A Jaunt to Wrigleyville

God hates me.

At least that’s what I figure after my trip to Wrigley Field forced me to sit through an agonizing five innings of baseball hell.

I’m not really going delve into the events of Wednesday’s massacre, but I will say that even before it started the outlook was already unfavorable. I was priming myself for a defeat simply because Suppan was on the mound and it was the second game of the series, Brewers fans know what that equates to. Still, nothing could have prepared me for the abomination that ensued after the Cubs scored six runs in the first inning.

Needless to say, Justin, Eric, Terry and I ducked out at the bottom of the 5th. Could you blame us? But, despite having to endure constant taunting, and despite having to shamefully walk away with our heads looking at our feet after only five innings, the four of us had a marvelous time. No, seriously, we did.

Justin and Eric met Terry and I at our apartment at noon and after stopping for gas, we embarked on the mere one and a half hour drive to Wrigleyville. Eric kindly volunteered to drive, which made my day less stressful – it’s funny because as much as I like to be in control, I often detest driving, especially to unfamiliar places. Unfortunately, the stress of navigating Illinois and finding a decent parking spot began to get the best of Eric too, although unlike me, he remained fairly cool and collected.

We had to park several miles from the stadium since the parking lots surrounding Wrigley were outrageously expensive – $40 isn’t cheap for those of us accustomed to parking at Miller Park – and we refused to waste time plugging a meter every two hours.

Eventually though, we made it to the North Side of Chicago and had one thing on our minds: FOOD. My friend Johnny was kind enough to send me a list of recommendations since I had only been to this part of Chicago once for a show at the Metro. One restaurant he highlighted was The Irish Oak, and it was perfect.

We found the quaint Irish pub quickly since it was only about one block from the ballpark. Upon entering, we stood in the entranceway for several minutes as patrons stared at us as if we were crashing their party. Perhaps they were offended by our patriotism that we proudly demonstrated by donning Brewers caps and sweatshirts. That may explain why we didn’t get any service. Then, just before we were about to take our business elsewhere, a woman at one of the tables near the bar told us that we could seat ourselves.

We took a table for four near the front and away from the evil looks. At that time, the family owned pub was lit solely by the daylight peeking in through the front windows. Aside from the occasional nasally laugh from a group dining in the back and the soft buzz of the TV showing the day’s soccer game, the place was so quiet that I found myself whispering.

Supposedly the entire establishment was built in Ireland and shipped to Wrigleyville to give Chicagoans a bona fide Irish experience. Everything from the floors to the frames were imported from Ireland and the charming décor – maps, antiques and beer signs adorning the oak walls – gave the place an old world feel. The bar itself looked just how I’d imagine a true Dublin pub to look and the stench of Guinness was so potent that I think the stout was running through their pipes. Based on the ambiance, I liked the place already, and the food definitely won me over.

A handsome waiter/bartender handed us menus that we dove into right away. The Irish Oak boasts a smorgasbord of authentic Irish and American cuisine ranging from rib-eye steak sandwiches and Wrigleyville sliders to Claddagh fish and chips, and Galway beef and Guinness stew. Without much debate, all four of us ordered the shepherd’s pie, which came out piping hot and smelling of perfection.

After our hearty lunch, we had about two hours to kill before Wrigley opened – the ballpark opens two hours before the first pitch – so we strolled along the strip and took advantage of the warm, sunny spring afternoon.

Along the way, we passed many bars and restaurants and later, several makeshift T-shirt stands where vendors told us that if we bought a shirt, we could use it to wipe off our seats. I was thinking more like using it to wipe my…never mind.

It seemed everywhere we went, we met friendly Cubs fans who were eager to say hello. I’ll assume that telling a visitor that her “mom sucks” is an appropriate greeting in Chicagoland because we heard such remarks numerous times.

With only a half hour to go, we made our way to the stadium’s gates and waited in line. Johnny warned us that the park opens early and since bleacher seats are general admission, he said it’d be wise to get there early for a good spot. It was great advice considering we had a fabulous place by 7:05 when other people were just stumbling in only to discover that they’d be forced to stand behind the bleachers.

So, after waiting in line for a half hour, we had to wait in another longer line once we found out we were at the wrong gate. Ha. As we eagerly waited to get into the bleacher section, Justin and I saw Cory Hart and Bill Hall sauntering toward the outfield. Like star struck teenyboppers, we shouted their names and they turned around, so we waved and I’m pretty sure Cory gave us an appreciative nod. I was very giddy!

Once our tickets were scanned, we followed a ramp that wound upward and left us at right field where we snagged aisle seats in the last row. Terry suggested sitting there because there was a railing behind us that we could use to lean up against. In theory that was a spectacular idea, but it was so cold outside that we were hunched over for most of the game, trying to conserve our body heat. In hindsight, I would have sat closer to the field where there were more people to block the wind and to press up against for warmth; although, those chumps probably would have been more inclined to throw things at us.

While what I heard about the Cubs groupies – “Cubs fans are (expletive). They are cocky” – was entirely true, I must say, the Wrigley staff was shockingly hospitable. Each section of seats was staffed with a guy who kept his eye on the crowd. There was an instance, where a girl in the stands was really drunk, almost passing out, stumbling through the crowd to her seat, so the “supervisor” came up to her friends and, instead of scolding her for being irresponsible and kicking her out, he made sure she’d get home safely.

That same man (I can’t remember his name, but he deserves the props) also came up to us once we settled in and introduced himself, shook our hands, ask for our names, and then joked, “I don’t want you letting anymore of your people into my section.” It was really unexpected to see such courtesy from a man in charge of crowd control. But, what was less unexpected was that it wasn’t the last of the heckling.

There were three middle-aged Cubs fans sitting in the row in front of us and literally following every run scored, one of the guys would turn around and ask, “So... you guys are Brewers fans… let me ask you something… how does that make you feel?” The men were harmless and since it was just friendly banter, we played along with it; after all, witty riposte is part of the game as well.

As we peered out onto the lush green field to watch warm-ups I felt a sense of nostalgia. Open-air Wrigley Field reminded me of the beloved County Stadium and the days when I’d go to a night ballgame with my dad and sit in the low sunshine, and then under the bright stadium lights. I also enjoyed day games on blistering summer afternoons, except for rainouts, which always sucked. In my opinion, the openness of old County Stadium was better than sitting under a steal roof during every game. Just saying.

Speaking of weather... On Wednesday, when daylight waned, the night brought wind and cold that was felt throughout Wrigley Field. Players who were running bases even wore jackets, if that’s any indication of how chilly it got. Unfortunately, we were so excited about the game that we didn’t really prepare for the weather. We did our best to stay warm, but sitting on frozen metal bleachers certainly didn’t help. At least it didn't rain, though. That would have been far worse!

After our toes had gone numb and after those clods turned around for the ninth time to ask how we felt, I told Justin that if the score reaches 10 to 1, we were leaving. Seconds later, it was 10 to 1 and it was too cold to sit through such an embarrassing game. So, we gathered up our belongings and headed out with our heads hanging pretty low in comparison to earlier that day.

Being fans of the rival team, I found the amount of camaraderie existing between fellow Brewers fans most comforting. Every Milwaukee fan we passed throughout the day gave us a nod or a high five or a more overt acknowledgment, shouting “Heck yeah!” or “Go Brewers!” At the same time, as ashamed Brewers fans shuffled out of Wrigley several innings before the end of the game, we found console in each other’s anguish and rallied together on the long walk to our cars.

I’m definitely glad that we left the game when we did. We listened to the remaining innings on the radio as we drove back to Milwaukee and were appalled by the outcome. 19-5. What a disgrace! I’m not sure why they decided to play like a bunch of blind grannies on the day we visited Wrigley, not to mention during our very first trip to that stadium. Pathetic.

Fortunately for Brewers fans, we won the series, which is what really indicates the better team. And that’s why, you jerky Cubs fans, that “C” of your shirt really stands for “CHOKE.”

I’m only kidding, well, kind of. But like I said, we had a great time experiencing the historic Wrigley Field, despite the loss. It was my first time at a stadium outside of Wisconsin, so naturally I was very grateful for the opportunity to take a day off of work and to see a ballgame. Thanks again for the tickets, Johnny!

Comments

[wfbdoglover]

Sorry about the loss! It does sound like you had a great experience/day up until then!

An option for travel is the Metro - We usually catch it in Lake Forrest, park for free and then travel down to the city. My son loves the train, so the hour 1-2/ train ride is fun for him to see and count the "26 stops" or right them down or count train engines.

I found this on tripadvisor.com

Four of us are coming to Chicago in July to see a Cubs game. We also want to visit some museums. Would Evanston be a viable place to stay?

I understand it is a great city, good restaurants, etc. The parking would be cheaper as would the Hotels (I think), but what about the accessibility to Wrigley Field and the museums?

Would reaching them be a hassle? Please help.

Thank you.

ANSWER
no at all...the red line goes from howard street to wrigley field..plan 30 -45 min train ride.....avoid playing dice or cards(guess the card) with the riff raff on the subway)

I wouldn't worry about the riff raff comment, I use to take the subway all the time in NYC and I'm guess with a game tons of people will be utilizing this service...

http://www.cityofevanston.org and here is the line for the CTA map
http://www.transitchicago.com/maps/rail/rail.html

Did you see the roof top seats I mentioned earlier?? http://www.ballparkrooftops.com
I SOO want to try that!

All in all, it sounds like a great day out! Sorry about the loss!!!

[Amanda]

I love it! This is a really fun post! Thanks for sharing your trip with us!

[Johnny]

I'm looking forward to my visit to Milwaukee on July 29 & 30 when the Cubs will be in your ballpark, and I'll be wearing Cubs gear, so you can get ready to razz me all you want.

[wfbdoglover]

BTW, you have been tagged..

http://wfbdoglover.blogspot.com/2008/05/meme.html

[Karen]

Yeah, I know we could have arranged to take the train, or even a bus to Chicago, but driving was our best option for several reasons. For one, it allowed us to come and go as we pleased.

My mom and I have taken the train to downtown Chicago a handful of times and I've driven into the city on several occasions as well. Both means work. While parking can often become a hassle, we didn't pay a dime for it in Wrigleyville and also didn't have to pay tolls on the way home, so the drive was pretty cheap in the long run.

[Karen]

Hey Johnny - Thanks for stopping by!

On July 30, you can count on some heckling. I think I'll be sitting only a few seats away from you in the 100 section. *grin* That's close enough to point and boo! Kidding.

[Johnny]

Hey doglover,

My wife is one of the biggest supporters in town of a new low cost or no cost spay/neuter clinic, and we have 5 dogs, counting our kids' dogs, some of which were adopted from shelters or strays that wandered up. So don't be too hard on me.

Go, cubs, Go!

[SuzieQ]

It sounds like you were having a great day up until the loss. That stinks. You guys look really cute decked out in your Brewers gear, though.

[Suzieq]

Wait a minute. Did someone really tell you that your mom sucks? Just out of the blue like that?

[Theresa]

So yeah. That trip started out really great...I don't know what was worse the score or the weather. All I do know is I still stand by the Brew Crew.

[Hayley]

Wrigleyville is really a lovely place- if you're cheering for the home team. Total comraderie, high-fives to total strangers when our boys win, shaking our heads and drinking our sorrows away when they get beat. For a team that's going on 100 years since our last world seies victory, the fans are DEDICATED! Not bandwagon fans like I've found in other fairweather cities. For a Cubs fan in Milwaukee- the Brewers fans are just as hostile- and not humorously so. Its unfortunate, I used to like the Brewers, I think a lot of Chicago fans did, but the nature of rivalry between two high performing teams can get ugly! Sorry for your unfavorable experience with the neighbors to the South- but next time just shout back a funny, witty, friendly retort and you'll earn some well-deserved respect.