Chicago Cubs - Wrigley Field

I suppose the recent calls to replace Wrigley Field are to be expected; today's society always wants what's new, improved, and modern. But there's something that's just so . . . historic when you step off the El at the Addison Street exit and there it is. The oldest stadium in the National League, the second oldest in baseball. It was built in 1914, which is why you'll never see a stadium built like it (or Fenway Park in Boston) ever again. It's shoehorned into an actual neighborhood, bordered on all four sides by Addison and Clark Streets in the front, and Waveland and Sheffield Avenues in the back. At the corner of Waveland and Sheffield is a statue of the Cubs' late broadcaster Harry Carey, fittingly underneath the "Bud Light Bleachers" sign, as Carey had the tendency to drink heavily before and during games.

There's also a statue of Cubs' legend Ernie Banks along the Clark side; sadly his mantra of "Let's play two!" has become as obsolete as Wrigley surely will.

Inside, Wrigley lives up to its nickname of the "Friendly Confines," as it certainly isn't a big park. But what a park it is. Those ivy covered brick outfield walls, that magnificent hand-operated scoreboard, the lack of advertising, ribbon boards, and video replay give Wrigley such character, that, when coupled with the intimate seating, we could have been watching a game from the 1940's or 50's.

The food was good, although the lack of a pickle spear on the Chicago dog was a glaring omission, but then again, I was there to see the Cubs in their home environment, and wasn't that concerned with my meal - an overindulgence of fried Wisconsin cheese curds can do that to a person.

It was a fitting end to a whirlwind trip - four baseball games in four days in four different stadiums. I do miss my "brother" Thom; he truly is like family to me, and our shared love of baseball makes our strong friendship even stronger. It was also good to see Margie and Dave again, and to quote The Turtles, I'm glad they're so happy together. So thanks, Wrigley, and thanks to all of Chicago. It's a great city, but the weather precludes me from saying I'd like to live there. Cubs fans are a special lot, and to be a part of it, even for just one night, is something every baseball fan should experience.

It's baseball. Pure. Perfect.

Day 170 - Breakfast

And then Dave made waffles for breakfast Sunday morning before he, Thom and I headed up to Milwaukee to see the Brewers take on the Cardinals. And no, we didn't stay up all night swappin' manly stories. Beatles RockBand, yes. Manly stories, no . . .

Day 169 - People I Dig

Despite the cold, wind, and rain, Margie and Dave were excellent hosts at the White Sox game.

Day 168 - Late Night Snack

When all else fails, there's White Castle . . .

Day 167 - Ballpark Food

My Italian sausage and hot dog at the White Sox game . . . good, but not great.

Chicago White Sox - U.S. Cellular Field

First off, even though the official stadium name is U.S. Cellular Field, it bugs me to no end and I kept calling it Comiskey, its original name when it opened in 1991. It was the first of the "new" stadiums to be built, and, by a year, missed the retro trend that started when Camden Yards opened in Baltimore a year later. With that said, new Comiskey lacks any personality, character, or charm whatsoever, and seems as bland as the cookie-cutter stadiums of the 1970's that popped up in Philadelphia, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, and Cincinnati. Out in front is a rather ugly statue honoring the 2005 World Series championship team, but doesn't really add much to the stadium atmosphere. The food was passable, but not memorable. The scoreboard was poorly laid out, with lots of wasted space, and hard to read. Even the iconic pinwheels atop it, along with the fireworks - a carryover from old Comiskey, seemed lost and wasted among all the giant billboards.

Day 165 - Jeppson's Malört

Dave had a bottle of Jeppson's Malört in his man-cave / basement bar; every first-time visitor had to have a shot. I will say in my defense, (A) I am not a lightweight when it comes to drinking, and (B) this was one of the ugliest-tasting things I have ever had...hence my and Thom's expressions.

Day 163 - Pretzels

And what goes better with beer than pretzels? These soft pretzels came hot with cheese sauce and a sinus-clearing whole-grain horseradish mustard that literally took my breath away.

Day 162 - Beer

Went to the Two Brothers Brewing Company in Warrenville, IL outside Chicago before heading to see the White Sox play on the South Side. Had this Ebel's Weiss with lunch . . .

Kane County Cougars - Elfstrom Stadium

My first stop on the Great Baseball Extravaganza of 2011 was Elfstrom Stadium in Geneva, IL, about 45 minutes west of downtown Chicago. Home to the Kane County Cougars, Class-A Midwest League affiliate of the Kansas City Royals, the Cougars' stadium was a little bigger than most A-ball stadiums I've been to, but they really hit a homer with the food, no pun intended.














I had a barbecued pork chop sandwich, a hot dog, and an ear of grilled corn with Cajun seasoning . . . some of the best food the whole trip.

Day 160 - Chicago

I just got back from an extended weekend trip to Chicago and Milwaukee that mostly involved baseball, baseball food, and beer . . . stay tuned . . .