Soggy but satisfactory
Some tidbits from two damp days around the ballpark…
- Another un-August like night at the ballpark, another home run barrage by the Cubs. But, unlike our last visit, the Cubs managed not only to put runners on base in front of the sluggers, but starter Matt Clement managed to stick around for six innings (albeit without his best stuff). Definitely more fun to watch this time.
- The umpires unfortunately lived up to the old saw that they don’t know enough to come in out of the rain. Sure, it never rained that hard, but once the game became official and the Cubs held an 10-4 lead, there was no reason not to delay the game in the fifth or sixth—keeping the long bottom of the sixth going simply lengthened the time it would take to get the infield playbable again when the rain finally stopped. MLB should come up with better guidelines for when umpires should suspend play.
- Our seats in section 139, while farther down the line and higher than those in section 36 for the last game, definitely provided a better view. What really seemed to help was that they are turned more towards the infield. As the Cubs make other renovations to Wrigley, I think they should consider rotating the Club and Field Box seats down the lines to provide better sightlines. It would certainly reduce neck and back soreness.
- I can’t fathom why LaTroy Hawkins seems to be lights-out in the 8th as a setup man (an ERA under 2.00 earlier this season) yet has so much trouble when he comes in the 9th as the closer. C’mon, three outs should be three outs, right? I’ll grant that today’s two-out, two-strike, two-run HR in the bottom of the ninth was a more dramatic and spectacular way to win, but slamming the door on a one-run lead in the top of the inning would have been just fine.
- On my way home from the Addison stop, not one but two random strangers from the exiting crowd high-fived me on the sidewalk with hearty shouts of "Cubs win!". Gotta love Wrigleyville when the Cubs are doing well!