There were 22 home runs -- 10 in the final two games. No one had 22 in the bus pool, so they split the money among the 21s and 23s -- 10 people!
Attendance: 302,428.
Home teams 45 runs, visitors 40. Home teams won five of eight games.
Mileage: 2,750 for me, as I began the bus trip at U.S. Cellular Field and ended at O'Hare. Those who started in LaCrosse, Wis., were well over 3,000.
Thanks for reading.
Monday, June 18, 2007
FINAL RATINGS
I think you've got to consider stadiums in two groups, with the opening of Camden Yards the watershed. Everything changed when that one was built. And so we have two four-park groups:
FOSSIL DIVISION
1. Wrigley Field
2. Fenway Park
3. Yankee Stadium
4. U.S. Cellular Park
HIGH-TECH DIVISION
1. Comerica Park
2. PNC Park
3. Great American Ballpark
4. Citizens Bank Park
Any of the four new stadiums could make a case for No. 1. I'm going to go with the green-eyed tigers, the carousel and the center-field fountain (did I mention that at the time?)
FOSSIL DIVISION
1. Wrigley Field
2. Fenway Park
3. Yankee Stadium
4. U.S. Cellular Park
HIGH-TECH DIVISION
1. Comerica Park
2. PNC Park
3. Great American Ballpark
4. Citizens Bank Park
Any of the four new stadiums could make a case for No. 1. I'm going to go with the green-eyed tigers, the carousel and the center-field fountain (did I mention that at the time?)
ASSESSING WRIGLEY FIELD
Fenway Park is old, but this place is primitive. None of the ornaments seen at other parks, old and new, is here.
There's no video board.
There's very limited advertising, which is good. Fenway has sold out to advertisers, and the signs there look like bumper stickers on an old car. Wrigley is more pristine.
Unless you're scoring, you can't tell how many errors the competing teams have made. The only way you can tell how many hits they have is if your eyes are good enough to read a yellow strip low at the center of the scoreboard.
You need to have good eyes and arithmetic skills to tell the out-of-town scores, because though they do post them inning-by-inning, they don't total them. You can't even tell the Cubs score at a glance unless you look at the small scoreboards hanging from the upper deck down the baselines or in the stands behind the bases.
When I was in college here, the visiting team had to walk up steps from its dugout to its clubhouse and was visible, though wired in, to fans under the first-base stands. No more. Wonder when it changed?
Except for a very few modern twists, you could be watching a game during World War II. That's the charm of Wrigley.
I give it a B-plus.
There's no video board.
There's very limited advertising, which is good. Fenway has sold out to advertisers, and the signs there look like bumper stickers on an old car. Wrigley is more pristine.
Unless you're scoring, you can't tell how many errors the competing teams have made. The only way you can tell how many hits they have is if your eyes are good enough to read a yellow strip low at the center of the scoreboard.
You need to have good eyes and arithmetic skills to tell the out-of-town scores, because though they do post them inning-by-inning, they don't total them. You can't even tell the Cubs score at a glance unless you look at the small scoreboards hanging from the upper deck down the baselines or in the stands behind the bases.
When I was in college here, the visiting team had to walk up steps from its dugout to its clubhouse and was visible, though wired in, to fans under the first-base stands. No more. Wonder when it changed?
Except for a very few modern twists, you could be watching a game during World War II. That's the charm of Wrigley.
I give it a B-plus.
FINALLY I WON SOMETHING
Castle also came to our seats and offered autographed copies of his book on Harry Caray to those who could answer trivia questions. After leaking money for the past several days in our bus games, I was determined to come away with something. So I took a chance.
When he began, "In 1932, Babe Ruth ...," I called out, "It was Charlie Root!!" And so it was; that's the pitcher who threw the alleged called-shot home run at Wrigley Field. I got one book, then another for knowing that Sandy Koufax was the last pitcher to no-hit the Cubs, in 1965. He wasn't going to give me the second book until I said I wanted to give it to the grandson of my seatmate. Which I did.
When he began, "In 1932, Babe Ruth ...," I called out, "It was Charlie Root!!" And so it was; that's the pitcher who threw the alleged called-shot home run at Wrigley Field. I got one book, then another for knowing that Sandy Koufax was the last pitcher to no-hit the Cubs, in 1965. He wasn't going to give me the second book until I said I wanted to give it to the grandson of my seatmate. Which I did.
AT THE PARK
George Castle, a Chicago sportswriter, gave us a quick tour of the Waveland Avenue side outside Wrigley Field.
We saw the firehouse, the spot where a 600-foot Dave Kingman home run landed, and the persons who gather outside the left-field wall waiting for balls. Some of them have been doing this for 50 years. It was two hours before game time, and about five of them were standing in the street, looking up. Castle told us about one who has 6,000 balls.
One thing I didn't know, maybe you did. The people who watch games from the rooftops, that isn't really the cozy, neighborhoodsy thing I thought it was. It used to be. Now all those apartment houses have been renovated and are worth lots. Each one has 7-10 rows of bleachers on top. You pay to sit there -- more than a Wrigley ticket, but a party is included. So it's not like, "I live across from Wrigley, I watch all the Cubs games from my roof." It's a business.
We saw the firehouse, the spot where a 600-foot Dave Kingman home run landed, and the persons who gather outside the left-field wall waiting for balls. Some of them have been doing this for 50 years. It was two hours before game time, and about five of them were standing in the street, looking up. Castle told us about one who has 6,000 balls.
One thing I didn't know, maybe you did. The people who watch games from the rooftops, that isn't really the cozy, neighborhoodsy thing I thought it was. It used to be. Now all those apartment houses have been renovated and are worth lots. Each one has 7-10 rows of bleachers on top. You pay to sit there -- more than a Wrigley ticket, but a party is included. So it's not like, "I live across from Wrigley, I watch all the Cubs games from my roof." It's a business.
Saturday, June 16, 2007
ON TO CHICAGO
We have an early departure tomorrow, and I'll be home tomorrow night. It has been hectic.
I would have liked to havve said more about Cincinnati, but having to post those Pittsburgh items tonight instead of yesterday has cut into my time.
I would have liked to havve said more about Cincinnati, but having to post those Pittsburgh items tonight instead of yesterday has cut into my time.
NUMBERS
The seven interleague games end with NL 38, AL 29.
I had Sammy Sosa in the hits pool tonight. Size five. Thanks, Sammy.
Home runs: 17, five tonight. I went into the game thinking Sosa might hit his 600th and by the third inning I thought Griffey would instead. So the total has gone over the prop of 15 I set out last Saturday. I don't think that woman is going to win with 41, though.
Attendance: 261,464. What about my trip-opening projection of 300,000? Will I hit it on the nose? If we get 38,536 tomorrow in Chicago, yes.
I had Sammy Sosa in the hits pool tonight. Size five. Thanks, Sammy.
Home runs: 17, five tonight. I went into the game thinking Sosa might hit his 600th and by the third inning I thought Griffey would instead. So the total has gone over the prop of 15 I set out last Saturday. I don't think that woman is going to win with 41, though.
Attendance: 261,464. What about my trip-opening projection of 300,000? Will I hit it on the nose? If we get 38,536 tomorrow in Chicago, yes.
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