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 GameThe 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 …

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. …

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 …

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 …

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 DiningBefore 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 …

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 DiningOnce again we headed to the Full Schilling for pre game drinks which include a hot dog with …

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 …

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. …

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 …

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 …