Cubs Get Dirty Sanchezed

Ok.  So it's not totally Eduardo Sanchez's fault that the Cubs lost in the 11th inning yesterday, but his 3 walks and 1 hit allowed that resulted in 2 runs certainly didn't help matters either.  The Cubs battled back in this one too, tying it up in the 7th.  The bullpen, except Sanchez was decent, not allowing a single run in 4 innings of work.  The Cubs had a few opportunities to win this one, but unfortunately, the league has found out that Junior Lake can't hit a breaking ball.  At least last night he couldn't.  Weakness found.  Batting average lowered.  Hopefully not to the point of a Rizzo or Castro who are batting .234 and .247 respectively.  Even David DeJesus is only batting .255 right now, and Darwin Barney, a lowly .214.  This is why the Cubs lost yesterday.  Our "good" players aren't that good.  Our "mediocre" players are decent though.  Good enough to sock a couple of homers yesterday, thank you Dionner Navarro, Nate Schierholtz and Donnie Murphy.  Maybe we should be like the Rays and field mostly players you never heard of.  I'm sure most fans in other cities, and Chicago for that matter, have never heard of half the Cubs players.  Except for Starlin, Rizzo, and las nights pitcher, Smardzierfn0`hr0new.  And those 3 gentlemen are sorely underperforming.  

Let's talk about Jeff Samalnf3hf4rhfjk for a second.  He is supposedly the Cub's #1 pitcher, though at this point, he's pitching like a 3 or 4, and is not under a long term contract.  He got hit hard last night, and had to use a lot of pitches, 110 through 6 to be exact.  He gave up 4 walks, 6 hits, and 4 runs.  And his ERA currently stands at 4.29.  He's a competitor, and I like him, I really do, but he is a #3 starter, period.  He can show you glimpses of being better than that.  But over the long haul.  He is by no means a dominant pitcher.  He's solid, and hasn't been hurt, but he's not an Ace.  My opinion is that he's thrust himself into a leadership role, and puts too much pressure on himself to perform like an Ace, but he's not one.  This is not good, as false expectations usually lead to failure.  His job is to get guys out, period.  But he wants to be some sort of team leader, which louses up his focus on the field.  The problem is, after trading Garza and Feldman, we need him.  But we need him to be a good solid number 3, not the Ace people think he might be.  Because he's not.  He just isn't.  

As far as Wrigley goes last night, I got twisted up on Gin and Tonics, and it was cold.  As in, I had to wear my relief pitchers coat cold.  It's not even the middle of August, and I'm already cold at Wrigley.  And to make matters worse, I'm already getting my fall allergies which usually don't come until September.  Why did I move to this God Forsaken Tundra!!!????  Oh yeah, right...the Cubs....

Well, today, some folks and I will be in section 420 (smoke em if you got em) to hopefully watch the Cubs try and salvage a game out of this so far abysmal series.  A real let down after taking 2-3 from the Cardinals.  It's Arroyo vs. Rusin.  Haven't seen Rusin pitch in person yet.  So this should be cool, because he's a pretty damn good lefty.  Better than Samjjfno34hr9hf by a full point Era wise anyway.  Both teams bullpens are taxed after yesterday's extra inning fiasco, so this should be a magical afternoon for baseball.  At least it will be warmer in the daytime.  For now.  Welcome to Augtober Cubs fans.  

Damned frozen tundra of a city.....

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One of each please....

Why the Cubs Should Keep Soriano

When Alfonso Soriano was signed to an 8 year, 136 million dollar contract before the 1987 season, I was personally thrilled that the Cubs were playing the money game like the Yankees who are consistently stocked with talent, and always in the playoff mix.  I thought to myself, "Finally! We can field a team of superstars!".  Little did I know that the Soriano of 2007, would see a great drop off in numbers from the previous, 46 homer 41 stolen base, year, hitting 13 less homers and stealing 22 less bags, never again to return to the 2006 player that wowed everyone and garnered a huge contract.  Yes, for 136 million the Cubs could have received the production of 2 Sorianos!  

For the first few years of his bloated Cubs contract, his defense was shoddy, his hustle was abysmal, and he was injured for the first time in his career.  We all watched him hobble on his shot knees in the summers of 2008 and 9, finally requiring surgery.  We watched his batting average dip from around .300 to the mid 200's, his running game become nearly non existent, and his power drop off from his pre-Cub days, at least 10-15 homers per season.  All this from a defensive wild card, and an aloof personality.  But then something changed....

When Soriano came back from his knee surgery, it was as if a small fire had been lit under his butt.  He renewed his commitment to being a great player again.  He worked on his defense and got better.  He hustled.  He hit home runs again (32 last year), and he started stealing bases again (10 so far this year).  Most importantly, he started having fun playing baseball, and it shows!  

I go to a ton of Cub's games, both at Wrigley and on the road.  When I'm at Wrigley, I prefer the fence leaning seats in Terrace reserved on either side of the stadium, but when I'm on the road, I like to sit by Soriano.  It all started because of a traveling companion and lover who is hot for Soriano.  She basically likes to sit behind him and check out his butt for three hours.  But it's more than that!  On the road, Soriano gives steely stares to opposing, jeering fans.  He dances to the other team's walk up music, and most importantly he's a conducts himself as a professional, and he looks like a star.  Regardless of his numbers, he has the "it" factor and he's fun to watch. Unlike Rizzo's mooky hunkiness, and Castro's slick boyish look, Soriano's a real man.  He's a vet and he commands attention, even though his numbers don't deserve 18 million this year and next.  He will be 38 years old during the last year of his contract next year, and with the Cubs going the "youth movement way", (Rizzo and Castro are both 23), they could really use a veteran to look up to.  The Soriano of 6 years ago would NOT have been the man to be a leader to these youngsters, but the Soriano of today is perfect for that job.  I hope they keep him around.  Not just for his bat,  but for who he is.

Now, I'm not an idiot.  The Cubs have kept many fan favorites around too long just because they were popular.  Even Ryne Sandberg probably should have been traded after 1993, because he was injured for a whole year, and his production dropped off considerably through 1997.  What if the Cubs could have gotten a few prospects for him?  Would the 90's have been any different for the North Side?  So yeah, if we can get some great future stars, sure, trade Soriano, let him have a chance to return to New York, where he started.  So many people still love him there.  I lived in NYC for 18 years, and the gas station where I usually took my car, had a "Soriano Way" Yankees street sign hanging up, a decade after being a Yankee.  I lived in a Dominican neighborhood, and he was still a fan favorite, even years after being on the team.  Do you know who else's favorite player he is?  My 7 year old and 5 year old niece's.  And my girlfriends.  And mine.  

Theo and Jed are gonna do what they're gonna do.  They're looking into the future and trying to trade their way to a lean, mean, and very young super nova that will win the World Series sometime in the next 5 years.  They are the wonder boys after all, and we have to as fans, at least trust the process.  If it doesn't work, it'll be the same story as always, and we can look forward to another lost decade.  But if it does work, and the Cubs are constant contenders under the helm of the new Cubs brass, there will be nothing but rejoicing on the North Side.  The Cubs will get young, and stay young, and its true, there's no room for Soriano in that equation.  But I for one hope that Soriano at least plays out his contract in Chicago.  He's not really blocking anyone except maybe now, Junior Lake, who has hit the majors like a storm, who's batting .529 in his first 4 games, and hit his first major league homer last night.  But what of the intangibles of veteran leadership?  Soriano, for better or worse, fills that role, all while remaining a fan favorite.  The bleacher bums love him!  Chicagoan's resist change, the Cubs have choked for 100 plus years, so yeah, it's time to try something different.  But can't it wait one more year?  Especially since it's projected the Cubs will have to eat most of the money anyway in any trade?  Keep Soriano around for his bright white smile, his sweet swing, and his 'new found' commitment to greatness.  

So Alfonso Soriano, if I've seen you play your last game as a Cub, thanks for the memories.  I've booed you, cheered you, and laughed at and with you.  I've sung the bunny hop song when you caught fly balls.  I've cheered you in Spanish and English.  We've shared smiles, and danced together to walk up music.  And hopefully, the next time I see you it will still be in a Cubs uniform, and I can tell my niece, "Hey look! It's Alfonso Soriano!"  Her eyes will light up, and she'll fall in love with baseball, and an aging Cub, just like I did when Andre Dawson hit 49 dingers for the last place Cubs in 1987, and Ryne Sandberg grew a handsome mustache.  So, keep Soriano!  Unless of course you can get something great for him worth 18 million smackers.

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Best Cubs Game of the Year!

I wasn't going to go to yesterday's Cubs game, because A. I was hungover from the Tito's Vodka Trailer in the VIP section of the Robert Plant Concert on Friday, and B.  The tickets on StubHub never went under 40$, or at least when they did, they were either snatched up before I could buy em, or they were in nosebleed, and simply not worth it.  But after a day of recovery, and the sound of Pat Hughes saying "Cubs Baseball is On the Air!", I put on pants and headed down on my faithful two wheeled steed, to at least be around Wrigley, for the electric atmosphere of 42,000 fans witnessing a rare Saturday night ballgame at the Friendly Confines.  I'm glad I went.

I snapped off a few shots, around the ballpark, when I was approached by a lovely gentleman, sporting a shiny gold tooth,  inquiring of my need to procure tickets to tonights contest.  I hadn't planned on it, thinking the seats would be "premium priced", but after a brief and amicable negotiation, we agreed on 30$ for a 200 level seat in the 13th row behind home plate.  I introduced myself as Son Ranto, he as Cleo, and I asked him if we could take a picture together for today's blog.  He agreed. And here it is.

Cleo is probably the nicest scalper I have yet done business with outside of Wrigley.  His price was fair, his negotiation easy, and he didn't act as if I was taking food out of a baby's mouth just because I haggled a 40$ asking price down to 30$.  So, if you don't have a ticket, Cleo's you're man.  You don't get an expensive gold tooth in this business if you're not good at what you do.  And Cleo is excellent.  

Heading through the turnstiles, there is always that brief moment when you think you just bought a counterfeit seat.  I've bought many counterfeit products in the past, but don't learn my lesson.  I've bought powdered sugar for 120$, oregano for 50$, and a bag of mushrooms, that it took an hour of looking at my hands, to realize were also counterfeit, at a Grateful Dead show in Tampa in 1995.  But this ticket was real, and a great seat!  Thanks Cleo!

My only issue with this seat was the obstructed view caused by the ivory headed man in front of me.  Cleo couldn't have foreseen that though, and I didn't blame him.  

What a ballgame!  The Cubs roughed up Lance Lynn early, and by the end of the 4th inning, the Cubs had a 6-1 lead.  Garza, in likely his last start as a Cub, was pretty damn good, pitching 6 2/3 and giving up 2, while Soriano and Valbuena both hit homeruns. They'd need all of it, as the Cardinals fought back in the last three innings, putting the tying run on base in the 8th, and the go ahead run on base in the 9th.  Cubs/Cardinals games are highly charged events, and with the blankets of red covering large swaths of the seating bowl, the Crimson colored fans made their presence known throughout the game. The stadium was packed for the forst time this year, and it was electric!

Seated next to me throughout the game, were two very nice Cardinal's fans from the Champagne/Urbana area named TJ and Katrina.  Katrina was quite inebriated upon our first meeting, but TJ supplied her with food until she proclaimed herself sober enough to watch by about the 5th inning.  The Trayvon Martin verdict came in "not guilty"during the 7th, and we all had a frank discussion about race, segregation, opportunity, and the fear that violence might erupt in Chicago tonight.  Well...not sure what would make it particularly different than any other bloody Summer Saturday in Chicago, but none of us certainly hoped to find out either.  They were thoughtful about the verdict and what it meant.  These are Card's fans from Illinois, not Missouri.  I'm now certain it makes a difference as to your level of social and political progressiveness.  And it has since Missouri was admitted as a slave state in 1820.

TJ is a nice guy and a huge fan, and it was a pleasure to sit next to him to get the lowdown on what's going on with the Cards, and how he felt about each player.  It was refreshing to hear him say, "Oh...Descalso's up...easy out".  Because to me, there is no such thing when the Cubs face the Cards.  All the Cardinal's hitters seem dangerous.  And have seemed that way since Keith Hernandez was playing 1st base...BTW....if you haven't seen this Keith Hernandez mockumentary....you just should...it's awesome...

Take me Out to the Ballgame was sung masterfully out of tune by Dutchie Carey, as last night was the anniversary of the untimely death of our beloved Harry at the the age of 84.

And of course, the most exciting part of the game was the last out, and the traditional singing of Steve Goodman's "Go Cubs Go!".

Cubs Win!  Cubs Win! Holy Cow!

So great game.  Great fans.  I drank Pepsi instead of beer.  And when it was all said and done, as I smoked a celebratory cigarette outside the main gates, I was approached by a young couple, holding 2 Harry Carey statues (yesterday's giveaway) who asked me to take their picture on their iphone.  I said, "and it'll only cost you just one Harry Carey statue".  I was kidding of course, but after the photo session, the guy said, "here you go", and handed me one of them.  I couldn't believe my luck!  I introduced myself, and thanked them profusely.  This generosity after a Cubs win, had my heart full of Chicago baseball pride.  What lovely humans!  So, a big shout out to Zach and Meta!  You guys are the best!!!

Gonna do it again today!  

It's a matchup of All Stars.  Wainwright, who we beat in St. Louis, vs. Wood.  This is the ESPN Sunday night game, so I look forward to all of my Twitter followers and followees complaining about the announcers, such as they did last night with Fox's Cardinal's biased Buck and McCarver.  I'll make a suggestion to either come down to Wrigley on those nights, or listen to Pat and Keith.  I hate the national announcers...hate em....

Ok!!!! Play us out Accordion guy!

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The Sordid Travels of a Cubs Fan "Lessons From St. Louis"

In honor of the last game of the season to be played today in enemy territory, enjoy this exploratory mission into Cardinal Country....

The City of St. Louis was named after a 12th century, beatified French King, who led two disastrous crusades to the "Holy Land". One that saw him imprisoned and ransomed for half of France's wealth, and the other that killed all of his soldiers.  He was of course known as the, ahem, "Peace King", and his legacy lives on in name, in a raw bluesy city on the left bank of the Mississippi River.  A simple Google search couldn't come up with the Sainted King's required "holy" miracle, but I'll bet it has something to do with why the St. Louis Cardinals are always competitive in the national league, and a thorn in the side of the Chicago Cubs and their fans since the franchises first met in 1885.  So with my twitter followers best wishes, and ex-wives warnings in tow, I decided to go to St. Louis to find out what it means to be a Cubs fan in Cardinals country. 

On a Ferris Bueller June morning in Chicago, I donned my army fatigue vest and military Cubs hat, and hopped into my VW Convertible Bug for a reconnaissance mission into enemy territory.  The 5 hour drive down I-55 was pleasantly uneventful, farms, then farms, and then a college, and then more farms, and then Wendy's, and then farms, and then St. Louis.  The only local surprise was that the Airport in Springfield is called the Abraham Lincoln Airport.  I racked my brain trying to think of another airport named after someone who died before airplanes were invented, and wondered what Lincoln would think about the whole flying around in a metal tube thing, but  I guess that's what happens to your brain when you're listening to Johnny Cash on Pandora and looking at this for 5 hours straight.  

I put the top up when I felt the air pressure drop, and spied storm clouds in the distance, and like a warning from Sainted King Louis himself, who was considered "God on Earth" in his time, I was greeted at the famous Gateway Arch with harbingerous lightning and thunder, and an iphone warning from Big Brother to avoid flood areas.  

Not knowing where the flood areas were anyway, I continued driving to a place I had AirBnB'd down near Cherokee St. on the south side of town.  For those of you who never heard of Air BnB, it's when your'e poor and need money to pay your rent, so you rent out your whole place or a room and hope you break even, but you especially hope you don't get bed bugs, robbed, or your throat slashed.  Either way, the 33$ a night I paid to a local independent musician named Jeremy Joyce, was more than worth the room, clean bed, and the french pressed coffee he shared with me each morning over conversations about music, hipsters and where things are poppin' in St. Louis.   

With the rain still falling, and the radar suggesting "delayed game", I asked Jeremy the best way to the the stadium, and he suggested a shuttle they run from Hammerstone's, a local haunt in the Soulard district, 2 miles from Busch.  Needing a little liquid refreshment and some food, I figured I'd wait out the delay, and grab the shuttle with the Cardinals' fans.  After all, I wanted to see the enemy up close in his natural habitat.  What better place than one of the many pre game watering holes?  

Thing's got off on the right foot at Hammerstone's.  My second cup of Chili that day was kickin', (my first was at Wendy's), and their "St. Louis Original" deep fried beef ravioli soaked up the local Schlafly Pale Ale nicely.  I made friends with some of the employees and a couple of old timers and was thinking, "Hey these St. Louisans aren't so bad.  My luck was about to turn however, when these guys walked through the door.

The picture is a bit hazy, as my Iphone had taken on some moisture in the flash flood, but the front of these unlicensed t-shirt's show the band "Chicago's" logo, which elicited "boo's" from Hammerstone's scarlet laden patrons upon their entrance into the bar, and then of course "laughter and cheers" when these gentlemen spun around to reveal their true opinion that the "Cubs Suck".  

Looking for a little action to wait out the rain delay, I immediately befriended these gentlemen,  who I nicknamed the 'St. Louis Party Boys'.  As the rain and radar began to clear up, they suggested I join them at yet another drinking establishment closer to the stadium called "DB's".  A Cubs fan on Twitter suggested I go there too, but I looked it up and it seemed akin to 'Hooters', which like strip clubs,  make me feel unsatisfied and somewhat saddened.  But with these guys?.....Hell Yeah I'll Go!!

Unfortunately, DB's was closed, but the place across the street, Social House does the exact same thing.  Naked women, serving bar food and drinks, while old guys get a last kick before the massive coronary does em in.  And the 'St. Louis Party Boys' are living their last 10-20 years to the fullest. They bought me shots and a beer, and got fresh with the waitresses, all the while razzing me and the Cubs with a testosterone driven, alcohol fueled madness.

After a 2 hour game delay, and a 4 hour, ahem, pre-game drinking session, it was time for 'The St. Louis Party Boys' and I to go watch some Cubs/Cards rivalry baseball.  We all stumbled aboard the shuttle, which was blasting Queen's 'Crazy Little Thing Called Love'.  We sang along.  We toasted.  And we exchanged phone numbers with the promise that I would try and meet up with them later in their more expensive 100 level seats, when I felt it safe enough to sneak down.  

As I entered the park, post storm, the St. Louis sunset evolved brilliantly, but the skie's beauty was slightly muted by the imposing folksy modernity of 'new' Busch Stadium, while the piercing hues of Cardinal Red agitated my rawest nerve, like a bull snarling into a matadors' cape  .  I settled into my 300 level seat uneasily with an unnecessary Schlafly beer, and snapped off a few photographs of the Gateway City's sunset.

I call this one....Flacid Cardinal Flag....

On the ball field and in the sky...Red battles Blue...

The sun had set, the Cardinals had scored 2 runs, and armed with inebriation's destructive confidence, and the 'St. Louis Party Boys' text messaged section number, I set off in the 5th inning to sneak down into Box Seats.  Further into enemy territory, not hiding up in the hills on recon, but down in the trenches.  Field Level.

So I did what I always do, act like I'm not doing anything wrong, and just walk to better seats.  This rarely works at Wrigley.  The Octogenarian gate keepers to Field Box at Wrigley all fought in World War 2 and don't take no guff.  While, St .Louis's average aged usher is an idealistic "Baby Boomer".  So during an inning change, I went camouflaged into the sea of red, and into what proved to be my fatal mistake of the evening.  

At first, I couldn't find the 'St. Louis Party Boys', but it's hard not too miss four sizable gentlemen wearing Cubbie Blue amongst the Crimson back drop of Busch.  They had also moved down to better seats, and were sitting only 10 rows or so back from the Cardinals dugout.  So, I waited for another inning change, and crossed deep behind enemy lines. It was there I stepped on the landmine.  

I arrived triumphantly at this scene.

But our 'box seat reunion' proved to be short lived.  As I had no sooner asked why the sleeping 'Party Boy's' shirt is turned inside out, than multiple security guards descended upon us, demanding of the 'St. Louis Party Boy's' to turn their shirts inside out or they would be kicked out.  But instead of succumbing to the will of 'the man', they decided to leave the stadium.  I couldn't blame em'.  They were a 'Party Boy' down after all, and the rain delay had us all behaving incongruously with the conduct expected of the wealthier and possibly classier, Box Seat holders.  

What happened next, is unfortunately NOT a blur, being a musician and podcaster, I record what I hear, human interactions, random cool sounds, bands...all sorts of stuff.  Often times, I am privy to the aggressive ugliness of my inebriated states.  Hopefully, my more cringeworthy moments in this recording are just me taking AA's first of 12 steps "1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol that our lives had become unmanageable.".  And like Sainted King Louis after losing most of his army in Tunis, I should have admitted defeat, and retreated to my cheap seats after losing the cover of 'The St. Louis Party Boys'.  So what did I do?  I stupidly continued the argument with an usher and Cardinals' fans as to my belief that the 'Party Boys' should be allowed to have "sucks" emblazoned on their bloated backs.  It wasn't my fight.  I was as wrong as King St. Louis attacking Tunis without clean drinking water.  And it sounded like this.

(Warning *there is swearing in this recording, worse than "sucks" anyway)

Still reading?  Cause we haven't even gotten to the good part yet.  Soon after this unfortunate encounter, the same usher who I argued with about the "sucks"shirts entered stage right with a big bad rent a cop who demanded to see my ticket.  Luckily, even though I was sitting in the 'Party Boy's' wrong seats, I had asked one of 'The Boys' for his 100 level ticket as he left.  I whipped out my 'Party Boy' stub for the stadium muscle, hoping it would save me, but right behind the rent a cop, was a real cop, with a gun, who demanded an explanation.  Now this part IS a drunken blur.  I was talking, they were all talking, and the fans were booing, and then the real cop said something about how he was gonna take me to jail...  Knowing my arrest worthiness at this current moment, and innate fear of spending the night with a large cellmate named Bubba,  I agreed to leave and zipped my lips.  The real and rent a cops jawed me all the way to the front gates of the stadium, trying to goad me into saying or doing something stupip so they could arrest me.  But I had finally learned the lesson of St. Louis in the Holy City of Tunis as he defeatedly buried his men before dying himself,  "Shut Up and Go Home".
The Cubs ended up losing this game 5-2 anyway....

      Why does everything have to be so RED around here!!!

I woke up, hungover and ashamed, after listening to the recordings and downloading the previous nights photo's onto my computer, but I had a job to do. I needed to try and figure out why these fans of St. Louis have been treated to 11 World Championships, only behind the Yankees' 27, while the Cubs....well, we all know the Cubs story....so I cleaned myself up and tumbled out into the muggy afternoon to sweat out toxins and search for answers.  

On my walk down Cherokee st., a slowly gentrifying artsy district with authentic mexican restaurants on the west end (Taqueria El Bronco was excellent, and the waitress was cute), and antiques and curiosity shops as you move east.  I happened upon a Cubs logo'd item in the storefront window of Penny's Boutique.  

Now, I thought through the window, and with that plastic wrapping, that these were Cub's and Red's candles, but Penny's custom embroiderer Mark informed me, that upon further inspection, you can plainly see that this is Cubs and Reds embroidered toilet paper.  Yes, that's right, you can't wear "Cubs Sucks" shirts at the stadium, but you CAN wipe your butt while showing how much you hate the Chicago Cubs.  Mark said it broke his heart, but a friend asked him to make Cardinals TP too for a gift, and was kind enough to email me a photo.  They don't, however showcase this product in the window.

Continuing on my sweaty journey, I turned a corner and wham!  I smelled beer.  Well, hops anyway.  I've been on a few brewery tours in my time, and I figured I was near the Budweiser factory. Sure enough, the nose knows, and within a few blocks I was standing in front of this....

Luckily, I walked into the main tourist hall just as the free tour was leaving.  No waiting for Son Ranto!  It was pretty typical for a large factory tour, kinda boring, and one of the tour guides inaudibly mumbled.  However, I think I could watch this Bud Lite canning machine for hours.  

Hypnotic.

Having watched the Cubs lose the night before, and searching for answers as to the Cardinals success, I was on the look out for any clues as to why the Cubs, who spend slightly less money than the Cards are fighting for 4th place, while the Cardinals own the best record in the Majors.  That's when I saw Dale Sveum.

Not at the ballpark preparing, but on the Budweiser Brewery tour!

Here's Dale's bald head admiring a fermentation tank.

Post Tour Dale enjoying 1 of 2 free pre-game beers!

Of course, this Dale doppelganger is really just some Scottish tourist on holiday, but I had fun twittering these pics to other Cubs fans as I enjoyed my 2 free beers.  After sweating out the previous nights libations, it was 'hair of the dog' time.  Now off to the ballgame!!

Seeking to not repeat the foibles of the previous evening, I decided to sit in my actual seat, and not talk to anybody but Cubs fans on Twitter.  The Cubs surprisingly scored 4 in the first with back to back homers off Wainwright, and that's all they would need to win.  I sat reservedly cheering, snapping pics, and twittering.  Sorry there's no good story here, except for my best friend "The Lovable Lou Sears" texted me that he'd give me 1000 bucks to get kicked out again by putting my head up this usher's shirt.  I chose to not.

Cubs Win!  Now it's my turn to win!  At the Casino!!

A mile from Busch stands the Lumiere Casino, and even though I received rotten directions from a cop, I eventually wandered through a back entrance and strode in as confidently as Sainted King Louis did during his glorious battles against the Cathars of Northern Spain and Italy.  The gambling plan was throw 20 bucks in some slots.  Either lose the 20$ or make the 20$ cab fare it would take me to get back to the south side, instead of waiting for some 2$ bus and then walking a mile through the gentrifying ghetto.  Between 'Deal or No Deal', 'Dueces Wild Poker', and 'Dean Martin's Wild Party', I found myself up 22$, and heeded a similar lesson as to the evening before.  "Take the Money and Go Home".  

The historical piously Sainted King Louis would most likely have disapproved of casinos, having banned Jews from lending money as usuries, while simultaneously burning 1000's of copies the Hebrew holy book, The Talmud.  But I'm from Chicago, and I'm letting the casino pay my cab fare, and the only thing I burn are cigarettes.  I don't make a habit of following the example of some 12th century French king anyway, even if I am in his namesake city.  

After a needed nights sleep, and a little musical 'show and tell' with my AirBnB host Jeremy Joyce , it was time to drive back to the motherland, Chicago.  Goodbye St.  Louis.  Thanks for making me a stronger Cubs fan.  My resolve to beat you Cardinals has never been stronger.  Through adversity and struggle will come wisdom and success.  Hopefully the same can be said someday of our current young Cubs team.  Maybe there's something to be learned from these confident Cardinals.  Maybe these tough road trips can help the Cubs become like the Mamluks, who not only fought off St. Louis and his crusading army, but also held off the vicious hordes of Mongols coming from the east.  Most likely the American League East.....

But next time I come here, I'm gonna knock that arch on its side to make it a "C".  Anyone want to help me paint it Cubbie Blue?

I'm off....

Farm.  Farm.  College.  Farm.  Farm. Route 66 museum?  Hey, that sounds cool... so after grabbing a quick 5$ Footlong,  I made my way to the Pontiac, Illinois Route 66 museum.  Some cool memorabilia of times gone by, when you could 'get your kicks' all the way from Chicago to Los Angeles.

But what really blew me away was the War Museum upstairs in the same building.

Rows of mannequins don the original uniforms of soldiers, living and dead, while their personal stories are told by the soldiers themselves on an automated cell phone tour. Complete with letters home, weapons, and memorabilia from bazookas to Japanese cigarette packs.  It's a haunting and riveting display, and worth a stop if you ever find yourself 2 hours south of Chicago on I-55. 

I felt humbled among the spirits of the people who inhabited these uniforms. These people fought Nazi's and I'm fighting Cardinals' fans.  My camouflage vest, worn only for fashion and fun as I traveled into "enemy territory" felt suddenly suddenly like the costume it was.  We baseball rivals from both sides of the Mississippi, are just like boys playing war, while the real soldiers are out there bravely putting their butts on the lines in conflicts they can't individually control or understand.  

But even in these hallowed halls, a veteran volunteer, and another museum patron and I still had time to talk Cubs baseball.  We all agreed. Marmol's done.

After badly timing my departure from the museum, my "Welcome Home" to Chicago was rush hour traffic. I never understood why it was called 'rush hour' when you don't actually rush at all.  But I settled into my Uptown apartment in time to catch Pat and Keith with the first pitch of game 3 of the Cubs-Cards series, exhausted and ready to ruminate over the whole experience.  

The Cubs lead the all time series against the Cardinals 1174-1116, with their first meeting in the World Series of 1885, only 20 short years after the end of the Civil War.  The Missouri compromise admitted Missouri as a slave state in 1820, while Illinois remained free.  Could it be that the Blue vs. Grey of the US's bloodiest conflict has been replaced with Blue vs. Red of the Cubs-Cardinals regional rivalry?   The vicious slaughtering of war, has progressed into a costumed display of "Cubs Suck"  t shirts and embroidered team logo toilet paper.  Cubs fans can be characterized as good natured, fun, eternally hopeful, diehard, drunk and superstitious.  While Cardinal fans are intense, confident, detail oriented, drunk and brash. And following in the tradition of the nobility in King St. Louis' court, Cardinal fans also marry their cousins.  

Yes, I suppose, Cubs and Cardinal fans are natural enemies, but at least we're not shooting at each other like in the Civil War.  Just rooting for baseball teams with players from all over the World.  After all the French descendants of Sainted King Louis and the Italian and Spanish modern Cathars aren't slaughtering each other anymore either.  They play soccer now.  

Ok...St. Louis AirBnB host Jeremy Joyce....play us out....

Even the Stop signs hate the Cubs!

Hammerstone's is home of "The Thing".  Danger Danger!

Well, that's reassuring....

Ozzie Smith tripping over a shoelace.

Stan Musial's knees double as Stop Lights.

Behind Enemy Lines

You don't have to worry about Tornados or Guns at Busch Stadium.

Help!  I'm Surrounded by Red Things!!

Hey!  That's a good deal!

I guess he traded in his robe for a sweater?

Where the cool kids hang out...

I hope it's a Cardinal.

Cool, but huh?

Boo!

There's beer fume's in them towers!

Maybe this is why Budweiser tastes like horse pee?

Well, finish it St. Louis!

Where beer costs less than gas, you're gonna have problems...

Can't grow weed without the seed!

The Deathstar.

A Cubs win from nosebleed!

Is that hotel peeing into the river?!

Schlafly!

Out on recon....

Route 66 hippie bus.

Where do you put the Credit Card?

Only 4 years of being a road, and you build a museum?  

Under Cubbie Blue skies.