Braves v. Cubs

On Tuesday, I was able to attend my thirds Cubs game, forth Major League game of the year. It also happened to be the third time I have seen Ted Lilly pitch this year. This was by far the best seats I have had at a ballgame in a number of years and it was also my wife's first time to Wrigley.

Johnny and I were heading up to Chicago for a planning meeting with all our Believe speakers on Wednesday. There was originally 4 of us planning on going to the game - Johnny, his 9 year old son Riley, one of our speakers Nate Head, and myself. As of 24 hours before the game we didn't have tickets and Abbey wasn't planning on going on the trip. I received a call from a friend and he had 2 tickets 12 rows behind home plate for us if we wanted them. The catch was they were expensive. I wasn't going to ask the other guys to pay that much, so I told Abbey she was coming (which she was really excited about because she didn't have to be at home alone for 2 days).

We saw a great game - the Cubs won 10-5, and Ted Lilly recored the win. This is the 3rd Cub win I have seen and also the 3rd Ted Lilly win I have seen - I seriously think he needs to start flying me to all his starts for good luck - what could it hurt? Anyways, below are some of the memorable moments that happened during the game.

- Riley telling his Dad, "To pay the man." Riley was extremely worried about missing the game and not getting tickets. Nate and Johnny were trying to get the best price by negotiating with the scalpers, while Riley is behind them making deals of his own.

- Riley enjoyed his first major league baseball game and now he is a Cubs fan for life!

- The Braves scored 3 in the first inning off a home run, and then the next pitch Ted Lilly threw a fastball at the batter's head. He was warned and so was each bench. If you remember the last time Lilly got ejected it was in the first inning against the Braves.

- Although Nate got to sit by himself most of the game, he was able to come down to where Abbey and I were the last couple of innings.

- Kerry Wood, Abbey's favorite player, warmed up 3 times, but never went in the game. He was warming up during the bottom of the 8th when the Cubs were only up a run, but then they scored 4 and Wood sat down. Then in the 9th, Jon Lieber (the Cubs pitcher they brought it) put two guys on base with one out. Kerry Wood started warming up. Braves hit into a double play and the game was over.

- We saw Candace and Jared Baker, some of our friends we haven't seen in a few years. Candace is the daughter of the Robin Sigars, the minister (and our good friend) that married Abbey and I. They just happen to be going to the game that night as well.

- This made me really mad - Abbey really wanted a Kerry Wood jersey shirt after the game. We went to 4 or 5 different places and none of them had one. BUT - one place had a Jim Edmonds jersey shirt. Jim Edmonds will always be a Cardinal and the fact they are selling his jersey and not Kerry Wood's in downright stupid.