Let's Play Two

Baseball, You Bet!  When I first started following baseball the major league baseball teams played games in the classic parks like Ebbets Field, The Polo Grounds, Comiskey Park, Yankee Stadium, Crosley Field, Fenway Park, Forbes Field and Wrigley Field.  Today, only Fenway and Wrigley remain.

I had the opportunity to see a game in Fenway, the old Yankee Stadium and Baltimore's Memorial Stadium. This winter one of my friends brother in law organized a trip to Wrigley Field and George Fortune and I managed to get on the invite list.  Twelve of us made the trip.  Other than two hour flight delays going and coming due to record rains in Chicago the trip was well worth the effort. 

I had set three goals for the trip.  One, see a game in Wrigley, two, eat a Chicago deep dish pizza and three, eat a Chicago Dog at the ball park.

The night of our arrival we piled into two cabs and went to Lou Minalti's for pizza.  We ordered five large deep dish pizzas.  We ate three and a half and carried the remaining one back to the hotel desk clerk that recommended the place.  I have to say it was probably the best pizza I have ever eaten.

Saturday was game day. First pitch was at 12:05.  We arrived at the park around 0730am.  A nostalgic setting for a classic park.  There is no parking.  We walked around the entire park.  The first 10,000 fans would be given a key chain.  At exactly 1005am they opened the gates.  We were in the first 10 in the park.

 I must have heard the words from various members of our group, including myself, "We're at Wrigley Field" The park was old.  It didn't have the amenities of the new ones.  No "Jumbotron".  Not an abundance of concession stands. But what an atmosphere!  The fans were nice and the help was courteous.

The Cubs beat the Astros 7-2.  I could have been a Cubs fan.