Weekend in the Windy City

I’m going to pretend like today’s game didn’t happen, and talk about this past weekend: I returned late last night from the windy city, and it surely lived up to its name. Ate way too much, including a nice meal at Harry Caray’s restaurant in Rosemont. To my surprise on the wall behind the table we were seated at, was a picture me. In the photo is Harry, wife Dutchie, and Cubs Senior VP of Marketing and Broadcasting John McDonough taken in 1997 at HoHoKam Park with my hands and microphone clearly visible on the left side next to Harry. Possibly, you could have seen my head in the photo, but unfortunately it is behind the frame. The waitress looked at me a little funny when I asked her if they wanted me to autograph the photo. At any rate I think I’ll send them a thinner frame to put it in!

Saturday was the only game I was able to attend at Wrigley Field over the weekend and what a game it was- what a series it was – Cubs Sweep! Cubs Sweep! I love doing public address work for the Cubs in spring training, but I also love to be a fan and just enjoy a game sitting in the stands. I knew the game was going to be played in cool temperatures; I think the high on Saturday reached just over 40 degrees, with a cold wind. It felt like Bears football weather. Considering I had left Arizona the day before, where the high temp was 81, it was an adjustment. The cool weather didn’t stop us one bit from enjoying a Cubs come from behind victory.

I went to the game with a fun group from Partners for Prosperity, a non-traditional financial planning company. Robert Kiyosaki (Rich Dad, Poor Dad) had been one of their clients, and if you’re interested their website is www.partners4prosperity.com We got down to Wrigleyville early, and stopped at Bernie’s Tavern before making our way across the street to find our seats, and watch the end of batting practice. We had good seats in section 110, just past 3^rd base on the edge of the infield.

As luck would have it, we had 4 college aged Cardinals fans sitting in the row directly in front of us. They left their jackets and their manners in St. Louis but didn’t need the former as evidenced by the empty Whiskey bottle underneath their seats. Their mission was obvious – be as obnoxious as possible, pick up on the girls seated in front of them, and down as many beers as they could afford. They were having the time of their life throughout most of the game, with the Cardinals holding a 2 nothing lead in the bottom of the 6^th when their Cubs bashing party came to a screeching halt as a 300 pound Dick Butkus look alike Cubs fan, clad only in jeans and a T shirt decided to join them. He had probably consumed more alcohol than the four of them put together, and while I’m sure they would have liked him to leave, as he didn’t have a ticket there, they appeared too intimidated by him to do anything. Butkus then proceeded to lead the section in Cubs chants through the comeback innings, as he stood on a seat, twirling his shirt in the air above his naked torso. By the time the game was over, all 4 of them slunk out like whipped pups, with one muttering under his breath, “I hate the Cubs, I hate the Cubs”. Coming from a Cardinals fan, that is music to the ears. This is the kind of stuff I don’t get to see sitting up in the pressbox. As we were leaving the game, loud chants of SWEEP, SWEEP echoed throughout the Wrigley concourse.

There was tremendous energy at the friendly confines, and even though it’s only an early series, the team showed a lot of character coming back from deficits to victories and sweeping the redbirds. I still think we’re going to need some solid contributions this year from any of the rehab trio, Wood, Prior, and Miller, or it will be an uphill struggle. However, looking back at spring training, and the first week of the regular season, this Cubs team seems to have a quiet confidence and a resilient composure, a lot like their first baseman, Derrek Lee. Now that Lee has a new contract, and stated he’s committed to winning with the Cubs, we can look to him as a catalyst for success this year and into the future.