GAME TWO

Somehow I missed the earlier start time.

It reminded me of a summer trip my buddies and I took in the summer of  '87 to see the Cubs play. This was in the days before StubHub or SeatGeek. You either had tickets or you didn't.

We didn't.

We didn't let that stop us. We were going to Chicago. Nothing was going to stop us. This was the summer Elvis was spotted in a Burger King in Kalamazoo. Susanna Hoff walked like an Egyptian. THE UNTOUCHABLES was released.

We were going to Chicago.

Checked into a budget hotel downtown. The kind with external doors, exposed stairwells, coin operated bed shakers. Hit the bars.

Still no tickets.

Drove to Wrigley. Parked in a lot. Walked up to the park.

Sold out.

Cubs were 76-85 that year. They finished last. We were used to years like that in Detroit. We could show up a half a minute before the first pitch and get box seats.

Not so in Chicago.

We hiked it back to the lot. The attendant shook his head. Gave us back our money. I tipped him five.

Twenty-nine years later the Cubs tie up the series with a victory in Cleveland.