I was up and out of the fleabag...er Motel 6 by 8:30 AM. I went to a local Wal-Mart to find a Brewers t-shirt. That's been the place I have been able to find shirts with team logos on them cheaper than at the ball parks. The shirts at the parks run about $30 each. I got 2 of them at Wal-Mart for that price. I also got some lunch meat, cheese, and other stuff I'd need for to eat and drink while in my room while at I-Fest the next 3 days. I put them in a cooler to keep while I was at the game.
After finishing my shopping I headed toward Chicago. I was going to the White Sox game against the California Angels of Anaheim.
As I left Milwaukee I programed my GPS to take me to Chicago without taking the toll road. The highway it guided me to was a two lane route with several sections of construction. It seemed rather slow going but before I knew it I was on the Chicago loop heading toward the ball park.
I got to US Cellular Field about 11:15am. I was immediately introduced to the differences between Milwaukee and Chicago by paying $23 for a front lot handicapped parking spot. The same type of spot only $8 at Miller Park. It was a really good spot (about 20 yards from the gate) but really outrageously priced. I mentioned it to the people I sat next in the stands. They said "Welcome to Chicago".
It was about 2 hours before the game started. The crowd was already gathering but the gates weren't open yet. I had time to walk around the outside of the stadium and take pictures. By the time I'd made it all the way around the gate was opened letting the fans in.
Once inside the park, I walked counter clockwise around the main concourse of the stadium. There were all kinds of great places to eat. I went into a souvenir shop and bought a pin with the name of the ball park on it. They didn't have any refrigerator magnets.
Soon I found my seat down the left field line. It was a really good seat in good foul ball territory.
It was kind of cloudy and overcast. There had been some rain on the way in but it had stopped. I was hoping it wouldn't start again. Just the opposite happened. The clouds cleared away and the midday July sun came blazing through. The temperature and humidity levels jumped (pardon the pun) sky high. It got really hot. I had to keep drinking to make sure I stayed hydrated. In a major league ball park that gets expensive.
For my lunch I had sausage with peppers & onion sandwich. Again I didn't eat the bun. I also got some fresh roasted peanuts and ate a few of them as well.
The game was a good one. I was a little disappointed because Bobby Abreu and Hideki Matsui,former Yankees who now play for the Angels,didn't play. The White Sox scored a run in the bottom of the first inning to take a 1-0 lead. Their starting pitcher, John Danks, didn't give up a hit until the 7th inning. He gave up the only 2 hits the Angels would get. He ended up pitching all 9 innings for the shutout; completing a White Sox sweep of the 4 game series.
It just goes to show you how great the game of baseball is. The White Sox game ( a 1-0 win for the home team) was completely different from the Brewers game (a 15-2 loss for the home team) but ironically the winning runs for both were scored in the 1st inning. I love baseball.
The baseball part of the my 4 day trip was over. What a great time I had at both games.
Upon leaving US Cellular Field I got back on the Chicago loop and headed south on interstate route 57. My next destination was Olivet Nazarene College in Bourbonais IL. That's where I would spend Thursday night, Friday, and the first half of Saturday at the One Way Street International Puppet Festival. I would be blessed once again. I'll give you the details in tomorrow's post.
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