We recently received two reports from Cub fans in remote corners of the East Coast. Braving the wilds of the National League East, Friend of Foreign Correspondent in Miami and Foreign Correspondent herself in Philadelphia bring us into the lairs of the opposition to document the experiences of Cub fans in strange lands.
The first story details a recent game during the last ever Cubs visit to — what the heck is the latest name of that concrete monstrosity in South Florida??
Eight years ago that ballpark was the site of an excruciating road trip for us. It was October of 2003 and Cubs needed only one game to clinch … but you read about that in our previous blog and hopefully in the book.
Below Friend of Foreign Correspondent bids adieu and good riddance for all of us to the current home of the Fish.
A Cub Fan Lands in Miami
By Friend of Foreign Correspondent
I didn’t know what to expect when I was given a free ticket to go to Miami for a few days with my mother’s sister and her two parents (my aunt and grandparents). I went on a whim. After two days of what seemed like endless shopping and navigating my way through crazy Miami, I am fortunate enough to be at the right place at the right time. The Chicago Cubs baseball team is in South Florida to play the Florida Marlins on Wednesday night in the first game of a two-game series. I know that the stadium, Sun Life Stadium, is not very close to the city limits but quickly find out while driving up I-95 that there is a reason why no one goes to watch the Marlins: the stadium is too far!
(All photos by Friend of Foreign Correspondent)
As I am dropped off following a rather mediocre dinner on South Beach’s Ocean Drive, I walk through the massive parking lots outside the stadium to find many Cubs fans tailgating prior to the first pitch. It’s a beautiful thing. I go to the box office, hoping to strike a good deal, and come away with a $12 outfield ticket. Not bad for a team much better than the Cubs. I make my way through the enormous Sun Life Stadium, formerly known as Land Shark, Pro Player, and before that Joe Robbie, into my seat. This would be the first baseball game I attend by myself. Luckily, in Admin and Foreign Correspondent tradition, I purchase a scorecard and plan to keep score throughout the duration of the game.
Despite sitting alone, my seat is in a section filled with Cubs fans young, old, and in-between. At about 7:08pm EDT, I would say the stadium is only about 20% full. Of those 20%, the plurality backs the Cubs. Marlins starting pitcher Ricky Nolasco strikes out Kosuke Fukudome and Starlin Castro in the first inning. The successful top third of the order goes down and then it is Ryan Dempster who takes the hill for the visiting team. Dempster gives up a solo home run to the struggling Hanley Ramirez in the bottom of the first to allow the Marlins to take the early 1-0 lead. Dempster then walks Logan Morrison but manages to get Gaby Sanchez out on a fly-out to Pena, and then strikes out Greg Dobbs.
The Cubs don’t record a hit until the third inning when Koyie Hill lines a 2-2 pitch into left field. Hill would eventually score on a Darwin Barney sacrifice, tying the game at 1-1. In the fifth inning, the Cubs score again on a Barney sacrifice with Hill coming into score, followed by a Castro RBI single that brings in Fukudome. Dempster heads into the bottom of the fifth with a two-run lead, but alas proceeds to hit pitcher Ricky Nolasco. Nolasco would then score on a Gaby Sanchez RBI single. The next batter, Greg Dobbs, knocks in Ramirez and Sanchez to give the Marlins the lead. A Mike Stanton RBI single would end the scoring for the Marlins, and heading into the sixth inning the game is now in favor of Florida with a 5-3 lead.
That is the end of Ryan Dempster, as the former Marlin lasted five innings, allowing five runs on eight hits, two walks, while striking out three. The top of the sixth proceeds to be very much like the Cubs we have watched thus far: a Marlon Byrd fly out to right followed by an Alfonso Soriano groundout to second. With two outs, Koyie Hill manages to get a single with Dempster scheduled to bat after him. Mike Quade substitutes Reed “Poop” Johnson to pinch-hit for the pitcher and Johnson hits a two-run home run to left-center field. The Cubs are back in it! They proceed to the bottom of the sixth with a tied ballgame and Jeff Samardzija relieving Dempster of his pitching duties.
Before I wrap-up with the climactic and consequently anti-climactic ending, I would like to make some observations of my time spent at Sun Life Stadium. I would like to acknowledge the peanut vendor in the outfield of Sun Life Stadium who not only was bizarrely dressed but carried around several tennis balls to throw to his customers after they caught bags of peanuts. I also would like to make notice that the Florida Marlins were the first and hopefully the last professional baseball club to hire team dancers: The Marlins’ Mermaids. They also have not one, but TWO team DJs: Petey and Vertigo! It ruins baseball, but what do you expect? It is South Florida after all! I also want to make note that in devastatingly non-Sullivan form, I give up keeping score following the conclusion of the fourth inning. After doing it for so long in high school while managing the varsity team, I simply grew tired. Admin and Foreign Correspondent shake their heads in disgust as they read this, I know it!
I also want to thank all the Cubs fans there. Specifically, the gentleman sitting behind me who has been living in South Florida for at least the past ten years, who lived in Riverside, Illinois, and went to many Bulls games at Chicago Stadium. He knew statistic after statistic and was a pleasure to chat with! I was also greeted by another Cub fan who loved my socks (a gift from Wife of Admin and Admin) and wanted to buy them off my then-sweaty feet. Perhaps the most interesting encounter was with a neutral fan who admired my Bulls hat and later went on to say that he hoped the Bulls would sweep the Heat. Sadly, the Bulls would lose that night to the Heat in Chicago.
But back to the game!
At this point, a small crowd of teenage Marlins fans from Fort Lauderdale are shut up and their insults towards the city of Chicago and its deep dish pizza are not spoken again. Samardzija in the bottom of the sixth manages to get out of the inning despite allowing two men to advance to third and second. As Cubs fans, we’ll take it. The top of the seventh then sees Castro and Aramis Ramirez get on base only to have the ten million-dollar man Carlos Pena ground into a double play. The Cubs leave two men on. At this point in the ballgame, I receive a BlackBerry Message from my grandma saying they are coming to pick me up. I have not left a sporting event early since the Kansas-Temple men’s basketball game in Philadelphia in January of 2010. It was at this moment that I realized I can’t possibly be a Sullivan: no scorekeeping and leaving the game early. Disgusting. (Admin’s note: We understand when one is forced to leave a game early. See Waiting for the Cubs/Don Cardwell)
After a relatively quick bottom of the seventh, I stand up to watch the last possible plays I can at Sun Life Stadium. Marlon Byrd knocks a solo shot over the left field wall and I depart the stadium at least with the knowledge that the Cubs took the lead, 6-5. As I exit the stadium, I weep at the nature of me leaving a sporting event early, knowing that I also missed a streaker running on the field while I went to go grab a Pepsi at the concession stand.
Driving down I-95, I check the GameCast from my phone to see that the Cubs scored again on a Baker sacrifice. The final would be 7-5. I realize thereafter how much fun I had at the game by myself. While that will probably be my only game at Sun Life Stadium, I enjoyed the experience. Being a Cubs fan is great and I look forward to going to my first Cubs home game next month in Chicago. The Cubs are still playing mediocre baseball (Admin note: ”mediocre baseball” is a generous assessment), but it is that mediocrity that allures me into continuing to support them!
The View From SRO. Citizens Bank Park Version, Episode II
By Foreign Correspondent
Admin Note: Last year Foreign Correspondent filed a report covering a Cubs-Phillies game in Philadelphia. This season she returned to Citizens Bank Park for another Cubs disaster.
The Cubs currently have the dubious distinction of being the only major league team to have not won three games in a row this season. So when they salvaged one game against the Reds on Sunday, and then won an exciting game against the Phillies in the 11th inning on Monday, I went to Citizens Bank Park for game two of the four game series with hopeful enthusiasm. It was a beautiful night for baseball and two of the league’s best were slated to pitch, Roy Halladay and Carlos Zambrano. How could baseball get any better? Pick up a copy of Waiting for the Cubs to learn why this optimism is futile.
With seven sympathetic friends in tow, I headed to the ballpark for a little pre-game tailgating.
(best part of the night)
Being Orioles fans, the friends understand what it’s like to cheer for a losing team, and so they gamely agreed to root for the Cubs. In fact, having five ex-Cubs in the organization (Derrek Lee, Cesar Izturis, Felix Pie, Kevin Gregg and Jake Fox) may have something to do with the Orioles’ bad luck. Regardless, everyone loves Derrek Lee, and two brave friends even suited up in D. Lee Cubs shirts!
It was nice to have support for the Cubs on the road, especially at the sometimes-tempestuous Citizens Bank Park. But alas, Carlos Zambrano did not live up to his side of the pitchers-duel hype. Although he struck out Jimmy Rollins in the 4th inning to reach his 1,500th career strikeout, Big Z’s night was otherwise dominated by unlucky number seven: he walked 7 and gave up 7 hits and 7 runs over 7 innings. Roy Halladay, meanwhile, pitched seven scoreless innings. Typical.
(view from SRO)
We cheered our heads off in the top of the 8th inning when the Cubs came back and scored 5 runs on a string of base hits. But of course, they fell short in the top of the 9th, despite bringing the potential tying run to the plate. And so we returned to our car with our heads hung low, as the Cubs returned to their losing ways.
Given the agony of watching the Cubs lose again and again, why would we want to drive 13 hours to Chicago next week to see them play the Brewers at Wrigley Field? I’m not sure, but we can’t wait.