Looking forward to Chicago and Milwaukee, which will be stops 8, 9 and 10 on our quest to see every Major League park. We’ve secured tickets for the Cubs-Reds on August 13, the Tigers-White Sox on the 14th, then the Reds-Brewers on the 15th.
Penny loves Chicago. She’s been several times, and she’s versing me on some of the places and experiences that she enjoyed. This is my maiden voyage to the city, unless you count the 25 or 30 times I’ve flown somewhere else and been routed through O’Hare. And, regarding plane hopping at O’Hare, I have stories.
This will sound exaggerated, but I promise you absolutely that it is not.
I was on a return trip to Charleston, West Virginia once, and my connector went through O’Hare. The plane sat on the runway for 20 to 30 minutes before parking at a gate on Concourse C. The flight was still basically on time, but I only had 20-25 minutes to get to the next gate, which had been announced as a gate at Concourse H or K gate. Doesn’t matter which, because walking from Concourse C to either H or K (while toting a heavy bag and a computer bag – which I was doing) feels like walking from Pittsburgh to Columbus. (A long way on foot is the point.)
So I jog and fast walk, arriving at my second gate with five minutes to spare, only to be told that the flight to Charleston had been switched to Gate C-something.
Gate Attendant: We made an announcement, sir. Did you not hear it?
Me: Well, it appears not.
No time to complain, just had to run back to Concourse C. I got there just minutes after the door closed. The plane was right there, mind you. I could almost reach and touch it.
But I couldn’t board it. Airline regs, the lady said.
(I’ve missed many, many connections in Chicago.)
The good news is that Penny and I are driving. She is the tour guide on this one. We’ll be staying on the North Side near Wrigley Field, and we’re going to take in as much of Chicago as we can in two days.
Penny’s in charge. And as I mentioned, she really likes Chicago. If you read her blog entry, though, you’ll know she’s been to Wrigley Field, and she’s not a fan of the park.
I’m horrified at her disdain for history, but as she tells me, “Hey, I’ve been there. You haven’t. I know what it’s like to sit on the top row of the upper deck with an obstructed view of the field and no scoreboard to re-capture my attention.”
To her credit, Penny is keeping an open mind that the problem on her last trip to Wrigley was the location of her seats.
She also mentioned that the park is really old.
My response, as Penny has noted, is: “Well, yes, it’s old. That’s why it’s so charming. … At least I think so. Because, well … I haven’t been there.”
Penny has discovered something fascinating about Wrigley and Chicago, though, that she didn't know last time. It's the Curse of Billy Goat Tavern. I remembered Bill Goat Tavern from columns by Mike Royko. But I'm ashamed to say I either didn't know, or had forgotten, the story of the billy goat curse.
Regarding old stadiums, I will mention that I’ve been to Fenway Park. I didn’t see a game, but I’ve been inside the park. Loved it. Cannot wait to go back and actually take in a Red Sox game.
And in an earlier post, Penny and I both talked about visiting Bosse Field in Evansville, Indiana, where “A League of Their Own” was filmed. Bosse Field was built in 1915 and is the third oldest active stadium in the U.S.
After we visit Wrigley, I will have had the opportunity to see the three oldest active stadiums in America, the only two older than Bosse Field being Wrigley and Fenway.
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