Bryan W. Alaspa 1A Tale of Two Stadiums
July 6th 2009 13:14
As I have talked about previously there are two major league baseball teams in the Chicago area. One of them is on the north side of town and known as the Chicago Cubs. The other, better, team is on the south side of town and is know as the Chicago White Sox. Yes, you could say I am a tad biased.
Each team, as you might have guessed, plays in its own stadium. On the north side there is massive crumbling, ancient wreck of a stadium that, for some unknown reason, people speak about in hushed terms as if it were a church known as Wrigley Field. It sits in the most annoying and aggravating neighborhood in all of Chicago known as Wrigleyville.
Wrigley Field is a nightmare. It is the oldest stadium in major league baseball so people spend a lot of time talking about “tradition.” Well, it was once traditional for men to wear suits and women their finest dresses when attending baseball games. Sometimes traditions need to be discarded.
There is no place to park anywhere near the stadium. Be prepared to end up in some guy’s garage and paying $30 for the privilege and then having to walk 147 blocks to the stadium. Once you get in you discover that people, long ago, when the stadium was first built, were much smaller than they are now. Once you cram your bulk into the most uncomfortable and cramped seats in baseball you can then have the privilege of looking up at a pole. Yes, obstructed view seating is still in existence at Wrigley. You can then spend the entire game craning around the pole and, if you are a man, you also get the joy of peeing in a trough in the restroom. Also, if you want to get up and get food you had better be prepared to miss much of the game.
Around you are thousands of “fans.” Most of these people, however, will have no idea who is on the team, who is playing or, really, whose home field it is. They are there just to go to Wrigley Field. More than likely they are also there to get blitzed to the beejezus belt so that they can then stagger around Wrigleyville after the game until they collapse in a pool of their own vomit. They will also likely spend much of the game on their cell phone talking loudly and putting their elbow in your ear.
Across town is a nice, polished, gorgeous modern stadium. It is known as U.S. Cellular Field, or the Cell. They tore town the old Comiskey Park in the 90s because, well, it was old and worn out. That’s what you do with old and worn out things.
There is parking right next to the stadium. You will have to walk, maybe, a few yards to get in. Once inside you will smell some of the finest food you will ever find at a baseball stadium. Plus, if you go out to get that food, you can still easily see the field and not miss any of the action. If you visit a restroom you get an actual urinal and can flush. Plus, your seats are molded green plastic, roomy and comfortable. Heck, in some parts of the stadium you get your own waiter or waitress to bring food too you.
There is a bar with a view of the field in right field. The scoreboard is bright and electronic and shows scores, in progress, around the league in real time. The sound system is excellent. The opening theme music and montage will leave you shaking if you have even an ounce of fervor for the game.
The fans will be watching the game. They know the players. Sure, it may not be packed, but that’s because the team stinks this year. If the team stinks, why should we spend our hard-earned money going to the game? We can watch them stink for free at home. What possible incentive would management have to put a good team on the field if every game, when they stink, is sold out?
Sox fans don’t believe in such things as “loveable losers.” Just another thing to remember about the difference between the north side and the south side.
Each team, as you might have guessed, plays in its own stadium. On the north side there is massive crumbling, ancient wreck of a stadium that, for some unknown reason, people speak about in hushed terms as if it were a church known as Wrigley Field. It sits in the most annoying and aggravating neighborhood in all of Chicago known as Wrigleyville.
Wrigley Field is a nightmare. It is the oldest stadium in major league baseball so people spend a lot of time talking about “tradition.” Well, it was once traditional for men to wear suits and women their finest dresses when attending baseball games. Sometimes traditions need to be discarded.
There is no place to park anywhere near the stadium. Be prepared to end up in some guy’s garage and paying $30 for the privilege and then having to walk 147 blocks to the stadium. Once you get in you discover that people, long ago, when the stadium was first built, were much smaller than they are now. Once you cram your bulk into the most uncomfortable and cramped seats in baseball you can then have the privilege of looking up at a pole. Yes, obstructed view seating is still in existence at Wrigley. You can then spend the entire game craning around the pole and, if you are a man, you also get the joy of peeing in a trough in the restroom. Also, if you want to get up and get food you had better be prepared to miss much of the game.
Around you are thousands of “fans.” Most of these people, however, will have no idea who is on the team, who is playing or, really, whose home field it is. They are there just to go to Wrigley Field. More than likely they are also there to get blitzed to the beejezus belt so that they can then stagger around Wrigleyville after the game until they collapse in a pool of their own vomit. They will also likely spend much of the game on their cell phone talking loudly and putting their elbow in your ear.
Across town is a nice, polished, gorgeous modern stadium. It is known as U.S. Cellular Field, or the Cell. They tore town the old Comiskey Park in the 90s because, well, it was old and worn out. That’s what you do with old and worn out things.
There is parking right next to the stadium. You will have to walk, maybe, a few yards to get in. Once inside you will smell some of the finest food you will ever find at a baseball stadium. Plus, if you go out to get that food, you can still easily see the field and not miss any of the action. If you visit a restroom you get an actual urinal and can flush. Plus, your seats are molded green plastic, roomy and comfortable. Heck, in some parts of the stadium you get your own waiter or waitress to bring food too you.
There is a bar with a view of the field in right field. The scoreboard is bright and electronic and shows scores, in progress, around the league in real time. The sound system is excellent. The opening theme music and montage will leave you shaking if you have even an ounce of fervor for the game.
The fans will be watching the game. They know the players. Sure, it may not be packed, but that’s because the team stinks this year. If the team stinks, why should we spend our hard-earned money going to the game? We can watch them stink for free at home. What possible incentive would management have to put a good team on the field if every game, when they stink, is sold out?
Sox fans don’t believe in such things as “loveable losers.” Just another thing to remember about the difference between the north side and the south side.
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