when I was about 5
years old, I always left cookies out for Santa down by our fireplace. It was
a real wood-burning fireplace that had ash and soot on the bottom. But what
was so special about that Christmas was before we would start to open up our
gifts that Santa left for us, my sister and I would run down by the fireplace
and get our stockings. (I have two sisters, but my youngest wasn't born yet.)
Our stockings usually had some fruit and little odds and ends in them. When
we went down there, I did always wonder how Santa got down our chimney,
because it was a little tubular chimney maybe 10-12 inches wide. But that
morning I knew he was magical, because there were foot prints of his boots on
our carpet over to the cookies in the ash and soot that he stepped in coming
down the chimney! I'll never forget that! I thought it was so awesome that
Santa was really here and I didn't hear him at all! And he could actually fit
down that chimney! Weird!
Q: What is at the top of your Christmas list this year?
A: I am just excited to see the reaction of my boy when he starts to open up
his gifts. That will be one of the best feelings ever! He is kind of
dramatic. Every time we go by Christmas lights while driving he always oohs
and ahhs. Every time we see tractors and some sort of sports ball, he goes
crazy! I imagine every year will be better and better.
All I need is socks! Every year I get more and more thankful for what we have
been given.
Q: If you could give new Brewers owner Mark Attanasio a gift this Christmas,
what would it be?
A: A gift certificate for a Central Division title, to show him that he made
a wise investment of a quality first-class organization that will work its
tail off to win a championship. And he can use it as soon as he wants.
Q: What about Ned Yost?
A: Another gift certificate for a championship, because he really deserves
it. As hard as he and his coaches work for the team, and the town is second
to none in my opinion. And since I grew up on a farm and raised cattle, I
would have to send him beef of an Iowa corn-fed Angus steer to stock his
freezer so he can grill out in the summertime. And some University of Iowa
Hawkeyes Big Ten Champions 2004 gear!
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