Hello, everyone. I’ve been in Chicago the past couple of days. Did I miss anything while I was gone?
Of course, when I say I was “in Chicago,” what I really mean is, I was in the northwest suburbs — Elk Grove Village, to be exact. I went up for some work-related training.
But while I was there, you’ll never guess what I did. I went to a Cubs game. Yep, the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Not only that, but the night I was there (Tuesday, 9/1), they won! I think just having a Cardinals fan in the house brought them good luck against another Central Division rival.
I have to admit, I really like Wrigley Field. It’s a neighborhood ballpark. It really is. You go in there, and there’s this feeling like you’re all friends, these are all your neighbors, and you’re just hanging out at the ballgame, like people might hang out at the Chiefs game here in Peoria (except that the tickets are about six times as much at Wrigley). We had great seats, too — right behind home plate, about 20 rows back.
With such a great ballpark that, thankfully, has not been torn down or abandoned yet, it’s really a shame that the Cubs organization can’t seem to field a team that’s a real contender. But on the other hand, if they ever did, then the Cubs might get more popular, and then they’d have to build a bigger, newer, fancier stadium somewhere else in Chicago, and ticket prices would go up, and… well, things just wouldn’t be the same.
Incidentally, all during the game, I kept my eye on the manual scoreboard out in center field. I watched as they updated the score on the St. Louis – Milwaukee game. The Cardinals, of course, won. Again. It’s been three years since the Cards won the World Series. It’s about time for them to bring home the trophy again.
I grew up in central Illinois but am a lifelong Houston Astros fan – not the most popular choice in the middle of Cubs/Cards country. (It was all due to those rainbow uniforms, Nolan Ryan and J.R. Richard). While we finally made it to the World Series a few years back, we of course had to lose to the White Sox. Good grief!
Wrigley is a crumbling pig sty. It is nasty and dirty. It has long outlived its’ usefulness.
At least the Cardinals realized that Busch Stadium was getting a little long in the tooth before it was too late. Now, the Cubs are stuck with Wrigley until such time as it falls down upon itself.
I’ll take the new Busch over Wrigley any day. The sentimentalism over Wrigley ended for me a looong time ago.
I’m curious if they could tear the old one down and maybe rebuild in the same spot.
Ypu were gone?
There is no place better to watch a baseball game than Wrigley Field!
mdd: It’s Chicago for crying out loud! The whole County and city is dirty, nasty and full of filth (and that’s not including the politicians).
Mazr wrote,
“I’ll take the new Busch over Wrigley any day. The sentimentalism over Wrigley ended for me a looong time ago.”
– This is all the evidence I need to expose Mazr as a communist. Take a long look in the mirror my little Marxist friend.
Better dead than [Cardinal] red.
Kcdad………….. comments?
Anyone?
“The whole County and city is dirty, nasty and full of filth (and that’s not including the politicians).”
Wacko, I know we have our problems here in Peoria [city/county], but was that kind of a jab really necessary?
Billy: Three words, eleven letters, one misspelling. Good to see things haven’t changed while I was away. 😛
My son lived in Wrigleyville his first year at DePaul. He loved it! I tried to avoid “game days” when I went to visit him, because parking was CRAZY! But, it sure is a fun neighborhood… you’re so right! Especially for college kids!
I’ve been to Busch stadium… the old one that is. I’ve been to Wrigley. I like Wrigley and I am not even a baseball fan. It is an intimate park located smack dab in a wonderful neighborhood. It embraces you in a way that many stadiums cannot.
Besides Wrigley Field what other old ballparks are left?
peoriafan: Fenway.
are Wrigley and Fenway on the National Resgister of Historic Places?
Byte me.
😉
I see that spending some time in the Friendly Confines hasn’t improved you manners much.
But then, that’s a LOT of Cardinal suckitude to have to drain away in one 2 1/2 ball game. Seven or eight visits and you can be considered normal.
Gee Whiz! I’m a die hard cdub fan since 1939. I have plaque to prove it. But I don’t go to any major sport unless the tickets are free. Too many overpaid-under-performing – hmmmm, “players”.
Of course, then their are the good guys like Ben Zobrist and our Jime Thome.
Merle,
After his move to LA, will we still be allowed to consider Thome a ‘good guy?’
There are many many people and areas of Chicago that are beautiful. The whole city is not dirty and grimy.
Internationally, Chicago is considered one of the cleanest, nicest cities in the world.