Better Than TV

April 17, 2009 | mriehn | Comments 3

 Print This Post

by Michael Riehn
Whiteyball Staff

Look Ma, I'm on TV!

A few friends and I had the privilege of sitting in the second row of the right center field Bleachers to watch the (mostly) friendly matchup between the Cardinals vs. the Cubs.

I get together every year with a group of friends (from Chicago and St. Louis) for an annual “Boys trip” that must include at least one game at the friendly confines in Chicago.  If you like baseball with a lot of offense, suspect fielding and some genuine drama, this game was for you.

We arrived outside the gates at almost 10:15 so that we could have our pick of seats.  While it was cool in the shade, the bleachers felt almost balmy by comparison (as my sunburn can attest). It was absolutely perfect weather.

My favorite advantage to arriving early is getting to see batting practice.  Kyle Loshe is a really funny dude.  He was bantering with the fans all through batting practice.  At one point he had the centerfield and rightfield fans yelling to see who could cheer the loudest (on the assumption that he would throw the ball in that direction).  He faked a throw to the crowd and then threw the ball back in (in which case everyone laughed).  The crowd was transfixed with Pujols.  His first 5 swings in BP were home runs, and most of them were no-doubters.  The man is a machine (why didn’t you eliminate them Albert?) and he was quickly followed up by an almost equally impressive show by Ludwick.  He’s the real deal folks, the ball jumps off his bat.

From the opening double by Brendan (Out machine) Ryan to the lockdown inning by erstwhile closer Ryan Franklin, this game had many highs and lows in between.  Being outnumbered by Cubs fans, I put on my Stan Musial Cardinal jersey that morning in order to withstand the full force of the opposition.  You can’t go into this game half heartedly.  It’s more fun when you wear the colors and stand out.  Being outnumbered by your rival fans in their city is an experience EVERYONE must take.  Most of the time it is a friendly rivalry, but every once in awhile it can get testy…

In 2006, one of my friends and I had a congenial debate with one of the local patrons on the finer qualities of baseball (or maybe the opposite of that).  Let’s just say this person liked to sample quite a few “Old Style Lagers” (also the definition of “terrible beer”).  The Cardinals were up by 10, so this gentleman was none too happy with our vociferous support for the St. Louis 9.

I found out that day that there are certain words and sentences you can not say at Wrigley Field.  When the gentleman informed us that he was “going to kill” us, he was promptly escorted outside the stadium.  After enthusiastically waiving goodbye to our inebriated Cubs fan, we decided that it may be a good idea to “dial it down” a bit and plan an escape route (just in case).  This kind of discussion is rare though, and the ushers are quick to quell any uprisings.

Per usual, the ribbing was good natured and a lot of fun this year.  I took my share of abuse after the Fukodome home run, but gave it right back after the Cardinals took the lead.  Several of my friends are also Cubs fans though, so I constantly support them (1908) and pay attention to their feelings (first round sweep 2008), because I know they would do the same for me (no playoffs for the Cards over the last two years).  After all, they deserve my empathy ($150 million payroll), so I don’t rub it in (10 world series titles).

If you’ve never taken the trip to see Cards vs. Cubs at Wrigley, put it in your Bucket List.  You’ll be glad you did.

Filed Under: Baseball • Uncategorized

Tags: Albert Pujols • Bleachers • Boys trip • Kyle Loshe • Ryan Ludwick • Wrigley Field