Blogger's Note: This post contains a detailed description of the August 20, 2012 game between the New York Yankees and the Chicago White Sox. It may seem uninteresting to some of you who are not baseball fans. But the details of the game are an intricate part of the last night of our vacation.
The Ball Game
The drive from Grant Park to US Cellular field was a lot faster than I thought it would be. They're only about 5 miles apart.
This would be 2nd time seeing the White Sox play at their home stadium and my 3rd trip to the area. (See the post from July 18, 2008) This was Paula's first time to a Major League ballpark.
We parked in just about the same place as I did back in 2010. It was very close to the stadium gate#4.
I had been wearing my White Sox shirt all day but I changed into my Yankees t-shirt before going into the game.
Because the drive was so quick we found ourselves waiting about 30 minutes until we were allowed into the ballpark.
Just like the last time I was there a band played on the stage set up to the right of Gate 5. The name of the band was "Black Hawk" which had significance in regard to the activities of the night; but I hadn't realized it yet.
We walked around and found a place to sit and chill for a few minutes.
Even though this was Chicago as we sat there I saw a lot of people wearing Yankees shirts and hats.
Paula was browsing through a stadium information guide that she had picked up on our way past the Gate 5.
She was reading the information to get a perspective on what she might find inside. It was then that I realized that she was seeing this baseball adventure in a way I hadn't in quite a while: through the eyes of a first timer.
This was Paula's first visit to a big league baseball game. Realizing this, I decided to do my best to become "tour guide" for my wife and see things as "fresh" as she was going to be seeing them.
The place we found to rest was across from the hanging over sized posters of the White Sox players in the order they would be batting in the game.
Immediately I noticed that the leadoff hitter that night was Dewayne Wise. A couple of weeks earlier Wise had been a member of the Yankees. But they released him when they acquired Ichiro Suzuki from Seattle in the last week of July.
With a line forming at the Gate 5 we took our place among the gathering crowd with about 10 minutes before they would let us in. We talked with some of the people standing around us. They were Yankees fans too.
Once through the turnstiles we turned to our left and walked up about 4 ramps. It was a bit more of a walk thank I had anticipated. At first I thought we had gone the wrong way but when we leveled out we found ourselves on the field level of the stadium.
Immediately we were infused with the smell of grilling meats and greasy food cooking at all the concession stands and kiosks throughout the ballpark.
It was an aroma that I have come to recognize as part of the ambiance of being at the ballpark. To Paula it was new and almost overwhelming.
We found our seats: Box 137 Row 32 Seats 9 & 10, aisle seats.
I had paid a bit more than I originally intended for our tickets but it was worth it. Our view of the field was terrific. But there were other factors that would take away from our enjoyment of the game. More on that later.
The Yankees were just about to start batting practice.
Getting to watch them was my main reason for being there so early. I went down to just behind the White Sox dugout to get some shots of the Yankees players.
Raul Ibanez was in the cage and, one of my favorite players, Mark Teixeria was waiting his turn.
I didn't get many good pictures because of the lack of zoom power on my camera lens.
Once the Yanks were done hitting it was time to go find something to eat.
We walked along the concourse surveying the cornucopia of ballpark specialties. There was: Chicago style hot dogs, Pizza, burgers, chicken, TexMex nachos to name a just a few.
We walked all the way from our seats to the area in center field just to the right of the scoreboard.
There was so much food to choose from we couldn't decide. We finally both got an sliced roast beef with onions and peppers on an Italian roll. This proved to be a not so good choice for me.
When we got back to our seats I discovered that the sliced beef had been soaked in a juice laced with hot peppers. For the second time in the day I couldn't eat something because it was too spicy.
Later on I would treat myself to a Dove bar. Not the best choice for me but it was a treat.
Although I had decided that I wasn't going to take a lot of pictures during the game because I wanted to enjoy the experience of just being there; I did manage to get this shot of Paula at her first MLB game...
...and one of us together. 
As game time grew closer the pregame festivities began. It was "Black Hawks" night at the stadium. The White Sox were honoring and celebrating the City's NHL hockey team who had won the Stanley Cup back in 2011.
The fans enthusiasm and love for the team was more than evident by their reaction to all the pregame events.
There was an on the field interview with the Black Hawks coach and a parade of the season ticket holders around the perimeter of the field.
But the special event that really got the crowd going was Jim Cornellison, a tenor who sings at all the Black Hawks home games, and his rendition of the Star Spangled Banner.
I thought it was long, drawn out and a bit over the top but the Chicago fans absolutely loved it.
The game was very entertaining and started out really well for the Yankees. White Sox starter Gavin Floyd struggled with his control and gave up 2 runs in the first. Jeter singled, Swisher walked, Teixeria singled Jeter home. Robinson Cano, who had also walked, scored on a ground out.
Only an outstanding fielding play by White Sox 2nd baseman, Gordon Beckham, with the bases loaded and 2 outs, kept the Yanks from scoring more.
Yanks scored again with two outs in the top of the 2nd. Consecutive singles by Swisher and Cano put runners at 1st and 3rd. Teixeria walked.
Curtis Granderson singled to right. Swisher scored. But once again the Yankees threat was quenched by a defensive play. Alex Rios threw Robinson Cano out at home to end the inning.
At this point in the game I was very happy. Despite Freddie Garcia's shaky performance the White Sox did not score in the first or second inning.
In the 3rd, much to the crowd's delight, Gavin Floyd was taken out of the game after hitting Raul Ibanez.
Let me just take a few words to say something about the White Sox fans. They are very involved with their team and expect only the best out of them. When they get it they are happy but when they don't watch out. White Sox fans are very passionate and somewhat fickle.
The Yankees threatened again in the top of the 4th. getting 2 on with no outs. Jeter's 2nd single of the night, another walk to Steve Swisher put two on with no out. But then Robinson Cano flied out.
The threat ended when Mark Teixeria on a 3-2 change up by the White Sox 2nd pitcher (the 9th pitch of his at bat), hit into a double play.
In the bottom of the 5th White Sox made a comeback. Dewayne Wise, the former Yankee, hit a 2 run homer. After a single, the Yankee starter loaded the bases with 2 consecutive walks. Joe Girardi took him out of the game.
On a fielder's choice and 2 singles, the White Sox scored 3 more runs taking a 5-3 lead. I was not a happy camper.
In the top of the 6th Derek Jeter hit a home run over the left field fence. His 3rd hit of the night and 2nd run scored moved him up to 13th on the all time run scored list.
The Yankees then scored 2 more runs on hits by Teixeria and pinch hitter Casey Magehee. Momentum and the lead had shifted back to the Bronx Bombers.
I should have been happy but, as I mentioned to Paula, I knew that there was cause for concern: Jaba Chamberlain now was the Yankees pitcher.
Having entered the game in the bottom of the 5th giving up a single that led to the White Sox 5th run, Chamberlain was lucky to get out of the inning on a deep fly ball tracked down in center by Curtis Granderson.
Since he came back from a severe early season ankle injury a couple of weeks earlier Chamberlain had not pitched effectively at all. I had no confidence in him.
My concerns proved valid when Joba gave up a game tying homer run to Gordon Beckham in the last of the 6th.
In the top of the 7th Derek Jeter hit a two-out double but was left stranded. At the 7th inning stretch the game was tied and now in the hands of the bullpens.
Now let me take this place in the post to write about the only negative aspect of our experience at US Cellular Field.
As I mentioned earlier we had really good seats at least as far as the view was concerned. But there was a guy and a girl behind us who did nothing but talk the entire game. I mean they didn't shut up from the minute they sat down until the last out.
They weren't just talking at a volume where we could occasionally hear them. They were intrusively loud.
They appeared to be in their mid 20's. I couldn't help but learn from their conversation that they were both co-workers and friends. The guy constantly used the Lord's name in vain and the "F" word.
Paula was bothered by it a lot more than I was but we were both uncomfortable. At one point Paula was going to turn around and ask him to stop using his foul language but I stopped her.
Paula told me that at that point she prayed that the guy would stop. Even though he was still loud and annoying he stopped using foul language.
Now back to the game.
In the home half of the 7th with a man on White Sox outfielder, Alexei Ramirez hit a 2 run homer off Yankees left handed reliever Boone Logan.
Logan is usually pretty effective out of the bullpen but not this time. The Ramirez homer would be the difference in the game. Sox DH Adam Dunn would hit a homer in the last of the 8th extending their lead.
The Yankees would manage only 1 more hit in the last two innings; a two out single in the top of the 9th by Ichiro Suzuki off the Chicago closer Addison Reed. Russell Martin then struck out to end the game.
The Yankees lost 9-6 in because their bullpen, which had been rather effective all season, had a bad night. I was very disappointed. So much so that I didn't even take my traditional final scoreboard picture.
The bright spot and only positive memory I could take with me me was Derek Jeter's great night.
The Yankee captain had 4 hits: 2 singles, a home run and a double. Unfortunately, he never got to the plate for the chance hit a triple for the first "cycle" of his career.
And as it says on the message board in this picture (even though it's hard to read). That night Jeter joined Willie Mays as the only player in MLB history with at least 3000 hits, 300 HRs, 300 stolen bases and 1000 RBIs.
Even though I didn't like the end results I did enjoy getting to see the Yankees in person again for the first time in over 8 years.
We exited the stadium, got into our car and on the highway heading back to the hotel in less than 30 minutes. Relatively quickly for a MLB baseball game.
Back at our hotel we had one final in-room snack made up of left overs we had in our room's refrigerator.
We each had one last slice of Giordano's pizza warmed up in the microwave, some cheese sticks, and a sugar free chocolate covered pecan candy. It was a simple but delicious late night snack.
We packed up what we could so that packing to check out in the morning was easier.
Day 3 in our long weekend was over and the next day we would be heading home. But there was one more place for us to visit.
The next day would be fun and the next night we would be back sleeping in our bed.
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