With Friday night plans to listen to Grieg’s Piano Concerto at Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millenium Park, it was hard to imagine that we would be heading to US Cellular Field to watch the Chicago White Sox host the Boston Red Sox. But that is what happened last night, after a major assist from Nicole’s fellow Ph.D. student Christine Wood.

Christine’s girlfriend Katie contacted me stating the Red Sox were in town (Christine’s favorite team) and that we should go with them to one of the games (the Red Sox are in Chicago through Monday, August 11). Last night’s game made the most sense to attend since it was Christine’s birthday. Christine then called Nicole and asked her if we would go to the game with them. Nicole said yes, wanting to hang out with her friends rather than at the concert, and the plans were changed.

Obtaining Tickets
The three women left getting tickets up to me. Far away tickets were still available through Ticketmaster ($31 face value) and tickets on craigslist.org were hovering a little above face value. Katie had commented they would like better seats in the upper deck for face value. Since I have no idea where tickets will be when I buy from scalpers outside the stadium, I figured I should lock in the price and location before hopping on the train.

A few hours before the game was to start, I found a craigslist ad – 4 tickets for $30 each. I called the guy and asked if he would take $100 for the 4 tickets. He said yes. We exchanged info and agreed to meet at the ballpark. The tickets were in the 7th row of the upper deck, right behind home plate. Mission accomplished. Everyone was happy with the seat location and price.

Pre Game Dining
Katie asked if we should eat around Wrigley Field before heading south. Since the Cubs had just finished their Friday afternoon game, I suggested we eat at Jimbo’s Lounge (2 blocks North of US Cellular Field). Jimbo’s Lounge located at 3258 S. Princeton Ave. is the only restaurant within “safe” walking distance of US Cellular Field. The menu is typical bar food – hot dogs, hamburgers, etc. Drinks seemed a little more expensive than I expected ($4 cans, $5 bottles), but it was a game day.

The Game
The White Sox beat the Red Sox 5-3. The Red Sox made a brief comeback in the top of the 8th inning after Dustin Pedroia hit a 3-run home run. Last night was fireworks night at US Cellular Field. The fireworks started almost immediately after the game ended. I remember prior fireworks nights at Comiskey Park taking longer to setup.