The Westfield crew & friends

by Roger Ash

You may be wondering how baseball and comics are connected. Well, read on and all will be revealed as I give you a glimpse behind the scenes at Westfield.

One of the reasons I enjoy working at Westfield is that I love comics. I really do. I think it’s a fantastic medium for storytelling and comics have brought me many hours of joy over the years. I love being able to pass on that love and joy of comics to others.

A second reason I enjoy working here is the atmosphere of the workplace. Yes, we are very serious about what we do here. However, we also know how to enjoy ourselves. Laughter is a regular part of the working day. I’ve made some very dear friends here. When my cat Sebastian passed away last year, the condolences and care expressed by my coworkers helped get me through a very difficult time. It is sort of like a family (I’m the weird uncle).

Sgt. Slaughter puts Roger Ash in the Cobra Clutch

We also get together outside of work. This past Friday was our third annual outing to a Madison Mallards game. The Mallards are a local baseball team that is part of the Northwoods League. The league has teams in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan and features college players who want to hone their skills by getting more playing time during the summer. These games are always a great time – myself and fellow Westfielder Mary Carter are huge Mallards supporter s– with good baseball, occasional guest stars such as wrestling legend Sgt. Slaughter and actor James Best (who played Sherriff Rosco P. Coltrane among many other roles), fun games between innings with the dizzy bat spin being a crowd favorite, and lots more. It’s a great evening of entertainment that doesn’t break the bank. I realized I was becoming a regular at the Duck Pond (the familiar name for their stadium at Warner Park) when one of the vendors who goes simply by “Beer Man” started recognizing me. He’s a nice guy and we always take some time to talk at each game. Oh – if you’re into baseball keeps your eyes open for a guy named Harold Riggins. He’s gonna be big one day. Trust me on this.

On this particularly beautiful Saturday evening, we got to watch the Mallards clobber the La Crosse Loggers 12-1 with the big blow coming in the bottom of the second when Jon Pierre “Jumpy” Garcia hit a grand slam. It was a thing of awesome beauty. We all had a wonderful time at the game, chowing down on traditional ballpark fare, and simply enjoying each others company. It was a fun evening and a reminder of why I love what I do.

Now, go read a comic!