Ignoring Baseball

So there's this other sport I follow religiously: baseball. Unfortunately I've had a lapse in my faith as I've hardly paid attention to the MLB season at all. I can attribute this to three main reasons: 1) I was following hockey until mid-June. The above picture was taken at my second of four Cubs games I'm going to this season, and I didn't even bother to post about it here - cut me some slack, it was the day after we closed out the Vancouver series. 2) the Blackhawks' season culminating in their Stanley Cup victory was, well, a religious experience for me. Any other sport right now doesn't even come close to comparing. I was focused on hockey from October to June, and watching baseball right now is downright boring to me. Don't give me wrong, I love the sport. But becoming obsessed with the NHL again has made me have ADD with sports in general. 3) The Cubs Are Terrible. I mean even worse than I can remember them in at least five years. I think the only games I've seen in their entirety this season were the two games I've attended - they won both (a miracle!). I will always love the Cubs and will admit to that and defend them to anyone at anytime. But I just can't deal with them at the moment. It's as if I fear their bad luck will rub off on any other sports team I follow. Regardless, I'll make a lame attempt at analyzing the lame excuse of a season the Cubs as of the All Star Break.

Game 1: Cubs 12, Brewers 2 @ Miller Park

Game One refers to the fact this is the first Cubs game I've attended this season. Thus far I have tickets to four games total. I had an opportunity for free tickets last weekend, but was obligated to attend a wedding shower instead. For now, I'll spare everyone my thoughts on the institution of marriage. In any case, the Cubs bullpen blew that game anyway, and everyone who went said they froze their ass off.

To be honest, I didn't much look forward to going to this game. I'm completely engrossed in the Hawks and the entire NHL Playoffs and don't have time for baseball - especially since the Cubs have been even worse than I expected thus far. I think this game was the first Cubs game I've watched in its entirety all season. Amy's folks went up to Milwaukee this weekend and we stayed up there Saturday night. That is why I was stuck watching Game Five in a hotel with a TV older than half of the Hawks team. Oh Well.

Now I love Wrigley Field, but the older I get, the more I realize what a piss smelling shithole it is. I'm all for architectural preservation, but after attending several new ballparks (AT&T Park in San Francisco is my fave), I won't shed a tear if they tear down everything but the bleachers and scoreboard and start from scratch. Miller Park is a nice ballpark. Bathrooms without cardboard in the stalls, wide berths in the concourses, a roof to close when it's ass freezing/raining (as it was Sunday), and a fine food and drink selection. Although I must say the bratwurst was just ok (I've been spoiled since having one in Germany) and you'd think the folks in Wisconsin would know better than to put nacho cheese on cheese fries. Speaking of brats:

Amy and I deemed this UUP: Unnecessary Umlaut Placement. According to Amy, the umlaut in "Brat" would cause the word to be mispronounced "Brait", as in rhyming like "wait."  Perhaps I should start an UUP Facebook group. Although I bet there is one already.

Opening Day Haiku

hope springs eternal?
you're joking - sixteen to five?
glad i was at work.

Cubs 2010 Season Preview: Let Me Hear Ya...a 1...a 2...a 3!

With this blog having turned into hockey central (which I'm sure drove away the handful of real life friends of mine that actually read this initially), I decided to branch out and talk about baseball. I haven't really been thinking about it much, what with the NHL playoffs just around the corner. But opening day is tomorrow (technically I think it's tonight, but the Chicago teams don't play until tomorrow), so I figure I'd better get in my predictions beforehand. And away we go...

I gots Tickets!

No not parking tickets *knock on wood*

I finally remembered to buy tickets for the Icehogs game in Rockford on the 27th. That's "Taco Bell Blackhawks Night" and several players will be there for signings and other festivities. I haven't been to an AHL game in several years, and I'll be looking forward to see the future of the team. If memory serves, I actually have been to the Metrocentre before for my cousin's high school graduation, and the arena isn't very big. I was hoping my brother might be able to come with us, but he has other commitments so it will be just myself & Amy. We'll be tasked with getting his Versteeg jersey signed for him. I have to get some pucks for the guys to sign for me, so if anyone in the Chicago area knows of a place to get cheap Hawks pucks, let me know.

Speaking of the Hawks, my brother got notice of playoff ticket prices for season ticket holders. It'll be about $2,400 for two 300 level seats for the 16 games (they have to pay for all of the games up front and get refunded for any games they don't play). That Is Ridiculous - Dollar Bill must be cheering from the grave. I was planning on saving my tax return for tickets, but it looks like I may have to sell a kidney and perform a sacrifice as an offering to get more than one game. I guess it's a good problem to have. Last year we had very little problem scoring 300 level seats for the three playoff games we went to when we bought them the day they went on sale. I worry that won't be the case this year. My brother thinks he may be able to get up to six additional tickets for the playoffs, so maybe I can score a couple that way.

Lastly, as is tradition in mid-February, individual game tickets for the Cubs go on sale tomorrow. Amy and I have bought tickets for four games the last several years. We usually get tickets to two weekend games because Amy's parents will come in from Iowa for the game. This year, I am mighty peeved at the organization for this presale bullshit they've instituted. Basically if you were willing to pay a 20% premium, you could buy tickets for games this week. Apparently all of the good games (Sox, Cardinals) are pretty much gone before the general public gets a chance. Throw in this whole Platnum-Gold-Silver-Bronze ticket pricing (and there are only four Bronze games the whole damn season), and I'm tempted to tell the team to stick it. I think one of the four games we're going to go up to Milwaukee and see the Cubs play instead, which would leave three games at Wrigley. I am not getting bleacher tickets this year because it has the highest ratio of douchbaggery in the park, and it's always 184 degrees and I get sunburned no matter how much sunscreen I put on (last year it was my ears - ow ow ow). I figure if the Cubs do as shitty as I think they will this season, we'll be able to go to games on the cheap late in the season anyway.

God, I'm going to have to get a second job to support my sporting event attendance.

P.S. How about that Canada/Switzerland game? I was beginning to think they'd have to send in troops to hide all of the sharp objects in Canada in the interest of safety.