Mik’s Food Scrapbook: Wrigley Field

At Wrigley Field Mik had a pulled pork sandwich and some fries. We found out right as we ordered that concessions are 25% the first hour the park is opened and we barely got the discount by 1 minute. Mik liked the sandwich, although it was a little messy. It had onions on it and he would have liked it better without the onions. He did like the fries, but he was full by the time he was done with his sandwich, so he did not eat many of them.

At the game I got a Northside Twist Giant Soft Pretzel. It was a $15 pretzel, but it was totally worth the price. Now this is actual a jumbo pretzel that lives up to and actually exceeds its giant name. It comes in a pizza box and could easily be enough for at least two people. We only ate about a third of it at the game and took the rest back to the apartment to snack on later (it reheats great by the way). Mik thought it was a little too salty, but he thought that was better than the not salty ones we have encountered. It comes with three sauces. I think you can get one of each of their options, but we just got the frosting type one because the other options included something spicy and nacho type cheese, which I do not like with pretzels. This pretzel definitely rates as the best pretzel in the MLB. Even though we still have 13 parks to go to, I highly doubt anything can beat this pretzel.

Smashed Pennies: Wrigley Field

Wrigley Field has a penny machine with four designs right outside the gift shop that is straight ahead when you enter the park via the main entrance. Usually I get one penny and Mik gets one penny from the penny smashing machines we encounter, but being a Cubs fan I ended up getting one of every design. Mik did not want them all, but he did get two designs.

One of the designs we both got was the one of Wrigley Field. This one has a picture of Wrigley and says Wrigley Field Est. 1914. The other one we both got is a Chicago Cubs logo one with the cub in the C. The other two designs I got are one with a cub holding the Cubs logo and one with crossed bats below the Cubs logo.

Game 16: Cleveland Indians 7 @ Chicago Cubs 8

We got to Wrigley Field and found the lot we had a parking pass for around 10:30am. It was pouring rain by then and the gates did not open until 11:20am. We ended up waiting in the car until almost that time, since we were parked very close to the ticket pick up and the main entrance to Wrigley Field. Once inside we wasted time walking around the main concourse, since it was pouring rain and we were not sure if our seats were in a covered area or not. It turned out they were when we headed up there about an hour before game time.

The rain stopped around 1:15pm, which was a little before the game was supposed to start. The ground crew began to get the infield uncovered and get it all lined and ready for the game. They were ready by 2pm, but they decided to wait until 2:45pm to start the game because they thought another rain storm was coming. It was such a pointless and annoying decision because they totally could have played and just called another delay if the rain did show up. That is what they did in Cincinnati. The real annoying part is that supposed next wave of rain never came unless you count the rain that came right after we got back on the road to the apartment.

The game was worth waiting for. Game 15 at the Indians' Progressive Field was the best game of the trip at the time, but now Game 16 has topped it as the best of the trip so far. The Indians got a three run homer in the top of the second and another in the top of the third. They then got another run in the fourth to give them a 7-0 lead in the fourth inning.

The Cubs began to come back with a home run in the fifth and another in the sixth. They then got within one run by scoring four runs in the bottom of the eighth with the help of five singles and a walk. In the bottom of the ninth Derek Lee tied the game with another homer (he also hit the one in the sixth inning) and to force extra innings. They kept the Indians from scoring in the top of the tenth despite loading the bases. The Cubs then won when Theriot hit a single to bat in Soriano who had gotten on base with a walk when there was already two outs in the bottom of the tenth.

Day 19: Chicago Cubs Monopoly

Today we drove straight back to Chicago instead of going to the Field of Dreams on the way. We are not going to totally skip it, but rather stop at it on the way to Denver from Chicago later this week. That will actually work out way better. Plus that gave us the whole afternoon free to relax at the apartment. Mik and I get to do that tomorrow besides maybe going to a movie while Dad goes and gets the new tires he ordered put on the car.

Mom decided to fly home tomorrow morning, so we hung out as a family again tonight. We thought about going to the movie, but Mik really wanted to watch the Lakers game. So, instead we watched the Lakers game while playing Chicago Cubs Monopoly, which Mik got when he was in Chicago for Easter. It seemed appropriate to stay in the whole baseball theme.

Early in the game I got Mik to trade me an orange for a red because I wanted to get Mark Prior and Zambrano for a Monopoly. I later got Zambrano and already had got Prior myself. That was my only properties for most of the game, but everyone kept landing on the reds. Mik got out first despite owning most of the board mostly because he was more into the Lakers game. Dad was without properties as he had given all his away to pay for landing on me. He actually stayed in a while because he got all the money in the free parking area. He finally got out and it was down to Mom and me, who both owned very few things, but she had the purple Monopoly. She did not last too much longer, though because I had the Mezzanine Suites on the red and she landed on them twice.

Then we watched the last inning of the Dbacks game with the pitch by pitch with MLB online Game Day. What a long game going to 18 innings, but at least the Dbacks pulled it out and kept themselves from going to the bottom of their division. Mik says that he would not mind staying the whole game even if it was that many extra innings for the Dbacks. Any other teams playing, though, he does not want to be at their extra innings game.

Game 2: Chicago Cubs 0 @ San Diego Padres 4

Last night we saw Game 2 of the trip. Game 2 was overall a great experience considering the circumstances. For one Petco Park is just not one of the better ballparks and we know that having been there inaugural year and last summer. Secondly the Cubs lost. That is the end of the bad list, as even Mik was for once very well behaved.

The seats in 229 in the All You Can Eat section were great and sure there was a bar in front of the seats, but it was not in the line of site at all like at the Diamondbacks game. The seats are located in the upper level behind right field and while a small part of center and right field (mostly warning track) cannot be viewed from the seats there were not any plays in that area during this game, so it was not really a noticeable issue. Not to mention that is very typical of seats in this type of location in any ballpark.

The All You Can Eat part was awesome. The veggie dogs were significantly smaller than the regular hot dogs, but they were still good and it does not really matter when you can get as many as you want. It was nice they also had some Nestle ice cream treats as part of it. More on the food to come in a Mik's Food Review post later (he's still sound asleep), though, including his verdict on the fish tacos.

The game itself was of course disappointing since the Cubs lost and Dad and I like the Cubs. Most sad is the first run was scored in the first inning without the Padres even getting a hit. Zambrano walked two and hit a batter with a pitch to load the bases with one out and then the Padres' Kouzmanoff hit a sac fly to center field to score the first run. The Cubs did get on base a good amount of times including loading it in the 9th, but they just could not get a run in. It did not help that the Padres pitchers combined to get 16 of the 27 outs of the game by striking out Cubs batters. It also happened to be the first time the Padres have shut out a team at home this year.

Below are a few of the photos from the game. You can see the rest in the album for the game by clicking on any of the ones below.