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 DiningAs I have written in the past, one great way to avoid the …

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 TicketsOnce 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 …

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 …

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 TicketsWith 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 …

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 ChicagoAs 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 …

From the start of the day, Game 4 had a different feel than the other Chicago Blackhawks playoff games I have attended. First, it was the first afternoon game of the playoffs. The Blackhawks usually play Sunday afternoon games during the regular season but the weather is cold and on this Sunday it was warm.
Obtaining TicketsWhile searching for Game 3 tickets on Friday afternoon, I also bought my ticket for Game 4 on Sunday. While searching ads on craigslist.org, I found an advertisement that was selling his …

For the first time since 2003, I attended a women’s professional club soccer game. Of course, there has been no women’s league since 2003. In 2003, the Women’s United Soccer Association (WUSA) folded after the season ended. This year, Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) began their inaugural season.
My parents landed at Chicago Midway Airport at 4:20 pm Saturday afternoon. With Toyota Park a short 4.5 mile drive from Midway, we decided to attend the women’s soccer game Saturday night rather than the Chicago White Sox game.
Pre Game DiningOne restaurant I …

For the first time since 1995, the Blackhawks hosted a Western Conference Finals game (that series also happened to be against the Detroit Red Wings).
Obtaining TicketsI had planned to meet up with Blackhawks Jim at the game since he already had a ticket in his regular seats. However, since his wife and daughter and the Ultimate Sports Wife also wanted to attend, I needed to buy four tickets. I considered buying Standing Room Only tickets, but with four people it is next to impossible to find four seats …

I had scheduled a doctor’s appointment specifically for Thursday morning so I would have an excuse to “work from home” – aka attend the Chicago White Sox game after my doctor’s appointment. My doctor’s appointment ended around 11:30 am so I took the train from downtown Chicago to U.S. Cellular Field and arrived at noon.
Pre Game DiningI had planned to eat lunch at Jimbo’s – the only bar/restaurant within a two block walk of U.S. Cellular Field. But to my dismay the place was boarded up. At …

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