Postponed by rain: Pirates at Cubs

With our season tickets in hand, the Ultimate Sports Wife and I waited in our house for three hours and 15 minutes before the game between the Cubs and Pirates was finally postponed due to rain. As I have written before, the Cubs new day-of-game ticket policy is not friendly when it rains since one must enter Wrigley Field as soon as they purchase a ticket.

If it is raining, I would recommend buying a ticket from a scalper or a fan on the street if possible. That way you do not need to wait inside Wrigley Field for the entire delay.

The rain started just minutes before the scheduled 1:20 pm first pitch between the Cubs and Pirates which meant the umpires would not start the game in rain, but may have played through if the game had started.

Based on the interruption of the Cubs schedule this season, this must be one of the rainiest seasons in recent years. Not to mention numerous rain delays and two games called before nine innings (May 13 and May 26), this was the fourth game I have attended this season that was postponed by rain. The other three also occurred at Wrigley Field on April 19, May 15 and June 16.

Pittsburgh Pirates at Chicago Cubs

As was the theme with the last couple Chicago Cubs home stands, I planned to meet a friend in the stadium so I decided to buy a standing room only (SRO) seat for $15. As I have mentioned before SRO at Wrigley Field is a good deal for multiple reasons.

1) It is the cheapest ticket in the ballpark.
2) Fans do not have to pay a premium buying tickets from a ticket broker or StubHub.
3) Although most people will plan to stand in the SRO areas, this is a bad idea. There are always plenty of empty seats in the 200 sections of Wrigley Field where 2 to 4 people who are attending together can almost always find seats to sit together. Remember that you may have to move two or three times before settling in but that is a small price to pay when considering you only spent $15 per ticket.

The Game
The Cubs defeated the Pirates for the second day in a row 3-1, behind the pitching of Tom Gorzelanny who the Cubs acquired from Pittsburgh on July 30. Wrigley Field was only buzzed a couple of times from Air Force jets on Saturday compared to the dozen or so times from Friday.

Air Show at Wrigley Field: Pirates at Cubs

Given all of the promotional days at Wrigley Field throughout the season, I would argue that if you only have one day to attend a Chicago Cubs during the season, you should attend the Friday afternoon game on Chicago’s Air and Water Show weekend.

Let me give you a visual – in the bottom of the 2nd and Cubs’ pitcher Randy Wells at the plate (the second batter of the inning), all the fans in the bleachers stood up and starting pointing towards the press box. I thought, “What is going on? What are they pointing at?” At that moment, seven U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds flew overhead from the press box towards the bleachers – causing fans as well as the players to jump. You could see them make a turn left and minutes later they were buzzing Wrigley Field again, this time flying from the left field bleachers towards the first base line. This fly over was the biggest of the day, but continued for the entire game as solo and paired jets constantly buzzed Wrigley Field.

Friday’s game is better than Saturday’s or Sunday’s because Friday afternoon is flying practice – meaning the pilots have free reign to fly over Wrigley Field (or anywhere in Chicago for that matter) as much as they want. Saturday and Sunday are show days – meaning they will fly over occasionally but mainly only if it is part of their show routine.

Obtaining Tickets
With friends of mine going to the game, I just needed to buy any ticket to get into Wrigley Field since I was planning to sit with them. I bought a SRO ticket for $15 from the ticket office right before game time and immediately had to enter the stadium under the Cubs day-of-game ticketing rules.

As I have written in prior posts, the Cubs always have SRO ticket available on the day of the game. Friday’s announced crowd was 41,619 – the largest of the season – meaning that the Cubs have not sold out of SRO tickets on the day of the game yet this season.

The Game
The Cubs started the game out with a bang as the Air Force jets buzzed Wrigley Field. They scored four runs in the first inning and 10 runs in the second inning en route to a 17-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Derrek Lee led the charge driving in a career high-tying seven RBI. The last time the Cubs scored 14 runs in the first two innings of a game was on June 7, 1906.

Also, the 17-2 victory was the Cubs largest winning margin since they beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 20-1 on May 5, 2001 and the most runs they have scored since defeating the Milwaukee Brewers 19-5 on April 30, 2008 – both games I attended.

The Cubs 10-run second inning was just the third 10-run inning I have witnessed in 896 MLB games attended. The other two occurred on:

June 28, 1992 – Minnesota Twins at Oakland Athletics – 4th inning (10 runs)
May 7, 1997 – Montreal Expos at San Francisco Giants – 6th inning (13 runs)

Post Game
After the game, I went on an unintended Wrigleyville pub crawl – although the bars and restaurants were a couple blocks away from Wrigley Field.

1) Immediately after the game, I went to Guthrie’s Tavern, located at 1300 W. Addison St, a few blocks west of Wrigley. Guthrie’s Tavern is a more relaxing location than staying in the immediate vicinity of Wrigley Field.
2) After Guthrie’s, I met Nicole and some other friends at Rockit Bar & Grill located at the corner of Clark St. and Waveland Ave. Rockit was not overcrowded when we arrived.
3) For dinner, we went to El Mariachi Tequila Bar & Grill located at 3906 N. Broadway St. between Sheridan Rd. and Clarendon Ave. Once again El Mariachi is located a few blocks from Wrigley Field meaning you can have a more peaceful meal if that is what you prefer.
4) After dinner, we went to Bar on Buena, located at 910 W. Buena Ave., a local hang out five blocks north of Wrigley Field.

Bleachers at Wrigley Field: Phillies at Cubs

The Philadelphia Phillies completed their three game sweep of the Chicago Cubs winning Thursday afternoon 6-1. It was the Phillies first sweep of the Cubs at Wrigley Field since June 14-17, 1984, when they won four straight.

Cliff Lee was the winning pitcher. Lee also pitched at Wrigley Field on June 19 when the Indians were in town. He should have won that game as well, but the Cubs came back from a 7-0 deficit to win 8-7 in 10 innings.

Obtaining Tickets
My original plan was to buy a SRO ticket from the Cubs box office before the game. However, I went to get my haircut before the game and on the walk back to the house I found a fan trying to sell his extra bleacher (face value $50). He wanted $40 so I offered him $30 (a fair price) and he accepted. This was the third time I sat in the bleachers this season – first on the Cubs home opener (April 13) and second versus the Minnesota Twins on June 14.

Bleacher Seats
As usual, I waited in my house until about five minutes before the game began to enter the bleachers. Most people line up for one block down Waveland Ave. or Sheffield Ave. to get a “good” seat in the bleachers. However, I am not a proponent of this practice.

Sure if you have a larger group (more than four people) and you like to sit in the sun and close to the field, then you will need to line up and get a “good” seat (defined as one close to the field). However, I normally enter at game time and am still able to find a seat underneath the scoreboard which is out of the sun and directly next to a small concession stand.

First Starts of the Season: P. Martinez vs. Samardzija

Last night the Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago Cubs game featured two first starts of the season. For the Phillies, Pedro Martinez was starting for the first time since September 25, 2008. For the Cubs, Jeff Samardzija, Notre Dame’s career receptions leader with 179, was making his first career start.

Obtaining Tickets
I was planning to sit with my neighbors at the game, so I had planned to buy a SRO ticket for $15 rather than deal with scalpers. However, as I approached the Cubs day-of-game ticket office, a man approached me with a ticket in section 220 row 4 (a $56 face value ticket). I told the man I was planning to buy a SRO ticket for $15 and would not pay more than that. He offered me the seat for $20 and I accepted the price feeling bad for the guy.

Buying that seat worked out well, since it gave my neighbors and I a section to gravitate too after we moved from my neighbor’s seats.

The Game
Both pitchers starts could not have been more opposite as the Phillies cruised to a 12-5 victory after scoring eight runs in the fourth inning. Samardzija received the loss allowing seven runs on eight hits in 3 1/3 innings while Martinez received the win – giving up three runs in 5 innings. Martinez started his first game at Wrigley Field since June 8, 1996 when he was a member of the Montreal Expos.

In the bottom of the 5th inning, Jake Fox hit a sacrifice fly to center field in which Shane Victorino caught. While he caught the ball he was also doused with a beer thrown from a Cubs fan in the stands – another first for me.

Back to Chicago: Phillies at Cubs

I had an early morning flight back from Oakland Airport to Chicago so I could attend the Chicago Cubs game Tuesday night as they arrived back in town. Their last home game was the one I attended on July 30.

Obtaining Ticket
Rather than worry about finding a ticket for less than $15 (the standing room only [SRO] box office price), I relaxed in our house and bought a SRO ticket for $15 a few minutes before the first pitch. As usual, there were plenty of SRO seats available.

The Game
Rich Harden retired the first 16 batters of the game before walking Carlos Ruiz. Of course, two batters later, Harden followed up that walk by giving up a two-out, two-run home run to Jimmy Rollins which tied the game at two runs apiece.

In the top of the 9th, Ruiz hit a ball that third base umpire Dale Scott called a home run. However, Dale Scott used replay to review the play and made the correct call that the ball was foul. It was the first time instant replay has been used at Wrigley Field and the first game I have attended in which instant replay was used.

In the bottom of the 9th, the Cubs were able to score a run off of Brad Lidge who blew his 7th save of the season after a perfect save campaign in 2008.

For the fourth time this season, I attended a game that went into the 12th inning – the other three games ended in the 13th inning. Ben Francisco led off the 12th inning with a home run off of Cubs closer Kevin Gregg and the Phillies went on to win the game 4-3.

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.

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.

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 #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.

Cleveland Indians at Chicago Cubs

For the second day in a row, Kerry Wood blew a one-run lead and this time received the loss as the Cubs defeated the Indians 6-5 in 13 innings – the 9th longest game I have ever attended in terms of number of outs recorded (76).

Pre Game Dining
Before the game the Ultimate Sports Wife and I ate at Salt & Pepper Diner located at 3537 N. Clark St. just south of Wrigley Field on Clark St. Salt & Pepper Diner recently raised the prices on all of their drinks by $1 across the board. Mimosas and Bloody Mary’s that once cost $3 now cost $4, pitchers of beer now cost $8 (used to be $7) and bottles of PBR are now $3 (compared to $2).

Game Milestones
1) The Cubs have won three straight games in walk-off fashion. The last time they achieved that feat was June 5-7, 1946.
2) The last team to lose three straight extra-inning games was the Texas Rangers from September 16-18, 2002. The Indians achieved the feat in their last three games (starting with losing to the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday in 11 innings).
3) The last time the Cubs came-from-behind to win a game in which they fell behind in the 13th inning or later was on May 8, 1998.

Another Rain Delay: Indians at Cubs

Once again there was rain at Wrigley Field. And with the Ultimate Sports Wife and I needing to attend a Northwestern Graduation Party later on Friday afternoon, we had no time for a rain delay. The ideal day would have been for the game to start on time, attend the game and drive to Evanston for the party.

However, that plan was not meant to be as the game was delayed for 86 minutes – pushing the start time back to 2:45 pm. Of course, the Ultimate Sports Wife and I managed to get in 5 innings (the minimum amount of time needed for the game to officially count) and then took off for Evanston – needless to say, we were late to the party.

The Game
When we left for Evanston the Cubs were trailing 7-1 and we figured this was just as good as any reason to take off early. There was no way the Cubs would come from behind two days in a row – right? Wrong. For the second time in as many days, the Cubs scored 4 runs in the bottom of the 8th and 1 run in the bottom of the 9th to tie the Cleveland Indians at 7 runs apiece and push the game into extra innings. Kerry Wood, in his first game back to Chicago as a visiting pitcher, blew the save in the 9th inning. The Cubs scored a run in the 10th inning to seal the come-from-behind win for the second consecutive day.

Crosstown Classic Game 2: White Sox at Cubs

Game 2 of the Crosstown Classic had much more drama than the first game on Wednesday – especially for Cubs fans. First, Carlos Zambrano was back pitching after his May 27th meltdown versus the Pittsburgh Pirates. Second, with the Cubs trailing 5-1 heading into the bottom of the 8th all signs pointed to a two-game sweep for the White Sox.

However, the Cubs rallied against Scott Linebrink and scored 4 runs in the 8th inning after Derrek Lee hit a three-run home run and Geovany Soto followed that with a solo shot of this own. That enabled to Cubs to tie the game at 5 apiece and allowed Alfonso Soriano to single in the winning run in the bottom of the 9th inning.

Obtaining Tickets
Before the game I had planned to buy a $15 standing room only ticket from the Cubs box office. However, when I got to the box office, the man in the window said that they could not get rid of their tickets and standing room was not available (the Cubs only sell SRO tickets once all of the seats are sold). The cheapest seat at the window was a $25 upper deck outfield.

I figured I could beat that price and started walking towards Wrigley Field’s main entrance on the corner of Clark St. and Addison St. I could not find a ticket for $10, but that’s when a teenager with an extra single offered his ticket for $20. I looked at the ticket and it was $85 face value. I accepted his price and was sitting behind home plate in aisle 124.

For the first few months of the season, the Crosstown Classic was selling for above to two times face value through StubHub. However, even though this is a Crosstown Classic game, it was played on a weekday afternoon, meaning the secondary ticket market prices bottom out towards game day. This is similar to the demand for tickets for weekday afternoon MLB playoff games. Most fans believe they will be able to make money on MLB playoff tickets. However, once the game time is set as a weekday afternoon game, you can generally buy playoff tickets for about 50% of face value. There was no difference with yesterday’s game.

Crosstown Classic Game 1: White Sox at Cubs

After being rained out Tuesday night, the Crosstown Classic finally started Wednesday afternoon. With my tickets already in hand, we walked across the street to enter Wrigley Field.

The Game
In a relatively uneventful game, the White Sox defeated the Cubs 4-1 as John Danks pitched seven shut-out innings.

Crosstown Classic Postponed by Rain

In what I believe was a first – the Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox planned to play a weekday night game at Wrigley Field Tuesday night. However, with a heavy rain coming down and no letup in sight, the Cubs postponed the game 10 minutes after the scheduled first pitch.

No makeup date has been announced, but I am hoping they will play a day-night Crosstown doubleheader the weekend of June 26th, 27th or 28th when they could play an afternoon game at Wrigley Field and play a night game at U.S. Cellular Field. Precedence has been set for a Crosstown doubleheader as the New York Mets and New York Yankees have played one three times on:

1) July 8, 2000 – day game at Shea Stadium, night game at Yankee Stadium
2) June 28, 2003 – day game at Yankee Stadium, night game at Shea Stadium
3) June 27, 2008 – day game at Yankee Stadium, night game at Shea Stadium

There has been a lot of rain in Chicago this spring. I have attended two White Sox games that were re-scheduled because of rain, two Cubs rain-shortened games, and this was the third postponed game I have attended this season – tying my postponed game record of 2002 and 2003.

Minnesota Twins at Chicago Cubs Game 3

In the third game of the series, the Cubs defeated the Twins 3-2 after Ryan Theriot singled in the bottom of the 9th inning with the bases loaded.

Pre Game Dining
Before the game, I met some friends at Purgatory Pizza located at 3415 N. Clark St. On Sunday mornings, Purgatory Pizza has a $13 all you can drink and eat pizza brunch (upgrade to Bloody Mary’s or other well drinks for an extra $6). This is a much cheaper option than paying $6 per beer at Murphy’s Bleachers or another one of the bars closer to Wrigley Field.

Obtaining Tickets
Earlier in the week I had bought a bleacher seat for $50 from the Wrigley Field box office. Had I realized that I would be able to buy a ticket fairly easily the day of the game (as I had on Saturday), I may have bought a $15 ticket and sat with the friends I met at Purgatory Pizza.

Bleacher Seats
Many people line up first thing in the morning outside the bleacher entrance in order to sit in the first few rows of the bleachers. However, whenever I have a bleacher ticket, I still enter the ballpark at game time as I am always able to find a seat or two under the scoreboard. There are two other perks to sitting under the scoreboard (the first benefit being that you don’t need to line up outside Wrigley Field two hours before the park opens or 4 hours before game time):

1) You don’t have to sit in the sun even if you have a bleacher seat (I recognize the fact that most people probably want to sit in the sun when sitting in the bleachers).
2) There is a concession stand at the top of the bleachers which usually has no line. Thus, rather than having to walk over to the concession stand in center field or, worse, having to walk to the bottom of the bleachers, you can just stand up and buy food and drinks without having to move very far.

Minnesota Twins at Chicago Cubs Game 2

As I discussed in my post for yesterday’s Twins and Cubs game, the Cubs have implemented a new day of game ticket selling policy. Since I was planning to attend Saturday’s Cubs game on my own, I planned to buy a standing room only (SRO) ticket from the box office before the game started.

Obtaining Tickets
The Cubs new game ticket selling policy is that they start selling tickets two hours before the game is scheduled to begin. Anybody buying a ticket from the ticket window must immediately enter the ballpark. This is the Cubs way of ensuring the tickets being purchased do not end up on the secondary ticket market.

Even though the game was delayed for 30 minutes, I bought a limited view seat behind home plate for $15 (same price as a standing room only ticket). Of course, rather than sitting behind the pole, I moved to an empty seat where I could see the field.

The Game
The Twins shut out the Cubs 2-0. It was only the second time the Cubs have been shutout in interleague play – the first coming on July 17, 1997 which was also versus the Twins at Wrigley Field. Once again it seemed as though half the crowd at Wrigley Field was Twins fans which must have been the reason tickets on the secondary market were so expensive in the days before the game.

CTA after the game
Shortly 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 drive to Naperville. Rather than drive, I decided to take the bus. Something I also did after the May 5th Cubs game. Since I did not leave immediately after the Cubs game, I walked straight north from the bleacher entrance on Sheffield Ave. to Irving Park Rd. and took the 80 Irving Park bus west. Remember to use ctabustracker.com if you want to know how long you will be waiting for the bus!

Minnesota Twins at Chicago Cubs Game 1

The Ultimate Sports Wife and I had planned to attend Friday afternoon’s game with some friends – meaning we needed to buy four tickets to a game where tickets on the secondary ticket market were two to three times higher than face value.

Obtaining Tickets
Even though tickets were relatively expensive on StubHub, I checked craigslist.org a few days before the game. A few of the advertisements on craigslist mentioned face value so I knew if we waited until the day of the game we would probably get a good deal.

On game day, I walked around Wrigley Field three hours before game time and realized it might be hard to find four tickets together for a reasonable price. Scalpers were aggressively looking for tickets so I needed a new plan.

I went back to my house and checked craigslist.org again. I found an ad listing four seats together for face value ($56 each) in section 425, row 3. I immediately called the number and was the first person to call. Of course, now I needed to drive about 30 blocks over to the corner of Milwaukee Ave. and Pulaski Rd. Far from Wrigley Field, but worth it rather than trying to find four tickets together for face value outside the ballpark.

Pre Game
With tickets already in hand, we entered Wrigley Field about 30 minutes before the game. Since our seats were in the upper deck box we chose to hang out in the patio area behind home plate in the upper deck. The patio is the main area to buy food and drinks in the upper deck.

The Game
In what seemed to be a first (outside of the Crosstown Classic versus the Chicago White Sox), Wrigley Field appeared to be half full of Twins fans – which must have been the reason ticket prices on the secondary market were so high. The crowd erupted in the top of the 3rd inning after Twins’ catcher Joe Mauer hit a two-run homer.

The Twins defeated the Cubs 7-4. The highlight of the day was Milton Bradley’s fielding. In the top of the 7th inning, Bradley lost Jason Kubel’s ball in the sun allowing a single and could not catch Michael Cuddyer’s bloop double. With the fans already on him, he caught Joe Mauer’s fly ball to right field for the second out of the inning. However, Bradley thought it was the third out, posed for the fans and then threw the ball into the crowd – all this while Nick Punto tagged up from 3rd base to score and Brendan Harris advanced to third base on the error.

Post Game Dining
After the game, we headed to Uncommon Ground. Uncommon Ground is a much more peaceful experience to get coffee or drinks after the game than fight the crowds at Wrigleyville’s most famous bars.

After Uncommon Ground we ate dinner at Ethiopian Diamond Restaurant located at 6120 N. Broadway St. If you are looking for Ethiopian food after a Cubs game, head north on Broadway St. as there are three restaurants to choose from – Damera Ethiopian Restaurant (4801 N. Broadway St.) and Ras Dashen Ethiopian Restaurant (5844 N Broadway St.) are the other two and are a few blocks closer to Wrigley Field.

Sunday Night Baseball: Dodgers at Cubs

I have always enjoyed attending Sunday night baseball games. It frees up Sunday afternoon to take care of whatever needs to be done over the weekend while still allowing for attending the game in the evening.

Yesterday was no exception. The Ultimate Sports Wife and I spent the day straightening up the house before heading over to the Cubs game.

Obtaining Tickets
A friend of Nicole’s wanted to come to the game as well so we needed to buy two additional tickets. For the past week, Cubs tickets have been pretty easy to get so I figured Sunday night would be no exception. I bought two tickets for $20 each (face value was $56 each) for Upper Deck Box from the scalpers in front of Murphy’s Bleachers.

The Game
The Dodgers scored 5 quick runs in the top of the 1st inning and breezed to an 8-2 victory over the Cubs.

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.”

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.

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.

Cincinnati Reds at Chicago Cubs

Tuesday night was the Chicago Cubs first night game of the season. With temperatures below 40 degrees and rain most of the day, the announced crowd of 38,403 only appeared to be half full (with the exception of the bleachers which always appears full).

At the game, I met Zach Hample who, according to his blog snaggingbaseballs.mlblogs.com, has snagged 3,882 baseballs after Tuesday night’s affair. I met Zach through my friend, Kelly McMahon, who went on Zach’s “Watch With Zach” training at the end of the 2007 season.

MLB Promotional Giveaways
Tonight’s giveaway was Carlos Zambrano’s “no-hitter statue,” even though I did not get to the game on time to receive one. According to Kelly, the statue would sell for $60 on ebay.com.

The Game
The Cubs defeated the Cincinnati Reds 7-2. Rich Harden, who gave up 2 runs on 3 hits in 6 innings, decided to forego his jacket while running the bases despite the cold weather.

A cat ran on the field during the fourth inning of the game. The cat appeared to be grabbed violently by the security guard, but hopefully all is well. We do not want a repeat of the events that occurred after the black cat crossed Ron Santo’s path at Shea Stadium in 1969.

Sunday Night Baseball: Cardinals at Cubs (Postponed)

For the first time since Friday, April 22, 2005, I was planning to attend a Major League Baseball game that ended up being postponed. Last night’s game between the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs was postponed two hours before the scheduled first pitch since it had rained steadily all day Sunday.

Rain Delay Rules
Since the Ultimate Sports Wife and I live so close to Wrigley Field we have one rule we live by – when it is raining, we do not leave our house until the first pitch is thrown. Once the first pitch is thrown, umpires will generally let games play on in a heavy rain. However, by entering the park before the game starts, fans may be susceptible to lengthy rain delays with no option to return to the park if they decide to leave during the delay.

MLB Postponed Game Notes
I have now attended 11 postponed MLB games. Nine of those games have come at Wrigley Field while the other two were at Pittsburgh (1996) and Oakland (1994).

I have attended three postponed games between the Cubs and Cardinals. The first postponed game occurred after Darryl Kyle passed away in his hotel room on June 22, 2002. In the second postponed game, the Cubs and Cardinals played four wild innings in torrential downpours on Mother’s Day (May 11, 2003). St. Louis led Chicago 11-9 when Eli Marrero suffered a severe right ankle sprain. Even though the rains did not let up the umpires called the game after the injury.

St. Louis Cardinals at Chicago Cubs

Friday afternoon Cubs games are a rite of passage during Chicago summers. Fans can get an early start to their weekend by heading to Wrigley Field by 1:20 pm on a Friday afternoon. I was debating on whether I should attend Friday’s game until my friend texted me that he was taking the day off and wanted to hang out. I guess he sent this message to a few of his friends and almost all of them responded with “Want to go the Cubs game?” He accepted their free ticket and texted me that I should meet him at the Cubs game. With the temperature expected to be in the 70’s, how could I say no to that?

Obtaining Tickets
What most people do not understand is that it is very easy to buy Cubs tickets from scalpers during April and May games. The weather is too risky for most fans and kids are still in school. Thus, if you want to attend a Cubs game for much less than summer games and do not mind the risk of cold weather, then head to Wrigley Field early in the season. I bought a 200-level seat for $10. I believe it was an extra ticket that was originally purchased by a group since the face value printed on the ticket was $14 (and that seat normally sells for $28 individually).

The Game
Alfonso Soriano came through with a two-run homer in the bottom of the 8th inning to give the Cubs an 8-7 lead. Carlos Marmol was shaky to start the top of the 9th inning – walking Colby Rasmus and hitting Albert Pujols. However, he followed that up by striking out Ryan Ludwick and got Khalil Greene to ground out into a game-ending double play.

Post Game
After the game we headed to Wrigleyville North – our regular bar when people want to go out before or after the game. I will always say $10 pitchers of beer in an open bar beats a $6 can in a crowded bar any day.

Doubleheader Day Part 1: Rockies at Cubs

The day started out with a matinee at Wrigley Field between the Colorado Rockies and Chicago Cubs.

Pre Game Dining
While walking in the area Wednesday morning, I discovered that Cozy noodles & rice had a 2-for-1 entrée game day special by showing your Cubs ticket. One problem with Wrigleyville is that it is hard to find a sit down restaurant that is not over crowded. However, Cozy noodles & rice (located at 3456 N. Sheffield Ave.) is rarely full and two can eat for the price of two hot dogs in Wrigley Field with their current game day special.

The Game
Every player in the game wore the number 42 in honor of Jackie Robinson day and Michael J. Fox sang the 7th inning stretch. The Rockies defeated the Cubs 5-2 in Cubs’ starter Rich Harden’s shortest start since July 7, 2007. Harden only pitched three innings after striking out the first four batters he faced.

Cubs Home Opener: Rockies at Cubs

For the second year in a row, I watched the Chicago Cubs home opener from the bleachers. And for the second year in a row, the home opener was delayed by rain. This year the start of the game was delayed for 1 hour and 12 minutes. Last year the start of the game was delayed for 41 minutes (and again for 49 minutes in the bottom of the 3rd). Next year, I am going back to my regular seats in the upper deck which should at least keep the rain away – although the sub 40 degree temperatures will probably always be around.

Obtaining Tickets
Our friends from Evanston invited Nicole and I to the game with the bleacher seats they purchased on the day Cubs individual tickets went on sale. Bleacher seats ($60 each) are twice as much as my upper deck season tickets ($28 each).

Pre Game in Wrigleyville
We started out going to Yak-zies because our friends chose the location. Since Yak-zies was over crowded and charged $6 per beer we suggested going to our usual pre or post game hang out, Wrigleyville North, which only charges $10 for a pitcher. While we were at Wrigleyville North, we realized the game was going to be delayed for at least 45 minutes. We decided to meet another one of our other friends at Gingerman Tavern which was only charging $3 for PBRs.

MLB Rain Delay Rules
I have always heard that a major league baseball game will not start a game in rain. I have attended many games that would not start even though if the game had already started, play would have continued. However, today in a steady rain, the Cubs decided to start the game and play throughout a steady mist. While I am not sure what MLB’s official rain policy is, today’s game went against what has been decided in the past. I am sure it has somewhat to do with the fact this was one of the Cubs platinum games.

The Game
For the 5th time in the 786 regular season games I have attended, I witnessed a team being one hit. Ted Lilly, who took a no-hitter into the 7th inning, gave up one-hit to the Colorado Rockies and the Cubs relievers continued the one-hitter. The other one-hitters I have attended are:

1) June 21, 1994: Kansas City (Combined) at Oakland
2) August 5, 1995: Los Angeles (Hideo Nomo) at San Francisco
3) April 26, 2002: Los Angeles (Odalis Perez) at Chicago
4) May 18, 2004: San Francisco (Jason Schmidt) at Chicago

NLDS Game 2: Can the Cubs Reverse my Dodgers Curse?

As a fan, the Los Angeles Dodgers have always been a thorn in my side. Even though they have not won a playoff series since 1988, they somehow manage to spoil the fun of the teams I have followed over the years. I’ll give you a brief history of the pain the Dodgers have inflicted on me over the years. I grew up in the suburbs of San Francisco. Since Bay Area fans can be apathetic towards their home teams, there was no “you cannot root for the Oakland A’s if you are a Giants fan” as there is in Chicago. Thus, I rooted for both. Regardless of which side of the bay you lived on, we could all agree on hating the Dodgers rather than hating each other.

Then 1988 struck. The other bay area team, the Athletics, played the Dodgers in the World Series. The A’s were heavily favored over the Dodgers and I was convinced the A’s would win. However, with one swing of the bat Kirk Gibson hit his famous home run in Game 1 at Dodger Stadium and swung the World Series to the Dodgers favor. My hatred for the Dodgers increased.

Come 1993. The Giants and Atlanta Braves are tied with 103 wins apiece heading into the final Sunday of the season. The Braves win their final game meaning the Giants must beat the Dodgers to force a one-game tiebreaker which will be held at Candlestick Park Monday afternoon. I convince my father to wait in line with me for tiebreaker tickets while we listen to the Giants game on the radio. However, the Dodgers had other ideas and took an early lead, finally beating the Giants 12-1 – more disappointment.

Granted I was not attending those games in person. Over the years we would fight and yell with Dodger fans at Candlestick Park. However, it was not until April 30, 2007, when Dodger fans revealed their true selves to me when they stole my fleece blankets and vandalized the Cubs license plate holder on my car. This is a team that would resort to kicking puppies and mugging Santa just for sport.

Now it is 2008. The Cubs for the first time in awhile had the momentum coming out of the regular season to make a run in the playoffs. They were no longer a surprise playoff team. Sure they are playing the Dodgers. But earlier in the season the Cubs swept my historical nemesis.

But, of course, the Dodgers have continued their punishment of my teams. Wednesday night the Cubs lost Game 1. I was not too concerned at the time. However, last night the Cubs lost Game 2 and the concern set in that history was going to repeat itself. Only one team has come back in a best of 5 series after losing the first two games at home – the 2001 New York Yankees. However, that team was playing for the city of New York after September 11.

Can the Cubs somehow put the city of Chicago on their backs and win two games at Dodger Stadium before heading back to Wrigley Field for Game 5? If they can, they will not only begin to reverse their curse but my curse against the Dodgers as well.

The Game
Needless to say, there is not much to write about yesterday’s game. The Dodgers beat the Cubs 10-3 in the latest game time in the history of Wrigley Field – first pitch 8:37 pm. The game ended just before midnight. A few records were set last night:

1) Every Cubs infielder committed an error. The feat has now only been achieved twice in the playoffs. The Detroit Tigers successfully achieved the same milestone in Game 1 of the 1934 World Series.
2) Manny increased his postseason home run record by hitting his career 26th postseason home run.
3) Joe Torre won his 78th playoff game.

NLDS Game 1: Dodgers at Cubs

In my first of at least three MLB playoff games this week, the Chicago Cubs lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers last night 7-2 at Wrigley Field. It was the first time the Dodgers opened a postseason series with a win since the 1988 World Series.

The Game
The game started off well for the Cubs when Mark DeRosa hit a pop fly that the wind carried over the right field fence for a home run. This moment had us asking – were the fates finally with the Cubs?

That question was quickly answered. In the top of the 3rd inning, Ryan Dempster loaded the bases which he also able to work through. But he also loaded the bases in the top of the 5th inning. Very rarely can a pitcher get out of two bases loaded jams in the same game. Dempster did his best though. He had Matt Loney with two strikes and two outs in the inning when Loney homered to center field for a grand slam – Dodgers 4, Cubs 2.

As soon as the ball went over the wall the intensity of the stadium went with it. Cubs fans were quiet the rest of the game as the Dodgers added three more runs in the late innings.

Obtaining Tickets
The Ultimate Sports Wife and I already had tickets with our season ticket package. However, friends of mine bought tickets for $125 each in our same section (face value was $30 each).

Playoff Ticket Tip: Divisional Series playoff games, in my experience, are pretty hit or miss when it comes to the secondary ticket market. If you want cheap tickets hope your team’s playoff games fall on weekday afternoons. I have had success buying tickets under face value for games in San Francisco, Oakland, San Diego and Chicago (the White Sox that is). Of course, those games started before 5 pm on a Tuesday or Wednesday.

Post Game Dining
To drown our sorrows and to get away from Wrigley Field we walked a few blocks to the Mexican restaurant, El Mariachi at 3420 N. Broadway St. The restaurant was empty after the game. They make guacamole right at your table and have drink specials every evening.

Note: Nicole and I did not spill a beer at this game. Last year, we debated on whether to spill a beer or not. Both times a beer has taken a tumble at Wrigley Field (during the 2003 and 2007 playoffs), the Cubs have won their home game. If we have not, they have lost.

Cubs Clinch the NL Central: Cardinals at Cubs

Once again we arrived at the Cubs game right on time from Evanston. We helped out with Nicole’s ice skating student's lemonade stand briefly and walked into Wrigley Field.

With the Cubs magic number to clinch the NL Central division title at one, everyone in the stadium was hoping the Cubs could send Wrigleyville into a frenzy. In 2003, the Cubs swept a double header from the Pittsburgh Pirates at home to clinch the NL Central division title. That year, I went to Cubby Bear with my friends after the game. This year, I was obviously heading to Toyota Park after the game. But since the division title has been expected for the past few months (as opposed to last season and 2003), I was not as concerned with celebrating in Wrigleyville this time.

The Cardinals made the game interesting when they scored 4 runs in the top of the 6th inning to cut the Cubs lead to 5-4. But the Cubs held on to win the game and clinch the NL Central division title. It was the first time the Cubs have reached the playoffs in back-to-back seasons since they played in three straight World Series from 1906-1908.

Since the game only took 2 hours and 21 minutes, we had time to celebrate in the Wrigley Field stands before needing to take the train from the Addison el stop to Chicago’s Midway airport.

Tripleheader Day in Chicago

Today I am attempting to attend three sporting events at three different stadiums – Northwestern Football kicks off at 11 am, the Chicago Cubs first pitch is at 3 pm and the US Women’s National Soccer team hosts Ireland at 7 pm. I have only attended three sporting events at three different venues once before – June 5, 2004. That day I attended the Chicago Cubs game at noon, the Chicago Fire game at 3 pm (good thing the Cubs game only lasted 2.5 hours) and the Milwaukee Mile 250 at 8 pm.

Other than that day, I have attended 3 sporting events on the same day three other times. However, all of those days included two soccer games held at the same stadium and I only needed to buy one ticket. I combined those three doubleheader soccer events with a baseball game on July 11, 2004, July 17, 2004 and June 9, 2007.

Zambrano’s Follow Up to a No-Hitter: Cardinals at Cubs

Last Sunday night I was in Central Florida. If I had been in Chicago, I probably would have driven to Milwaukee for the Houston Astros neutral site game versus the Chicago Cubs. Not only did I miss the neutral site game, but I also missed Carlos Zambrano’s no-hitter (I have never witnessed a no-hitter in the 780 regular season games I have attended).

Today I attended the Cubs game against the St. Louis Cardinals. Zambrano was pitching. I do not believe I have ever seen a pitcher in his follow up to a no-hitter in which Zambrano must have had one of the worst follow ups to a no-hitter in MLB history. He gave up eight earned runs in 1.2 innings – his shortest start in two years. He also became the fourth pitcher this season to give up 8 or more runs against the same team. The others are Baltimore's Radhames Liz (vs. Boston), St. Louis' Braden Looper (vs. Houston) and San Francisco's Barry Zito (vs. Cincinnati).

On the offensive side, Adam Kenndy hit his first grand slam since April 18, 2000. Kennedy also tied a career high with 4 hits while driving in 5 runs.

Obtaining Tickets
I had traded my tickets for today’s game to a friend for her two tickets to the July 24 Cubs’ game. Today’s game had held a high price on stubhub.com for awhile. However, when I looked for tickets today, people on craigslist.org were offering tickets for face value. Ticket Buying Tip: Generally you will find tickets for less than face value outside the stadium when people are advertising face value tickets on craigslist.

I walked to the front of Wrigley Field (Addison St. and Clark St.) and found a couple who had a $46 face value single. I offered them $20 for the ticket and they accepted immediately. I probably could have bought the ticket for less, but figured I had a good price based on where ticket prices had been a few days before.

Cubs Home Game #52: Brewers at Cubs

The Brewers beat the Cubs last night 6-2 in my 52nd Cubs home game of the year. The most Cubs games I have attended during the regular season were 53 in 2004. Ben Sheets left the game in the top of the third inning with tightness in his right forearm and the Brewers used seven pitchers in relief.

Pre Game Dining
Before the game we met some friends for dinner at Pizza Rustica which is 2.5 blocks north of Wrigley Field. If you are looking for non-Chicago style pizza around Wrigley Field then this is your place. The restaurant is BYOB so be sure to stop by the liquor store under the Sheridan el stop.

Second Consecutive 1st/2nd Place Matchup

For the second time in as many nights, I attended a MLB game between a division’s 1st and 2nd place teams. Monday night was the AL East in St. Petersburg. Tuesday night was the NL Central in Chicago.

The Chicago Cubs defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 5-4 in C.C. Sabathia’s first National League loss. The game marked Dale Sveum’s managerial debut for the Brewers after Ned Yost was fired Monday.

Pre Game Dining
Once again we headed to the Full Schilling for pre game drinks which include a hot dog with every drink purchase.

Post Game Dining
After the game we headed back to our favorite Wrigleyville dive bar on the corner of Byron St. and Sheridan Rd. Last night the owner was working behind the bar. We asked him what the name of his bar was and he told us – Wrigleyville North. The official address is 3900 N. Sheridan Rd. All of this time and we just thought it was the bar with an Old Style sign in front.

8 Year Wedding Anniversary

Last night marked Nicole’s and my 8th wedding anniversary. For the past few years, Nicole and I have coincidentally alternated years attending a sporting event on our anniversary. Since a wedding anniversary is an equal opportunity day to celebrate the past year and look forward to the year ahead, we have found this to be a good way to celebrate from time to time.

In 2004, Nicole's gift to me was to attend the Pro Beach Volleyball competition at North Beach during the day in Chicago. The daytime event left plenty of time for a romantic dinner at night. In 2006, we attended the NASCAR race at California Speedway. Nothing says romance like NASCAR! Last night, we attended the Chicago Cubs game at Wrigley Field. The Cubs charge $40 (which goes to charity) to put a Happy Birthday, Happy Anniversary or Cubs Welcome message on the center field scoreboard. Since we attended last night, I put up a message that said, “Happy Anniversary Nicole. (with a romantic line here that was under the remaining 33 characters).”

Before the game, Nicole and I ate at our favorite Pizzeria in Wrigleyville – Pizza Rustica. As a BYOB restaurant, you bring your favorite bottle of wine and eat delicious Sicilian pizza. Be sure to order the Rustica Salad to start and the Tutta Pizza if you like all of the ingredients.

Our anniversary could not change the Cubs fortunes. In my 50th Cubs home game this season, the Cubs lost to the Houston Astros 4-0. The loss was the Cubs fifth consecutive – their longest losing streak of the season (all game I attended). Randy Wolf threw his first shutout in more the 4 years.

Note: Before I was married, I only attended one sporting event on September 3. That was in 1988 when I saw the Oakland Athletics host the New York Yankees.

Four Straight Losses and Zero Demand for Tickets: Astros at Cubs

In a hot and muggy night at Wrigley Field, the Houston Astros beat the Chicago Cubs 9-7 in 11 innings. The Cubs lost four straight games for the first time since June 26-29.

Before the game, I helped a friend sell four limited view seats (face value $28) he had bought on August 2. This was the same friend that let me sneak down to $300 seats that same day. We took a lap around Wrigley and could not find any buyers. Next, we stood on the corner of Sheffield Ave. and Waveland Ave. and could not find any buyers. I was concerned we would not even be able to give away the tickets since no fans even asked us how much. Scalpers would only offer us $5 per ticket. The market for Cubs tickets was officially dead. Finally, a scalper offered us $10 each ($40 total), so we took it.

The lack of demand for tickets was confirmed when the Cubs posted that 39,846 people attended last night’s game. It was the first time the Cubs have drawn less than 40,000 since Friday, May 30 vs. the Colorado Rockies when they drew 39,686. Generally, when ticket prices are high people will opt to buy Standing Room Only (SRO) seats – driving up the attendance at Wrigley Field. However, since there were no buyers last night and tickets were cheap, fans could buy tickets for less than face value rather than buying SRO from the box office.

Cubs Ticket Buying Tip for April, May and September: Tickets during those months are much cheaper than in June, July and August. If you look at the Cubs attendance during April and May of this season, they mainly drew over 40,000 in weekend games and under 40,000 during weekday games. The same thing generally occurs in September. As I wrote late last week, the market for Cubs games declines over Labor Day weekend (and especially in September). However, this year will be different since the only remaining games in September after tonight are versus the Milwaukee Brewers and St. Louis Cardinals. Both teams the Cubs need to beat in order to make the playoffs.

Uncommon Ground: Good luck for brunch, bad luck for the Cubs

For the second day in a row, I helped friends purchase tickets to the Cubs game. Probably fearing a last minute phone call for the third time in four days, the Ultimate Sports Wife planned ahead of time to attend today’s game. However, I could not find free tickets today, although I did find tickets for under face value. A fan on Sheffield Ave. had four bleacher seats that we ended up paying $30 each ($45 face value).

Ticket Buying Tip: Check ticketing websites before heading to the ballpark to get the pulse of the ticket market. Cubs’ games are a hard ticket, but every day is different. I knew tickets would be around face value today since I had checked craigslist.org earlier in the day and most notices were asking for face value.

Pre Game Dining
Before we bought the tickets, we ate brunch at Uncommon Ground. We have now tried most of the brunch restaurants within a couple of blocks of Wrigley Field and Uncommon Ground is the best. It is not the cheapest but the food is creative, the drinks are strong and the atmosphere is upscale.

After brunch we went to Bernie’s Tavern on the corner of Clark St. and Waveland Ave. Bernie’s has a large beer garden in the back and a patio on the side.

The Game
The Astros shutout the Cubs today 3-0. It was the first time the Cubs were shut out in a 9-inning game since August 1 - a game they also lost 3-0. Note: The Ultimate Sports Wife and I ate brunch at Uncommon Ground on August 1. We may not be able to eat at Uncommon Ground before Cubs games in fear of a 3-0 loss.

Monday also marked the first time all season the Cubs lost 3 consecutive games at home (all games I attended).

Free Tickets Again: Phillies at Cubs

On Friday, I wrote about the strategy to get free tickets to a Cubs game. Yesterday, my friend and I were planning to use my season tickets to attend the Cubs game. Nicole’s friend Erin was also planning to go to the game and needed two tickets. Erin had wanted to buy tickets (for $65 each) from Stubhub.com on Thursday, but I told her we could probably get a better price outside of Wrigley Field. Everyone arrived in Wrigleyville around 12:45 pm for the 1:20 pm start.

Before they arrived, I talked with a couple of ticket brokers who wanted $50 for upper deck reserved (Face value = $22) or $80 each for upper deck box. I mentioned to Erin that their best option may be to pay $15 for Standing Room Only. SRO was still available since the Cubs changed their day of game ticket selling ruling. But we decided to walk along ticket broker row on Addison St. to see what was available. We talked to one broker who wanted $110 per ticket for upper deck box.

As we were talking to the broker, we found a fan that had three extra tickets in section 116, row 10 – right behind home plate. I asked him what he wanted for the tickets and he said nothing. We took all three tickets knowing Nicole would probably come to the game. Once again, the Ultimate Sports Wife who had decided she would not go to the game – especially since she had gone on Friday when she had planned to work – was called to come to the park. She was at Wrigley before the end of the 1st inning.

Now that we had five tickets, we needed to decide where everyone would sit. Erin made the right call when she stated, “You guys should sit downstairs and we’ll take your tickets.” I agreed and gave her my two season tickets in the upper deck. Erin and her friend received free tickets to the game, while we sat in lower level seats. Thanks Erin!

The Game
Carlos Zambrano was scratched from Sunday’s game because of a tired arm. The Phillies beat the Cubs 5-3. It was the 7th time I have attended every game of a 4-game series (second time this season). I had hoped I would see a 4-game sweep, but that goal was denied on Saturday when the Cubs lost game 3 of the series.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 #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.

Florida Marlins at Chicago Cubs

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

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

A Saturday in Wrigeyville: Marlins at Cubs

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

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

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

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

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

Tourists in Wrigleyville: Marlins at Cubs

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

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

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

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

Also, the Cubs passed the 2 million attendance mark quicker

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

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

SRO and Wrigleyville post Cubs game

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cincinnati Reds at Chicago Cubs

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

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

So close but so far away: Orioles at Cubs

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cataclysmic Records: Atlanta Braves at Chicago Cubs

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

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

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

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

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

Chicago Wolves over Chicago Cubs?

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

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

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

Wrigley Rooftops – “Can I have that seat?”

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

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

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

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

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

Chicago Cubs with Brother

My brother flew into Chicago from San Francisco this weekend to attend two Cubs games. Ideally, he would have been able to fly out early on Friday but was unable to because of work. Thus, he took the redeye (flight takes off at 11:30 pm from the west coast and lands in Chicago between 5 and 6 am) in order to be on time for the 12:05 pm start.

Before the game we went to the Full Shilling at 3724 N. Clark St. They have a special one hour before and after each game – one free hot dog with every drink purchase. For $6, you get a 24 ounce Miller or Bud product and a hot dog. Not a bad deal.

The Cubs once again came from behind to win the game. For the second time this season, an umpire needed to leave a game early at Wrigley Field. First base umpire Brian O'Nora had to leave the game in the top of the second after hurting the back of his left leg. It appeared he injured it making a safe call, but apparently he injured it after running to the outfield the previous inning to make a ruling on a catch. Apparently umpires need to stretch too.

After taking the redeye, obviously we needed to take a nap after the game. However, if you are able, you should hit up the many festivals that occur during the summer in Chicago. This weekend is Mayfest and Belmont/Sheffield Music Festival which we will attend tonight after eating some Chicago pizza.

Event #2: Colorado Rockies at Chicago Cubs

The last time I combined a golf event with another sporting event was back on June 12, 2003 when I attended both the US Open and the Chicago White Sox game on the same day.

In the night cap of my second golf / baseball doubleheader, the Cubs came from behind to win the game for the 2nd night in a row.

The Nationwide Tour and Chicago Cubs

Today I am attempting a rather unordinary doubleheader. I am combining the Bank of America Open of the Nationwide Tour (basically Minor League Golf) this afternoon with the Cubs game this evening.

The Glen Club hosts the annual event. The drive is 5-10 minutes from where I am currently working and a ticket for the week is only $10. With the tournament being so cheap and so close, my plan is to attend the first round this afternoon during “lunch.”

Dodgers at Cubs: 1,010 wins each

Attending my 4th game in as many days, the Ultimate Sports Wife and I went to the Cubs game tonight. The Cubs came from behind to win the game in 10 innings. The win evened the all-time series between the Dodgers and Cubs at 1,010 wins apiece.

My friend Mike Holzman texted us halfway through the game stating there were extra seats by him. Since our tickets are in the upper deck and he was sitting in the lower deck behind home plate we hurried up and walked downstairs.

Tip #1 to sneaking into better seats: When one of your friends calls or texts you saying seats are available in his section, be sure your friend brings you his ticket stubs. By bring you the ticket stubs you will be able to pass the ushers with ease and enjoy the rest of the game from a much better section.

Chicago Cubs on Memorial Day

For the first time in 4 years, I attended a sporting event on Memorial Day (and saw the Dodgers play a road game). The Cubs beat the Dodgers 3-1 at Wrigley Field as Derrek Lee hit his 250th career home run. The game included The National Moment of Remembrance at 3 PM local time on Memorial Day after Alfonso Soriano walked to lead off the 6th inning.

Tonight, for the 4th time, I am attempting to complete the Chicago / Milwaukee sweep – attending a game at all 3 ballparks in 3 days (August 2002, July 2004 and April 2008 being my prior times). However, 3 days could be considered a long time to complete the sweep – 5 weeks ago I attended a game at all three ballparks in just two days:

Mon, April 21, 2008: Cardinals at Brewers
Tue, April 22, 2008: Mets at Cubs
Tue, April 22, 2008: Yankees at White Sox

The Wrigley Rooftop Experience

For the first time since June 1978, the Chicago Cubs completed an 8-2 home stand. I “only” attended six of the games during the home stand in which the Cubs went 4-2. Yesterday, the Ultimate Sports Wife and I took in the game from one of Wrigley’s famous rooftop. It was the second game I spent on the rooftop this season.

We were allowed access to the VIP room for the first time meaning we did not claim our seats before the rest of the rooftop crowd arrives. Remember, we generally get to cut the line of fans waiting to get their name checked off of the guest list. Thus, we find seats before everyone else. This time, we came up to the rooftop in the first inning, but happened to find two seats within a four-seat row at the very front of the rooftop. This added a level of entertainment not normally experienced from inside the park or even further back on the rooftop.

First, we saw a fan run out of Gate C (Addison and Sheffield) only to have about five security guards chase after him and a Chicago cop on a dune buggy (from outside the stadium) grab him and throw him to the ground. We continued to watch as his three friends scuffled with security and all 4 of them were escorted “back” into Wrigley Field to go sit in “Wrigley Field jail.”

Second, Connie’s Pizza (the official pizza of Wrigley Field) delivered about 20-30 pies during the 5th inning – obviously suggesting there was a pizza shortage within the friendly confines.

Third, a fan from a neighboring rooftop was so drunk that he was escorted to the sidewalk and left until two of his buddies came to pick him up.

Fourth, we randomly saw one of our friends on Sheffield Ave. as he walked with his wife and kid around the park.

So although sitting in the 4 seats at the front of the rooftop came with some drawbacks – having to push through drunken roof toppers standing all around us – it also came with another form of entertainment we did not expect. It is quite amazing to think about all the random events that occur during a sporting event.

Pittsburgh Pirates at Chicago Cubs

In a rare event, Alfonso Soriano became just the 6th player since 1960 to hit safely in each of at least five at-bats, hit two home runs and still have his team lose. Leave it to the Cubs to earn this dubious achievement. Joe Morgan, the only other leadoff hitter to do so went 6-6 in 1965.

We had friends from out of town who wanted to go to the game today. I suggested they pay $15 for Standing Room Only seats and sit in our section (it normally has empty seats). Instead, they bought tickets through a broker and we sat in empty seats by them since their seats were a little closer.

Jim Edmonds Returns to Wrigley Field

After an uneventful Wednesday night, yesterday had many more interesting stories.

1) Jim Edmonds made his return to Wrigley Field as a Chicago Cub. In his first at-bat he received cheers after he singled but was booed after not producing in subsequent at-bats. I was at the game 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. From a fan’s perspective that was one of the more entertaining sequences of events I have witnessed.

2) Greg Maddux pitched for probably his last time at Wrigley Field. He received a standing ovation when he left the game in the bottom of the 5th.

3) Ryan Dempster almost threw the first shutout I have seen since Rich Hill shut out the Cincinnati Reds on September 16, 2006.

San Diego Padres at Chicago Cubs: Game 3

The Cubs won tonight 8-5. Alfonso Soriano led off tonight’s game with a home run for the 2nd consecutive night. Last night he passed Brady Anderson for the third most leadoff home runs in major league history. Craig Biggio is #2 with 53 leadoff home runs and Rickey Henderson is #1 with 81 leadoff home runs.

For hopefully the 6th time, I will attend every game of a 4-game series. Since the Padres and Cubs both won a game already I will not see a 4-game sweep. The only series that had the possibility of a sweep was when the San Francisco Giants won the first three games against the San Diego Padres in June 2001 but lost game 4. Below are the results of my prior 4-game series:

July 1994: Red Sox (3) at Athletics (1)
June 2001: Padres (1) at Giants (3) – only series at 3-0
August 2003: Astros (1) at Cubs (3)
September 2003: Cardinals (1) at Cubs (3) – attended the first 4 games of the 5-game series
July 2004: Brewers (2) at Cubs (2)
September 2004: Reds (3) at Cubs (1)

5 Innings of Horizontal Rain: Padres at Cubs

In one of the rainiest games I have attended, the Padres beat the Cubs 4-3. There are a lot of arguments out there that say baseball is not the same as football because baseball players will not play in “the weather.” Well, I am here to tell you that is not the case. They may not play in absolute downpours (except for tonight), snow, sleet, or sub 30-degree temperatures but they will play in rain.

Currently, I believe they play in the rain because the money is too good. First, a cancelled game for the Cubs means they lose 40,000 tickets worth of revenue. Of course, teams only seem to schedule day-night doubleheaders now (the Pirates did just play an “old-fashioned” doubleheader yesterday) in order to make up a portion of that lost revenue. Second, the television stations do not care if it is raining – they just care that they can sell ads against the game they are showing.

Tonight’s game was absurd. Our season tickets are under the overhang in the upper deck. We enjoy it because it keeps us dry when it is raining, cool when the sun is out and even colder when it is less than 40 degrees. However, tonight it was raining “horizontally.” The wind was blowing 17 mph to left field. Since we sit on the first base side, my back was completely wet since the rain was falling horizontal through the screen above our section.

I have been to other games where it has rained less hard and been delayed. In fact, 5 years ago, the Ultimate Sports Wife and I attended a game that rained equally as hard but was delayed just in time for postponement (before the 5th inning). Please tell me why today we had to press on so early in the season, passed the 5th, while the Padres are still in Chicago for two more days? It made no sense. In the 9th inning, the rain calmed to a sprinkle and lasted for the next hour or so. The game could have been completed in normal weather, rather than the Cubs and Padres combining for 0 runs after the Padres took the lead in the top of the 4th. I’m not how the ultimate decision is made on whether or not to delay, suspend or postpone games but tonight’s game did not follow the normal standards.

The main beneficiary of tonight’s game was Shawn Estes. He won his 100th game pitching. Normally, I try to comment on all milestones that I witness. Sure this is not too consequential but for Estes…it was a banner night.

San Diego Padres at Chicago Cubs: Game 1

The Chicago Cubs opened a 4-game series against the San Diego Padres tonight at Wrigley Field. The game time temperature was 41 degrees so I brought my winter gear to the game to stay warm. The Cubs batted around in both the 5th and 6th inning and beat the Padres 12-3.

Mark Prior, who now plays for the Padres, is once again on the DL. He was placed on the 60-day DL after having shoulder surgery on March 26. It was almost 6 years ago when Prior pitched in "one of the most anticipated debuts in the history of the Chicago Cubs" on May 22, 2002. Now we’re just waiting for when he can debut a healthy season.

Minor League Baseball at Wrigley Field

While searching for Minor League Baseball in South Texas, I read a headline that reported the Cubs’ Midwest League Class A affiliate Peoria Chiefs will be hosting Chicago’s only affiliated minor league team Kane County Cougars at Wrigley Field on Tue, July 29. It is believed to be the first minor league game in Wrigley Field’s 94 year history.

If the Cubs’ sell more than 10,000 tickets, the game will count as one of their 30 night games, so that could have impact on the scheduling of a future Cubs’ game.

Many teams may include this ticket in a season ticket package as a “bonus” game. However, I called the Cubs this morning and they stated season ticket holders will need to purchase tickets to this game if they wish to attend.

Kerry Wood as a Pitcher?

The point of this blog is not to analyze player’s performance on the field, but Kerry Wood’s performance in yesterday’s Brewers / Cubs game was so poor (giving up 3 runs in the top of the 9th to lose the game 4-3) it has to be recognized. We have been through many incarnations of Kerry:

1998: Rookie Sensation – it’s amazing how a 20 strikeout performance in your 5th career start can carry you through a career.
1999: Out for season with Tommy John surgery
2000-2002: Averaged 28 starts per season, but nothing spectacular
2003: Supposedly “led” the Cubs to the NLCS, but pitched inconsistently throughout the regular season going 14-11.
2004-2007: Injuries plagued him
2008: He has blown 3 out of 7 save opportunities. The other two blown saves resulted in the Cubs eventually winning in extra innings.

Kerry’s career has been pretty average with the Cubs. Although he should not be removed from the closer role yet, he does need to prove he can close games without the suspense.

Because of Kerry’s performance, the Cubs are now 2-4 against the Milwaukee Brewers this season. I have been to all 6 games - 4 of which were weekday day games. A lot of work is involved in getting to weekday afternoon games. I wake up at 5 am, get to work around 6:30 am and leave around 12:30 pm. I finish up the day by working a couple of hours after the game. Some may say the effort is not worth it, but my favorite sporting event is the weekday afternoon event.

Cubs score 19 runs

April is in the books. The Cubs set a club record with 17 wins in April and I set a personal best by attending 17 games by April 30 (technically 16 in April).

The Cubs scored 19 runs last night (a feat they have achieved only 10 times in the last 50 years). The last time the Cubs scored that many was May 5, 2001 when they beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 20-1. Last night was only the 5th time I have seen a game where a team scored 19 or more runs.

19: Indians (at Twins): July 13, 1996 (30 total runs scored)
19: Expos (at Giants): May 7, 1997
20: Cubs (vs. Dodgers): May 5: 2001
20: Twins (at White Sox): July 6, 2007 (34 total runs scored)
19: Cubs (vs. Brewers): April 30, 2008

Geovany Soto became the 4th Cubs catcher (and the first since 1980) to hit two home runs and drive in six or more RBI in the same game.

Wrigley Field Tip #1: If looking for a good value on beer within Wrigley Field try to find the import beer vendor. For about the same price you can buy an imported beer vs. a domestic. The following is a list of 2008 beer prices at Wrigley Field:

$5.75: Old Style or Budweiser keg beer (16 oz) only portable concession stands - generally by the bathrooms (16 oz)
$6.00: Imported canned beer (Heineken, Amstel Light, etc - 16 oz) from portable concession stands
$6.25: Old Style or Budweiser canned beer (20 oz) at food concession stands
$6.25: Old Style or Budweiser keg beer (16 oz) from beer man