My First Experience in the New Bleachers

My Cardinal roommate got tickets for my other Cub fan roommate and myself for the game yesterday in the Bleachers.

The new bleachers are nicer than the old ones in terms of sightlines.  I remember the old ones if you sat anywhere in the middle, you couldn't see much in terms of balls hit towards the wall.  The only ball that we missed yesterday was Mabry's sacrfice fly in the 7th.  I think that went into the well, but I never saw a replay of that hit.

As for the game itself, this year especially, the Cubs seem like the team that plays with poise and confidence and the Cardinals, look like the Cubs.  I can't really find fault with Rolen for his play. He had his back turned to Mabry and the crowd was really loud, so he wouldn't be able to hear his teammates.  The Pagan steal of home was the play that the Cardinals fell asleep.  I would hope they would know that Pagan is a pretty fast guy and he would be going with any rundown at that point.  The Taguchi plays was iffy too.  I watched the replay and it looked like he was standing on secondbase when he began to turn around.  I probably would have done the same thing, but heads up to Neifi or Maddux for noticing that.  The ninth inning could have been a lot more interesting if not for two nice plays by Perez and Ramirez to get two key outs.

In our particular section one Cardinal fan brought about 20 signs with him to the game and even wore a jersey with Bartman on the back and 98 years and counting underneath.  I guess if I could find a Royals jersey somewhere and put Dekinger 85 on it, that could be an equivalent.  Anyway his signs included these dandy's, "We're Eckstatic about David," "Go crazy St. Louis you LUNAticks," "Another Web Jim", "Rolen down the River" (my favorite after his mistake),"If the Glove Fits" (with a gold glove, another favorite after their defense)".  There were others too, "This is your brain (Cardinals Symbol), This is your brain on drugs (Cubs Symbol), Any Questions?"; "Da Bears, Da Cubs, Da Bulls, Da Hawks, 1-800-Say-Help"(which prompted the guy behind me to shout, you don't have an NBA team, and the Bulls won 6 championships about 10 years ago).  Finally, he tried to be nice and had one about being a good rivalry and "Cooperstown deserves a Santo Claus."  Uhhh, it reminded me of baskeball games at Marquette, when freshmen (including me) would bring the dumbest signs, except this guy was probably 50ish.  He was in the first row of our section and kept holding up the signs to the crowd behind him.  After the last out, a Cub fan threw a full beer at him, and he turned around and gave the "WTF?"  Look, I don't condone beer throwing, but you are in the opposing team's bleachers with those signs with a bunch of drunk people, you didn't expect that?  When you're at an opposing team's stadium, you sit on your hands and clap when appropriate.  That's why I hate Cub fans sometimes in Milwaukee.

All in all an awesome experience.  As my Cardinal fan made fun of us for standing for Maddux for the sacrifice bunt, I am constantly reminded of the fact that nobody outside really understands the Cubs fan base.  There were 41,000 people there yesterday, most giving a standing ovation to a sacrifice bunt in the seventh inning, for a team 20 games below .500. As my Cardinal roommate said, there were 38,000 idiots there, 2,999 Cardinal fans, and you (me) the Cubs fan.  I told him he just doesn't understand.