Exciting baseball

And I thought I'd made my last trip to Wrigley this summer …

A guy that I play ball with came through for me last week. He was giving up his pair of box seats for today’s game -- about 12 rows up from the field, first base side, in front of the visitor’s bullpen. He was selling them for $50 each …

I had no plans for the day. I e-mailed Matty; he was on board for the game. I checked with Kates to make sure I wasn’t forgetting any other plans for the day; she gave me the go-ahead. And I seized the tickets …

So I awoke this morning, donned my Cubs jersey and hat, caught the 8:49 train, and was meeting Matt at the Harry Caray statue outside Wrigley about two hours later …

We took in Wrigleyville, took a couple rounds of batting practice at Sluggers and then took in an early lunch at Goose Island. We talked baseball, baseball and more baseball -- We discussed Hall of Famers and wishes that Ken Griffey Jr. was the new homerun record and not Barry Bonds. We pointed to the reasons Tampa Bay shouldn’t have a major league baseball team and agreed Vladimir Guerrero is one of the most exciting players in baseball right now …

Then we entered Wrigley -- today’s house of worship, if you will -- a little after noon … Interesting, just when I think I’ve begun to take all my trips to Wrigley for granted, I enter the grand old park for one more game, catch a whiff of the peanuts and beer, the spirit of the crowd hits me, the organ music, the vendors shouting their witty calls (First place beer here!), the whole aura -- and the smile takes over my face once again …

Today we saw Dick Vitale appear as one of the dozen or so people who get to throw out a ceremonial first pitch (like there is such a thing anymore … especially at Wrigley, it’s ridiculous how many CEOs and special kids get to throw out “first pitches” … ). And the PA announcer made just as many references and plugs to Milt Pappas, whose no-hitter 30 years ago today the Cubs were celebrating …

We had a 1:20 game time. Woody Williams was on the mound for the Astros. Rich Hill was going for the Cubs. The Cubs came into the game in first place, a game-and-a-half ahead of the Brewers. And the Cardinals were two games back …

But aside from striking out the side in the third, Rich Hill didn’t have his game today. He walked the leadoff batter and then gave up a two-run homerun to Lance Berkman in the top of the first. Then he gave up an RBI double in the second and two more runs in the fifth to put the Cubs down 5-1 …


Matty and I were baking in the sun. I was getting annoyed by the endless parade of fans and vendors in the aisle in front of us. And the game was hardly going down as memorable one. Up to that point, we were having more fun watching the scoreboard -- the Brewers had gone back and forth before putting away the Pirates, the Cardinals and Reds were scoreless until St. Louis pulled out a late 3-0 win, the Royals were all over the Twins, and the Devil Rays were beating the Yankees (that’s the only time I’ll cheer for the Devil Rays, I said …)

… But what we didn’t realize then was the Astros offense was finished for the day and the Cubs were only getting started.

Finally the Cubs put two runs on the board in the sixth inning and the managers had begun making so many pitching and lineup changes Matt and I were barely keeping up on our scorecards …

In the seventh, Matt Murton stepped to the plate as a pinch-hitter for Cliff Floyd. Earlier in the day, Matt and I had discussed how we think Murton is one of the most underrated players in the league and the fact some of the Chicago media dislikes him … And then he pops a 400-foot homerun to the bleachers in left-canter field to bring the Cubs within one run, 5-4. The crowd goes crazy. High fives all-around. “That’s my boy!” I yelled.

We went to the eighth … With two outs and a runner on second base, Mark Loretta hit a fly ball to left-center. Theriot went back on it, Soriano was coming in and Jacque Jones was chasing too. Then, almost out-of-nowhere, Jones dives between Theriot and Soriano and makes the catch. It was undoubtedly the play that saved the game for the Cubs …

In the bottom of the eighth, Soriano singled with one out. Then with two outs, after Theriot flied out, Derek Lee came up and launched a homerun that barely cleared the basket in left center field … Unbelievable! More high fives all around. The crowd was so loud, Wrigley was literally rocking …

Then a fiery Ryan Dempster comes in for the ninth and the Cubs sent the Astros down 1-2-3 … Cubs win, 6-5. “Go Cubs Go” starts blaring from the PA system the moment the third out is called and we embark on one final round of high fives …


Soak it up folks. The Cubs, Brewers and Cardinals all won today. We’ve got a pennant race.

On my train ride home, I struck up a conversation with the conductor about the game, which he had watched on TV.

“ … Man, it’s fun to watch, It‘s exciting baseball,” he said. “Yeah, I’m a switch-hitter. Usually I root for the Sox, but this year, man, they’re not doing nothing’ …”

I was happy to relate.

“Oh, I’m the same way,” I told him. “I grew up with the Brewers, so I’m having a tough time right now with the Brewers and the Cubs battling, but you’re right, it is fun …”

Yep. It’s going to be one heck of a September …