Settling In

Second baseman Rickie Weeks, 22, the Brewers' top pick in 2003, was called up on June 10 and has batted .270 with seven homers, helping Milwaukee move within seven games of the NL wild card. Weeks, who last wrote for SI Players on June 27, describes his first extended stay in the Show.

The other day I went to get a chicken sandwich at a deli near my apartment, and the weirdest thing happened: Someone actually recognized me! That's never happened to me away from the baseball field. Actually, it was two people behind the counter--and they wanted my autograph. I think I was as excited about it as they were.

I'm settling into my new apartment, a two-bedroom loft in the Milwaukee suburb New Berlin. A few teammates like infielders J.J. Hardy and Bill Hall live nearby, which is great because we go to each other's place and play PlayStation. I bought a 50-inch big screen for my living room, then got the new NCAA football game, so I'm all set. Being from Florida, I play with Florida State all the time and rack up the passing yardage.

J.J. and I hang out off the field. We'll go to the Mayfair Mall, get a bite to eat, walk around. But major league life is a grind; there's not much free time. I get to the ballpark around 1:30 p.m. for a night game, almost six hours before the first pitch. I stretch, take extra batting practice, then go out for our regular BP. One big difference between here and the minors is that the food they make for you at the ballpark is great. The cook in our clubhouse doesn't have to ask any more what I want before games: a grilled chicken sandwich with bacon and American cheese.

I've been happy with my play, though it's been up and down. The biggest thing is that the team is winning. We're just a few games under .500. There's a lot of youth on this team, so everyone talks about the future. I think we can win now.

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DANNY TURNER (WEEKS WRITING)

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J. MERIC/WIREIMAGE.COM (WEEKS ACTION)

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SPORTS ILLUSTRATED IMAGING (DIARY)