To spend $8 or $100 for a Chicago White Sox game

Yesterday, the Chicago Machine game ended before 6 pm. I had hoped to drive straight to US Cellular Field to watch the White Sox host the Cubs in Sunday Night Baseball which started at 7:10 pm. However, my rational side took over.

On Sunday morning, I had researched ticket prices for the Sunday night game. Posts on craigslist.org were ranging around $100 per ticket for upper deck seats and stubhub.com and ticketsnow.com were a little higher.

Then I thought the following:
1) By attending the game last night, that would all but rule out attending any of the remaining White Sox games this week.
2) I remembered that Monday nights at US Cellular Field are half-price. Meaning I can sit in the upper deck tonight for a measly $8.50 vs. negotiating with scalpers for the right to pay around $100 for last night’s game.

In my opinion, watching the Indians play the White Sox and saving $90 was the better option so I will be at US Cellular Field tonight. In addition, parking is more available and concession lines will be shorter.

However, my opinion is in the minority since fans were willing to pay top dollar for the game last night. Or then again, maybe they get caught up in the hype of the Crosstown Classic and fail to realize there are still seats available for the remainder of the White Sox homestand (which ends Sunday, July 7) at a fraction of the cost. Obviously, Cubs fans would not necessarily attend a game at US Cellular Field, but I am wondering where do all the White Sox fans go?

Have Baby Shower? Find a game on route: Chicago Machine

Nicole and I attended one of her best friend’s baby showers today. The shower was held in Downers Grove, IL – a 30 mile drive from Wrigley Field, but the highway that lead to the baby shower conveniently passed by Toyota Park. Toyota Park is the home of Major League Soccer’s Chicago Fire and the lesser known team Major League Lacrosse’s Chicago Machine who happened to have a home game today.

The shower started at 11:30 am and the Chicago Machine game started at 3:30 pm. Since the shower ended at 3 pm, the Ultimate Sports Wife and I had enough time to arrive in time for the Chicago Machine game on our ride home from the shower while not having to drive out of our way. We paid $10 to park in the lot – cheaper than the $15 for Fire games. While Nicole changed to “game” clothes in the car, she also debated whether she should would rather sit in the car and work or sit in the stadium and bring her computer in the park. Guess she was not that excited about the MLL game.

I walked up to the box office to buy some tickets (I had read on the team’s website that tickets were $12 each for today’s game rather than the regular $25 – both prices I think are too much for this event). Knowing there would be no scalping market for this team, I hoped to find a fan that had extra tickets. I walked passed a group of fans and asked if they had extras. One guy said, “Yes. I have four.” I only needed two, so the man handed me two tickets for free. I told him he made my day – a line I picked up to ensure the fan giving me tickets knows he did a “good deed.”

Now that I had two free tickets, Nicole had no choice but to attend the game, which by the time I got back to the car, she thought would be a better option than sitting in the car anyway. Of course, as we walked to the stadium, it started to pour and as we got to the gate, the security guards told us no umbrellas were allowed in the stadium – a policy which probably aggravated at least 10% of the 2,500 people in attendance and a tactic to alienate the true loyalists who actually showed up for the event. I simply brought the umbrella back to the car and I met Nicole in the stadium.

The Chicago Machine won the game 16-13. We saw one “2-goal” shot by Steven Brooks in the 3rd quarter. During the 2nd quarter, the two head coaches were yelling at each other. Over what, I have no idea. But I realized I knew the head coach of the Chicago Machine from one of the classes I took at Northwestern University for my Masters in Sports Administration. Of course, I yelled, “Go get him John!” I don’t think anyone knew who I was yelling at, nor did they care.

In the end, I was happy I did not extend any additional effort for this game. The only thing that made the game worthwhile was that fact I happened to by driving by the stadium at game time (and free tickets helped as well).

Sold out at US Cellular Field? Don’t Drive

I never drive to US Cellular Field, especially for a sold out game. I always take the train (unless I am going with my grandfather who uses his old man tricks to park close to the ballpark). I believe the last time I drove to US Cellular Field for a sold out game was the 2003 Futures Game. Yesterday, I decided to attend the Cubs at White Sox game. Since I was working in the northwest suburbs of Chicago I had no choice but to drive.

The drive to the ballpark was relatively easy. It was trying to park which was the pain. Oh, and I also did not have a ticket yet. I arrived in the area around 2:35 pm – 30 minutes until game time. Signs heading to the ballpark said “Cash Parking: Take 39th St.” – 4 blocks south of the ballpark. Next thing I knew, all the lots were full and I was parking on 30th and State St. (5 blocks north and over one mile to US Cellular Field - http://www.mapquest.com/mq/3-34Vc4FMGjPWvHlzi).

Of course, somehow this was an “official” White Sox parking lot so the cost was the same as parking in the main lots - $22. While sitting in traffic, I used my blackberry to check chicago.craigslist.org. I realized I was going to be late and thought the scalpers may sell all of their tickets if there were enough buyers. I found a post stating "Still need Cubs vs Sox Today on Location for pickup! - $50 (Uppers and Lowers!)". The price was in the range of what I researched in the morning so I told them I would buy an upper deck single.

After parking and picking up my ticket, there were a few more scalpers who still had extra tickets so I may have paid too much but as with any ticket purchase, I paid a little more to ensure I had a ticket.

I sat down as the Cubs were batting in the top of the 2nd inning. In the top of the 3rd inning, Jose Contreras got Derrek Lee to ground into a bases loaded double play to end the inning. In the bottom of the 3rd, Nick Swisher hit a grand slam to top off a 7 run inning which the Cubs could not come back from.

As with any rivalry game, the fans were fighting in the stands adding to the entertainment of a blow out game. After the game, I still had the one mile walk back to the car. I had hoped I would find a new restaurant or bar on the walk back, but had no luck. Jimbo’s is still the main local establishment I know about.

So close but so far away: Orioles at Cubs

One night after flying back from Europe, the Ultimate Sports Wife and I attended the Baltimore Orioles’ first ever visit to Wrigley Field. However, we did not attend together. Initially, Nicole decided she would skip last night’s game and attend tonight’s (Wednesday’s) Orioles at Cubs game.

Without having any tickets for last night’s game, I had planned to buy a standing room only seat or a ticket from a scalper. But, first, I walked over to our favorite rooftop to ask about attending Wednesday night’s game from the rooftop. My contact said the rooftop was full for Wednesday night’s game but that they had room last night. Of course, I graciously accepted rather than buying an SRO or negotiating with a scalper.

About 30 minutes after the game started, Nicole called me asking me where I was sitting. I said I was on the rooftop. “Are you kidding me? I just found a ticket for the game and was hoping to sit with you,” she said. Rather than waste the ticket, she raced into Wrigley Field and watched the game from the Upper Deck.

The found ticket is a mythical legend – especially for a team that has one of the most expensive secondary ticket markets in sports. It is greater than finding a $20 bill on the ground. It rarely ever happens and when it does it is hard to believe. Somebody almost always beats you to it.

I believe Nicole’s found ticket was the first I ever heard about. I personally cannot remember ever finding a ticket on the ground at any sporting event. I have been given plenty of tickets for free, but never picked up one lying on the ground. I used to be on the opposite end of the found ticket - leaving extra Oakland Athletics tickets on the ground in the mid to late 1990’s when I could not pay someone to attend A’s games with me. But Nicole found one so we attended the same game but had no way of sitting together. Good thing for text messaging.

For the first time since 2002, I saw the Orioles play. The Orioles won the game 7-5 after the Cubs made an unsuccessful comeback in the late innings. Bip Roberts tripled in the 6th inning giving him 1,000 hits on his career.

Spain vs. Italy – Vienna, Austria

The Ultimate Sports Wife and I attended the Euro Cup Quarterfinal between Spain and Italy in Vienna, Austria on Sunday night. It was the first time Spain beat Italy in a competitive match since 1920.

We arrived in Vienna on Friday night along with a plane full of Spanish fans. Some of the fans stated they were traveling to Vienna to watch the match in the FanZone since tickets to the match were too expensive. This got us wondering how much tickets were selling for since we felt this was one of the best possible matches to attend.

Originally we had three tickets to this match through a business contact of mine. When my travelling soccer friends declined to use the extra ticket I shopped it around to the online ticket brokers. I sold the ticket to ticketcity.com rather than try to sell an international match ticket online, or worse, in Vienna. Remember brokers try to buy tickets at wholesale and sell at retail. Thus, most online sites had ticket prices ranging from $700 to $1000 (or Euros in some cases) per ticket.

Knowing this pre-match price we were convinced ticket prices must have increased (making me feel bad I had already sold my extra ticket). On Saturday afternoon, we noticed the pre-match ticket market was located in Stephansplatz – a square at the geographical center of Vienna. Nicole asked a woman (in Spanish) how much for two tickets to the match. The woman responded 400 Euros (around $620) per ticket for category 1. That price made me feel more comfortable about the price I received for our extra ticket.

On Sunday, we met some Italy fans from Mexico who said tickets were priced around 500 Euros for category 1 tickets. Ticket prices were holding relatively steady. However, when we arrive at the Vienna stadium, ticket prices had taken a turn for the worse (if you were selling). About 20-25 people were holding up extra tickets, meaning nobody was buying. We asked one guy how much for his tickets. He said 110 Euros (FACE VALUE!) and seemed nervous about receiving that price. Somehow, the market had bottomed out and no Spaniards or Italians could be found to buy the extra tickets since the pre-match ticket price scared them away.

How did the market change so much? As with any ticket market, the answer is who knows! It is never easy to predict when to buy tickets. Basically, you need to determine how much risk you are willing to take in not attending the game. If the game is that important and you have flown to Europe, most people will pay a premium to ensure they have tickets. But what that premium will be is often your ability to watch and research the ticket market at different time.

Stage 6 of the Tour of Switzerland

Yesterday, the Ultimate Sports Wife and I attended the 6th stage of the Tour of Switzerland - an event I discovered was taking place during our stay. When arriving in a new city or country, I try to find the local sports paper. The paper will list all of the main events that are important to the local country but do not reach the U.S. news. I picked up a copy of the Swiss sports paper (Blick Sport) at a local restaurant.

The paper had a section on the "Tour de Suisse" an event I knew was sponsored by UCI (Union Cycliste International) and a prep event for the Tour de France. Thus, I borrowed a map from our hotel's front desk and looked up each city the tour was visiting. Ambri, Switzerland was our best bet to attend. Stage 6 started there and it was in the Tocino region - an area Nicole wanted to visit.

It took about an hour to drive from Lucerne to Ambri and we barely had to drive off the autobahn. We arrived in Ambri at noon and saw the stage was starting at the local airport - a field in the middle of the Alps. Ambri was fairly desolate, but the event was happening. Local wine and cheese merchants were providing the necessary fan fare and the cyclists were mingling with the crowd. We spent 45 minutes walking around the area, drinking our wine, sampling free fondue and Gruyere cheese, and then headed towards the starting line.

At 1 pm, the cyclists were off; at 1:01 pm the cyclists were gone. The event was over but the festival went on without it. Once again, the Ultimate Sports Wife felt that cycling was the best spectator sport. One minute of action and as much wine and cheese as you like.

Some people left the event, while we stuck around to view the location of the event - a normally empty field nestled in between two spectacular mountain ranges. After the event, we continued driving South wondering if we should have spent longer soaking up the festive atmosphere in the middle of nowhere.

Netherlands vs. Romania - Bern, Switzerland

We are staying in Lucerne, Switzerland which is one hour from Zurich and 1.5 hours from Bern. On Tuesday night, Zurich was hosting Italy vs. France and and Bern was hosting the Netherlands vs. Romania. By looking at the game only, one may decide to drive to Zurich (a shorter distance and a better matchup). However, after looking at ticket prices, the Ultimate Sports Wife and I decided to drive to Bern (about $300 less per ticket).

We did not have tickets to either match, but wanted to visit Bern at some point during our trip. We chose Tuesday because of the match. We arrived to Bern and parking in a parking lot in the city center since we knew there would be no way to park by the stadium. It cost 25.10 Swiss Francs (equivalent to $25).

We took the "walking tour" of Bern. The Dutch and Romania fans were all over the town. As we walked towards the FanZone (a Euro Cup sponsored area where fans eat and drink before the game), we found scalpers with tickets. The first guy had two singles (200 and 160 euros) each. I considered it, since they were the first tickets we found, but Nicole said why would we spend that much to sit along (good point I thought). Next, we found a scalper with two together. He wanted 300 euros for the pair. I asked for 200 but he said no. 250 I asked. No he said. I walked away knowing full well I would pay 300. He asked,"How about 280?" Hesitating, I said ok but I only have Swiss Francs. Immediately he said 450. I asked 440 (remember everything is negotiable), but we agreed on 450. Nicole and I made sure the tickets looked legit and made the transaction.

Afterwards, Nicole and I continued touring Bern before walking to the stadium. 40,000 Dutch fans had shown up to Bern. The Netherlands won the match 2-0. After the match, we had to walk the "long" way back since so many fans were mingling in the area from the stadium to the city center.

Cataclysmic Records: Atlanta Braves at Chicago Cubs

Last night the Ultimate Sports Wife and I had planned to go to the Cubs game. However, at 3 pm, Nicole called me stating her friend’s husband and two of their three kids were coming to the game. “Do you have parking available?” she had asked. I called the woman back and told her the spot was available. In exchange, she said they had an extra ticket for the Cubs game. We told her we had already planned to go using our two tickets. Then we decided one of us could invite a friend and the other would use their extra ticket.

Charles Merritt, who attended the April 6th game with me, was able to go meaning I was sitting in our upper deck seats and Nicole was going to split time sitting with us and our friends. However, when I received the extra ticket it was in section 114 of Wrigley Field and straight up from the Cubs on-deck circle. “I’ll see you after the game,” said Nicole – obviously deciding that she would not be sitting with Charles and me.

For probably the only time this season, I saw Chipper Jones play. Before yesterday’s game, Jones was batting .420 for the season – trying to become the first player since Ted Williams in 1941 to bat over .400. If he does end up hitting over .400 I will be able to say I saw Chipper hit safely at least once this season. That is similar to saying I saw Barry Bonds hit multiple home runs during the 2001 season. I may not have seen the record setting home run, but I did see a record setting home run.

Alfonso Soriano broke his finger when Jeff Bennett hit him in the 2nd inning and will be out of the lineup for 6 weeks. This was not the first major Cubs injury I have witnessed. On April 19, 2006, I was in the stands when Rafael Furcal crashed into Derrek Lee at Dodger Stadium. Lee broke two fingers and was also out for 6 weeks. On July 11, 2003 when the Cubs hosted the Atlanta Braves, I witnessed Mark Prior running into Marcus Giles. Both players missed the 2003 All-Star game because of the collision.

Note: When googling “prior 2003 injury”, the following blog post came up. Cubs f/x speculates that Prior’s injury plagued career could have started with that 2003 run-in at Wrigley Field.

Chicago Wolves are 2008 Calder Cup Champions

It is not everyday you witness a team clinching their league’s Championship. Last night, I attended Game 6 of the Calder Cup Finals at Allstate Arena. The Chicago Wolves beat the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (not sure who agreed to that team name) 5-2 to win the 2008 Calder Cup – 4 games to 2.

Before the game, I bought my ticket from ticketmaster.com. I did so because I still had a $16 Ticketmaster gift certificate and the last time I saw the Wolves there were neither scalpers nor fans with extra tickets outside the arena. That game I ended up paying $12 at the Box Office so I thought I would use up my gift certificate this time (yesterday’s ticket cost $19 with Ticketmaster fees).

Chicago fans must have been starved for a championship. I had to wait in the longest line I have ever seen at a Wolves game to claim my ticket at Will Call. Last night the Chicago Wolves drew almost 10,000 fans compared to only 5,000 fans for Game 1, 7,000 fans for Game 2 and around 4,000 per game for the rest of the playoffs.

After the game, the AHL and Chicago Wolves partook in all of the typical championship celebrations. The team was ecstatic and all of the trophy presentations took place. Jason Krog who scored a hat trick in the game was named MVP of the Calder Cup playoffs.

Chicago Wolves over Chicago Cubs?

In what might be a first, I am choosing to attend the Chicago Wolves game over the Chicago Cubs game tonight. In what should have been considered a no-brainer a few factors affected my decision.

1) I already sold my tickets to the Cubs game tonight.
2) The Chicago Wolves are playing in the Calder Cup Finals – an event I have not attended. I did attend the Turner Cup Finals on June 2, 1998 when the Wolves were in the IHL Championship Series.
3) The Wolves could clinch the League title tonight.
4) However, the #1 reason maybe that the Allstate Arena is on my way home from work and breaks up my hour plus drive home.

I am beginning to understand why I barely attended any games during late 1998 and all of 1999 when I worked out of the same building.

International Friendly: Mexico vs. Peru

In the second game I attended yesterday, Mexico beat Peru 4-0 in an international friendly at Soldier Field. After leaving Grace O’Malley’s, I made the 20 minute walk over to the Soldier Field ticket office. On the way, I talked with a few scalpers – most who wanted around face value for tickets.

Once I was at the ticket office, I again ran into the woman who recognized me at a Northwestern basketball game. This time we started chatting about how ticket sellers outside the stadium always save you money over ebay, stubhub or a ticket broker. However, most people do not like the negotiation that takes place with ticket scalpers outside the stadium. As we were talking, our Wrigley Field scalper, Broker Ben, came up and started chatting with me. He told me his tickets were too expensive for me (he wanted $40 each) and that I should wait for a better deal.

As we were milling around, a fan arrived with three extra tickets (face value was $75 each). He wanted $40 each, but I said I would only pay $40 for a pair. He agreed. As I walked back to meet the Ultimate Sports Wife, another scalper asked me how I had done purchasing tickets. I told him $20 each for $75 tickets. He said that was a good price.

International Soccer Ball Tip: The group of guys sitting behind us at the game last night caught a ball when it came into the stands. Soccer is not like baseball in that you can keep the ball. However, these guys tried to. Security came down twice and eventually found the ball, but these guys could have had a free souvenir if they had tried a little harder.

After the game, Nicole and I ate dinner at Exposure Tapas Restaurant located at 1315 S. Wabash Ave. The restaurant is in the same area as the Irish pub but a closer walk to the red line train station and has an outdoor patio. Last night (Sunday nights), Exposure has a half-price bottle of wine special. If you are heading to Soldier Field you should try one of the few restaurants on that corner.

Chicago Baseball in the Rain: Wait in the house if you can

The first game of the day started off slowly yesterday. I was ready to leave the house when a classic Chicago thunderstorm rolled through the city. I turned on the TV and the White Sox announcers stated the game would not start at 1:05 pm CT because of the rain and no time had been set for the first pitch. Instead of sitting at US Cellular Field for an undetermined amount of time, I decided to wait in the house and leave as soon as they knew the first pitch time. This turned out to be the correct decision as the first pitch was announced for 2:35 pm shortly after 2 pm.

Once the first pitch time was set, I was on my way to the ballpark. I arrived at the game a few minutes late, but very late based on the original start time. Thus, the scalpers had already sold all of their tickets. I did see the woman scalper who recognized me at a Northwestern basketball game this past winter and said she had had some cheap tickets but not anymore. I bought a $21 ticket from the White Sox box office and walked in the stadium.

The White Sox beat the Minnesota Twins 12-2. They scored 10 or more runs in three consecutive games for the first time since July 2000 and gathered 15 hits in three consecutive games for the first time since July 1932.

I did realize one interesting personal fact when watching the Twins. Before yesterday, my record when seeing the Twins play as the visiting team was 18-4 (now 18-5). By far, my best record when watching any team.

After the game, I took the red line back to Roosevelt and waited for the Ultimate Sports Wife at Grace O’Malley’s – an Irish pub located at 1416 S. Michigan Ave – a good place to meet before a game at Soldier Field.

Doubleheader Day: Chicago White Sox and International Soccer

For the first time since 2004, I am planning to attend a Chicago White Sox game and a soccer match at Solder Field in the same day. Today, the White Sox are hosting the Minnesota Twins at 1:05 pm and Mexico is playing Peru at Soldier Field at 7 pm.

The Ultimate Sports Wife, who is only attending the soccer match, is planning to meet me at Weather Mark Tavern located at 1503 N. Michigan Ave. in between games.

Torco Racing Fuels Route 66 NHRA Nationals

Somehow, I have attended three drag racing events in three different time zones this year. The first was on February 10, 2008 in Pomona, CA, the second was on March 15, 2008 in Gainesville, FL and yesterday I attended the Route 66 NHRA Nationals in Joliet, IL.

The great thing about arriving at Route 66 Raceway is no traffic. Three months ago, when I arrived at Gainesville Raceway, it took more than an hour to drive the 3 miles from the highway to the track. The drive from Wrigley Field to Route 66 Raceway took about 75 minutes. Parking was $5.

As soon as I parked, a scalper asked if I had extra tickets. I said no and asked if he had an extra. He had a $48 face value single. He wanted $45 for it. I said no thanks. My target price was between $20 and $30 since that was what I paid at the other two NHRA events this year.

Walking towards the main gate I found a scalper who had a stack of tickets. He was selling to other fans for $40 each. I whispered, “Will you take $30 for 1 ticket.” He said yes and told me to walk away from the main group.

Ticket Buying Tip #7: When other fans are buying from a scalper for a price that you believe is too high (in this case $40), you need to wait until that transaction is complete or be discreet about the price you want to pay. A scalper will not giveaway his minimum price to other fans if you are negotiating in front of them.

As for the event itself, I witnessed Melanie Troxel become the first woman to qualify as the #1 seed (16 cars qualify for the Final Eliminations on Sunday) in Funny Car racing history. In addition, Tony Schumacher took the pole position in Top Fuel for the 50th time in his career.

I left when the rains came. According to the recap, racing was delayed for three hours, so it looks like my decision to leave was the correct one.

Here are a few tips I have when attending an NHRA event:
1) You must be sure to be in the stands when the Funny Car and Top Fuel Dragsters are on the track. These cars drive the ¼ mile track in less than 5 seconds and top speeds are between 300 and 330 mph. When sitting in the stands you can feel your inner organs vibrate as they race down the track. There is no other experience like it in sports.
2) You should also watch the Pro Stock Cars and Motorcycles. These are the next most important races.
3) Based on my comment in #1, you must bring ear plugs. Please do not try to “tough out” the noise.
4) Bring sun screen. While you must be tough to race in drag racing, they will not race with even a drizzle of rain (makes sense – do not want a car driving 300+ miles per hour to slip on a rain drop). Thus, racing normally takes place in the sun.

New York City vs. the Second City

When planning a sports vacation many decisions need to be made. First and most important are the city to travel to and the sporting events taking place in that metropolitan area. This weekend the Ultimate Sports Wife and I had planned to fly to New York City to see Big Brown race for the Triple Crown at the Belmont Stakes, the US Men’s National Team host Argentina at the Meadowlands and watch the Yankees play in their last season at Yankee Stadium. (I must admit these were the sporting events on “my agenda.” Nicole may have had other priorities when visiting New York City.)

Two months ago, I wrote that I decided to book our airline tickets to New York on Southwest Airlines. The number one reason being that you can cancel the flight if you choose not to go. That decision is benefiting us now as we have decided not to travel to NYC for a myriad of reasons.

Of course, I already knew of the competing sporting events in Chicago for the weekend. The NHRA is in Joliet, IL, the Mexican Men’s National Team is playing Peru at Soldier Field on Sunday night and the White Sox are home. I would argue that the events in Chicago are fairly equal to the events in New York City (except for the Belmont Stakes vs. NHRA) for the following reasons:

1) The Belmont Stakes and NHRA only occur once per year in their respective cities. However, the Belmont Stakes should be a higher priority than the NHRA on anyone’s list because the Belmont Stakes occurs only one time per year and nowhere other than New York City. While the NHRA only visits Chicago once per year, they have 23 other events for the season.

2) An international “friendly” soccer game is equal to any other international “friendly” soccer game. One may prefer one team to another but, in the end, the games are the same.

3) Same goes for MLB. Although some regular season games have higher prestige, each game is still one game. One may argue going to a game at Yankee Stadium should have higher precedence than US Cellular Field, but that only applies if you have never been to Yankee Stadium. Otherwise a game is a game.

If you were considering a trip to New York City or Chicago this weekend, I would choose New York City because of my argument for the Belmont Stakes. Although I will not be going this year, I plan to go to the Belmont Stakes in the near future.

Wrigley Rooftops – “Can I have that seat?”

I received the call at 1 pm (20 minutes before the scheduled first pitch of the Rockies at Cubs game) – “Hey Andrew, you can come up on the rooftop. How many are you?” the rooftop owner asked. I said, “Just my brother and I.” “Ok. Call me when you are downstairs,” said the rooftop owner.

My brother and I then scurried out of our house and over to the rooftop (http://www.wrigleyrooftops.com/). Since we were going through the owner for access, we went through the Ultimate Sports Wife’s 10 steps, but we were not deterred. My brother, who had only been on a rooftop once before, had been hoping for this phone call since landing in Chicago Saturday morning.

Halfway through the game, I saw the rooftop owner and he asked “Are you sitting somewhere?” “Yes, the two corner seats in the last row,” I said. Not realizing sooner, we were sitting next to his girlfriend’s friends. Next he asked if they could sit there for a little while. Of course, I said yes. What other option did I have? Say no and be asked to leave? So we lost our seats and we stood for the next few innings and watched the remainder of the game from the 3rd floor bar inside.

The 3rd floor of the two new rooftops at 3617 and 3619 Sheffield Ave. have been created with luxury in mind. It would be hard to find a bar with nicer furnishings. Flat screens are all around the room and nice tables to dine on – the main issue being you cannot really watch the game from this location. It is mainly a deluxe sports bar that happens to have a view Wrigley’s outfield.

The Cubs finished their home stand 7-0. Their first undefeated home stand of at least seven games since April 1970. It’s too bad I did not attend Tuesday night’s or Friday afternoon’s games. Two weeks ago, I wrote about never attending a 4-game sweep although I have attended a few 4-game series. Yesterday, the Cubs complete the sweep of a 4-game series at Wrigley Field. However, since I did not attend Friday’s 8-run comeback by the Cubs, I still have not attended a 4-game sweep.