ST. LOUIS -- During his annual luncheon with members of the Baseball Writers Association of America today, Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig was asked a question about the 10th anniversary of the opening of Safeco Field in Seattle.

That reminded me -- as I'm sure it did Selig -- of another anniversary.

It was 10 years ago today that the crane known as "Big Blue" fell at the Miller Park construction site, killing iron workers Jerome Starr, Jeffrey Wischer and William DeGraves and creating damage that delayed the opening of the ballpark for a year.

The accident took place a day after an electrifying All-Star Game in Boston. The following day, a shaken Selig flew to Seattle for the opening of the new ballpark there.

"I don't mind telling you -- that was one of the toughest nights of my life," Selig recalled later. "Here we had thousands of people ready to celebrate a joyous occasion, the opening of a new ballpark, and all I could think about was the men who had lost their lives and the families involved in the tragedy. It was a very, very difficult time."

Despite heading into the break that year with a 42-44 record, the Brewers were only four games out of the division lead. With the new stadium looming, they had hopes for a brighter future.

I was getting ready to cover a workout at County Stadium when the crane fell. I remember calling my colleague, Tom Haudricourt, who had just returned from the All-Star Game.

"Turn on your TV," I told him, as I watched mine. "It's bad."

Baseball seemed insignificant at that point, but the games went on, as they usually do.

The Brewers postponed a game against Kansas City on July 15, then played a doubleheader the following night. After winning the first game, 2-0, the blew a seven-run lead in the nightcap and lost, 12-10. A night later, they beat the Royals but lost all-star rightfielder Jeromy Burnitz, who was hit on the hand by a pitch from Jose Rosado and was lost for the season.

Things got ugly for the Brewers quickly from there. The team lost 21 of 29 games in August, a run that lead to manager Phil Garner's firing and general manager Sal Bando's resignation.

When Miller Park was ready, the Brewers weren't. They stumbled through their first few years in the park and a change in management before ending a 25-year playoff drought last season.

That was a joyous occasion for the team and its fans. For me, today's anniversary is a reminder to savor those good times and treasure the time we have with friends and loved ones.