I get to live out one of my dreams come Monday. I'll be hopping on a plane and headed to Chicago to watch my beloved Cubbies at Wrigley Field.
I planned on doing this a few years ago, but all hell broke loose and that chance went by the wayside. Ever since, I always said I was going to Chicago. My 40th birthday came and went last year and I did nothing. So, before I suffer a midlife crisis, I decided to finally do it.
Plus this Cubs team is actually fun to watch with new manager Joe Maddon and the influx of some of the best young talent in baseball. I would be the first to say that the Cubs were unwatchable the past few years. I expect misery and nothing more from them, but it was horrible.
I have seen the Cubs play in person at spring training in Arizona and other MLB ballparks, but this will be totally different as I walk into one of the greatest baseball parks in America. Sure, it's not the most luxurious stadium out there, but that is the lore of Wrigley Field that brings you there.
It is over 100 years old, sits in the middle of a residential part of Chicago and provides a lot of memories. Some say you don't go to Wrigley for the game but for the atmosphere. I want to be a part of that. If it's a big party — so be it.
Starting this year, Wrigley is finally stepping into the 21st century. The bleachers were completely tore down this past off-season and rebuilt. Two jumbotrons were added to the stadium as well. Before this year, Wrigley was the only ballpark in baseball without a big screen to show replays for fans.
On my final day in Chicago, I am sitting in the bleachers. Talk about a party — that will be one. I am pretty sure to expect anything and everything. I have heard of stories about the bleachers at Wrigley and I am hoping to see some of them personally. What can I say, I am wired differently from most.
I wont lie, I am a little nervous about going by myself. I am a 40-year-old country boy that hardly gets away. Sending me to one of the largest cities in America all alone could be interesting. I am not renting a car — in part I am not paying $67 a day to valet a car at the hotel.... and me in a car in Chicago equals trouble.
I have spent the better part of the last couple days going through the CTA website for Chicago. I figured public transportation is the best way to go. However, where do I buy my pass to ride the train? Am I smart enough to know which stop to get off on and get to the next train? What about the bus, is that easier? What happens if my plane is delayed or the flight is canceled? If that happens, I don't make it to the first game. I leave Reno at 5:15 a.m. for a 7 p.m. baseball game in Chicago.
Those are things that are going through my mind right now. Perhaps, I should stop worrying about that and actually have some fun. I am going to stress myself out before I even get there.
Of course, I have to play tourist. I need to get to the Hard Rock Cafe, make a trip to Willis Tower and go top the 103rd story of the building. Might as well get a good look at the city. My hotel is right near the Navy Pier and that is a must visit. If I am going to Chicago, I need to eat deep-dish pizza. Sure, you might have had it in other restaurants, but being in Chicago is the real thing. Is it wrong to eat deep-dish pizza three nights in a row. While at the ballpark might as well have a $10 Pabst Blue Ribbon. In addition, I will probably spend some time in Wrigleyville.
My love affair with the Cubs goes way back. When I was little (10 years old) are family did not have cable. Living in Winnemucca in the early 1980s, you had CBS, NBC and ABC. Somehow WGN came along in addition to WWOR out of New York. I was left with two choices — the New York Mets and Romper Room or Harry Caray, the Chicago Cubs and Bozo the Clown on WGN.
I picked the Cubs and they have been driving me crazy ever since. I remember my first big memory was 1984. The Cubs made it to the playoffs and were one game away from the World Series. I would watch games in class in the fourth grade on a little 13-inch TV in Mrs. Davidson's room. It helped that she was a huge Cubs fan as well.
That was my first heartbreak as well, as the damn San Diego Padres and Steve Garvey ripped my heart out. I still see the ball go through the legs of Leon Durham at first base. San Diego won the last three games of the National League Playoffs and there was no World Series for the Cubs.
You had to love that Cubs team Jody Davis, Ryne Sandberg, Ron Cey, Larry Bowa, Bill Buckner, Bob Dernier, Davey Lopes, Gary Matthews, Keith Moreland, Steve Trout, Lee Smith, Dennis Eckersley, Rick Rueschel and Rick Sutcliffe.
There are other heartbreaking moments, including 1989 (damn you Will Clark and the San Francisco Giants) and of course 2003. The words I want to describe 2003 are not suitable for print and childrens' eyes. I will say I did cry as a grown man.
I am sure there will be some bumps along the road during my four-day stay, but it will all be worth it.
