Completion of Suspended Games

Even though I did not attend a sporting event last night, the minor league game from Tuesday night ended with the Peoria Chiefs defeating the Kane County Cougars 9-8 in 12 innings. The final 3.5 innings were played in Peoria in front of a crowd of 4,232. Although it was the first suspended baseball game I have attended, it was not the first suspended sporting event.

On December 12, 2004, the Ultimate Sports Wife and I were at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium watching Real Madrid host Real Sociedad. With 3 minutes left in the match, the referees waived for all the players to leave the pitch. Since Nicole and I were taking pictures in the aisle we had a head start as everyone else started to evacuate the section (the picture shows how high we were sitting).

The stadium was evacuated in about 10 minutes as ETA (a violent separatist organization in Spain) had phoned in a bomb threat on the stadium. Nicole and I walked 5 miles back to our hotel as we did not want to take the subway because of an attack that might occur there. The match resumed on January 5, 2005.

Minor League Baseball at Wrigley Field

Last night was a night of firsts at Wrigley Field.

First, the Peoria Chiefs hosted the Kane County Cougars, which was considered the first minor league baseball game ever played at Wrigley Field.

Second, it was Ryne Sandberg’s (manager of the Peoria Chiefs) first time in uniform at Wrigley Field since September 21, 1997 – a game I also attended.

Third, the game drew 32,103 fans – shattering the previous record for a Midwest League game. The previous record was 14,492 at Kane County last year. Just 10 days ago, I attended a game at the Kane County's Elfstrom Stadium in which almost 12,000 people attended.

Fourth, I saw my first suspended game (and what I believe is the first suspended game at Wrigley Field). As the game sat tied at 6-6 in the 9th inning, I wondered if the game would be played out until one team won. Then the rains came and the umpires were all too eager to suspend the game. The game will be completed tonight in Peoria before the regularly scheduled contest between the Cougars and Chiefs.

Fifth, Steve Bartman came running out of his 2003 NLCS Game 6 seat and was eaten by Clammy Sosa (a character from ZOOperstars! that the Peoria Chiefs use as entertainment during their games). Other ZOOperstars in attendance included Alex Frogriguez, Harry Canary, Mia Hammster, Nolan Ryno and Nomar Garciaparrot.

Sixth, Dutchie Caray, the late wife of Harry Caray, sang the “Take me out to the ballgame” with Harry Canary from the field rather than the press box.

Seventh, in the 322 Cubs games I have attended, I never sat as close to the field as I did yesterday. I bought my ticket early Tuesday afternoon from the box office. The best single they had was in section 27, row 7 – seven rows directly behind the on deck circle for the Kane County Cougars. Granted it was not a Cubs game, but it was a much better deal at $15 (rather than the $80 face value for the same seat at a Cubs game).

After the game, I met up with Nicole at the Kit Kat Lounge and Supper Club at 3700 N. Halsted St. The Kit Kat Lounge won the best martini award from CitySearch.com in 2001 and has been nominated for other awards several times in the last few years. Tuesday night is half price martini night (regularly priced $10) – if you don’t mind the drag show that comes with those half priced martinis.

Standing Room Only at Miller Park: Cubs at Brewers

After traffic in Chicago’s northern suburbs and around Milwaukee’s airport, I finally parked at Miller Park at 6:45 pm – 20 minutes before the first pitch and 2 hours after I left the office. As I approached the Miller Park box office, no ticket scalpers were offering tickets for sale, but mainly asking if anyone had extras. The lines for Will Call were long, but I saw a tickets.com tickets kiosk. I slid my credit card into the machine and out came my ticket. I had not used a ticket kiosk before and this experience was quite painless. That was worth the extra $6.25 I thought. I entered the ballpark before the first pitch. It appeared my decision to buy a ticket ahead of time was the correct one, especially since the Brewers had cut off SRO sales by the time I had arrived.

I went straight to T.G.I. Friday’s and put my name down for a table. The host said it would be 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, I was nowhere close to the top of the list so I left and bought a chorizo from a concession stand.

I eventually sat close to Bernie’s Terrace in the upper level – the worst seats in the park and, yes, they are pretty bad. After the 7th inning, I thought that T.G.I. Friday’s should have emptied out a bit but I was mistaken when the host said it would now be at least a one hour wait.

I watched the remainder of the game from the first level standing room area. The SRO only sections of Miller Park are more like a bar with a baseball game in the background. The atmosphere was pretty intense - more like a playoff game than the regular season.

The entire game went back and forth as each team took the lead. Derrek Lee hit the game winning double in the top of the 9th inning and Wrigley North (as Cubs fans like to call Miller Park) was ecstatic. I raced to my car when the game ended as I did not want to sit in traffic after the 3rd largest crowd in Miller Park history. The largest crowd in Miller Park history was Sept. 6, 2003 when the Brewers packed in 46,218 fans (also against the Cubs).

SRO at Miller Park Tip: One problem with Standing Room Only (SRO) at Miller Park (which is not applicable at Wrigley Field or United Center) is that fans must enter the sections in the first and second level from the top. Meaning it is difficult to scan for empty seats when looking from the top down. Only the third level allows SRO ticket holders to enter the sections from the bottom of the section. Scanning for empty seats from the bottom up is much easier because you know exactly what seat to aim for when climbing up the steps. Plus, when entering from the top of the section, the rest of the people in standing room know you are looking for seats, which also makes “finding seats” more difficult.

Whether or not to buy ahead of time: Cubs at Brewers

Normally, I never buy tickets ahead of time, especially for a Milwaukee Brewers game. However, tonight I am attending the Cubs at Brewers game at Miller Park. This morning, I logged onto www.brewers.com to see what tickets were available. Some $60 singles and Standing Room Only (SRO) for $22 was all that was available. When I went to see how many SRO seats were available, my seat number was in the 1300’s. I thought, maybe I can buy a cheaper ticket from a scalper at the ballpark. If not, I could always buy a SRO from the box office.

This afternoon, after checking craigslist, TicketsNow and TicketCity, I realized that upper level seats were ranging between $50 and $75 and that CC Sabathia was pitching. I also knew I only had $65 in cash on me (minus $8 for parking). So I logged back onto the Brewers’ ticketing site. The $60 seats were sold out and my seat number for the SRO was now 2144 – meaning approximately 800 SRO tickets had sold since I logged on this morning. I bought the SRO seat for $28.25 ($22 face value + $6.25 in handling fees) – knowing that I would probably not beat $30 once I arrived at Miller Park.

With any SRO ticket, you can generally find an empty seat in the lower deck (especially if you are a single). Also, if necessary, Miller Park has a TGI Friday’s which gives you a good view of the game as long as you are eating dinner.

Florida Marlins at Chicago Cubs

After a busy Saturday around Wrigley Field, Sunday was much calmer. The Cubs came from behind twice, once from 5-0 down, to beat the Florida Marlins 9-6.

In the random records category:
1) Dan Uggla tied Joe Gordon (yes, that’s Gordon) for the most home runs hit by a second baseman in his first three seasons.
2) The 4-game series against the Marlins drew a record 165,540 fans which broke the attendance record for a 4-game series at Wrigley Field.

A Saturday in Wrigeyville: Marlins at Cubs

In the longest baseball game I have attended this season, the Florida Marlins beat the Chicago Cubs 3-2 in 12 innings. For the third time this season, I witnessed the home plate umpire leaving the game. The first time the umpire left, I wrote that I had not seen an umpire leave a game since Game 1 of the 2003 NLCS. I am not sure why umpires are not getting along with Wrigley Field this year.

Lou Piniella and first base coach Matt Sinatro were ejected from the game for arguing an out call when Mark DeRosa slid head-first into first base in the bottom of the 9th. Fans littered the field with garbage and booed – an appropriate response from Cubs fans for such an egregious call.

Before the game, Nicole and I ate breakfast at Salt & Pepper Diner at 3537 N. Clark St. – just south of the Wrigley Field. While most restaurants are crowded and loud before a Cubs game, Salt & Pepper Diner had seating available about 45 minutes before game time. We could sit and order meals without the hassle of people bumping into us. Plus for entrees at $6 and pitchers of beer for $7, there aren’t too many places that are a better bargain.

After a long summers nap, we went to dinner at Twist A Tapas Café. The place was pretty empty for 9 pm on a Saturday night, but our food came out quickly. If looking for tapas around Wrigley Field, this may be your best and only option.

After dinner, we grabbed a drink in Sheffield’s Beer and Wine Garden (voted best outdoor bar by Citysearch). Sheffield’s has relatively cheap drinks and a $4 beer of the month special.

Tourists in Wrigleyville: Marlins at Cubs

On Thursday night, our friends from London, England were in town, so of course, we needed to “experience” Wrigleyville. Before the game, we decided to eat at the new Harry Caray’s Tavern located at 3551 N. Sheffield Avenue. However, the place was already packed at 5:15 pm. We chose to move on and walk to Clark St. The restaurants on Clark St. were empty. We attributed the emptiness to not being located next to the Addison El stop.

We ate dinner at The Central – www.thecentralchicago.com. The Central had a lot of tables to sit at before the game and a cheap bar menu. Sandwiches ranged between $6 and $7.

After dinner, we stopped at Vines on Clark (www.cubbybear.com/vinesonclark) because they had an outdoor bar. The Ultimate Sports Wife wrote about our previous dining experience. Beers were $5 for 12-ounces – technically, more expensive than inside Wrigley.

The Cubs beat the Marlins 6-3 to become the first National League team to win 60 games this season. However, that could be a bad omen as the last National League team to win the World Series after being the first to 60 games was the 1995 Atlanta Braves. The Cubs were also the first team to 60 wins in 2001 and did not make the playoffs.

Also, the Cubs passed the 2 million attendance mark quicker

After the game, we went to Wrigleyville Sports - www.wrigleyvillesports.com. It was the most crowded I’ve ever seen the place. Of course, I never go there after a game.

Instead of going out in Wrigleyville after that, we hung out on our deck and watched the crowd disperse. The Brits enjoyed their visit to Wrigley Field and the Ultimate Sports Wife and I enjoyed being tourists in our own neighborhood.

Arlington Park in Arlington Heights, IL

Over two months ago, I wondered why I never thought of watching live horse racing. Today, I finally decided to drive to Arlington Park to watch the races during my lunch (two) hour(s).

The drive to the track was 15 minutes from the office. Since only 8 races were on the program today, I could watch 4-5 races and still be back at the office in a reasonable amount of time (plus with my laptop and Arlington Park’s wireless network I could work during the 30 minute downtime between each race).

Admission to Arlington Park is $7. They have a food court with the normal variety of food to select from – tacos, hamburgers and pizza. However, it tastes better than regular ballpark food.

In the second race I won an exacta box as Papa won and Inner Light placed. Neither my luck nor the risk of my bets was nearly as good for the rest of the day.

Kane County Cougars and a day with the family in Aurora, IL

The day began with driving to my corporate summer picnic out in Aurora, IL – a 60 mile drive from Wrigley Field. In order to make the drive more worthwhile, we planned to spend the day in Aurora by visiting my wife’s aunt and uncle who live there and attending the Kane County Cougars game Saturday night against the Lansing Lugnuts.

The day had all the makings of a fun family day as we were attending events that were kid friendly (minus the kid part for us). First up was Blackberry Farms and Splash Country (a small water park). Blackberry Farms with its old historical buildings from the 1800’s, a carousel and a train to ride and an assortment of animals to pet, your kids will be in heaven running around the park. In addition, Splash Country (which is across the street from Blackberry Farm) has two larger water slides, a lazy river and a giant pool for the whole family to enjoy.

After the corporate picnic, we visited the wife’s Aunt and Uncle where we relaxed and ate dinner. Their house was 12 miles from the farm and water park but still in Aurora.

Nicole’s uncle and I went to the Kane County Cougars game which started at 6:00 pm (7 miles from their house). I had looked online Friday and saw that all of the reserved seats were sold out. Only lawn seats were left. We arrived at the park and bought two lawn seats for $8 each. Two reserved seats were available at the box office, but we had already carried our lawn chairs to the stadium.

We did not stick around for the world’s largest pillow fight post game – 3,872 fans took part in the 90 second event (surpassing the record of 3,648 people). The Cougars were planning to give away 4,000 pillows to any fan who wanted to participate in the pillow fight. We were 2 of about 8,000 fans who opted out of the event. The attendance of 11,810 was the largest crowd for a minor league game I have attended.

The Kane County Cougars are a bargain if you want to bring the entire family. A family of 4 can attend the game for $32 (plus food and drink). Parking was free and the lawn seats are perfect for the kids. Kids are able to run around and play with all of the other kids all in the site lines of their parents – the perfect babysitter.

The Cougars lost the game 8-2 after going down early giving up a couple of first inning home runs to the Lugnuts. While we did not have kids for our day in Aurora, we will keep the city in mind for the future.

An unusual All-Star Break event: Madison, WI

It’s the All-Star break for Major League Baseball. Generally that means, unless you are attending the All-Star festivities in New York City, cities’ sports events’ calendars are sparse (unless the WNBA happens to be playing).

Since we were driving back from Minneapolis to Chicago on Monday, I looked for events taking place in Wisconsin cities that were on route. Those cities included Eau Claire, Madison and Rockford, IL (we could detour to Milwaukee if necessary). Madison, WI was hosting the Northwoods League All-Star Game on Monday night starting at 7 pm – a perfect breaking point from our 7 hour drive (4.5 hours from Minneapolis and 2.5 hours from Chicago).

For those who are unfamiliar, the Northwoods League is a sanctioned Summer Collegiate Baseball League – meaning any player with at least one year of college eligibility remaining can participate in the league. The players are unpaid in order to keep their amateur status. I actually attended a Northwoods League game back in 1996 when I worked in Kenosha, WI. Kenosha no longer has their team but the league seems to be thriving with 14 teams mainly located in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

I knew the cheapest tickets to the event were $7 and that in order to keep the wife happy I would need to spend more than that. As I walked to the box office, a man asked me if I needed extra tickets. As I always do, I entertained his offer. He stated he had tickets for $10 each. Then added “It’s all you can eat and drink.” That sounds like a bargain I thought. We were planning to eat in Madison after the game, so I hesitated for a second before buying the tickets, but realizing the face value was $25 and that beer was included, I immediately handed the man a $20 bill.

The park had all the features of a classic Class-A ballpark. Nicole and I headed to the Duck Blind section. We were carded to enter and handed one cup for the evening (don’t lose your cup or it will cost you an extra $3). Beer highlights included: a green colored, “duck pond” brew and “bitter woman ale”.

The section we sat in was a cross between a press box and a picnic area. Picnic tables and seating were situated towards the game, but you could walk around freely. We had happened to stumble onto one of the better deals in baseball and only for a cost of $10. Of course, the talent on the field was less than desirable but the atmosphere in the outfield made for a great summer evening.

The Minnesota Lynx in between Dinner and Dessert

Two weeks ago, I wrote an article about if you were attending a baby shower that you should try to find a sporting event on route. These rules also apply for a wedding. This weekend Nicole and I are in Minneapolis, MN for one of our best friend’s weddings. In fact, I am in the wedding party. But that would not deter me from finding an event to attend.

We had the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner on Friday night and the wedding Sunday evening – leaving Saturday night open for an event. I scoured the internet for events to attend, but the only event I found was the Minnesota Lynx game at the Target Center. Then the invitation came – Pre-Nuptial dinner was scheduled for Saturday night at 6 pm. What the hell! With the Lynx game starting at 7 pm, I figured there was no way to go to the game.

However, the dinner on Saturday night was scheduled for Palomino’s – a restaurant within two blocks of the Target Center. Knowing my rules of sporting event attendance, I figured I could eat dinner and make it in time for the second half of the game. Since I would not arrive until halftime (at that time the box office would be closed) I bought my ticket on Friday afternoon from the box office. I paid $10 for the cheapest seat in the arena.

I arrived at the Target Center during halftime. I walked up to the gate (thinking they may not even be checking tickets at this point) and saw fans were being checked by security and the ticket takers were scanning tickets. The security guard checked my bag and said, “Is that a video camera?” “Yes,” I said. He said that video cameras were not allowed in the arena. I told him, “You’re kidding, right? This is the WNBA!” I walked away and rather than heading back to the hotel to drop off the camera, I thought I would find a different gate. Next, I walked into the NBA City Restaurant and asked if there was an entrance to the arena. They pointed me to the entrance and instead of walking through the security entrance, I walked through the exit. No security scan. No checked ticket. Instead of a safe fan with a video camera entering the arena, I was a rogue fan entering the exit.

The Lynx beat the Houston Comets handily 85-71 and Seimone Augustus was by far the high scorer with 27 points. Although the Target Center does not have all the amenities of the newer arenas it is in a great location within downtown Minneapolis.

I made it back to the dinner within an hour and most people had no idea I had left. Some just thought I was in the bathroom for awhile! So as with all trips, there is always a way to make it to a game if you can plan creatively.

SRO and Wrigleyville post Cubs game

In my last baseball game before MLB’s All-Star break, the Cubs beat the Reds 5-1. Carlos Zambrano pitched a gem of a game - giving up only one hit (a HR to Adam Dunn) in 8 innings.

I attended 41 regular season games (43 if you count Spring Training) in the first half of the season this year. Just short of my record 42 regular season games attended before the All-Star Game in 2004.

I bought a standing room only ticket to last night’s Cubs game. Most people refuse to purchase a SRO ticket. However, I would argue that it can be better than buying an actual seat. First, it is cheaper than any seat in the stadium. Second, you will probably end up sitting in pretty good seats since you have the incentive to sneak down to the lower level.

The main draw backs are that 1) you will get kicked out of your seat a few times (which many people mind) and 2) you will not be able to sit together if your group is larger than 2. Since I was attending last night’s game by myself, I knew I would be able to find a seat in Wrigley. In fact, I finally ended up in section 228, row 2 (a $52 face ticket) – of course, that was my 4th seat in that section.

After the game, I met Nicole at Pizza Rustica. It is safe to say that Pizza Rustica is the best pizza in Wrigleyville. The restaurant is located two blocks north of Wrigley Field’s bleacher entrance and is a must if dining before or after the game.

After dinner, we headed to John Barleycorn’s with some friends of ours who had been on a Wrigley rooftop. Barleycorn’s is one of the largest bars in Wrigleyville which means there is more room to walk around and talk.

Cincinnati Reds at Chicago Cubs

Sometimes not much excitement happens at a baseball game. Last night was one of those nights. With our season tickets already in hand, the Ultimate Sports Wife and I crossed the street to attend the Cubs game. The Cubs beat the Reds 7-3. Ryan Dempster became the first Cubs pitcher since Rick Reuschel in 1977 to win his first 10 decisions at home. An interesting side note, but nothing to get too excited about. The Cubs ended up 81-81 and 20 games behind division winner Philadelphia in 1977.

The more exciting news of the day was the Cubs trading for Rich Harden. As with any front line started, Cubs tickets maybe slightly harder to find in games that he pitches.

Los Angeles Dodgers at San Francisco Giants

For the second time in three days, we attended the Giants game at AT&T Park. Yesterday, we had planned to purchase the Chevron ticket deal we had purchased for Friday’s game. However, in order to avoid the ticket handling fee from tickets.com and since we were buying 6 tickets, we planned to buy the tickets at the Giants’ box office.

Ticket Buying Tip #8:
When attending a game with more than 4 people it generally makes sense to buy tickets ahead of time or at the box office. Normally scalpers do not have 5 or more tickets together – meaning that you either will not all sit together or you will have to sit in an empty area of the stadium in order to do so.

I hopped out of the car as we pulled into the $15 parking lot we had parked in Friday (a good deal compared to spending $30 in the official AT&T Park parking lots) and walked over to the park.

Surprisingly, the scalpers on the way actually had 6 tickets together. I offered the first guy $5 each ($30 total). He laughed and walked away. I offered the same to the next scalper. He said, “Hey man…the A’s are back in town tomorrow night. Why don’t you go home today and save your money for the A’s tomorrow night?” I continued my way to the box office – upping my offer to $10 per ticket but no scalper would accept that price.

At the box office, I asked for the Chevron ticket deal – View Reserved seats would cost $12.50 each, plus I needed to purchase a $25 Chevron gift card. The total should be $100. “That will be $143,” said the ticket seller. She eventually explained that I needed to buy tickets in lots of 4 for the Chevron deal. I could not buy 6 at the cheap price. She was charging me $34 each for the final two tickets. I told her no thanks and walked back to the scalpers.

I offered the first guy I saw $74 – as much money as I had in my wallet. He hesitated at first but talked to his buddy who accepted the offer. I had bought the six tickets for the same price I had wanted to pay at the Giants’ box office but did not have to buy the $25 Chevron gift card.

After buying tickets, I met the family at Tres Agaves – a Mexican restaurant a few blocks from the ballpark. We ordered Mexican brunch and margaritas to start the day. The area around AT&T Park is definitely one to hang out in before or after a game. It has multiple restaurants and bars to choose from.

The Dodgers beat the Giants 5-3 as Rich Aurilia recorded his 1500th hit on a home run in the bottom of the 4th inning. Aurilia wanted his milestone ball back so he traded an autographed bat to the fan that caught the home run ball.

Fourth of July at AT&T Park

I booked our flights to San Francisco in early June and called my parents that we were planning to visit over the July 4th weekend. My mom, knowing I would want to go to a Giants game and not a believer in scalping tickets outside the park, logged onto the Giants website and discovered they were selling $32 face value tickets for $12.50 each (you have to buy at least 4 tickets plus a $25 Chevron Gift Card for a total of $75). My mom, excited about the deal (and probably more excited about the gas card) purchased the tickets.

We decided to eat at MoMo’s before the game. MoMo’s is directly a across the street from AT&T Park. You cannot miss it if walking by the stadium. We arrived at 11 am, order a bottle of champagne and ate lunch. After “Chunch”, the Ultimate Sports Wife and I hung out in the outdoor patio. The patio is crowded and apparently the place to be before and/or after a Giants game.

Today, players were allowed to wear Red, White and Blue hats to celebrate MLB’s national fundraising campaign for the returning of troops from Iraq and Afghanistan. Today was also Andruw Jones and Nomar Garciaparra’s first game after coming off the disabled list. Jones went 0-5 and struck out 4 times, while Nomar has a better day – 2-4 with 2 RBI and a run scored.

The Giants paid tribute to Dave Righetti’s no-hitter on July 4, 1983. Today was the 25th anniversary of the Giants’ Pitching Coach’s no-hitter against the Boston Red Sox when he was a pitcher for the New York Yankees. Of course, the Dodgers rallied for two runs in the top of the 3rd inning after the tribute was played.

Cheap Tickets, Plus Milestones at US Cellular Field

As expected, I arrived at US Cellular Field and bought an upper deck ticket from the box office for $8.50. I talked to one scalper who wanted $15 for a “better” upper deck ticket but I declined. The surprising part was that my seat was “Limited View” – meaning I was behind one of the poles atop the stadium. Obviously, other fans agreed with my thoughts that it was better to watch the Indians and White Sox play for an $8.50 upper deck seat than the Cubs and White Sox for $100 for the same seat. Every seat was sold for last night’s game. The White Sox ended up selling Standing Room Only tickets.

There were actually a few milestones achieved in last night’s game. Most were achieved by the White Sox’s Nick Swisher. Swisher hit a grand slam in last night’s game. I was also at the White Sox game on Friday vs. the Cubs, in which Swisher also hit a grand slam. That made him the first player since Carlos Beltran in 2006 to hit two grand slams in 4 games.

Also, Swisher became the first White Sox’s player ever to hit a home run from both sides of the plate twice in the same season. He hit home runs from both side of the plate last night and on June 9 vs. the Minnesota Twins. I had planned to attend the game on June 9th but decided not to at the last minute. Too bad, I could have seen a White Sox first.

In another rare occurrence, Jhonny Peralta went 5-for-5. Alfonso Soriano batted 5-for-5 vs. the Pirates on May 17, 2008 in a game I was at. However, Scott Rolen was the only player I saw hit safely 5 times in one game in 2007. He went 5-for-6 on April 22, 2007 vs. the Cubs.