Avoid the Wrigleyville Crowd: Lincoln Square

Yesterday Ryan Dempster managed to shut down the Dodgers for seven innings leading the Cubs to a 7-0 win. It was the first time all season that the Dodgers had been shutout. With a lopsided victory it is nice to have some distractions. Late in the game, a group of seagulls invaded the outfield grass of Wrigley Field as Milton Bradley and Reed Johnson had to play the field in a sea of white birds.

Post Game Dining
As I have written in the past, one great way to avoid the post game crowd in Wrigleyville and have a nice meal after the game is to head to other Chicago neighborhoods. One neighborhood that is just a couple miles from Wrigley Field is Lincoln Square. We ate dinner at Tallulah since it was linked up with OpenTable.com. There are quite a few other dining options near the corner of Lincoln Ave. and Wilson Ave.

Thursday Night Baseball: Dodgers at Cubs

Only a few times per season do the Cubs play a Thursday night game. Rather than go out to dinner before the game we chose to grill on our deck up until game time.

Obtaining Tickets
Once again, with my parents in town (and my mom wanting to attend the game) w needed to buy one extra ticket. However, since we ate dinner in the house, we did not have time to wander around Wrigley Field looking for a free ticket as we did on Tuesday night. Rather I saw a scalper I know outside of Murphy’s Bleachers and bought an upper deck reserved ticket for $10 (face value $22). It did not matter where the ticket was located since we were planning to sit together.

The Game
Randy Wolf kept the Cubs bats quiet as he scattered six hits over seven innings. The Dodgers defeated the Cubs 2-1 after Ramon Troncoso struck out both Bobby Scales and Jake Fox with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 9th inning.

Zambrano In Tirade: Pirates at Cubs

Carlos Zambrano started the game with hopes of earning his 100th career victory. However, Zambrano was ejected from the game in the top of the 7th inning after arguing that Nyjer Morgan was out after Zambrano’s wild pitch allowed him to score. Morgan’s run tied the game at 2 runs apiece.

After Zambrano was kicked out of the game he lost it! – 1) he continued to scream at home plate umpire Mark Carlson, 2) gave Carlson the ejection sign himself, 3) threw the baseball in his hand as far as he could into left center field, 4) threw his glove and 4) broke the Cubs Gatorade dispenser in the dugout – all stages of a classic emotional meltdown for Zambrano.

This was not the first time I have watched Zambrano go berserk. The first time was on July 19, 2004 when Carlos Zambrano was ejected for throwing at Edmonds after a Scott Rolen home run. That was after Zambrano yelled at Edmonds to run the bases after Edmonds hit a home run off Zambrano onto Sheffield Ave.

After Zambrano’s ejection, the Cubs scored 3 runs in the bottom of the 8th inning to win the game 5-2.

Post Game Drinks
The temperature at the game was a chilly 53 degrees on a late May afternoon. My buddy wanted to warm up after the game so we stopped in at Uncommon Ground – a coffee bar located one block north of Wrigley Field at 3800 N. Clark St. The Ultimate Sports Wife and I occasionally eat brunch here before Friday, Saturday or Sunday afternoon games.

Rain-Shortened Game #2 of 2009: Pirates at Cubs

Before the start of the 2009 baseball season, I had only attended two rain-shortened games in my life – one in 1997 and one in 2008. Now this year, I have already attended two rain-shortened games. The first coming on May 13 and now last night’s game between the Pirates and Cubs.

Obtaining Tickets
With my parents in town, we needed to buy one additional ticket (I already have two season tickets). Since we had some time before the game, I figured I could find a free ticket outside of Wrigley Field. I sat my parents at the Captain Morgan Club while I went to look for tickets.

It took about 10 minutes but I finally found someone to give me a free ticket ($50 face value in Terrace Box). However, she also gave the second free ticket to a scalper. Since I knew her two seats were together (and that the scalper now had two singles) I offered him my two season tickets (face value $16 each) for his two singles (the free seat $50 face value and another $16 face value ticket). He accepted the trade.

Pre Game Dining
As I was trading tickets, my parents decided they wanted to eat dinner at the Captain Morgan Club – the first time I have eaten at the new Wrigley Field restaurant. Surprisingly, the food was good and the service was quick. On our walk into Wrigley Field we ran into Ronnie “Woo-Woo” Wickers and took a picture.

The Game and Rain Delay Beers
The game started seven minutes late because of the rain. The Cubs took an early lead and were able to hold on through the 5th inning as the game became “official.” In the top of 6th inning, it really started to rain hard and the game was delayed for an hour and two minutes before finally being officially called – giving the Cubs their first victory after an eight game losing streak.

At 9 pm, when the rain delay started we had two options. Either head home or wait out the delay. We chose to wait it out and did what any fan waiting out a rain delay should do – buy rain delay beers. Since the Cubs stop selling beer at 9:20 pm during night games, we bought three beers for my Dad and I. As soon as we had finished the third beer, the Cubs public address announcer announced the game had been called – the first time I have sat in the stadium when a rain-shortened game was officially over.

Memorial Day Night Game: Pirates at Cubs

For the first time that I could remember, the Chicago Cubs played a night game on a holiday. The reason being that the Cubs had just traveled back from San Diego Sunday evening and rather than have the game start at 1:20 pm as they usually do, they chose the 7:05 pm start.

Art Institute of Chicago
As with any tourist coming to Chicago, there are other sites besides Wrigley Field that one can enjoy. With my parents in town, we decided to check out the new Modern Wing at The Art Institute of Chicago. The new wing opened on May 16, 2009 and will be the home for the museum’s collection of 20th and 21st century art.

The Game
The Cubs, Pirates and umpires were all wearing red hats as part of MLB’s initiative for all teams to wear red hats on Memorial Day, July 4 and September 11.

Freddy Sanchez went 6-6 leading the Pirates to a 10-8 victory over the Cubs. It was only the second six hit game for the Pittsburgh Pirates since the start of the divisional era. Wally Backman had six hits for the Pirates in 1990.

Mr. T threw out the ceremonial first pitch and sang (rather spoke) take me out to the ballgame with his best line being after the song stating “I pity the Pirates.”

NHL Playoffs: Red Wings at Blackhawks Game 4

From the start of the day, Game 4 had a different feel than the other Chicago Blackhawks playoff games I have attended. First, it was the first afternoon game of the playoffs. The Blackhawks usually play Sunday afternoon games during the regular season but the weather is cold and on this Sunday it was warm.

Obtaining Tickets
While searching for Game 3 tickets on Friday afternoon, I also bought my ticket for Game 4 on Sunday. While searching ads on craigslist.org, I found an advertisement that was selling his single Game 4 ticket for $110 ($4 over the $95 face value plus Ticketmaster fees) – a good deal compared to what we paid for Friday night’s game. He emailed me back to say the ticket was still available and I agreed to meet him in the South Loop on Friday afternoon before Game 3.

CTA to game
Since I was meeting Blackhawks Jim at the game and we were planning to barbeque at his place in Wilmette after the game, I took the CTA to the game so I could get a ride straight to Wilmette. If heading to the United Center by public transportation, you need to get to Madison Ave. and then take the #19 United Center Express bus to the United Center. Since I live by Wrigley Field, I took the Red Line (‘L’) and got off at Monroe Ave. to catch the bus. I arrived at the United Center by 2 pm.

The Game
The Red Wings scored the first goal of the game short handed and that set the tone for the rest of the game. The Red Wings defeated the Blackhawks 6-1 in the most lopsided victory I have attended during the post season. Blackhawks backup goalie Cristobal Huet started because Nikolai Khabibulin was injured in Game 3. However, the one bright side for the Blackhawks was that they scored a power play goal – continuing the Detroit Red Wings record setting streak by allowing a power play goal for the 13th consecutive playoff game.

Women’s Professional Soccer: St. Louis at Chicago

For the first time since 2003, I attended a women’s professional club soccer game. Of course, there has been no women’s league since 2003. In 2003, the Women’s United Soccer Association (WUSA) folded after the season ended. This year, Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) began their inaugural season.

My parents landed at Chicago Midway Airport at 4:20 pm Saturday afternoon. With Toyota Park a short 4.5 mile drive from Midway, we decided to attend the women’s soccer game Saturday night rather than the Chicago White Sox game.

Pre Game Dining
One restaurant I have wanted to try by Toyota Park is Grand Duke’s Restaurant – located at 6312 S. Harlem Ave. on the corner of Harlem Ave. and 63rd St. By the time my parents had claimed their luggage and we drove to the restaurant it was 5 pm, so we had awhile before the 7:30 pm kickoff. Grand Duke’s is Lithuanian food so we were not sure what to expect.

We started with the Fried Bread Hill appetizer – which is fried bread topped with warm cheese and garlic sauce. After about three slices, my teeth started to hurt after chewing into each slice. We ate about half of it with three people. For dinner, I ordered the Lithuanian Combo Plate while my dad ordered the Fried Lithuanian Combo Plate. The Fried Lithuanian Combo Plate was much better.

Parking and Obtaining Tickets
After dinner we drove to Toyota Park – less than one mile from the restaurant. We parked for free since I received a media parking pass when I went to the Chicago Fire home opener (but parking still costs $15 for the women’s league).

As is the case with most third tier sporting events there are no scalpers to be found for the event. And since we arrived at kickoff there were no extra tickets from fans to be found. Thus, we had to buy tickets from the box office. To my utter shock, the cheapest seat in the stadium was $15. I cannot understand why the Red Stars would price their tickets that high. I always believe sports tickets for poorly attended teams should cost less than a movie – which currently costs around $10. By pricing tickets less than a movie, younger fans who are looking for entertainment options may choose to attend a sporting event rather than a movie on a Saturday night. However, the Red Stars have decided to price their cheapest seats at $15 thinking there is a demand for Women’s Professional Soccer. Even though they did have a larger crowd than I expected – 4,461 – I feel they could have a larger attendance with lower prices. Although we still paid the ticket price, we may not be coming back that often.

The Game
St. Louis Athletica scored their first goal in the 25th minute and their second goal in the 41st minute and breezed to a 2-0 win over Chicago. Chicago has not scored a goal for 308 minutes.

NHL Playoffs: Red Wings at Blackhawks Game 3

For the first time since 1995, the Blackhawks hosted a Western Conference Finals game (that series also happened to be against the Detroit Red Wings).

Obtaining Tickets
I had planned to meet up with Blackhawks Jim at the game since he already had a ticket in his regular seats. However, since his wife and daughter and the Ultimate Sports Wife also wanted to attend, I needed to buy four tickets. I considered buying Standing Room Only tickets, but with four people it is next to impossible to find four seats together. We would most likely have to split up 2 and 2. And with the Ultimate Sports Wife preferring to sit (rather than sitting and getting kicked out) it made sense to buy seats for Friday night’s game.

I checked out my regular websites for tickets during the day on Friday – craigslist.org, StubHub and eBay. At 10 am I told Blackhawks Jim it would probably cost around $150 per ticket. I considered waiting until we arrived at the United Center, but again, with four people I was unsure what tickets would be available outside the arena. At 2 pm, I bought tickets off eBay for $140 each (plus $10 for processing) – face value for the tickets was $65 plus Ticketmaster fees.

Pre Game
The original plan was to meet Blackhawks Jim, his wife, daughter and the Ultimate Sports Wife at The Beer Bistro – our usual meeting place. However, traffic on a Friday afternoon from Wilmette to Chicago is normally bad so they never made it. The Beer Bistro has a beer of the month special for $4. This month’s beer was Okocim.

Buying Tickets Note: If I had known I would be at the United Center by 5 pm and that Blackhawks Jim would not be able to show up for dinner I would not have bought tickets from eBay. With two hours to wander around the United Center I would have found a better deal on tickets. In fact, I talked to “Broker Ben” outside of Billy Goat Tavern (the main scalper hang out) and he said seats in the third level of the United Center were selling for around $125 each on the street.

The Game
The Blackhawks lost a 3-0 lead as the Red Wings scored three unanswered second period goals within 4 minutes and 23 seconds. The Red Wings set an NHL record by giving up a power play goal in their 12th consecutive playoff game.

As was the case with Game 2, Game 3 also went to overtime – the fourth overtime game I have attended (and the Blackhawks have played) this post season. Once again, when the Blackhawks are home they score quickly into overtime – Patrick Sharp scored the game-winning goal 1:52 into overtime.

Post Game Dining
Since we missed dinner before the game we needed to eat after the game. We headed to our new usual place – CrossRoads Bar & Grill. I recommend the Thanksgiving Turkey sandwich.

A Free Ticket, A Foul Ball and 20 Runs

I had scheduled a doctor’s appointment specifically for Thursday morning so I would have an excuse to “work from home” – aka attend the Chicago White Sox game after my doctor’s appointment. My doctor’s appointment ended around 11:30 am so I took the train from downtown Chicago to U.S. Cellular Field and arrived at noon.

Pre Game Dining
I had planned to eat lunch at Jimbo’s – the only bar/restaurant within a two block walk of U.S. Cellular Field. But to my dismay the place was boarded up. At first I thought the economy took them down, but then remembered reading an article from 2006 stating that the owner of the building was not going to renew the restaurant’s lease after the 2006 season. Since we ate their last August 8, they must have come to an agreement but I guess not this time.

Instead I ate at the Parkside Café – located at 308 W. 33rd St. This café is similar to any hot dog stand in Chicago except it does not have indoor seating – only outdoor, which makes it only a walkup during lousy weather.

Obtaining Tickets
After eating, I was back at the ballpark at 12:30 pm and had my mind set on a free ticket – even though it was 82 degrees outside, it was still a Thursday afternoon on the Southside. I stood outside the main box office where I have had luck before. Remember, in order to get a free ticket you always have to be willing to offer something. I offered $5 for a $19.50 ticket and $10 for a $40 ticket, but both offers were rejected.

As it approached 12:50 pm, I thought I might have to pay a reasonable price for a ticket. But then, I saw a man handing someone else a ticket and saw no money exchanged. I asked the same guy if he still had an extra (which I knew he did) and he gave me his second extra ticket - $40 face value, 14 rows behind home plate. He also gave me a pass to The Stadium Club.

The Foul Ball
Since I do not like to sit in the sun, I chose to sit in row 28 (14 rows behind my seat) in order to sit in the shade – my Chicago blood has not adjusted to 82 degree sunny days just yet. I sat there for the first four innings and went to the Stadium Club for the 5th inning to check it out (I have not had Stadium Club passes since April 23, 2004).

I got back to Section 129 in the top of the 6th inning and the shade was now covering my seat in row 14. I sat in my “given” seat as Nick Punto came to the plate. On the first pitch to Punto, Nick hit a towering foul ball above our heads. I knew the ball would not land in our section, but did not realize it would fall just two rows back right across the aisle. Based on the fans that were standing to try and catch the ball, I stepped into the aisle and waited for the ricochet (I’m no expert on catching balls at games but I do know a major league pop-up is nearly impossible to catch with a bare hand). It landed on the group as I expected, bounced off another guys hand and caromed towards me. The only risk was that I would not be able to snag the ball with my own bare hands. I did and grabbed my 7th game ball off the bat of Nick Punto (and only the second ball that did not touch the ground first). The other six game balls I got were:

#1: April 13, 1993 (in San Diego): Jay Bell hit a foul ball by first base that hit the ground in our row.
#2: April 18, 1993 (in San Francisco): Matt Williams hit the game-winning home run in the bottom of the 11th inning. The ball fell beneath the bleachers so I quickly ran underneath the bleachers to claim the ball.
#3: 1994 (in Oakland): Stan Javier hit a ball that caromed off the façade and I caught the ball on my shoulder.
#4: June 21, 1995 (in Oakland): Craig Paquette hit a home run that fell underneath the Oakland Coliseum bleachers which I ran and found before another fan.
#5: September 12, 1996 (in Montreal): Darren Fletcher hit a foul ball by third base that landed in the aisle and I was able to grab out of a group of hands reaching for the ball.
#6: July 9, 2004 (in San Juan): The Ultimate Sports Wife and I were sitting in the front row by the Pittsburgh Pirates dugout. A ball was foul tipped and rolled over to the wall. I leaned over and picked it up.

The Game
For the third time in the 802 regular season MLB games I have attended, one team scored 20 runs in the game. The irony being that the last time I saw a team score 20 runs, the Twins defeated the White Sox 20-14 on July 6, 2007 (in the first game of a day-night doubleheader) – also at U.S. Cellular Field. The other game occurred on May 6, 2001 when the Cubs defeated the Dodgers 20-1 at Wrigley Field.

Other milestones that were achieved during this game were:
1) First time since July 6, 2007 that either team scored or gave up 20 runs.
2) The 10th time in team history the Twins scored 20 runs.
3) The 13th time in team history the White Sox game up 20 runs.
4) Biggest defeat in White Sox history matching a 19-0 loss in Anaheim during the 2002 season.
5) The White Sox streak of hitting a home run in every home game versus the Twins was snapped. They had done so since the second game of the doubleheader on July 6, 2007.

NHL Playoffs: Blackhawks at Red Wings Game 2

With tickets hovering around face value for Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals in Detroit, Blackhawks Jim and I decided to make the trip to Detroit. The drive, around 4.5 hours from Chicago, is possible without having to stay over. Obviously you need to leave Chicago early enough to get to the game on time and then leave immediately after the game ends so you can get back to Chicago at a reasonable hour.

Obtaining Tickets
Rather than buying tickets before driving to Detroit, we decided to wait – the game was not sold out meaning you do not have to buy tickets ahead of time as there should be extra tickets being sold on the streets outside the arena.

On the drive, I checked my usual sites – craigslist.org, StubHub and eBay. At the start of the drive, tickets were around face value. Halfway through the drive, tickets were a little below face. Towards the end of the drive tickets were a little above half-price. Of course, anything that was half-price online was an e-ticket and we obviously had no printer. I told Blackhawks Jim we would have to wait until we arrived at Joe Louis Arena. I could tell he was a little worried but having been in this position before, I had confidence we could find a good deal.

Pre Game Dining
One of Blackhawks Jim’s friends from Detroit told us to go out in Greektown before the game. While driving to Greektown we found a few old pubs in downtown Detroit. We decided to try Jacoby’s German Biergarten since they had a sign stating it had been around since 1904.

Parking and Shuttles
We parked near Jacoby’s German Biergarten for $5. We figured we could either take Detroit’s version of a subway called the People Mover or take one of the bar shuttles directly to Joe Louis Arena. As we were walking to the People Mover, a shuttle was waiting outside one of the pubs across the street. We hopped on the shuttle for a ride to the arena.

Obtaining Tickets Part 2
We found an area where some scalpers were located. Most of the scalpers were asking for face value for their tickets. However, I figured we would be able to get tickets for around half price so that is what we offered. One guy, who appeared to be a fan, had two tickets (face value $125 each). I offered him $125 for the pair and eventually settled in on $70 each (face value at the arena box office was $140 for individual game tickets so we basically achieved our goal).

Joe Louis Arena
With our tickets in hand we headed into Joe Louis Arena. Joe Louis Arena is a classic old hockey arena – one bowl that surrounds the ice. Even though our seats were technically in the “upper deck” there was no upper deck. It meant we walked up from where everyone entered in the section rather than down. Our seats were great and we avoided spending more than we needed.

Before the game we walked around the arena in search of food. We decided to eat at Cheli’s Chili since we thought that was the most local fare. One note for Joe Louis Arena is that there is no beer cut off. As the game was nearing the end of regulation, the beer vendors were still walking through the arena selling beer. The only caveat is that when the game ends, you either need to drink your beer or throw it out as you cannot leave the arena with it.

The Game
For the third time this post-season, I attended an overtime game. Jonathan Toews scored a goal with 7:40 left in regulation to tie the game at 2 goals apiece. Toews first goal in the first period came on a Blackhawks power play – the 11th straight post season game the Red Wings had given up a power play goal tying the Pittsburgh Penguins who accomplished the feat in 1989.

Mikael Samuelsson score the game winning goal 5:14 into the first overtime period. It was by far the longest OT game I have seen this post season as the other games ended after 2:52 (May 7, 2009) and 12 seconds (April 16, 2009).

From Apostles to Purgatory: Astros at Cubs

Once again my tickets for today’s game sold on StubHub last night. After the rooftop “Apostles” helped me yesterday, I decided pressing my luck on the rooftop was not the best plan. I had to suck it up and buy tickets outside of Wrigley Field.

Pre Game Dining
Even though our tickets sold, it did not mean that we would miss our favorite brunch at Purgatory Pizza, located at 3415 N. Clark St. In February it was named Time Out Chicago’s #1 brunch spot.

For a measly $13, Purgatory Pizza provides all you can eat pizza and all you can drink beer (upgrade to well drinks for an extra $6). In my opinion, this beats any brunch in Wrigleyville – especially before a Cubs game.

Obtaining Tickets
Since our tickets sold on StubHub, I needed to buy a ticket outside of Wrigley Field. Walking back from Purgatory Pizza put me on the corner of Addison St. and Sheffield Ave. A scalper, who presented himself as a fan offered me a ticket in Section 139 Row 9. Face value for the ticket was $60. Since the game had already started I offered him $10, but ended up paying $20.

The Game
My ticket was awesome – close to the field, down the 3rd base line and in the sun on a beautiful Sunday afternoon in Chicago (even though the official temperature was 50 degrees). In fact, I almost got a foul ball but it ricocheted into the row behind me and snagged by the guy sitting there.

Ivan Rodriguez hit his 300th career home run in the 4th inning as Cubs pitcher Rich Harden gave up the most runs in an inning since August 9, 2005.

Post Game
Once again we chose to go to Wrigleyville North (located at 3900 N. Sheridan Rd.) for $10 pitchers post Cubs game.

Rooftop Apostles: Astros at Cubs

After my season tickets sold on StubHub overnight, I had to decide whether to buy tickets outside the stadium or try to get on the rooftop in which I know the owner. Of course, going on a rooftop for free seemed better than trying to buy a ticket.

As I have written in the past, I normally can talk to the game day operations guy (Peter) and he allows me access to the rooftop. However, yesterday was different. He said the owner was in town and that I would need to go through the owner rather than him to get on the rooftop.

“Great!” I thought. The last time I called the owner for access he called me 20 minutes before game time (read story here). However, the owner has allowed me up on the rooftop plenty of times over the past couple of seasons so I figured it would not be a problem. The only issue was that I usually give the owner a day or two advanced notice and now game time was 90 minutes away. I called him immediately at 10:30 am, texted him at 11 am, and called him again at 11:30 am. At 11:45 am I still had no response. What was I to do? Give up and look for tickets on the street or stay confident and stand at the bottom of the rooftop like an idiot. Idiot I chose.

Next thing I knew his lawyer, Paul, showed up and asked me who I was waiting for. I introduced myself and stated that I knew he was the owner’s lawyer. He acted surprised by this knowledge and said the owner was asleep and that he would take care of my cousin and me. He walked up to Peter and whispered something. Next thing I knew we were handed two tickets for the rooftop. Game time (noon) was obviously the time where Peter and Paul (“the Apostles”) could make a decision for the owner – who we will now call the Big Guy.

We had our access to the rooftop even though it was the most painful experience thus far. Desperate? – Yes. Worth it? – Of course.

The Game
Randy Wells pitched 6 scoreless innings to extend his Cubs scoreless inning streak to 15 1/3 innings – the longest streak to start a Cubs career since Jose Guzman threw 17 1/3 scoreless innings in 1993.

Since we were sitting on the rooftop, we could see many fans leave Wrigley Field after the 8th inning. Little did they know, the Astros would score 4 runs in the top of the 9th to tie the game 4-4 and Alfonso Soriano would drive in the winning run in the bottom of the 9th inning to win the game off of whom else but Latroy Hawkins.

Postponed by rain: Astros at Cubs

For the second time this season, I was planning to attend the Chicago Cubs game which was postponed by rain (the first game was on April 19). I was still in the house (the Ultimate Sports Wife and I never enter the stadium during a rain delay until the first pitch is thrown) watching the pre-game show when the game was officially postponed. If you do not have the option of sitting in your house, then I would recommend hanging out in a bar or restaurant until the game actually starts.

After the postponement, Nicole and I decided to eat lunch at our favorite restaurant around Wrigley Field – Pizza Rustica (located two blocks north of the bleacher entrance at 3913 N. Sheridan Rd). There is no other choice but to enjoy the bars and restaurants around Wrigley Field after a postponement.

A rain-shortened affair: Padres at Cubs

It is not very often that you attend a rain-shortened game but do not have to sit through any rain delays inside the stadium. Last night was this exception (even though there were three different rain delays).

The game between the Chicago Cubs and San Diego Padres started out with a delay before the first pitch was thrown. Even though it was not raining at 7 pm, the start time of the game was still pushed back from 7:05 pm to 7:40 pm.

Obtaining Tickets
The delayed game gave me extra time to search for a cheap ticket. At first, I was only offering $5 for a ticket and hoping to find a free one. However, I was unable to find a freebie after walking around Wrigley Field twice. Instead, I found a ticket broker I know and asked if he had a $5 ticket. He did and handed me an upper deck seat. With the stadium half full I knew I could sit in the first level, so I did not care where my seat was actually located.

The Game
Alfonso Soriano led off the bottom of the 1st inning with a home run – his 53rd career leadoff homer (and 21st with the Cubs), which ties him for second place with Craig Biggio. Ryan Theriot followed Soriano’s home run with one himself – giving the Cubs back-to-back home runs to lead off a game for the first time since April 27, 2000 and the first time the Padres have ever allowed the feat.

The second rain delay of the night lasted for four minutes after the 5th inning as hard rains started but immediately stopped. The third rain delay occurred in the middle of the 8th inning as a thunderstorm appeared to be over Wrigley Field. At this point, I met Nicole for dinner since the Cubs were up 6-3 and there appeared to be no end to the weather.

That decision was correct as the game was delayed for 58 innings before finally being called in the middle of 8th inning. This was the third rain shortened game I have attended. The other two occurred on:

1) September 19, 1997 at Wrigley Field. That game had two rain delays in the 4th and 5th innings that totaled 116 minutes.
2) August 4, 2008 at Wrigley Field. That game also had two delays – the first lasting two hours and 45 minutes when Nicole and I ended up going home and then were allowed back in the park (click here to find out why) to sit through another 39 minute delay before the game was finally called with one out in the bottom of the 8th inning.

Post Game Dining
During the third rain delay, Nicole and I decided to eat dinner at Rockit Bar & Grill located on the corner of Clark St. and Waveland Ave. Rockit opened after Opening Day on April 28, 2009 in Tuscany’s old location. In an area where the crowds usually overtake the bars, it was nice to be able to have a sit down dinner after a Cubs game.

Northwestern Day at Wrigley Field: Padres at Cubs

I was walking outside of Wrigley Field and noticed a lot of fans wearing their Northwestern purple. I had forgotten it was Northwestern Day at Wrigley Field. However, once I remembered I also remembered that the pre-party was being held at Mullen’s Bar & Grill Wrigleyville – located at 3527 N. Clark St (and the “official” Northwestern bar in Chicago). When we arrived at Mullen’s we were handed a coupon for one free drink or appetizer since we had attended Northwestern.

The Game
The Cubs defeated the Padres 6-2 after Milton Bradley hit a two-run home run to give the Cubs a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the 6th inning. Bobby Scales added his first Major League home run in the bottom of the 7th inning.

Promotions & Northwestern Day
Before the game, the Cubs gave out a limited edition Ernie Banks bobblehead doll. Most fans need to arrive at least 90 minutes early for a bobblehead giveaway. I usually choose to stay at home rather than enter the ballpark early.

Northwestern’s Head Football Coach, Pat Fitzgerald, threw out the ceremonial first pitch and sang “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” during the Seventh-inning stretch. Fitzgerald has been on a Chicagoland sporting event tour as he also shot pucks during the Chicago Blackhawks promotion on Monday night.

NHL Playoffs: Canucks at Blackhawks Game 6

In what had to have been one of the most exciting NHL games I have ever attended, the Chicago Blackhawks defeated the Vancouver Canucks 7-5 in Game 6 of the Western Conference Semi-Finals. The Blackhawks advanced to the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 1995.

This was the third NHL series clinching game I have attended. The other two came on May 19, 1995 as the Blackhawks defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 7 and May 7, 2007 as the Detroit Red Wings defeated the San Jose Sharks in Game 6

Pre Game Dining
Before the game, I dined with some colleagues at Petterino’s located at 150 N. Dearborn St. Petterino’s is a reasonably priced restaurant if you are looking to eat in downtown Chicago rather than by the United Center.

Obtaining Tickets
I was attending the game with Blackhawks Jimmy Jr. (son of Blackhawks Jim) and needed to find tickets for the two of us. Earlier in the day, I noticed an eBay auction for two SRO tickets for $55 each. I thought about purchasing those tickets but noticed that tickets on StubHub had been declining in price. Rather than buy the eBay tickets I decided to wait to see if the market would fall further. It did not and I ended up buying two SRO tickets from StubHub for just under $70 each (10 minutes after I made the purchase tickets were $30 more expensive).

I hardly ever buy tickets from StubHub because the difference in price the buyer receives and the seller pays is much greater than eBay, craigslist.org or walking around the arena (as I usually do). However, I decided to make the purchase for several reasons Monday afternoon:

1) The game had a lot of hype and I was fearful there would not be a secondary market outside the United Center as all ticket transactions would take place before people showed up to the arena.
2) It is nearly impossible to get a good deal on craigslist.org with a high demand game as you may not hear back from the “lister” or the price you offered is too low compared to someone else.
3) Tickets on eBay were more expensive than StubHub (even with StubHub’s fees) and I was not near a printer. Most eBay transactions are for electronic tickets which I would need to print out at home or in the office.

For those three reasons, I figured the safest purchase was through StubHub and it appeared as though I was right. When Blackhawks Jimmy Jr. and I arrived at the United Center, I did not see any fans (or scalpers) with extra tickets. Everyone (around 50 to 100 people) was asking for tickets. One scalper did have tickets in section 323, row 16 but wanted $150 each for them. Twice as much as I had paid for SRO tickets.

Standing Room Only at the United Center
As I wrote after Game 3 of the series, most people are intimidated by buying Standing Room Only seats. First, they think they will have to stand for the entire game. And second, as is the case with the United Center, the team may sell too many SRO tickets for the standing room space available. Thus, it can be difficult to see the ice during a playoff game.

Since we arrived about 45 minutes early for the game, I did check out the standing room area to see if we could find a spot where we could stand but still see the ice. We were the second row back. We could see the ice but may have some obstructions if people moved around too much. Thus, I chose to find seats and we could easily since it was 40 minutes before the game.

As the Blackhawks started their pre game festivities 10 minutes before the game, people started to arrive (most Blackhawks fans arrive before the national anthem). We were kicked out of our seats twice and ended up standing next to “sparkler guy” in this picture (I am in the blue shirt towards the right of the picture clapping and Blackhawks Jimmy Jr. is to my left in the Blackhawks jersey - next to the fan with the American flag).


Just after the national anthem ended we sat in row 4 of that same section and were able to sit in the seats for the entire game (I guess a guy from Cincinnati was supposed to drive in for the game but did not end up coming).

The Game
Patrick Kane scored the first hat trick of his career (and the first for the Blackhawks in a playoff game since Gary Suter on April 24, 1994). The United Center had not been this loud since Michael Jordan’s second three-peat run, as the Canucks and Blackhawks traded goals the entire game.

In the first period, the Canucks scored first to take a 1-0 lead, but the Blackhawks matched exactly two minutes later to tie the score 1-1.

In the second period, the Blackhawks took a 3-1 lead, but the Canucks managed to score two goals of their own before the period was over to tie the game 3-3.

In the third period, the Canucks took a 4-3 lead, but the Blackhawks matched about two minutes later. The Canucks then took a 5-4 lead and the crowd thought the series was heading back to Vancouver for Game 7. However, Kane was able to sneak one by Roberto Luongo to tie the game at 5-5 and the Blackhawks scored two more goals to win the game 7-5.

This was the fourth NHL game I have attended with 12 or more goals scored. The other three were:
1) November 12, 1998: Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Blackhawks 10-3.
2) March 30, 2002: San Jose Sharks defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 10-2.
3) January 19, 2006: Los Angeles Kings defeated the Atlanta Thrashers 8-6.

100th Chicago White Sox Home Game

Last night I attended my 100th Chicago White Sox home game. The first White Sox game I ever attended was on July 27, 1990 at “Old Comiskey Park” with my grandparents and brother. Every other game has been at U.S. Cellular Field (or “New Comiskey Park”). The White Sox are the 4th Major League Baseball team I have seen play 100 games at home. The other three are:

1) San Francisco Giants – attended my 100th game during the 1997 season
2) Oakland Athletics – attended my 100th game during the 2001 season
3) Chicago Cubs – attended my 100th game during the 2002 season

Pre Game Dining
When I was at the White Sox doubleheader last Tuesday, I noticed an advertisement for Buffalo Wings & Rings. The ad stated that they had free parking and a free shuttle. My friend and I decided to try the restaurant last night.

Buffalo Rings & Wings is similar to BW3 but not as good. However, they made good on their promise of free parking and a free shuttle (saving the $23 it costs to park in the official White Sox parking lots) and the ride was hassle free. The shuttle waited for us before the game so we could go to our car first and was waiting for us after the game. We will definitely be eating here before White Sox games later this season.

Obtaining Tickets
I had hoped we could get free tickets for a half full White Sox game, but with my friend with me I decided not to wait for a freebie. Instead we paid $10 each for upper reserved seats ($23 face value). The White Sox labeled last night’s game as a Prime game. I’m not 100% sure why the Texas Rangers are “prime,” but the White Sox categorized every weekend game (except for April) as prime or premier.

The Game
The Texas Rangers made quick work of the White Sox scoring 3 runs in the first two innings and never looked back. Matt Harrison, of the Rangers, threw a 4-hit complete game shutout.

In the seventh inning we decided to go to the Bullpen Sports Bar located at field level behind the right field fence. Usually, the outside seating at the sports bar fills up before the start of the game. However, last night, when we arrived two people left so we were able to sit at the patio tables. It was the first time I sat at the tables outside.

NHL Playoffs: Canucks at Blackhawks Game 4

For the fourth time this season (and second in the playoffs), “Blackhawks Jim” invited me to attend last night’s Game 4 between the Vancouver Canucks and the Chicago Blackhawks. As usual, I was planning to purchase tickets on the day of the game. This is another example of why I wait to buy tickets sporting events unless I have to. You never know who might invite you at the last minute.

Pre Game Dining
I met “Blackhawks Jim” and his friends at CrossRoads Bar & Grill located at 1120 W. Madison St. CrossRoads has a $5 glass of wine special on Thursday nights, which in my opinion is better than paying $6 for a beer at the same place.

The Game
In a “must win” game for the Blackhawks, Martin Havlat scored the game tying goal with 2:44 left in the third period to send the game to overtime. Last night’s game was the fifth overtime playoff game I have attended and the second in this year’s playoffs.

During the 15 minute intermission between the end of regulation and overtime, “Blackhawks Jim” and I hung out in the Ketel One Club behind where our seats were located. The Blackhawks scored 2 minutes and 52 seconds into overtime as Andrew Ladd scored the game winning goal to even the series at 2 games apiece.

Post Game
After the game we stopped in at the Beer Bistro, which used to be our pre game restaurant before it started to get crowded. Beer Bistro’s beer of the month is Okocim for $4.

NHL Playoffs: Canucks at Blackhawks Game 3

For the first time in 13 years, Chicago Blackhawks fans could attend a hockey game in Chicago in May.

Obtaining Tickets
Earlier in the day, I had agreed to purchase two standing room only tickets from craigslist.org for $30 each (face value was $25 plus Ticketmaster fees). I had agreed to meet the seller at Billy Goat’s Tavern (located on the corner of Ashland Ave, Madison St. and Ogden Ave.) around 5:30 pm – where we wanted to eat before the game anyway.

Standing Room Only at the United Center
While many people are intimidated by SRO tickets, I am a strong believer in that you can always find a seat. In fact, many times the seat you sit in will be better than the seat would have purchased because you will sit wherever an open seat exists. Standing room only at the United Center is above the third level and can be difficult to see the game when there are a lot of SRO tickets sold. However, in my experience I have always been able to find seats when purchasing SRO at the United Center (although I usually have to change seats 3 or 4 times).

Last night was no exception. After getting kicked out of our seats twice, the Ultimate Sports Wife and I finally settled in the fourth row of section 333. Pretty good seats considering face value for the seats is $85 each and StubHub has seats in row 10 listed for $130. In my opinion, saving $55 per ticket is definitely worth moving around twice.

The Game
The Canucks defeated the Blackhawks 3-1 by shutting down the Blackhawks transition game. The Canucks have a 2 games to 1 lead heading into Thursday night’s game 4.

Game 1: San Francisco Giants at Chicago Cubs

After going 4-0 in the month of May, the Cubs finally lost in my fifth consecutive Cubs game attended. I had a meeting for work that ran long, so I did not arrive to the game until the 3rd inning (which is why I have “half game attendance rules” – for when life gets in the way of attending sporting events).

The Game
The Giants made quick work of Sean Marshall and took an early 3-0 lead off a Benji Molina three-run home run in the top of the 1st inning. Marshall settled in from there, shutting out the Giants for the next 6 innings before giving up 2 in the top of the 8th.

The most questionable decision of the day was that Lou Piniella decided to play the “second team” – of which six players were in the minors until as recently as 2007. It seemed as though Piniella figured the Cubs would lose to Giants starter Tim Lincecum with any lineup, so he decided to rest the starters.

Chicago Transit Authority
Immediately after the Cubs game ended, I needed to meet the Ultimate Sports Wife on the corner of Irving Park Rd. and California Ave. so we could get to the Chicago Blackhawks Round 2 playoff game. In order to get there, I decided to take the bus, which I almost never have to do after a Cubs game.

If you are planning to take the bus west of Wrigley Field, it probably makes the most sense to walk North on Clark St. and catch the bus on the corner of Irving Park Rd. and Clark St. That way you pass up the non-moving westbound traffic that sits east of Clark St. Be sure to catch the X80 Irving Park Express rather than the 80 Irving Park bus. The X80 only stops at main intersections and will save you precious minutes as you leave the ballpark.

San Francisco Giants at Chicago Cubs

Last night, with our tickets already in hand, the Ultimate Sports Wife and I walked across the street for a peaceful evening at Wrigley Field. The Chicago Cubs won their fourth consecutive game (all of which I have been in attendance) by defeating the San Francisco Giants 4-2. The last time I saw the San Francisco Giants play in Chicago was July 16, 2007.

The Game
Ryan Theriot hit his 3rd home run in four games. Theriot had one home run all of last season. The Chicago Red Stars (of the new Women’s Professional Soccer league) sang “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” during the seventh inning stretch.

Number 31 Retired: Marlins at Cubs

Today the Chicago Cubs retired uniform #31 in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Ferguson Jenkins and future Hall of Fame pitcher Greg Maddux. The last number retirement ceremony I attended was on September 28, 2003 when the Cubs retired Ron Santo’s #10 after clinching the N.L. Central Division Title the day before. The first 5,000 fans who entered the park received an 11”x14” replica of the two paintings given to each pitcher from the Cubs.

Pre Game Dining
Before the game, the Ultimate Sports wife and I ate Byron’s Hot Dogs – a hot dog stand located at 1017 Irving Park Rd.

The Game
Derrek Lee hit a grand slam in the 5th inning to lead the Cubs to a 6-4 win over the Florida Marlins. Carlos Zambrano, who injured himself running to first base in the top of the 5th inning, earned career win number 99.

Brunch before Cubs: Marlins at Cubs

Yesterday was a great day for a Chicago Cubs game. The temperature was in the 60s and the sun was out – great weather for early May.

Pre Game Dining
The Ultimate Sports Wife and I ate brunch at Salt & Pepper Diner located at 3537 N. Clark St. We arrived at 11:15 am so I thought we might miss the first pitch. Even though there was a line, there were seats available at the counter. If you do not mind eating at the counter, skip the wait and grab seats. We were done with brunch by 11:45 am. Also, with $3 Bloody Marys and Mimosas, $7 Rolling Rock pitchers and $2 Old Styles it’s hard to go wrong here.

The Game
The Cubs defeated the Marlins 6-1 as Ryan Theriot hit his second home run in as many days. Theriot only hit one HR in all of 2008 and only has 9 career home runs.

Ted Lilly became the Cubs first pitcher to record 10 or more strikeouts and 2 or more RBI since September 21, 2005. He also became the first Cubs pitcher since July 13, 1998 to commit two balks in the same game.

First Rooftop Game of the Season: Marlins at Cubs

After missing last night’s Cubs game by attending Game 6 of the Bulls and Celtics NBA playoff series, I decided to work from home today and attend the Cubs game during my “lunch hour.”

Obtaining Tickets
Since I did not have tickets to today’s game, I decided to see if I could watch the game from the Wrigley Field Rooftop Club. Last year, around this time, the Ultimate Sports Wife wrote about the process to get on the rooftop to watch the game. However, I have been able to cut this 10-step process down significantly as I now know the game day operations guy. Now I need to:

1) Wait at the bottom of the rooftop until he shows up.
2) Ask if I can go up on the rooftop today.
3) Receive the yes or no.

Today the answer was yes. The bouncer handed me the laminated entry pass and I was on my way. Wrigley Field Rooftop Club is by far the nicest of the rooftops in Wrigleyville. It opened two years ago and has all the amenities you would expect in a first-class rooftop. The only problem today was that it rained. With a steady rain and the game continuing play, there was not a good place to watch the game unless you also wanted to get wet.

The Game
The Cubs were behind early in the game, trailing 3-1 after 2 innings and 5-2 after four. However, in the bottom of the 6th, Ryan Theriot somehow managed to hit his first career grand slam (Theriot only hit one HR in all of 2008). Carlos Zambrano was used as a pinch hitter in the 4th inning.

For the second time this season, Rich Harden could not complete the 4th inning. The last time was April 15 against the Colorado Rockies.

Post Game Dining
After the game, we ate dinner at Frasca Pizzeria & Wine Bar. If you have kids, Frasca may be the restaurant for you after a Friday afternoon Cubs game. From 4:30 – 6 pm kids eat for free which is the perfect time after the Cubs game. So if you are with the family and want a nice meal post game, head over to Frasca. Be warned though, it may be kid central.

Greatest NBA Game I Have Attended: Celtics at Bulls

Since I had missed Games 3 and 4 of the Celtics and Bulls series while traveling to Germany, I definitely wanted to attend Game 6 (even though the Chicago Cubs were also playing at the same time) – a decision that turned out to be correct.

Obtaining Tickets
During the day I looked for tickets on the typical sites I use to analyze the ticket market – stubhub.com, craigslist.org and ebay.com. At first I almost bought a ticket in section 309 row 1 for $30 from StubHub, but with StubHub’s service fees the total came out to be $50. I decided to pass even though most requests on craigslist.org were asking for $60 or more.

Finally, I decided to check out eBay. One auction listed buy-it-now standing room only tickets for $35 each. I emailed the seller and asked if I could pay $25. He accepted the offer, sent me a PayPal invoice and sent me the electronic ticket after I paid. Whenever I buy SRO tickets, I usually am able to find a seat.

Parking
Since I was driving from my office in Oak Brook, IL, I exited I-290 at Western Ave. with the plan to park for free in front of my friend’s house at the 2200 block of Warren Ave. If you are willing to walk through the neighborhood, parking for free west of the United Center is pretty easy.

The Game
Needless to say the game went back and forth, with 17 ties and 21 lead changes. Late in the first quarter Rajon Rondo continued his controversial play by throwing Kirk Hinrich into the scorers table. Hinrich came back and Rondo and the players on the court got involved. The first overtime period set a record for number of OT periods in a single playoff series. The Celtics and Atlanta Hawks played four overtime periods in 1957.

In overtime, the Bulls decided to display the Green Bay Packers logo on the scoreboard in order to get the fans to Boo. The fans did not respond as was expected and I am not sure why the logo was shown.

Personal Records
I had some personal records set as well. It was the first triple overtime game I have attended. The only double overtime game I attended was on March 17, 2000 when the Bulls defeated Golden State Warriors.

This was the third highest point total I have seen from a home team and the third highest point total I have seen from a visiting team. All of the games listed below were non-OT games.

Home Team Point Totals
1) 146: Golden State Warriors defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves on April 1, 1994.
2) 132: Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Utah Jazz on November 30, 2006.

Visiting Team Point Totals
1) 128: San Antonio Spurs defeated the Golden State Warriors on January 10, 1992.
2) 128: Houston Rockets defeated the Los Angeles Clippers on February 14, 2006.

This game also tied my personal record for most total points scored by both teams. The Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves scored 255 points on April 1, 1994. The Warriors won 146-109.

50 point games
This was the sixth game I have attended in which a player scored 50 points. Ray Allen has 51 points. My other 50-point games can be found here.