A quote from JJ5
" don't ask anyone to understand. It just is." Yes I agree, it is just boring. And before you jump me bounty, I probably know as much about the game as you do, and sorry but it is BORING, slow, and BORING. Perhaps the only sport more boring than baseball is American Football. Now that is REALLY BORING AND ALSO A BIT ON THE DUMB SIDE.

curt, I won't argue with you as that would be pointless. but are there any sports that you do like? do tell us, so we can have the opportunity to make fun of you too. soccer? cricket? curling? c'mon, there must be some sport you like so we can ridicule you?

Well since this is a travel site I do not feel that any sport chat belongs here. Having said that, I guess my favorite sport is, well gee I don't have one. Guess I just like to travel.

Curt, I'm planning a trip this summer that will include a Cardinals game, a Royals game, a trip to the Field of Dreams movie site and a Kernels game in Iowa (an Angels farm team). So, sometimes sports and travel DO go together.

well, then let me politely suggest you find another thread where you are more interested and having something to contribute. You can rant about Fridays, or talk about digital cameras, weddings, wine, recipes and lots of other topics only peripherally related to travel. we've got a nice thread going here about ballparks and the fans. some of us may, like sfamylou, be thinking about a trip to a ballpark in the near future.

its not like we were discussing Manny Ramirez average with runners in scoring position, or Kevin Brown's ERA or the number of hits Ichiro has so far, or how Vlad manages to hit any pitch thrown in his general vicinity, or anything like that.

First, let me say that I have no idea who Manny Ramirez,Kevin Brown or Ichiro are, let alone what team they are on, so even if you were talking about that it would mean nothing to me.Vlad? Wasn't he a vampire in Transylvania? Now that is a travel subject for sure!

Now, I can say that maybe by the time amylou gets to KC the Royals may win a game!

I'm with sfamylou. The summers when we're fortunate enough to take a road trip we almost always include at least one baseball game. This is, unfortunately, not one of those summers. But we are going to take an over-nighter to Milwaukee to see a Brewers game. And my husband and son will be going to a Cardinals game while we're visiting my in-laws. So for us, travel and baseball very definitely go together.

I see that china_cat just made my other point much more eloquently than I would have. I was just going to ask Curt why on earth he's reading this thread, much less responding, if he's so down on sports? I'll never understand why some people seem to feel that they have to read every single thread. Or, even more to the point, why they feel that anything not of interest to them shouldn't be available to those who are interested.

Sorry I apologize. Guess I was just in a pissy mood. Will never, ever, ever post again whenever I see the word baseball ....

Just ignore the negative and founts of negativity and enjoy the boys of summers everyone.

And if you do travel by air and look down, one of the most outstanding things you notice about the USA regardless of the landscape, is that baseball diamonds /fields are in evidence throughout.

I too am going to a Joliet Jackhammers game at the end of August with a lot of college students from my school. Some of those parks are great family outings, and at this one you can blanket spread/picnic beyond the outfield lines- as they did in the early days of baseball.

Actually I have gotten immense help in my early days of traveling to games in other cities from my Fodors group here.

And I thank again the Anaheim people who have helped with the Angels May trip. The logistics look great and I'm sure we will have a good time.

Hey girls, not only is Garland the A.L. pitcher of the month this year but he is also single. And very good looking. Buehrle got engaged.

I love Podsednik, just love the way he plays. And our ex Carlos Lee has trumped the Cubs two or three times this week. Life is good!

Actually, what I think is very interesting JJ% is your reference to "taking a Ferris Bueller day off" on the FFR&R.

Here you are, a White Sox fan. Yet, you can't get away from a veiled reference to the Cubs.

The White Sox, the best team no one will see.

Yes, that is so true, Ryan.

Only my true Ferris Bueller's day off is going to be to "Wicked" next week.

And you would be surprised at all the people I do meet at the Cell. People do go, but they are the kind of people who work in the daytime and you will never read their names in print until it makes the obits. (Although this year the average is already high attendance, and we had a nasty cold spell for the entire last home stand.) It's also extremely family friendly.

Maybe you will all want my extra or unused tickets come August or Sept.- so you better be nice to me know/

For all of you traveling this summer to Chicago. The Red Line does go South. And the Cell is EASY from downtown. Monday night homestands are 1/2 price. Tuesday is buy 1/ get 1 with Pepsi UPC. And Thursday is dollar hot dog night.

And of course there is fireworks on Saturday after the game. Fridays only sometimes.

And ladies, there are endless stalls in the bathrooms. NO WAITING. Unlike another park I could name that has next to no facilities for females.

JJ5-
you inspired me to see the White Sox, but they aren't in town either weekend we are looking at coming to town. Damn!

Unless we take an extra day and see a Monday night game... for 1/2 price you say? (I'll check my vacation schedule!)

It IS a shame that the White Sox attract so relatively few fans to their park. Here they are, off to a great start, and on Wednesday night I would be amazed if there were even 10,000 people here. Yes, I know the weather wasn't cooperating, but they still pack them in at Wrigley, and you haven't even beeen seeing good baseball there lately! Plus, they even have hot water in the restrooms at the Cell!

Speaking for myself - and I'm sure many others - it's all about the park in Chicago. Other than MADDUX, my former Braves boyfriend , it doesn't matter to me that I'm seeing the Cubs. It's ALL ABOUT WRIGLEY!

Think I might have my crew convinced to change dates and add in a Monday White Sox game!

Reading the thread title only, I thought JJ was going to say that a flight left O'Hare on time!! Since I have terrible luck at O'Hare, to me that is a rare Chicago occurrence indeed.

Wednesday night they had 15,982- the least all year. We have had over 30,000 at almost all the weekend games. And the upper deck is much worse other places, Milwaukee to name one.

And we have great food. You can find good in the neighborhood, but if you have no time- eating at the ball park is not just junk. We even have a patio area. You can have your own private parties etc.

The reason fewer go is that their huge fan base no longer lives by the Cell.
That does not mean that people who live by the Cell do not support the Sox, they do. But still the great majority of Sox fans watch/listen on tv/radio. And the recent business end of baseball has made that happen- both in the strike year when we "won" the division, and also when Sox "on TV" got butchered by WGN and the Cubs mandate. Don't forget that Harry Carrey himself was a SOX announcer first- but would not go to "pay" tv.

Lots of fans in Indiana never go- think they will fall into a black hole- but listen all the time.

The neighborhood has gotten better, and I think is still troubled but with less and less highrise projects surviving and gentrification approaching from several directions, it is only going to get better.

Most ironic thing of all. The immense fan base has no access by el or train to the Cell. They would have to go downtown first to get there except from the very far east side of the South side proper. Most of their fans are west, far west, south, far sw. Daley has tried several times to at least have a platform change. No dice.

Parking is plentiful in lots but like every Chicago expressway, IMHO, not easy to access and follow the maze leading to the various lots etc. This also puts people off.

Another baseball lady here-
dual Giants and Cards fan-what can
I say, yet it's a happy marriage.

Off for a week in September to STL,
DH's hometown,
to pay our repects at Busch.
Until then, I surely enjoy the
ferry boat rides to SBC!

R5

I can not WAIT to see the White Sox play the Angels here last week of June. And I can not WAIT to pay my respects to Busch stadium, either. We were going to miss a game there, but it hit me how much I want my son to see it. So, we're leaving town a day earlier than planned and bombing through with maybe one stop. Our whole trip is baseball; we need to get home in time to see the Angels-Red Sox match up.

Yes, do I know how you try to get that "one more day" thing in there.
My kids are worse than I am.

ie. One wedding date was changed after they realized it was Cubs/Sox home stand.

Business trip was extended one day in Texas because he had to get a further audit. (Ha-ha)

Many more.

The only one I was distressed over was one in which I got last minute tickets from a teacher's day fundraiser thingee free. I went with my guy. Guess who we run into right away and he's about 4 rows behind our dugout! Eldest, with wife and all three kids (and the baby was FIVE days old.)

I still think he shouldn't have taken that 5 day old baby into any place crowded like that.

It's a sickness.

my husband asked me where I wanted to go for my birthday last year. Go out? I said? not a chance...It was Oct 27th, 2004....Game 4, I wasn't going anywhere unless he could come up with a ticket in St Louis! It IS a sickness.

After reading this thread, I have an itch to go to Chicago...see a game in EACH stadium. Oh well, maybe next year. See, it IS travel related. Now I'm thinking about travelling!