Yes, the Cubs at Last! O Huzzah!

Well, the day has finally come.  I finally made it back to Wrigley Field after over five years.  There is not the slightest doubt in my mind that this occasion doesn’t thrill others like it does me, but then – well, that’s why God created the concept of “tomorrow,” when those uninterested can check back for other folderol.  For anyone else (and “anyone” might be a particularly appropriate word), here are a few ponderings about the day.
 
One of the great (and perhaps unique) things about going to a Cubs game is that the El train stops literally a block-and-a-half from Wrigley Field.  (It’s in the middle of a brownstone neighborhood after all – something I love.  You’re walking through a old world neighborhood, turn a corner…and then there a baseball park looming up in front of you.)  So, getting to a game is profoundly easy.  There’s an El station only an eight-minute walk from where I’m staying with my aunt.  They come by about every 15 minutes, and on a Cubs game day, every El stops at Addison, where Wrigley Field is.
 
I went with my cousin Susie, which gave me more trepidation than it might seem – that’s because she’s a big White Sox fan.  She said she thought about wearing her White Sox cap, but after some consideration she decided against it.
 
It’s a glorious ballpark, built in 1914, the second oldest in the U.S, after Fenway Park in Boston.  And it still has the only scoreboard in baseball that’s hand operated, looming over center field

It's not just that the day was great -- sunny, around 70 degrees, a light breeze -- but we lucked out, catching a doughnut hole.  It was supposed to rain Tuesday, yesterday and Thursday.  And it did rain on Tuesday...and is still expected to today -- but when we were at the game yesterday?  It cleared up perfectly for some reason known to a greater power.

Everything was wonderful about the game, except the game.  The Cubs only manage one lousy single -- and it was a scratch, infield dribbler that Cubs catcher beat out by half a step.  And that was it.  And they lost 3-0.  Pretty good pitching by the Cubs, but that carries the "positive side" only so far.

Making things worst, the San Diego Padres pitcher, Dylan Cease, is a former pitcher on the Chicago White Sox.  And a favorite of my cousin.  So, she kept enthusing about how great he was doing.  The best I could muster was, "I'm so happy for you..."

Still, the day was a joy.  It was wonderful being back at Wrigley after far too long, and it was a treat watching the Cubs in person there.

​The elves taking care of the homestead back in Los Angeles say they are very jealous.
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Alas, no, we 30,000 in attendance didn't get to sing Steve Goodman's "Go, Cubs, Go" after a victory.  But there are about 125 games to go. 

Or to put it better -- about 125 games to go, Cubs, go.

We now return you to our regularly scheduled website.