I've never been a huge fan of Old Style beer, but one could imagine how good it tasted during a day game at the Friendly Confines in Chicago.
Is this heaven? No, it's … Wrigley Field.
Field of Dreams can have Iowa. I'll take a weekend series between the Twins and Cubs at Wrigley Field anytime.
At the second to last Twins game a season ago, the 2009 schedule was passed around the Metrodome and International Falls' Todd Sether and I had a moment of silence when we noticed the Twins played a weekend series at Wrigley Field. We were in.
The trip started Thursday morning and ended Sunday night, and sandwiched between two six hour drives from Minneapolis to Chicago and back, we had a pinch-me-if-this-is-real baseball weekend.
Let's recap from the perspective of a life-time baseball – and Minnesota Twins — fan and hope that next season's Target Field can host as many memorable outdoor contests.
THURSDAY
9:15 a.m. - Departed International Falls.
3:30 p.m. - Arrive at Mount Frontenac Golf Course in Red Wing, Minn., for a round of golf with some old coworkers. Course got the better of Sether and I, but it was nothing compared to the frustrations Cubs fans went through over the weekend with a weak offense and Milton Bradley.
10:30 p.m. - Drive back up to Minneapolis and stay at a buddy's place, who will be joining us on our trek.
11 p.m. - Watch Orlando blow a fourth-quarter lead against the Los Angeles Lakers. Luckily the Lakers didn't have Bradley on their roster, or it probably would've ended in Orlando's favor.
FRIDAY
6:01 a.m. - Depart Minneapolis for Chicago in an attempt to arrive in the Windy City in time for Friday's 1:20 p.m. opening pitch.
1:30 p.m. - Arrive at our rental property a little tardy thanks to a “short cut” through O'Hare Airport and an experience with Chicago's intense traffic scene.
2:00 p.m. - Get settled in and decide to grab a bite to eat before heading to Wrigleyville. Grab some food at a place called “The Weiner's Circle,” and make it back to the apartment in time to watch the circus that is Milton Bradley.
2:30 p.m. - “He doesn't know how many outs there are.” As we watch Bradley lazily catch a fly ball in the top of the eighth inning, all three of us jump out of our seats in the apartment when we watch Bradley throw the ball into the stands with only two outs. Nick Punto scores from third, Brendan Harris moves from first to third and the words “Milton Bradley” become etched in Chicago lore. And then he says this after the game:
“That's life,” Bradley said. “These people have high expectations. I have high expectations for myself. I never made a mistake like that (losing track of the outs) in my life. Sue me.”
Let's just say there were thousands of Chicago fans that night willing to sue the guy.
3:30 p.m. - Arrive in Wrigleyville and witness the Wrigley Field sign from Clark St. for the first time. Pause and gawk for a few moments and get out the camera. “All I can say is it turned me into a little kid again,” Sether said.
3:35 p.m. - Twins win 7-4 and fans start piling out onto the streets. This is when we first realized how many Twins fans were around this weekend. Did Twins fans take over the town? By the end of the weekend this was a definite “Yes.”
3:45 p.m. -Walk into our first Wrigleyville bar and restaurant and order our first round of overpriced drinks. Although, I must admit it was expected. One drink and two Old Styles was $18.50. The fact that we bought them in Wrigleyville — priceless!
4:15 p.m. - A veteran Cubs season ticket holder engages a conversation with us in the line for the bathroom. “I've been a season ticket holder for 15 years and I've never seen more fans from another team here,” he said. “Maybe the Yankees, but we handled them pretty well. I actually moved (from my seat).”
The rest of the night is spent bouncing around the bar from Twins fan to Twins fan. We warmed up our voices with Neil Diamond's “Sweet Caroline,” before moving into a “MIL-TON BRAD-LEY” chant. Cubs fans had no problem joining in after Bradley's mishaps Friday at Wrigley.
1:30 a.m. - Falls teacher Nick Schoenecker and three of his friends arrive at the apartment. They were slowed by an amateur baseball golf scramble in New Prague. They would quickly make up for arriving late.
SATURDAY
7:30 a.m. - And by quickly make up for it, I mean by having breakfast ready to go by 7:30 a.m. Yes, the game didn't start until 12:05 — and was delayed 32 minutes because of rain — but the breakfast was good, nonetheless.
11:30 a.m. - Run into cab driver who knew where International Falls was. “The cold place of the country,” he said. He didn't speak English very well, but was very excited to ask questions about the Icebox of the Nation. His biggest wonder was why people actually lived there.
11:45 a.m. - Have an Old Style with some friends before entering Wrigley.
Noon - “This is incredible,” Sether said. We arrive in Wrigley and realize our seats are phenomenal. Roughly 30 rows back from the first baseline and under the upper deck, which kept us dry for the few innings it rained.
12:37 – Game starts after 32-minute rain delay.
12:40 – Joe Mauer gets an ovation when he steps up to the plate in the first inning that prompts the 12-year season ticket holder sitting behind us to say that's the biggest ovation any visiting player has ever received.
1 p.m. - Jason Kubel hits a no-doubt home run off Rich Harden. It's only the second home run hit onto Sheffield Avenue this season in right field.
1:15 p.m. - Mauer hits in Nick Punto to make it 2-0 in the third inning. Mauer continues to hear “M-V-P” chants.
2 p.m. - Down a Chicago-style brat. When in Rome, right?
3:45 p.m. - After watching Anthony Swarzak and Matt Guerrier shutout the Cubs for eight innings, Joe Nathan allows two base runners before getting Ryan Theriot to fly out to end the game.
3:50 p.m. - Walk down next to the field to grab a couple more pictures, while continuing to realize the number of Twins fans is ridiculous. We talk about Twins fans taking over the town and finish the night in Wrigleyville, once again moving from Twins fan to Twins fan at the bar. What a trip.
SUNDAY
“I'm so glad I came this weekend,” said one of the Twins' fans in our group. That pretty much summed up the weekend.
