Chicago Cross Town Series

BY: MATTHEW PRESLAR

The time had finally come for the main event of Ballpark Adventures’ big summer trip. The South Siders were coming across town to Wrigley as the Cubs were hosting the White Sox; our two favorite organizations going to battle for city supremacy. Our anticipation was at record high.

While we considered visiting other attractions in the morning, we decided to rest up during the early portion of the day to make sure we were at our best for the evening. Game time was 7:05 with gates at 5:00; however by 4:00 we returned to an already busy Gallagher Way! We didn’t want to miss any of the experience. The party had started more than three hours before first pitch. 

The crowd was hyped and we were heavily decked out in Cubs Blue... with plenty of love for the White Sox as well. Aside from our wedding day, I know this was the most excited I have ever been: legendary venue, great city, passionate crowd, and the three best friends/companions with whom I could ever share the moment.

While circling the concourse, we again ran into the Cowicks. To speak to the power of the Cubs and Wrigley Field, Dwayne had ditched his Toronto Blue Jays Maple Leaf hat in favor of one depicting the “W” flag, literally flown at Wrigley when the Cubs WIN. Dwayne had told me how he would never wear a different hat other than the Blue Jays, but they are in a different league, a different country, and the Cubs rarely play the Blue Jays… absolutely no harm in having a favorite American team.

While we watched a low scoring game where the Cubs lost, there were still several highlights... most you wouldn’t see on TV (which, of course, is the point of attending games live):

• Outstanding version of the National Anthem
• Kyle Schwarber leading off the Bottom of the 1st with a homer
• No trash cans in seating area, providing clean appearance and no trash smell
• Eloy Jiminez (traded away by Cubs) antagonizing Bleacher Bums in left field
• Outstanding pictures taken by my awesome wife (SEE FOR YOURSELF)
• The $7 hotdog I bought from a vendor at my seat (first hot dog in years)
• The soft serve helmet ice cream
• The “Crosstown Series” shirts featuring BOTH teams exclusively sold on site
• Teaching obscure baseball rules to young fans sitting the row behind us
• The live version of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame”... “root, root, root for the CUBBIES”
• Jiminez breaking a 1-1 tie in the 9th inning with the game winning homer
• Preventing the young, drunk Cubs fan from approaching a White Sox fan sitting beside us... “We’re not going to have a problem here.”
• Believe it or not, the NICE people of Chicago we met during the game
• Leaving after the game in the sea of humanity with two small children
• Making it out and back safely to our house a few blocks away from the stadium

This was a dream come true and bucket list type of day. I could never forget it and opportunities like this reaffirm I’m the most fortunate person in the world.

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