Red Line Doubleheader Game 2: Yankees at White Sox

After the Cubs game, I went home to let the Cubs fans clear out before taking the red line south to U.S. Cellular Field for game two of the red line doubleheader.

Obtaining Tickets
We needed to buy three tickets for the game. The cheapest price at the box office (which in my opinion makes no sense for the White Sox) was $33 for an upper deck seat. Rather than pay $99 for upper deck seats, we found a fan that had three extra tickets in the 100 level (face value $52 each) that we bought for $100 total.

Rain Delay at the Bullpen Sports Bar
As soon as we entered the stadium, it started to rain. Since the game was delayed, we could either stand in the concourse with all of the other fans, or we could head to the Bullpen Sports Bar. We went to the Bullpen Sports Bar as I would recommend to most fans sitting at U.S. Cellular Field during a rain delay.

The Game
After the game was delayed for about an hour (64 minutes to be exact) due to heavy rains, we headed back to our seats. For the second Thursday in a row, Dewayne Wise was the hero and for the second week in a row he needed help to gain the title. Last Thursday, Wise made a spectacular catch to keep Mark Buehrle’s perfect game in tact.

Last night, with two outs in the top of the 9th, Nick Swisher hit a home run to tie the game at 2 runs apiece. The home run allowed Wise to single in the game-winning run in the bottom of the 9th to lead the White Sox to a 3-2 win over the New York Yankees.

Red Line Doubleheader Game 1: Astros at Cubs

With the Cubs game starting at 1:20 pm and the White Sox game starting at 7:11 pm, I planned to attend my first red line doubleheader since April 22, 2008. Red Line doubleheaders (where under normal circumstances the Cubs play an afternoon game at Wrigley Field and the White Sox play a night game at U.S. Cellular Field) generally occur once or twice per season. Yesterday was an unscheduled red line doubleheader as the original Cubs game on May 15 was postponed and scheduled for today. It was the second and last red line doubleheader of the season.

Pre Game Dining
Before the Cubs game, I met my friend and his dad at Ann Sather’s located at 909 W. Belmont Ave. I knew Ann Sather’s was a tourist attraction, but, to my surprise, there were more Cubs fans than I expected dining in the restaurant before trekking the four blocks north to Wrigley Field. Ann Sather’s is famous for its cinnamon buns with lots of frosting.

Obtaining Tickets
For the third game in a row, I sold my season tickets to my friend and his father before the game. Rather than try to negotiate with scalpers or find a free ticket outside the stadium, I bought a $15 Standing Room Only ticket. As usual, there were seats available in the section where my season tickets are located so I sat with my friends for the game.

The Game
For the second game in a row, the Cubs scored 12 runs to defeat the Houston Astros 12-3. This time the Cubs scored 9 runs off of Astros’ pitcher Russ Ortiz as Ortiz left the game with one out in the third inning. In a strange sequence of events, the Cubs winning pitcher, Kevin Hart, was traded and the Astros losing pitcher, Ortiz, was released immediately following the game.

Houston Astros at Chicago Cubs Game 3

As I had done Tuesday night, I sold my season tickets to my friend and his Dad for Wednesday afternoon’s Cubs game. My plan once again was to sit with them so I would just look for the cheapest seat possible. I could not find a cheap seat (less than $15) so I bought a Standing Room Only (SRO) ticket from the box office for $15 and sat with them throughout the game. As I normally write, seats are always available at Wrigley Field if you bought a SRO ticket.

The Game
Mike Hampton was lit up for 6 runs in the first inning and 9 runs over four innings as the Chicago Cubs cruised to a 12-0 win over the Houston Astros – the Cubs most decisive victory of the season. Randy Wells pitched eight shutout innings for the Cubs in route to his seventh win of the season – the most for a Cubs rookie pitcher since Kerry Wood had 13 in 1998.

Houston Astros at Chicago Cubs Game 2

In the second game of the series, the Houston Astros bounced back from their 13 inning defeat Monday night and Roy Oswalt’s early departure (due to a strained back) in the second inning to defeat the Chicago Cubs 11-6. During the 5th inning, in what I do not believe I have seen before, Kosuke Fukudome hit a ball into Jeff Fulchino’s jersey and was awarded first base – a play that obviously does not occur that often.

Pre Game Dining
Once again I met some friends at The Stretch before the game. Since I had eaten brunch here a couple of times, I wanted to try it before a night game. As usual, The Stretch abided by their daily special – Tuesday night being half price appetizers, salads and glasses of wine plus their every day special of $2 Old Styles. The place was just as good for dinner as it was for brunch.

Obtaining Tickets
I had sold my season tickets to a friend and had planned to sit with them during the game. Since I did not care what seat I bought, I planned to look for a ticket cheaper than $15 (the Standing Room Only price at the box office). I found a guy willing to sell me an upper deck box (face value $56) for $20. Although it was higher than $15, my friend had said they were planning to leave around the 5th inning since his dad had just arrived to town that day. Once they left, I sat in my upper deck box seat.

Monday Night Baseball: Astros at Cubs

With my season tickets already in hand, I walked across the street from my house to Wrigley Field about 5 minutes before the scheduled first pitch.

The Game
The Cubs and Astros played a 1-1 game into the 13th inning before Alfonso Soriano hit a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the 13th with nobody out. In the bottom of the 9th, the Cubs failed to execute a suicide squeeze as Mike Fontenot missed his bunt attempt and Milton Bradley was tagged out in an attempted steal of home. In the bottom of the 8th, Latroy Hawkins was ejected from the mound as he argued home plate umpire Mike Everitt’s ball call.

This was the third 13 inning game I have seen this season. The other two games came on June 20 when the Cubs defeated the Cleveland Indians 6-5 and on June 25 when the Chicago White Sox defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-5.

Cincinnati Reds at Chicago Cubs Game 3

The Cubs completed their three-game sweep of the Reds – winning 5-2 on Sunday afternoon. This was the Cubs first sweep of the Reds at Wrigley Field since May 22-24, 2001 (I attended one of those games on May 22, 2001).

Rich Harden nearly pitched six perfect innings and earned his first Wrigley Field day game win since August 24, 2008. His only mistake came with two outs in the first inning when he gave up a solo home run to Joey Votto.

Pre Game Dining
The Ultimate Sports Wife and I decided to eat brunch at The Stretch again. The food is good and a few dollars cheaper than other brunch places in the area. On Sunday’s they have specials of $15 buckets of beer and $5 32-ounce Bloody Marys.

Cincinnati Reds at Chicago Cubs Game 2

It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon in Chicago so Nicole and I planned to grill on our deck before I headed over to the Cubs game. Since we got a late start I knew I would be a few innings late to the game.

Obtaining Tickets
Since I was planning to attend the Cubs game late, I needed to buy a ticket before the game started rather than wait and hope the Cubs were still selling tickets from the box office. If I had planned to get to the game on time, I would have bought a standing room only ticket for $15 (having to enter Wrigley Field immediately after purchase). I walked around Wrigley Field and realized that tickets were going well above face value.

Since I could not find a cheap ticket, I decided to take the risk and buy a ticket at the box office a few innings after the game began (something I have not done before). However, as I was walking home, a fan had an extra $32 face value seat in which I offered $20. He accepted the offer and I had my ticket.

The Game
The Cubs defeated the Reds for the second day in a row winning 5-3.

Friday Afternoon Rooftop: Reds at Cubs

After having sat courtside at the Chicago Sky game, watched Mark Buehrle throw a perfect game and sat in a luxury box at Solider Field the previous two days, I figured I should continue my priceless experiences on Friday. With no ticket in hand for the Cubs game, I walked over to WrigleyRooftops.com and asked if I could go up. Immediately, my contact at the rooftop said “yes…no problem” – a much easier process than last time.

With all three levels open, the good food was available to everyone on the rooftop – ravioli, meat carving station, bacon wrapped scallops, etc. rather than the usual hamburger, bratwurst and Italian beef which they also had.

The Game
Eric Cooper was umpiring at 3rd base – a day after being the home plate umpire for Buehrle’s perfect game.

In the second inning, Randy Wells threw home for the force out rather than turning an easy double play since Reds’ pitcher Aaron Harang was on deck. Instead, Harang hit Wells pitch over the left field wall for a 3-run homer – his first career home run in 389 plate appearances.

The Cubs ended up defeating the Reds 8-5.

Wrigley Rooftops
In a change of policy on the rooftop, you can now get beer up through the end of the game (instead of at the end of the 7th inning) and you can get two beers at a time (rather than one). I’m not sure why they made the rule changes but the rooftops may be trying to be more customer friendly than they had been.

Post Game
After the game, I met Nicole at the Hopleaf Café in Andersonville. As I have written in the past Andersonville is a close (bus ride) and calmer alternative than hanging out in Wrigleyville after a Cubs game.

After the Hopleaf, we headed north to the Heartland Café for dinner located at 7000 N. Glenwood. The Heartland Café is a lengthy trip from Wrigley Field but only one block north of the Morse Red Line Stop if you are taking the train north after the ballgame.

After dinner we headed to the bars down the street from the Heartland Café – Red Line Tap and The Glenwood.

CONCACAF Gold Cup: Costa Rica vs. Mexico

Game 2 of the doubleheader started at 9 pm and what else could you ask for when sitting in a luxury box at Soldier Field with unlimited food and drinks – extra time and penalty kicks to make the night last as long as possible.

After the hour long break between matches, Liam and I walked back into the luxury box and to our surprise a Soldier Field employee asked to see our tickets. I guess we did not “look” like we were supposed to be in the box with the CONCACAF employees and guests.

The Match
At one point during the match when Costa Rica took a corner kick, the Mexican fans were throwing beverages from the stands on the Costa Rican player. I have heard that those “beverages” may not actually be beer or soda but cups full of urine – so watch yourself when drinks start flying at a Mexican soccer match. The PA addressed the crowd and stated that fans should “respect players on the field.”

At first we thought we would be heading into extra time scoreless. The match was 0-0 when Guillermo Franco sent the ball into the net and the mainly Mexican crowd into a frenzy at the 88th minute. I thought that was it and we would head home in a couple of minutes. However, Costa Rica’s Froylan Ledezma hit the equalizer in injury time of the second half and sent the match to extra time tied at one goal apiece.

After 30 minutes of extra time, the game went to penalties to decide the winner. Each Mexican player made their penalty shot as did each Costa Rican until Ledezma’s penalty kick was saved by Mexican goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa and sent Mexico to the final.

Extra time would not have been necessary if Mexico’s Miguel Sabah had not missed a penalty kick in the 58th minute.

CONCACAF Gold Cup: Honduras vs. USA

After witnessing history at U.S. Cellular Field Thursday afternoon, I headed to Soldier Field to watch the Gold Cup doubleheader Thursday evening. As I wrote yesterday, my friend Liam called me with luxury box tickets for the event – the first time I would sit in a luxury box at Soldier Field.

Pre Game
I took the train back from U.S. Cellular Field to the Roosevelt red line stop where I was to meet Liam. As I walked by Sam’s Wines and Liquors, I noticed they had a wine tasting bar where I could sit, wait and watch highlights of Mark Buehrle’s perfect game. I had not noticed the bar before when walking to Soldier Field for Chicago Bears games.

Soldier Field Luxury Box
We were in one of the CONCACAF luxury boxes so we were towards mid-field. The box came with everything one would expect – unlimited food and drinks.

The Game
Using a junior team, the United States defeated Honduras 2-0 in the first semi-final of the evening.

Perfection at U.S. Cellular Field: Rays at White Sox

“Oh well,” I thought as Gabe Kapler connected with Mark Buehrle’s pitch in the top of the 9th inning for an apparent home run – another possible no-hitter (this time a perfect game) lost in a late inning. The main baseball feat I have never witnessed in person.

But out of nowhere came DeWayne Wise. A defensive replacement for the start of the inning, Wise sprinted, in what appeared to be about a dozen strides, to the wall, jumped against the eight foot wall and extended his right arm. I could not believe what happened next – the ball landed in his glove but as Wise hit the wall and headed towards the ground the ball popped out of his glove for a split second and with his bare left hand grabbed the ball, fell to the ground and rolled. He jumped up and displayed the ball to the crowd and everyone was ecstatic. The perfect game was still in tact!

The next two batters – Michael Hernandez and Jason Bartlett stood no chance after that play. Hernandez struck out after getting to a 3-1 count and Bartlett grounded out to Alexei Ramirez for the 27th and final out. Mark Buehrle had just pitched the 18th perfect game in Major League Baseball history and I attended my first perfect game and no-hitter.

Obtaining Tickets
On the train south to U.S. Cellular Field a man got on the train in the loop and asked if anyone needed an extra ticket. I walked over to him and said I did. He wanted $20 for a single but I told him I only wanted to pay $10. He then offered me both tickets for $20. Assuming I could resell the other ticket outside of the ballpark I accepted the man’s offer.

As I got off the train, I resold the ticket to a scalper for $15. I probably should have done better but did not feel like hassling with trying to sell the other ticket. Plus I would never complain about buying a 100 level seat for $5.

The Game
In what was completely overshadowed by Mark Buehrle’s perfect game, Josh Fields hit a grand slam – the fourth straight White Sox game I have attended in which a grand slam was hit.

Possible Foul Ball
On May 21, I caught my first foul ball in a few years at U.S. Cellular Field. Yesterday, in the 5th inning, I dropped an easy foul ball from Paul Konerko as I sat in section 122, row 26, seat 1. In my aggravation over dropping the easy foul ball, I forgot Buehrle was throwing a perfect game and finally realized Buehrle was throwing a perfect game during the seventh inning stretch – probably good luck for Buehrle as usually the next batter gets a hit once I realize a no-hitter is being thrown.

U.S. Cellular Field
For the first time I noticed that U.S. Cellular Field is now selling Amstel Light and Heineken from a beer vendor. Prior to this you could only buy those beers from a concession stand. The price was not too bad either - $7.25 vs. $6.75 for Miller Lite.

Another note for this game was that I was on the Apple Vacations wave came after the 7th inning. Since I normally sit in the upper deck I do not usually get on the jumbotron but yesterday I did.

Post Game
After the game, I stuck around U.S. Cellular Field to watch Buehrle and Ozzie Guillen in the post game press conference. I have seen the White Sox promote the press conference at other White Sox games I have attended but never stuck around to watch it. It was much shorter than I thought it would be but filled up the time between leaving U.S. Cellular Field and getting to Solider Field – especially considering the game only lasted 2 hours and 3 minutes.

As I was walking to the train, I stopped by where the players “supposedly” exit after White Sox games. Little did I know the players actually exit about 50 yards from where they let the fans stand. Kenny Williams did exit by us, but nobody else exited by the fans.

Tripleheader Thursday in Chicago

As I wrote yesterday, one of my favorite sporting event start times are weekday afternoon games. Today I am planning to combine a weekday afternoon baseball game with a Gold Cup soccer doubleheader at Soldier Field. The Chicago White Sox are scheduled to play the Tampa Bay Rays at 1:05 pm. This is the first time I will have seen the Rays play at U.S. Cellular Field since April 23, 2004.

At 6 pm the United States plays Honduras in the first game of the doubleheader followed by Mexico and Costa Rica in the second game. This morning, my friend, Liam, called and invited me to a luxury box for the Gold Cup doubleheader. Since I was already planning to attend, I, of course, said yes. My original plan was to buy tickets outside of Soldier Field from a fan that had extras or from a scalper. This is another reason not to buy tickets ahead of time – you never know when you might get a last minute invite.

Wednesday Afternoon Basketball: Liberty at Sky

My favorite sporting events to attend are ones that start on weekday afternoons. Generally these events include MLB games. However, with the Chicago Sky and New York Liberty scheduled for an 11:00 am tip off, I was sure to be there.

Parking
I did not feel like paying to park, so I drove around the area surrounding the UIC Pavilion. I figured I should be able to park for free on a weekday afternoon. However, to my disappointment all the streets around the arena needed a permit in order to park on them. I finally found one street (S. Lytle St. on the corner of W. Cabrini St. and S. Lytle St.) a few blocks from the arena that did not need a permit so I ended up parking for free.

Obtaining Tickets
I thought I might have missed my opportunity for a free ticket while spending time looking for parking. I waited outside the main entrance to the UIC Pavilion for a few minutes before I decided there were no free tickets available. However, that is when a car pulled up and dropped off a family. I asked them if they had an extra ticket. At first they said no, but then must have had a change of heart and handed me a ticket. What a game – free parking and a free ticket.

It turns out the ticket was one row behind the New York Liberty bench. Granted this was a WNBA game, but I have never sat that close to the court at an NBA or WNBA game. It also turns out the reason the game time was so early because it was summer camp day. Kids in their summer camp T-shirts swarmed the arena. My original plan to buy a $16 ticket from the box office may have backfired on me as well since the entire upper deck appeared to be sold out – at least I never had to find out.

The Game
The Chicago Sky led for most of the game, but could not hold on as they lost to the Liberty 77-70. Although I could not see any of the “in-game” entertainment from my up close seat, my entertainment came from watching the Liberty players and coaches within five feet of me.

Mullet and Fireworks Night: Orioles at White Sox

With the wife heading to book club on a Friday night, I went to watch the White Sox host the Baltimore Orioles.

Obtaining Tickets
Even though the game was more crowded than usual (it was Mullet Night and Fireworks), I had hoped to find a free ticket. As I got off the train, a scalper had an upper deck ticket (face value $20). I offered him $10, to make my life easier, but he wanted $15 and did not accept my offer.

Next, I went on my “usual” walk past Gate 5 with the plan to continue to the main box office at the front of U.S. Cellular Field. However, as soon as I got to Gate 5, there was a guy with two extra tickets. At that time, another guy who needed a single asked if he had an extra ticket. He said he did and with me also needing a single, he handed us each one ticket. Nothing beats a free ticket to a ballgame.

The Game
In the third straight White Sox game I have attended somebody hit a grand slam. Jim Thome led the White Sox with a grand slam (his first since 2006) and three-run home run to defeat the Orioles 12-8. Thome had a career-high seven RBI, which is also the first time in White Sox history that they had two players have at least two home runs and seven RBI in the same month (Paul Konerko achieved the feat on July 7).

Fireworks Night
One of the most popular promotions for families is fireworks night at the ballpark. The White Sox drew 32,013 people last night which is ahead of their average attendance of 26,265 through 44 home games.

Sunday Night Baseball Game 2: Cardinals at Cubs

I have attended two other day-night doubleheaders at Wrigley Field – all versus the St. Louis Cardinals. The first occurred on August 31, 2002 and the second on September 2, 2003. One problem with the day-night doubleheader is that there is a lot of time in between the two games. Yesterday Game 1 ended at 3 pm and Game 2 did not start until 7 pm.

The Game
The Cardinals avoided the doubleheader sweep by defeating the Cubs 4-2 in the second game. The most interesting move of the game came when Lou Piniella moved left-handed reliever Sean Marshall to left field for one batter and brought Aaron Heilman to face Brendan Ryan – Heilman technically replaced Alfonso Soriano. After Ryan struck out, Piniella pulled Heilman bringing Marshall back to pitch and putting Reed Johnson in left field. The move worked as Marshall got the last two outs of the inning to keep the score 4-2 (even though Reed Johnson technically “trapped” Colby Rasmus’ fly ball to left field, but third base umpire Randy Marsh called him out).

Day–Night Doubleheader Game 1: Cardinals at Cubs

The day began with a plan to attend both games of a day-night doubleheader. The first game of the day was the makeup game from the April 19th rain out between the Cubs and Cardinals. The second game was the regularly scheduled Sunday Night Baseball game on ESPN.

Pre Game Dining
Before the game we went to the Full Schilling. Full Schilling sells 24 ounce beers for $6 (and you get a free hot dog if you order one order before or after the Cubs game).

The Game
Carlos Zambrano hit his 3rd home run of the season and earned the win in the Cubs 7-3 victory. Albert Pujols, who always seems to play well against the Cubs, committed a key two-run error in the seventh inning.

Post Game
After the game I suggested to my friends that we go to The Stretch (the same place we went before Saturday’s game). With $2 Old Styles I did not have to do much convincing.

Before my friend took the train back to Evanston, he wanted to hit up one more bar. For the first time, I went to The Dugout Sports Bar & Grill, which is a bar I’ve walked by many times but never went into. The Dugout has beer pong in the back room and was more crowded than I would have expected.

Wrigley Field vs. NASCAR: Cardinals at Cubs

The Ultimate Sports Wife and my original plan for today was to attend NASCAR’s LifeLock.com 400 in Joliet, IL. Since the race started at 7 pm and the Cubs game started at 3 pm there was really no way to make it to both events. If the Cubs game had started at noon then the doubleheader would have been possible. However, when my cousin from New York City said he was coming to town and wanted to attend the Cubs game we changed our plans – even though it goes against my rule of prioritizing the event that comes to town annually.

Pre Game Dining
Before the game Nicole and I wanted to try out a new brunch spot. Last Sunday we walked passed The Stretch, which appeared to have a good brunch menu. Since we did not eat there last week we decided to this week – a good decision. The Stretch has a great brunch menu for a few dollars less than Uncommon Ground or Rockit Bar & Grill. The best part is that it has $2 Old Styles every day – including game days – unheard of around Wrigley Field. If you drink Old Style at Wrigley Field, then $2 “beers” is the best deal in south of the stadium.

Obtaining Tickets
Even though Nicole and I already had our tickets for the game through our season tickets, my cousin and his friends did not. They had debated between sitting in the bleachers and just buying Standing Room Only (SRO). We talked to an “official” ticket broker (guys with a store front) and they wanted $100 per ticket for the bleachers. Then we walked to a ticket scalper (a guy on the street) and he wanted $90 per ticket for bleachers. Then I mentioned to my cousin that SRO tickets maybe available at the window for $15 – the only drawback being that you have to enter Wrigley Field immediately after purchasing your ticket.

My cousin and his friends decided to see if tickets were available at the box office and only pay $15. SRO tickets were still available 30 minutes before the first pitch for a game that StubHub had on sale for 3 to 4 times face value for seats.

The Game
Ted Lilly won his 100th game as the Cubs defeated the Cardinals 5-2. Of course, rather than sit in our seats, we stood with my cousin for the entire game – an experience that has now convinced the wife that SRO is actually not so bad.

Post Game
After the game we went to our usual post game bar Wrigleyville North. Wrigleyville North serves $10 pitchers before, during and after the game – a better deal than $2 beers at The Stretch but the remote location makes The Stretch a better experience.

My cousin’s friend, who was from Australia, wanted to be sure he hit one of the main bars around Wrigley Field. He wanted to go to Cubby Bear, but when we walked past Murphy’s we settled. Beers at Murphy’s were $6 each – far more expensive (and much more crowded) than most bars around Wrigley Field. If you want to be sure you make it to one of Wrigleyville’s most famous bars then you will need to pay more than the other cheaper options.

More Rain: St. Louis Cardinals at Chicago Cubs

Once again there was a rain delay on a Friday afternoon at Wrigley Field. However, this time the delay was only 25 minutes.

Obtaining Tickets
After the All-Star break last year, the Cubs changed their day of game ticket selling rules – no longer could you buy tickets when the box office opened at 9 am. Instead, the box office opens 2 hours before the game and fans must enter Wrigley Field immediately after purchasing their ticket. At the time, I did not like the new rule. However, in retrospect, every time I have tried to purchase a ticket for popular games on game day – tickets are available up to game time.

However, when it starts to rain, I do not like the rule. Since I live less than one block away, I prefer to stay in my house during a rain delay. Thus, if there is a rain delay, I prefer not to buy a ticket from the box office and enter the stadium immediately.

Rather than buy a ticket from the box office, I decided to buy a ticket from a scalper. Since the game was against the Cardinals I did not know what price to expect. Initially, I offered a scalper face value for her ticket. But she wanted to see if she could sell her 4-pack for face value ($22 each). However, I was able to buy a $45 face value ticket for $20 from a fan who walked by a few minutes later.

With my ticket in hand, I waited in my house during the rain delay and walked over once the first pitch was thrown.

The Game
The Cubs played terrible defense and lost to the Cardinals 8-3. Even though Derrek Lee tied the game with a 3-run home run in the bottom of the 3rd inning, poor fielding did the Cubs in – the highlight being Alfonso Soriano dropping Yodier Molina’s fly ball to left which allowed a run to score in the Cardinals 4-run 6th inning.

Cleveland Indians at Chicago White Sox

I arrived at the White Sox game Thursday afternoon early and with the only restaurant within a reasonable walk I knew of (Jimbo’s) now closed I had to choose another place to eat before the game.

Pre Game Dining
I decided to eat at 35th Street Red Hot – located on the corner of 35 St. and Normal Ave. Most hot dog stands in Chicago sell other items besides hot dogs so I was surprised to discover that 35th Street Red Hot only sells hot dogs. I ordered the double hot dog with fries.

Obtaining Tickets
35th Street Red Hot used to be the main spot for ticket brokers outside of U.S. Cellular Field. However, as was the case with the Cubs at White Sox game I attended on June 27, no brokers were to be found on the corner – there were a few Chicago police though.

I ended up buying a $36 ticket (face value) for $10 outside the main box office of U.S. Cellular Field.

The Game
In one of the longer games I have attended this season (time of game was 3:43) the Indians defeated the White Sox 10-8. The Indians took an early 9-2 lead behind a Kelly Shoppach second inning grand slam. The White Sox made a comeback but were shut down by Kerry Wood who earned the first four out save of his career.

Three Home Run Night: Indians at White Sox

For the first time ever, I went to a Chicago White Sox game over a Chicago Cubs game. My friend, Jamie Trecker, invited the Ultimate Sports Wife and me over to his house for a BBQ and wanted to attend the White Sox game last night. For the only day this season, the Cubs and White Sox were playing a home game at the same time.

Obtaining Tickets
Since the Cubs were playing at the same time as the White Sox, my usual scalpers were not at U.S. Cellular Field but outside Wrigley Field instead. Also, we needed to buy three tickets. The one scalper I found only had single tickets and they were on the lower level (if you buy 500 level seats at U.S. Cellular Field you cannot go to the 100 level). Thus, we bought tickets upper deck seats at the box office for $23 each.

The Game
I was rewarded for my decision to attend the White Sox game instead of the Cubs game. Paul Konerko hit three home runs – a solo shot in the 2nd inning, a grand slam in the 6th inning and a two-run homer in the 7th inning. He is only the third player this season to hit three home runs in the same game and the first White Sox three home run game since July 30, 2003.

I have seen a player hit three home runs in one game four times before:

1) June 23, 1997: Steve Finley – San Diego at San Francisco
2) June 15, 1998: Sammy Sosa – Chicago vs. Milwaukee
3) August 9, 2001: Sammy Sosa – Chicago vs. Colorado
4) July 4, 2003: Moises Alou – Chicago vs. St. Louis

Monday Night Baseball: Braves at Cubs

ESPN decided to broadcast the Braves and Cubs game last night moving the start time of the game to 6:05 pm. I always prefer a 6 pm start to a Cubs game because I can plan to eat dinner after the game.

The Game
The Cubs took an early 4-0 lead and Randy Wells pitched 6 strong innings to lead the Cubs to a 4-2 victory over the visiting Atlanta Braves. Randy Wells is the first Cubs rookie since Kerry Wood to win four straight starts. Aramis Ramirez made his first start since injuring his shoulder on May 8.

Post Game Dining
With last night’s game lasting only 2.5 hours, I was able to meet Nicole at Pizza Rustica for dinner around 8:45 pm. Pizza Rustica is a good place to eat before or after a Cubs game because 1) you can get a table and 2) it is BYOB – just head to the liquor store under the Sheridan ‘L’ stop.

Game #2: Cracovia Krakow vs. CF Rayados de Monterrey

After the Cubs game, I drove to Toyota Park to watch the friendly match between Cracovia Krakow (of Poland’s Ekstraklasa) and CF Rayados de Monterrey (of Mexico’s Primera División de México).

Obtaining Tickets
Tickets for the match ranged between $25 and $45 at the box office which I considered expensive. I ended up paying $15 for a “comp” ticket with a face value of $0. But I still saved $10 than buying the ticket at the box office.

The Game
Monterrey defeated Krakow 2-0 after scoring goals in the 47th and 71st minute.

Game #1: Brewers at Cubs

On the final day of the holiday weekend, I planned a doubleheader. First up was the final game of the Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs series. Second, was a friendly soccer match at Toyota Park.

Pre Game Dining
Before the game, the Ultimate Sports Wife and I ate breakfast at Salt & Pepper Diner – one of our usual pre-game brunch sports.

After brunch, we went to the outdoor patio at Vines on Clark (located at 3554 N. Clark St) since the weather was surprisingly nice. Vines on Clark does not have the best prices on food and drinks before the game, but it was worth it to be able to sit outside.

The Game
The Cubs defeated the Brewers 8-2 as Ted Lilly picked up his 99th career win.

Fourth of July at Wrigley Field

Last year on July Fourth, the Ultimate Sports Wife and I were in San Francisco and attended the Dodgers at Giants game. The crowd that day was fairly subdued. The crowd at Wrigley Field today was subdued as well and for good reason.

The Game
The Brewers crushed the Cubs 11-2. They started out the game scoring at least one run in the first four innings taking a 9-2 lead. Cubs’ starter Rich Harden had the shortest outing of his career after pitching only 2 innings and facing 2 batters in the 3rd inning.

Brewers’ Casey McGehee became only the third Brewer in the past decade to score three runs, have four hits and drive in five runs in the same game.

In commemoration of the 70th anniversary of Lou Gehrig’s famous farewell speech, both the Cubs and Brewers wore “4 ALS” patches. Before the game, Dave Otto read a portion of the famed speech just as all home teams in baseball are doing.

Milwaukee Brewers at Chicago Cubs

One of the benefits of living so close to any stadium is that while other people are traveling to the game, you can be productive around the house if needed. For example, today I decided to paint one of our bathrooms. I started at 9 am, taped and painted until 1 pm, walked to Wrigley Field for the 1:20 pm first pitch, was back in the house at 4:30 pm and finished painting at 6:30 pm.

The Game
Jake Fox drew a bases loaded walk in the bottom of the 10th inning to give the Cubs a 2-1 victory over the Brewers. This was the second bases loaded walk of the game as Carlos Zambrano walked Corey Hart in the 4th inning to give the Brewers a 1-0 lead.

After Zambrano hit Prince Fielder in the 4th inning, Jeff Suppan followed up by hitting Derrek Lee in the bottom of the 4th. Home plate umpire Bill Welke warned both benches. However, he failed to throw out Suppan after he hit Jake Fox to start the bottom of the 5th. It appeared Suppan just made a mistake so the umpire made the correct decision but why warn both benches with an empty threat.

The Cubs and Brewers wore red hats (just as they had on Memorial Day) as MLB’s way to commemorate Memorial Day, July 4th weekend and September 11th.

MiLB: Peoria Chiefs at Kane County Cougars

For the second time (three times if you count the postponed game) this season, I went to see the Kane County Cougars play. Today they hosted the Peoria Chiefs.

One great thing about Minor League Baseball is being able to see Major League players in a small ballpark when they are rehabilitating an injury. For example, three years ago, the Ultimate Sports Wife and I were attending a Lancaster JetHawks (of the California League) game and saw Craig Counsell in a rehab assignment. Today, I was hoping Aramis Ramirez would make a rehab start since he is scheduled to return to the Chicago Cubs shortly. No such luck though (however, he is scheduled to appear on Friday at Kane County).

Obtaining Tickets
As opposed to the game I attended in April, the Cougars had their lawn seats on sale for $8. They also sell $10 and $12 tickets. I bought a lawn seat knowing I would be able to sit in the $12 seats anyway.

The Game
Once again, it was kid’s day at Elfstrom Stadium. This is probably a sign I should not be attending these games, but it is a good way to spend an afternoon. This time there were a few more paying adults than there were in April. The Cougars took a 3-0 lead after the 3rd inning and held onto the 3-2 win.