the one, true and only Hoosier-worthy pro-baseball team: the Cubs

I'm not much of a baseball fan. So I guess if the title of the post offends you, consider the source. But I can't honestly see myself routing for any baseball team other than the Chicago Cubs. This may be a generational, family thing. Grandad was a cubs fan, dad is a cubs fan and I guess that makes me a cubs fan. But part of the allure to the Chicago Cubs, at least to me, is Wrigley Field. Could there possibly be a better ballpark? You guys and your new-fangled ball fields lack the tradition and ambiance that only Wrigley offers these days....and hopefully, forever.

So when a buddy of mine was looking for some guys to go with him to a Cubs game-I thought, man, how cool would that be? I've never been to a Cubs game and at Wrigley no less! Alas, it just didn't seem like it would work with meetings and the craziness of the past few days. But on Saturday he was frantic and couldn't find a fourth, so, I said I was in.

And man am I glad I went. I had a blast. We bussed from Devry to the stadium which made things a snap and got cool free Cubs bags (which Josh was way more excited about than me). He also provided me with his old Cubs hat so that I would fit in. It was a little cold with the wind whipping up through the street right to the corner of the grandstands we were seated in. I called for my first hot dog just before the game started which left me holding my hat under my arm and two hot dogs in my hand while standing next to the dog vendor during the national anthem. I apparently made a fatal mistake in saying "grand slam" when all three bases were loaded....how was I supposed to know?

The drunks kept their revelry to a decent level. And I was so pumped about the 7th inning stretch....just imagining that Harry Carey was belting out "take me out to the ball game". And Wrigley! Man, it was great. My thesis year in architecture revolved around a downtown stadium design in Milwaukee for the Brewers-so we made a visit to Wrigley as the proto-type for how true neighborhood ballparks oughta be. Peter Eisenman, a famous contemporary architect, made this statement about modern ballparks....."if you don't have some impeded view of the field you have no understanding of the context in which you are in" and then spoke highly of the steel columns at Wrigley.

The game was a great one.....and thank God the Cubs won 4-2 against San Francisco. I always feel like I'm bad luck when I go to games and route on a team. And we ended the game with a roaring rendition of "Go Cubs Go". Almost spiritual.

Hopped on the bus back to the parking lot...although we lost half our four and had to wait. And let's just say Josh had a little trouble with waiting. Home by 1:30 a.m.. Very tired the next day. Awesome time though, thanks Josh!