My wife and I don't really follow baseball much, but a visit to a major league ballpark is part of the cultural experience, as far as we're concerned. I've heard that Wrigley Field is an absolute must-see in this regard.

But you Cubs fans just don't know when to stay away! Looking online, it appears that tickets are sold out, or only a few available in an extreme corner, almost any day I check in the next few weeks. (Yet the Sox still have half price Mondays.)

Is this accurate, or would I find that tickets are available at the box office? One book suggested that it's worth buying from scalpers. If so, do they discount heavily after the game starts?

Ed: If you really don't follow baseball, why not buy the corner seats? Get to the park well before game time, walk around a bit, soak up the atmosphere, then settle in your seats. The Cubs are so incredibly bad this year who cares about the actual game? I guarantee you'll leave by the 5th or 6th inning anyway. Then head over to one of the many pubs in the area, order a beer, shake your head and mumble "wait until next year."

Well to answer your question about the differences in Sox and Cubs tickets, one reason is that Comiskey Park (where the Sox play) is much larger thatn Wrigley Field a small very old world ballpark. Also like you many people in Chicago just go for the atmosphere whether the Cubs are winning or losing. Ther are many legal ticket brokers (not scalpers) in the Wrigley neighborhood. Go early before the game and you will see a several booths along Addison Street where tickets are sold from brokers. If you wait and go in at say the 3rd inning you will get a significantly reduced price from ticket sellers. There is also always the scalpers. The experience is worth it though.

Ed: I would personally get into the park before the game starts - there's just something about Wrigley that you need to see before it's filled with people - I can't describe it - it really is a beautiful ballfield. And you can always hang around homeplate and try to get autographs.

Dear Ed,

We go to Chicago every year to see the cubs play and just sit and drink all day, but my husband is real cubs fan so i try to get the best tickets we can and a lot of times if you wait until you get there you can get them at the box office and don't pay all those charges from ticket master and a scalper or a conciere at a hotel. it is worth waiting. We are going from a saturday until a thurday in June and I just plan to buy all of the tickets then. You can't make those cub fans stay away they make all the fun for us visitors. We wished we lived there. It is a sight. We almost went to Negril, Jamaica, but the more we thought about it we are not beach people and we are just dying to get to Wrigley field and all of those great italian restaurants in town. We just love. So try to get some bleacher seats too. that is where all the fun is. Go Cubbies!!!!

Liz

Liz: Please....please... do not call them CUBBIES - a true sign of an out-of-towner. They are the Cubs.

Richie,

Didn't Harry Caray refer to them as the "Cubbies" when he sang take me out to the ballgame?

Yes I am a TRUE OUT TOWNER and I LOVE the CUBBIES!!!!! Well my husband loves the CUBS I love the Houston Astros.

Liz

Tickets for weekday games, during the day are easy to get. Go to the the box office on the day of game or buy from one of the local ticket brokers or scalpers near the field.

Definitely go to the ticket box office first. I buy tickets for what the really cost. You will be glad you did. Just to let you know sometimes when we go up to the box office. I ask for the best seats they have because a lot of times the other teams family did not show up and there seat could be avaliable. Last August we were seating right behind home plate up against that brick wall it was great and we didn't even plan that.

Liz

Hey try ebay.com, just bought tickets at cost, check out there and see what you get.