Author: eazygoer11

Best part of this trip was lunch the afternoon before the game.

Instead of eating at the Convention Center with work, my friend and i ventured to a place we had been hearing everyone talk about… Sauce on the Side. It’s a calzone place, they serve the pizza sauce on the side in a dish instead of in the calzone. yes, it was tasty but the main attraction during lunch was sitting right next to us.

That’s right, Rizz, J-Hey & Bussey were chowing down at the table directly to my right. We had been sitting across the way but the sun was hitting me right in the eyes. After looking around to find a table, i spotted the perfect one in the shade and close to the doors (gotta be close to the drink refill). 

Sat down and Shelly said, “Holy f*ckin shit, isn’t that Anthony Rizzo!” I turned slowly and saw them laughing at something Rizzo was showing them from his phone. I swear Heyward looked right at me and that’s when i froze. Tears welled up in my eyes and i couldn’t move. I couldn’t believe they were right there and all i could do was think, ‘damn i wish jason was here, he’d know what to do… do i go say hi, do i leave them alone, do i freak out, do i puke cause that’s definitely what i feel like doing!’ 

Needless to say, i was trying, unsuccessfully, to be nonchalant about taking their picture. Eventually Rizzo smiled, waved and said ‘Thank you’ with a nod when Shelly mouthed, ‘Big Fans’ and she was pointing back and forth between the two of us. 

It was unbelievable. 

  

If you look at the guys picture in full resolution, it looks like they are facetiming Dexter Fowler!

September of 2017, watched a 3 game series at Busch Stadium versus St Louis while on another trip for work. I believe i have Shelly hooked on Chicago Cubs baseball or she was just there to see how close she could get to Wilson Contreras!

First 2 games of the series our seats were on the front row in left center, right next to the Cubs bullpen. On the final game, we sat right 17 rows up from home plate. Pretty good seats. 

Maybe I am biased, but the seats in the outfield were much better. The two games we sat in the outfield, we were surrounded by Chicago fans. To me, Chicago fans are there to watch the game and know how to act at a baseball game. While sitting behind the plate, we were surrounded by St Louis people. The ushers let people walk up and down the aisles while the pitchers were throwing, never made anyone sit down. Usually, you wait til the pitch is thrown before heading back down to your seat. Once it hit the 8th though, Cardinals fans deserted the team and it was easier to watch the game. Nice stadium but the fans were awful. 

In the Spring of 2017, we traveled to Mesa, AZ to watch the first 5 games of Spring Training. Their Spring Training complex, “Wrigley-ville West,” is absolutely insane for a Cubs fan. Their practice facilities are open to the public, so when you show up to watch them run drills, take BP or have meetings, it feels like your showing up to your kid’s little league game. Walk on up to the fence and carry on a chat with a player….. Say hi to a coach….. catch one of the hundreds of homers hit during BP…. or even get every single players autograph to commemorate the trip.

Sloan Park is just as cozy. There’s not a bad seat in the house. You have one helluva a view for the game from everywhere in the stadium and the food trucks on the outfield porch will keep your belly full during the afternoon double headers.

September of 2016, I attended a convention in St Louis for work. Fortunately, i was able to snag some tickets for a coworker and good friend of mine to see a game versus the Cardinals at Busch Stadium. 

Watched a 3 game series with the Rockies. Coors Field is a nice place.  Ended up buying tickets for the Friday night game on our way to Denver. Got great seats right up the first base line. Saturday & Sunday, we sat right over the Cubs bullpen in right. 

Getting tickets last minute for Cubs v Cardinals, at Wrigley, was a miracle in itself. The game turning out to be the game that decided the NLDS and one where Schwarber hit a moonshot 438ft to the video board in right field was absolutely priceless. 

We both worked a full day before we left at 1230am (we live no where near an airport) to make our 6am flight, which landed at 9am in Chicago. It was our second trip to the magical city and we wandered the streets taking in some deep dish delight, anticipating the game that night.

By the 7th inning, we headed down from our seats to the walkway behind infield seating. We chanted “Schwarber!” with everyone else, then sang ‘Go Cubs Go’ before sprinting to catch the last train that would connect to O’Hare. Our flight left Chicago at 11pm and we were back in the car headed home by 230. We had been up for over 24hrs and exhaustion was eating away at both of us. i fell asleep in the passenger seat, despite being determined to stay awake. However, i woke myself up and scared the hell outta Jason when i declared to all that Schwarber was hitting 500!!

Here he is just before the MOONSHOT!

Took our first trip to Chicago in July/August of 2009.

It

was

amazing!

We were there for a five days. Yes, Chicago itself was awesome, the buildings, the people, the sites but Wrigleyville was the main attraction. The tour of Wrigley was a highlight. The tour guides were very insightful and the people on our tour all seemed to be huge fans and everyone was asking great questions. They even take you out onto the field when you can sit in the dugout. Don’t tell anyone, but i swiped a handful of the backstop dirt and dropped it into the lanyard pouch that had my game ticket and pass. 🙂

We were right behind home plate and the game couldn’t have been better. Tie ballgame to the 13th, when Soriano hit a walk off Grand Slam.

Thanks for making this priceless…..all hail Soriano!