Doubleheader Day Part 2: Phillies at Cubs

We arrived at the Cubs game right on time. The train from Ryan Field to Wrigley Field took about 45 minutes. The Cubs lost to the Phillies 5-2 and Ryan Howard hit his major league leading 37th home run.

After the game, we headed to my favorite Wrigleyville dive bar on the corner of Sheridan Rd. and Byron St. – I still don’t know what the name of this place is, but it has and Old Style sign out front. The friend I was with requested we go to a bar with cheap beer, is relatively quiet and has room to sit. This is the place to go in Wrigleyville after a Cubs game if those are your requirements.

Free Tickets Again: Syracuse at Northwestern

There were a couple reasons why I created the attendance rule that you only need to attend half the game in order for it to count.

1) I worked for the San Francisco Giants in Candlestick Park as an intern for part of the 1997 season. I could only take a 2 hour lunch to watch the game which meant I could only watch around 6 innings before heading back to the office – still being able to hear fans cheer while I worked during the 7th, 8th and 9th innings.
2) Northwestern football games. When I was a freshman in 1994 (before Northwestern’s 1995 Rose Bowl run), we would tailgate in the parking lot until the 2nd quarter and then go into Dyche Stadium. Northwestern was 3-7-1 that season and most of the games were blowouts. Thus, we would leave the game early in the 4th quarter.

Yesterday was no exception to this Northwestern attendance practice. We arrived at Ryan Field about 15 minutes before the 11 am kickoff. We tailgated until noon and walked in Ryan Field with 7 minutes remaining in the 2nd quarter. During the tailgate, my friends knew of people who had extra tickets so the Ultimate Sports Wife and I did not need buy tickets.

Tyrell Sutton rushed for 144 yards and C.J. Bacher threw three touchdown passes as Northwestern defeated the Syracuse Orangemen 30-10. After the game, we headed for the Purple Line so we could get to the Cubs game on time.

Doubleheader Day: Northwestern Football and Chicago Cubs

It’s not very often when I can attend a Northwestern Football game and a Chicago Cubs game in the same day. Northwestern games generally start at 11 am meaning that in order to attend both the Cubs need to start at 3 pm or later. Today that is the schedule. Northwestern kicks off against Syracuse in Evanston, IL at 11 am and the Cubs first pitch against the Phillies is at 2:55 pm – leaving just enough time to watch the football game, take the train to Wrigley Field and then watch the Cubs game.

We do not have tickets to the Northwestern game but we should not have to pay more than $10 each (if we cannot find freebies first).

Want Free Tickets to a Cubs Game?

It appears the secondary ticketing market around Wrigley Field has finally bottomed out (at least for a few days). I received two free tickets from a fan outside of Wrigley Field to today’s Cubs game. How did I get two free tickets in one of the toughest seasons to even buy Cubs tickets at face value? The steps are simple if you are able to execute them properly.

1) Look for people employed by the Cubs with tickets in hand. Today I found a Cubs employee holding an extra ticket by the “day of game” ticket box office. Knowing that I received free tickets from a Chicago police officer to the Cubs game on July 23, 2003 and from an Oakland Raiders security guard on October 22, 2006, I knew to ask the employee for the ticket. However, I hesitated for about 10 seconds. In that time another man walked up to the employee and asked where he could buy Standing Room Only tickets. The Cubs’ employee handed the man the ticket and I was out of luck. He had no more tickets.

2) After being negged by the Cubs employee, I considered buying a $15 SRO ticket. However, since I was now determined to find a free ticket I walked to the corner of Addison Ave. and Clark St. Normally, the front of Wrigley Field is the best place to find free tickets since most fans meet at that location. One fan was holding up two tickets – meaning he had extra tickets and was having trouble finding anyone who would buy them. I offered the man $10 for a $66 face value ticket (he probably would have taken $20 but I was in a free ticket mood). Of course, my offer was rejected but it led to the ultimate goal.

3) Immediately after making the $10 offer, another fan told me he had two extras. I asked him what all scalpers ask, “Do you want any money for those tickets?” If a negotiation is next, the fan will always say yes. However, the mere question leaves most fans wondering if the tickets are even worth anything and their fear of “scalping” the tickets may be your benefit. In this case, the guy I met asked me if I was actually going to the game or was planning to resell them. I told him I was going to the game and I would enter the ballpark with him if he needed proof. I also mentioned my wife would use the other ticket (earlier in the day Nicole had decided to relax at home rather than attend the Cubs game). He handed me the two tickets and I followed him into the park.

After entering Wrigley Field, I immediately called Nicole and told her to come to the game. She had a free ticket in the third row by the Cubs bullpen ($66 face value ticket). Of course, she could not resist and was at the game before the first inning was over. Read her account of the phone call here.

The steps in receiving free tickets are multiple. One, you need to understand the ticket market for the day. Two, you need to be able to walk away from tickets that are at a good price. Three, you need to ask multiple people outside the ballpark for tickets and not feel stupid doing so. At some point, you need to decide whether a free ticket is feasible or if you’ll need to pay. Normally, you will not find free tickets at games – even games that are sparsely attended. However, with some determination you may get lucky every so often.

The Game
Being right next to the bullpen was great. We watched Chad Gaudin, Jeff Samardzija and Carlos Marmol warm up. We had hoped Kerry Wood would finish the game in the 9th but he stayed seated. The Cubs beat the Phillies 3-2 after a controversial call at first base in the top of the 7th inning. Ryan Howard was called out on a close play at first base. After watching replays he appeared safe. If he had been called safe Jimmy Rollins would have scored to give the Phillies the lead 3-2. However, he was called out. In the bottom of the 7th, Alfonso Soriano hit a solo home run to give the Cubs a 3-2 lead which they held onto to win. Samardzija earned his first career win because of the home run.

First of Seven Consecutive Cubs games

Kicking off a stretch of attending seven consecutive Cubs’ home games, I did something I rarely ever do – go out before and after a Cubs game. I was attending the game with Liam from New Zealand so I thought we should “experience” Wrigleyville.

Pre Game Dining
It is hard to argue that going to the Full Shilling before a Cubs game qualifies as “Pre Game Dining” but that is what we did last night. As I wrote a few months ago, the Full Shilling gives away free hot dogs with every drink purchase 1 hour before and after Cubs home games. For $6, you get a 24 ounce beer and a hot dog – one of the best deals around Wrigley Field.

The Game
Last night’s game was the first night MLB would use instant replay to judge close home runs. However, replay was not needed. In the bottom of the 8th inning, with the Phillies leading 4-1, Mike Fontenot hit a solo home run to cut the lead to 2. Next Alfonso Soriano, Ryan Theriot and Derrek Lee all reached base to load the bases. Aramis Ramirez then hit a grand slam in which Phillies center field Shane Victorino did not even move to give the Cubs a 6-4 lead. Wrigley Field erupted in a way I have never seen during the regular season.

Post Game Dining
We ran into some friends during the Cubs game and ended up at John Barleycorn’s after the game. If you are looking for post game food and a party atmosphere then Barleycorn’s is a good choice.

After Barleycorn’s we walked across the street to Mullen’s Bar & Grill. Mullen’s is a straight up sports bar. It’s neither good nor bad, but they do have cheaper drinks if that is what you are looking for after a game.

Lunch at Arlington Park

Yesterday, I forgot to bring my lunch to work. So instead of eating in the building’s cafeteria I decided to eat lunch at Arlington Park and watch some horse racing. As I did the last few times, I brought my laptop so I could work using Arlington Park’s wireless network.

Before the day started, the announcer mentioned there maybe some money to be won because no horse in the field had proven themselves. She was right. In the first race, I bet the two favorites in an exacta box but lost when Dr. Feelgood won and paid $19.80 on a $2 bet. In all, 6 of the 8 races’ winners paid more than $10.00 on $2 bets including a $29.80 payday when Tobin’s Royalty won race #4.

From the Wrigley Field Rooftop Club: Nationals at Cubs

For the first time in two months, I watched the Cubs game from the Wrigley Field Rooftop Club at 3617 N. Sheffield Ave. As usual, we had to go through Nicole’s 10 steps for rooftop access. However, since today was less crowded than usual we did not have to find seats as soon as we entered the building. If you ever have tickets for Wrigley’s rooftops follow these steps for the best rooftop experience:

1) Arrive early. Most rooftops open 30 minutes before the first pitch. Try to arrive 5-10 minutes before that so you are one of the first people on the rooftop. Remember this is probably a once in a lifetime experience so maximize your time.
2) Grab a drink from the first bar you find so you do not have to get up once finding seats.
3) Find seats immediately after getting your first drink.
4) Wait until the food lines disperse before eating. Remember food is served for all 9 innings so there is no rush to eat. Seats are the #1 priority.
5) Wait until they stop serving beer before getting ice cream. The Wrigley Field Rooftop Club stops serving beer at the end of the 7th inning. Spend the 8th and 9th inning eating dessert.

These four steps should increase your rooftop experience immensely. Most people seem to grab food as soon as they enter the building and sit at the picnic tables to eat. Once the game starts, most of the seats are taken and these patrons must stand for the rest of the game. Not a fun experience if you actually want to watch the game.

Milestones achieved during the game
1) Mark DeRosa became the first Cubs player to homer in four straight games since Fred McGriff did so in 2001. This was probably the first time I ever witnessed a player hitting a home run in four consecutive games.
2) Geovany Soto tied Randy Hundley for most home runs by a Cubs rookie catcher.
3) Rich Harden tied his career high with 11 strikeouts.

Washington Nationals at Chicago Cubs

For the second day in a row, a player in the Washington Nationals and Chicago Cubs series had 6 RBI. Aramis Ramirex hit two 3-run home runs to lead the Cubs to a 9-2 victory over the Nationals. Ryan Dempster won his 15th game of the season and 12th game at home.

Before the game, I met some friends at Yak-zies. I did not realize that beers could be more expensive on the outside than on the inside. Yak-zies charges $6 per beer in a smaller plastic cup. The beers in Wrigley Field are larger for the same $6. For a cheaper alternative, go to Full Schilling where $6 gets you a 24-ounce beer and a “free” hot dog - voted as FOX Chicago's #1 place to hang out before a Cubs game.

Rain Delay, New Cubs Ticketing Rules and Wicker Park

Yesterdays Cubs game started out with a 63 minute rain delay. Since I did not have tickets to the game, I either needed to buy tickets from a scalper (so I could wait out the rain delay at home) or buy tickets through the Cubs new “day of game” ticket sales policy and enter the park immediately.

Cubs New “Day of Game” Ticketing Policy
Before the second half of the season started the Cubs used to sell “day of game” tickets starting at 9 am. Fans (and scalpers) would wait in line and buy up the remaining tickets for the day. After the All-Star break, the Cubs start selling “day of game” tickets only three hours before the start of the game. In addition, fans must immediately enter the ballpark after purchasing their ticket.

Obtaining Tickets
At 12:45 pm it was raining. I did not necessarily want to buy a ticket from the Cubs and sit in Wrigley Field until the rain delay was over. Instead, I found Broker Ben, who sells tickets outside of our house. He had about half a dozen bleacher seats (face value $45). I asked if he had a $20 ticket (knowing that SRO was $15 from the Cubs). He did not say no initially so I knew that was a reasonable price. After some haggling, I bought a bleacher seat for $20 and walked back to the house.

The game was now scheduled to start at 2:20 pm (rather than 1:20 pm). Nicole left for the gym at 1:45 pm. Next thing I knew she was ringing our doorbell excessively. “Get down here. The Stanley Cup is at Murphy’s,” she yelled. I grabbed the camera and ran over to Murphy’s. At that moment, Chris Chelios was walking from Murphy’s to the bleacher entrance for the game’s first pitch. I asked, “Can we get a picture with the Cup?” “Can’t. Need to get in for the first pitch,” Chelios replied. So while Chelios was walking to the bleacher entrance we snapped a couple of pictures.

The Game
I entered the bleachers as the game began. The Cubs took an early 4-0 lead but could not come back after Willie Harris hit his first career grand slam in the top of the 6th and added another two-run home run in the top of the 9th for a total of 6 RBI. The Nationals rolled to a 13-5 win – the most runs the Cubs have allowed at home this season.

Post Game Dining
After the game, Nicole and I went to dinner at People Lounge – located in Wicker Park at 1560 N. Milwaukee Ave. As I wrote three weeks ago, Wicker Park, similar to Andersonville, is a great way to avoid the Wrigleyville crowd after a game, with plenty of bars and restaurants. While the food was good at People, the drinks were watered down and the server kept trying to up sell us.

Wicker Park: is about a 15 minute drive from Wrigley Field. If taking public transportation, your best bet is to take the red line from Addison to the North/Clybourn stop. Next take the North St. bus west to the three way corner of North/Damen/Milwaukee Ave.

Doubleheader Day Part 2: 49ers at Bears

After successfully making it to the Cubs game in the afternoon, I was also going to Soldier Field to watch the Chicago Bears host the San Francisco 49ers.

Pre Game Dining
If you are looking for a sports bar close to Michigan Ave., then ESPN Zone is your spot. Located at 43 E. Ohio St., the bar is a 2-block walk from Michigan Ave. It’s also a good place to stop if you are taking the red line between Wrigley Field and either US Cellular Field or Soldier Field. I met Nicole before the game at ESPN Zone. As with any ESPN Zone, there are plenty of televisions to watch any game of your choice.

Obtaining Tickets
I already had my season tickets in hand, but noticed there were a lot of scalpers with extra tickets. As I wrote two weeks ago, preseason NFL games are much cheaper to attend than regular season games.

The Game
The 49ers beat the Bears 37-30. Another plus of attending preseason games are watching the quarterback controversies. Earlier this week, Lovie Smith named Kyle Orton the Bears starting quarterback. Orton started last night and performed well.

J.T. O’Sullivan started for the 49ers and performed better than Alex Smith. 49ers coach Mike Nolan has not named his starting quarterback yet.

Make the most of a bad situation: Reds at Cubs

On May 19, 2008 I had planned to attend the Chicago Rush game at the Allstate Arena. However, I was able to leave work early so decided to drive home rather than wait for the game to start. While driving home that day, a man rear ended me while merging and I ended up with a “Failure to Merge” ticket. After some shifting of court dates, my final traffic court date was yesterday afternoon. Knowing that the Cubs game was also yesterday afternoon, I bought a ticket to the game in advance with the hopes I would be able to attend the game if court went quickly.

After talking with a man at the Cubs game Wednesday night, he mentioned to be first in line at traffic court so they call your case sooner. Not knowing if that would actually affect anything; I made sure I was the 3rd person in line. My case was called early and I was out of court before 2 pm. I drove down to Wrigley Field and was able to get into the game during the 5th inning (the minimum amount of time for the game to “count”). In the end, I traded attending a Rush game for a Cubs game – always a good trade, but not necessarily under these circumstances.

As for the game, the Cubs beat the Reds 3-2 in a 2 hour and 14 minute game (I obviously had hoped for a slower game). Carlos Zambrano hit a home run in the 3rd inning. He is the first starting pitcher since Johnny Sain in 1947 to have a 12 game hitting streak as a starting pitcher. He also tied Wes Ferrell’s MLB record with an RBI in seven consecutive games for a pitcher.

Game 2: Cincinnati Reds at Chicago Cubs

Ted Lilly had a no-hitter through 5 innings of last night’s game between the Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs. Of course, I realized he was throwing a no-hitter as the top of the 6th began. Ryan Hanigan, the first batter for the Reds in the 6th inning, doubled to deep center field. Once again, as soon as I realized the possibility of a no-hitter the next batter hit safely.

With the wind blowing in the Reds beat the Cubs in a low scoring (3 runs total), low hit (7 hits total) affair 2-1.

Cincinnati Reds at Chicago Cubs

After thinking I might attend my first 1-0 game of the season, the Cubs scored 4 runs in the bottom of the 8th to beat the Cincinnati Reds 5-0. The offensive output erased the save opportunity for Kerry Wood who still worked a scoreless 9th inning.

Rich Harden became the 6th Cubs pitcher in the past 13 seasons to strike out ten, while only giving up two hits and zero runs in a start.

Post Game Dining
After the game we ate at Finley Mahony’s located at 3701 N. Broadway. Finley Mahony’s looks like a regular bar but is much nicer once you enter. It also has a more extensive dinner menu than your average bar menu.

WWE Raw at Allstate Arena

In a sold out night at Allstate Arena, the Ultimate Sports Wife and I attended the WWE Raw event on Monday night. It was only the second WWE Raw event I have been too and third WWE event overall. Our friend Todd, newly employed by the WWE, gave us complimentary tickets to the event so we did not have to look for tickets outside the arena. However, we did note that although the event was sold out, scalpers had stacks of tickets in hand (generally meaning fans can buy tickets for less than face value).

Before the event, Nicole and I ate at Chili’s which is in the mall adjacent to the Allstate Arena. Monday nights at Chili’s has two specials – 1) $12.99 Classic Fajitas for Two and 2) $2.99 Classic Margaritas. Of course, we partook in both. After dinner, we realized we could probably leave the car in the mall’s parking lot rather than driving the short distance to the arena’s parking lot and pay $15. We took the risk.

We arrived at the event about 15 minutes early. The event had two pre-matches before broadcasting live on USA Network. Many of the story lines had continued from what happened at Summer Slam the night before in Indianapolis. In a major announcement, Raw General Manager Mike Adamle stated that a new “Championship Scramble” match (one ring, five men and 20 minutes) would be used to determine the World Heavyweight Title bout. Some fans booed at this new format, other thought it would be intriguing.

As we walked back to the mall parking lot the car was still there. I’m not sure how they patrol the mall parking lot, but this appears to be how I will be parking at all Allstate Arena events in the future.

Nationals baseball vs. the ATP on a Sunday afternoon

Decisions, decisions. The ATP Tour was in town with a noon doubles match and a 3 pm singles match. The Washington Nationals first pitch was at 1:35 pm. When faced with this sort of sporting event dilemma, I normally follow a few of rules to make a decision:

1) Location of the event – Nationals Park was 8 blocks from where we were staying. The Legg Mason Tennis Classic takes place in Rock Creek Park – 8 miles from where we were staying. Favors the Nationals Game.
2) Frequency of the event – The Legg Mason Tennis Classic occurs once per year, the Washington Nationals are home 81 times per year and we just saw them Saturday night. Favors the ATP event.
3) Wife’s Plans for the day – Going to the ATP event would take up most of the day. Going to Nationals Park would give us time to eat dinner after the game before driving to the airport. Plus, Nicole does not like tennis. Nationals game wins based on a more enjoyable day for Nicole and location.
4) Caveat: I attended the Legg Mason Tennis Classic 10 years ago in 1998; thus, I did not feel I had to attend the tennis event this go around.

Obtaining Tickets
We walked to the ballpark from our friend’s house. We had a 2-for-1 coupon in hand and were hoping to buy three $10 tickets for $20 from the box office. However, as we approached the box office, we realized most people also had 2-for-1 coupons. Both the $10 and $18 seats were sold out. We could only buy $27 tickets.

Instead of buying from the box office we bought a single for $10 (face value was $10) from one scalper and 2 tickets for $15 each (face value was $30 each) from a man who had two extras. Our total cost was $40 ($20 more than we had planned to spend), but our seats were on the first level rather than in the upper deck.

The Game
Since we had missed a pre game brunch, we decided to eat at the Red Porch (Nationals Park only restaurant) in center field. The restaurant had typical bar food and the service was really slow. The only nice thing about eating at the restaurant was that we received free water and a free refill on soda.

The Rockies beat the Nationals convincingly 7-2. It was the 10th consecutive loss for the Nationals – the longest streak for the franchise since they moved to Washington D.C. In the Presidents Race, the Presidents ran hurdles in honor of the 2008 Olympics. Inspired by Michael Johnson (Atlanta 1996) and Usain Bolt (Beijing 2008), Abe Lincoln wore gold running shoes and won the race. Teddy Roosevelt took second.

Post Game Dinning
After the game we ate dinner at Zaytinya – a Greek tapas restaurant located at 701 9th St. NW. If you like Greek food and tapas then this is the place for you.

Nationals Park in Washington D.C.

Over a year ago, I wrote that I had attended a game at every Major League Baseball stadium and questioned how long that status would remain. It did not even last one year as the Washington Nationals opened their new park, Nationals Park, with the start of the 2008 season.

This weekend, I traveled to Washington D.C. with the Ultimate Sports Wife to once again complete the goal of many baseball fans – attend a baseball game at every existing Major League ballpark.

Yesterday started as any Saturday in our nations capital should – eating brunch on the fourth floor of Tabaq Bistro. The rooftop restaurant serves $3 mimosas and Bloody Marys on Saturday and Sunday and provides stunning views of Washington D.C. with the capital building and the Washington monument in the distance. After brunch we took a quick trip by car around the city to see the other sites and government buildings of Washington.

Pre Game Dining
Before the game, we ate dinner at Belga Café (located at 514 8th St., SE). Belga Café is an upscale Belgian restaurant with an assortment of Belgium beers. All of the entrees were presented well and tasted great. If you can, start by ordering some mussels.

After dinner, my friend TJ, called for a ride from e-cruzers.com. If you want a ride from the 8th street bars and restaurants to Nationals Park before or after the game simply look for the electric carts driving in the area. There are also other shuttle services to choose from the 8th street bars.

Obtaining Tickets
Our friend had already acquired four free tickets for the game last night. However, Nicole had invited a friend of hers from high school so we needed to buy two additional tickets for the game. We suggested to Nicole’s friends that they buy the cheapest seats we could find and that we would sneak them into our section on the lower level.

As we approached the park we bought 2 tickets for $10 each (face value was $10 each). As planned we all sat together in the lower level. However, we did not have to use the four lower level tickets to sneak our friends into the section since the ushers were not checking tickets.

Nationals Park
My first trip to any ballpark is always fun. But recently all of the new ballparks seem to be similar. Each of them has their own unique trait, but in the end they feel similar. We took the obligatory first visit tour around the park after the Presidents Race. The main highlights of the ballpark were:

1) The center field bar – called Red Loft.
2) The view from the upper deck of the US Capitol Building
3) The Presidents Race – George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson and Theodore Roosevelt race each other around the park in the middle of the 4th inning (the race is similar to the sausage race held at Miller Park).

Saturdays after the game, the Nationals show a movie on their high definition scoreboard. Last night’s movie was “A League of Their Own.” We watched the first ten minutes of the movie before calling e-cruzers.com for a ride back to the house.

Friday Afternoon at Arlington Park

With both the White Sox and Cubs out of town and the WNBA away on Olympic break, finding a good sporting event in Chicago was no easy task today. Three months ago, I realized I never even considered attending a horse race during a sports drought. Over the last few weeks, Arlington Park has been on my radar as a quick sporting option since I am working within a 15-20 minute drive from the track. Today was one of those days I was able to make it there after work.

I bought a ticket for $7 at the gate (no scalping at the race track) and looked for Friday’s Miller Lite Party in the Park – where a band plays each Friday afternoon as a promotion. Little did I know, Arlington Park has two Miller Lite Party areas – Miller Lite Party in the Park (only on Fridays) and Miller Lite Party on the Deck (available each race day). When I asked for “the Miller Lite Party area” the information booth assumed I wanted the Miller Lite Party on the Deck. The party deck, which has unlimited food and drinks, is for groups only. A great area for a group outing with work or friends. A not so great area for me.

After the confusion, I figured out where the Party in the Park was (it is hard to imagine I could not find it), I realized all of the seating was in the sun and on the lawn. Rather than sit on the ground and in the sun, I chose to sit in the reserved section of Arlington. Although I had a General Admission (GA) ticket, it was easy to sit in the reserved seat area. The first five favorite horses ended up winning their races making for a winning afternoon especially for an amateur gambler.

Sunday Night Baseball: Cardinals at Cubs

In my second Sunday night baseball game of the season, the Chicago Cubs defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 6-2. As with any sporting event, the fan’s day is defined by the game’s start time. For example, since yesterday’s Cubs game started at 7:05 pm, fans in Chicago had the option of enjoying a Sunday afternoon exploring Chicago or partaking in the “Red Line doubleheader” – the Chicago White Sox game started at 1:05 pm earlier Sunday afternoon.

Instead of attending both baseball games in Chicago, the Ultimate Sports Wife and I chose to relax Sunday afternoon and start an early barbeque before the Cubs game. Chris Carpenter left the game early because of a strained right tricep, while Ryan Dempster won his 11th game at Wrigley Field.

Note: Based on a scheduling fluke, the White Sox and Cubs shared four possible Red Line doubleheaders this past week (Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday) – none of which I made. Saturday was a possibility but the game times were too close (Cubs started at 3 pm and the White Sox started at 6 pm) to make it a reality.

Soxing it on the Southside: Red Sox at White Sox

With Friday night plans to listen to Grieg’s Piano Concerto at Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millenium Park, it was hard to imagine that we would be heading to US Cellular Field to watch the Chicago White Sox host the Boston Red Sox. But that is what happened last night, after a major assist from Nicole’s fellow Ph.D. student Christine Wood.

Christine’s girlfriend Katie contacted me stating the Red Sox were in town (Christine’s favorite team) and that we should go with them to one of the games (the Red Sox are in Chicago through Monday, August 11). Last night’s game made the most sense to attend since it was Christine’s birthday. Christine then called Nicole and asked her if we would go to the game with them. Nicole said yes, wanting to hang out with her friends rather than at the concert, and the plans were changed.

Obtaining Tickets
The three women left getting tickets up to me. Far away tickets were still available through Ticketmaster ($31 face value) and tickets on craigslist.org were hovering a little above face value. Katie had commented they would like better seats in the upper deck for face value. Since I have no idea where tickets will be when I buy from scalpers outside the stadium, I figured I should lock in the price and location before hopping on the train.

A few hours before the game was to start, I found a craigslist ad – 4 tickets for $30 each. I called the guy and asked if he would take $100 for the 4 tickets. He said yes. We exchanged info and agreed to meet at the ballpark. The tickets were in the 7th row of the upper deck, right behind home plate. Mission accomplished. Everyone was happy with the seat location and price.

Pre Game Dining
Katie asked if we should eat around Wrigley Field before heading south. Since the Cubs had just finished their Friday afternoon game, I suggested we eat at Jimbo’s Lounge (2 blocks North of US Cellular Field). Jimbo’s Lounge located at 3258 S. Princeton Ave. is the only restaurant within “safe” walking distance of US Cellular Field. The menu is typical bar food – hot dogs, hamburgers, etc. Drinks seemed a little more expensive than I expected ($4 cans, $5 bottles), but it was a game day.

The Game
The White Sox beat the Red Sox 5-3. The Red Sox made a brief comeback in the top of the 8th inning after Dustin Pedroia hit a 3-run home run. Last night was fireworks night at US Cellular Field. The fireworks started almost immediately after the game ended. I remember prior fireworks nights at Comiskey Park taking longer to setup.

Preseason Football at Soldier Field

For the second time in a week, the Ultimate Sports Wife and I headed to Soldier Field. This time it was for the Bears first preseason game of the 2008 season. As usual we took the red line train from Wrigley Field to the Roosevelt el stop. The walk from the subway station to Soldier Field takes around 20 minutes but is worth it if you can avoid the drive.

Obtaining Tickets
Most people (including season ticket holders) seem to avoid attending preseason NFL games - the games do not count in the standings and the starters only play for the first half. As a season ticket holder for the Bears, we generally attend the preseason football games when we are in town since we have already paid for the tickets. However, if you do not own season tickets then going to a preseason game should definitely be considered for the following reason:

1) Buying tickets through the secondary ticket market will only cost you half-price (and sometimes much less), whereas buying tickets through the secondary ticket market for regular season games will generally cost more than face value (if not double).

Thus, you can save a lot of money attending preseason football. While the regular season is definitely more entertaining than preseason, it may make sense for some who cannot afford or do not want to pay regular season ticket prices to buy tickets for a preseason game at half-price.

The Game
Larry Johnson returned to the field from a foot injury that sidelined him for the second half of the 2007 season. He scored the first touchdown of the game. The Chiefs scored a touchdown with about 1 minute left in the 4th quarter to secure the victory.

Post Game Dining
After the game, we ate dinner at Exchequer Restaurant & Pub at 226 S. Wabash Ave in Chicago’s loop. Exchequer has a Monster Burger (a one pound burger which is $1 off on Thursday nights) which I somehow scarfed down successfully. While there is no prize from the restaurant to eat the entire 1 lb. burger the server was kind enough to give us the student discount (10% off our bill). While we have normally eaten at Millers Pub which is only one block north of Exchequer, this restaurant was a good new place to dine.

A Tornado Delay at Wrigley Field

Act 1: It had all the makings of a peaceful evening at Wrigley Field – an early 6:05 pm start followed by a BBQ at home. However, as the game continued, the skies over Wrigley Field became darker and darker. We knew a thunderstorm was approaching. What we did not know was the wild evening the weather would provide us.

After Alfonso Soriano grounded out to end the 5th inning (making the game official), it started to downpour and the game was immediately postponed at 7:39 pm. We thought we were in for a regular rain delay so we did what any rain delayed baseball fan should do – we bought some Old Styles and chatted with the other fans through the delay.

At 8:06 pm the tornado sirens sounded (the first time I have ever heard the sirens not being tested) and Nicole and I scurried down from the upper deck to the lower level concourse as the winds and rain began to pick up. While standing on the lower level concourse with the rest of the fans at Wrigley, we realized the Houston Astros were walking between their dugout and the clubhouse on a ramp that was above the lower level concourse. Everyone was surprised they did not have an underground passageway, but it made for an entertaining rain delay. Carlos Lee, former Chicago White Sox, continued to poke his head out of the tarp which was supposed to hide the players and waived a sign “White Sox Rule!” to the Wrigley faithful. Cubs’ fans booed while Astros’ fans worshipped.

At 9:00 pm, even though espn.com was reporting the game was still delayed, the security guards stated the game had been called and the Cubs took the loss. Thus, Nicole and I headed home to eat dinner (inside of course).

Act 2: While we were eating, we were watching the news and heard the Cubs game would be starting back up at 10:20 pm. Since the Cubs have a strict no re-entry policy we thought there was no way to get back into Wrigley. However, we decided that since the Cubs had told us the game was over, they would have to let us back in. If they did not, we planned to watch the game from the knothole on Sheffield Ave.

Act 3: As we approached the gate, security was letting fans back in the park. We showed our tickets stubs and walked back in. One security guard commented they never should have told the fans the game was over, because now they needed to let people back in the park. It was the first time, Nicole and I had been able to go home during a rain delay and come back to the park when play re-started.

In the bottom of the 8th inning, after Soriano struck out for the first out of the inning, we heard one of the loudest thunder cracks we had ever heard. In fact, it must have been the loudest Lance Berkman had heard as well since he immediately ran off the field before the umpires waived all of the players off the field for the second time at 11:12 pm.

Nicole and I again went into the lower concourse as the rain drenched Wrigley Field. We were debating whether or not to head home, when Wrigley crowd management officially said the game was over at 11:51 pm – making last night’s game the second rain shortened game I have ever attended – the first occurring on September 19, 1997.

Game #2: FC Barcelona vs. CD Guadalajara

As I wrote yesterday, I had hoped to beat the $30 face value price buying from ticket scalpers outside of the Soldier Field box office. However, the box office through me for a loop when we arrived and the cheapest ticket was now $60 – Soldier Field had doubled all the ticket prices for buying day of game at the box office. This gave the scalpers a tremendous advantage since they had a $60 price point to work with rather than $30. No scalper would accept under $50 per ticket since they knew that was still saving the fans $10 and the scalper's tickets were in better locations.

We ended up paying $240 for 5 tickets that were a couple rows behind the south end zone goal. Face value on the tickets was $50 ($100 day of game) so we felt we still did better than if we had purchased the tickets ahead of time on ticketmaster.com. Even a $30 seat in the upper deck would end up costing in the upper $30’s with all the Ticketmaster fees.

The game was actually exciting (the last international club friendly I attended at Soldier Field was Manchester United vs. Bayern Munich in 2004. That match ended in a 0-0 draw). Barcelona won the match 5-2 with some great goals.

After the match, we ate dinner at the Weathermark Tavern (located at 1503 S. Michigan Ave.). Weathermark Tavern is our preferred summer hangout around Soldier Field. It has an outdoor patio to dine at if it is not too hot and a lot of room inside if it is. They have a Sunday special of $2.50 Miller Lites and $5 Bloody Mary’s which I’m not sure is the case when the Bears are home.

Game #1: Pirates at Cubs

In my 800th Major League Baseball game since 1990 (including Spring Training and Playoff games), the Chicago Cubs beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 8-5. Since I was planning to take the subway to Soldier Field for the Barcelona vs. Chivas game, I was hoping for a quick baseball game. With the game heading to the 8th inning and the Cubs leading the game 5-2, I thought a shortly after 4 pm departure was almost guaranteed – leaving me with enough time to get to Solider Field for the 6 pm soccer start.

However, the Pirates tied the game 5-5 in the top of the 8th when Andy LaRoche hit a 2-run home run. I began to get nervous that the Cubs game would last longer than I was hoping and that it could last forever (I do not believe in leaving a sporting event early to attend another sporting event).

I was saved in the bottom of the 8th, when Reed Johnson hit an 0-2 pitch with 2 outs over the left field wall for another 2-run home run – giving the Cubs the permanent lead.

After the game ended around 4:15 pm, I met the Ultimate Sports Wife for a subway train ride down to Soldier Field.

Doubleheader Sunday: Wrigley Field and Soldier Field

Last September, I attended my first Wrigley Field and Soldier Field doubleheader. That day the Cubs played on Sunday afternoon and the Bears played Sunday night football.

Today, I am attending my second Wrigley Field and Soldier Field doubleheader. However, this time the Cubs are playing on Sunday afternoon and Barcelona is playing Chivas Guadalajara Sunday night.

I already have a ticket to today’s Cubs game. My friend, Mike Holzman, called me Friday and said he had an extra ticket.

We do not have tickets yet for the soccer match. Tickets are still available for $30 each or more on www.ticketmaster.com and they are available for less than that on craigslist.org. Since tickets are still available, we will try to pay around $20 or less from scalpers outside Soldier Field. Remember we paid $20 each (for $75 face value tickets) back in early June when Mexico played Peru at Soldier Field.

Front Row Seats: Pirates at Cubs

Our day started off deciding where to eat brunch before the game. We decided to eat at Salt & Pepper Diner (where we ate last Saturday), but when we arrived there was a line. Since we did not have to wait last Saturday, we thought there might be a line because we were trying to eat about 20 minutes earlier. Instead, we decided to order some Irish breakfast at Irish Oak (located at 3511 N. Clark St.).

Irish Oak is similar to any other Irish Pub. The main difference being that it is the closest Irish pub to Wrigley Field. So if you are looking for a pre-game Irish breakfast and a Guinness this is the place to go. However, we would probably choose to eat at Uncommon Ground (better food) or Salt & Pepper Diner (cheaper) over Irish Oak.

Last Tuesday night, I wrote that I had never sat in closer seats at Wrigley Field – seven rows from the visitor’s dugout. However, yesterday, I was sitting in my season ticket, upper deck seat when my friend, Andy Anderson, called and asked, “Where are you sitting? Are you by yourself?” He next stated he was sitting in the first row behind home plate ($300 face value ticket) and that there was an empty seat next to him. He said to meet him behind section 117 at the end of the 4th inning. I left the upper deck immediately.

As I wrote on May 28, be sure your friend brings the other ticket stub(s) in order to sneak you into a lower level section. Mr. Anderson brought his Dad’s ticket stub and I was able to sit in the first row behind home plate – a definite first (at any park) and hopefully not my last chance to sit in the front row. Since Mr. Anderson was flying to San Francisco for a new job the next day, he decided to splurge on the best tickets in the ballpark.

From the front row seats, we watched the Cubs beat the Pirates 5-1. When sitting close to the Cubs dugout, be sure to get Alfonso Soriano’s attention. Soriano will listen to most of what the fans say and react while he is in the on deck circle – a definite plus when sitting so close. However, once it is time to bat, he shuts off the fans and goes about his business.

Cubs Ticket Buying Tip: Mr. Anderson explained to me that he logged onto www.cubs.com on Friday night and bought the $300 tickets. During the first few innings, the other fans sitting around him also had bought their tickets within the last few days. Thus, if you want to celebrate a special occasion or just want to sit in the best seats at Wrigley Field, it appears you do not need to plan that far ahead – just hope the seats are available online.

Avoid the Wrigleyville Crowd: Andersonville

The Cubs were shut out for the 5th time this season – losing to the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-0 even thought the Pirates traded away Jason Bay yesterday.

Before the game, the Ultimate Sports Wife and I ate lunch at the best brunch place in Wrigleyville – Uncommon Ground. They have strong gourmet coffee, great brunch cocktails and great food.

After the game, we met some friends at Marty’s (1511 W. Balmoral Ave.) – a martini bar in Andersonville. Marty’s was a good pre-dinner drink bar and served 6 ounce ($8) and 10 ounce ($13) martinis.

For dinner, we ate at Anteprima – an Italian restaurant located at 5316 N. Clark St. We stopped by without a reservation and seemed to be seated pretty quickly. The host made sure we knew that tables were receiving their checks soon and that we should be seated shortly. The service and food were great and Andersonville is a great way to escape the crowded bars of Wrigleyville.

Andersonville: is about 16 blocks North of the entrance of Wrigley Field. To get there, fans should take the #22 Clark St. bus from the corner of Addison St. and Clark St. to the heart of Andersonville at Foster Ave and Clark St.