Welcome to the final post from BBRT’s annual Ballpark Tours baseball trek. This year’s trip (Bleacher Bums XXXIII … A Rock and Roll Adventure) took us to Schaumburg, IL (minor league), Chicago (Cubs/Giants), Cleveland (Twins/Indians), Detroit (Tigers/Red Sox) and back to Chicago (White Sox/Angels). For reports from earlier in the trip: Day One, click here. Day Two, click here. Day three, click here. Days Four and Five, click here.
Day Six – White Sox Rock Angels
At “The Cell” we sat in the lower deck, right field. BBRT suggests lower deck seats at U.S. Cellular – it’s where the action is.
Day Six saw us back in Chicago (Hotel Indigo again, see Day One) for a White Sox/Angels contest at U.S. Cellular Field – known by locals as “The Cell.” Let me begin by saying you’ll find the Sox fans more serious than their Cubs’ counterparts, and you’ll also find far fewer “baseball tourists” at The Cell. (On the way there, I had a conversation with one Southside local who wondered why we wanted to go to a Sox game).
The game wasn’t particularly compelling – with the White Sox topping the Angel 8-2. It did have its moments though:
- Sox’ RF Avasail Garcia, went two-for-four with two home runs (lighting up the A.S. Cellular scoreboard) and four RBI.
- We broke a BPT 2015 trend, seeing only five pitchers – after seeing 45 pitchers in the first four major league games.
- White Sox Cy Young candidate Chris Sale went 7 1/3 innings for the win (his tenth), giving up just two runs on five hits and two walks – with seven strikeouts.
- I finally saw my 6-4-3 double play in the fifth inning, off the bat of Angels’ C Chris Iannetta. (Alexei Ramirez to Carlos Sanchez to Adam LaRoche).
- Sox CF Adam Eaton made a great running catch in deep center field – off the bat of Albert Pujols.
Avasail Garcia lit up the sky and the scoreboard with a pair of home runs.
BBRT Survey
BBRT conducted an on-the-bus survey regarding a handful (minus one) of baseball issues. Given the venue in which the survey was taken, it’s safe to assume the respondents were all baseball fans with some knowledge of and passion for the game. In general, the group supported the DH as is (AL only), doesn’t want to see Pete Rose in the Hall of Fame, is split on the use of a clock in MLB and supports challenges and replays as part of the game. Here are the detailed results.
When asked if Pete Rose should continue to be banned from baseball:
Maintain the ban 57%
Lift the ban 35%
No opinion 8%
On-board opinions on the DH:
Keep as is – DH in AL, not in NL 48%
Eliminate DH (both leagues) 22%
DH or no DH, just make both leagues the same 17%
Use DH in AL and NL 13%
On the proposed rules on the use of a clock in baseball:
Support 48%
Oppose 44%
No opinion 8%
On MLB’s challenge and replay system:
Support 57% (13% stipulated only with adjustments)
Oppose 39%
No opinion 4%
U.S. Cellular Field
The Cell has a bit of a blue collar feel – not a lot of frills, but good sight lines (at least from the lower deck). BBRT would recommend holding out for lower deck seats for a couple of reasons: 1) The Upper Deck is steep and high; 2) The Sox restrict the ability to move between decks and there is more going on (in terms of food and entertainment on the lower level). A few other observations:
- The White Sox three video boards (left, center and right field) provide plenty of information for fans. (I also found the left field – old school – video board enjoyable. Basically, black and white (yellow, actually), it reminded of the Twins-O-Gram at old Met Stadium.
- The White Sox are keeping pace with MLB’s trend toward the honoring of former greats, with the White Sox Legends Sculpture Plaza. In the concourse between Sections 100 and 164, you’ll find tributes to: Louis Aparicio; Harold Baines; Charles Comiskey; Carlton Fisk; Nellie Fox; Paul Konerko; Minnie Minoso; Billy Pierce; and Frank Thomas.
- If you go to the ballpark not just for the game, but also for the food, US. Cellular is a little slice of heaven. You’ll want to make a trip around the concourse just to see what the offerings are. They range from sausages of every ethnicity (with plenty of tasty toppings) to Corn off the Cob (highly recommended by BBRT) to unique items like an Avocado/Bacon Grilled Cheese sandwich with Tomato-Basil Bisque. For sheer volume, the Nachos in a Helmet should keep you busy for the whole game. Not only are the choices plentiful and tasty, U.S. Cellular has some of MLB’s most reasonable concession prices.
- BBRT also recommends the two-tiered, open-air, right field Bullpen Sports Bar. A great place to enjoy a beverage and the game in the company of passionate baseball fans.
The Cell’s Bloody Mary
The Cell’s Bloody Mary – appropriately spiced and priced.
U.S. Cellular’s Bloody Mary – purchased at the lower-level, right-field corner Infinity Zone Bar was the best and cheapest (at $8.25) of the trip. Rather than just vodka and a prepared mix, this one included Worcestershire sauce and celery salt added by the bartender (and you did have a choice of levels of spice), a pair of olives, a lime wedge and a lemon wedge. Not quite as tangy as Detroit’s pickle-brine flavored mix, but appropriately spiced and priced.
The Trip Home
After the White Sox game, it was back on the bus for the trip back to Saint Paul. Along the way, we made a stop at the Mihas Brewery (Monroe, WI) and Beer Memorabilia Museum – which has added a distillery since our last visit. There was plenty of beer tastings, as well as the opportunity to sample spirits (tequila, rye, vodka and more). We had about a two-hour stop in the town of Monroe population about 10,000. For most trekker the schedule went: 1) Taste a few of Minhas’ beers; 2) Lunch in nearby “downtown” Monroe (which has a surprising number of choices, from home-style cooking to deli sandwiches to barbeque to Mexican specialties). I was in a group that chose Poncho and Lefties Outlaw Grill; 3) Sample the spirits at the Minhas Distillery (I especially enjoyed the tequilas); and then back to the bus.
Wrapping Up – with a Brewery and a Distillery
The final few hours, were spent swapping stories from this year’s trip (and previous trips) in a bus filled with laughter. We rolled back into Saint Paul by about 9:30 p.m. and the 2015 Ballpark Tours Bleacher Bums XXXIII trip ended in much the same way it started – with lots of hugs and handshakes. The final touch – a round of applause for tour operator Julian Loscalzo – who once again delivered a memorable baseball (and social) experience.
A visit to the Minhas Distillery had us in high spirits for the ride home.
The Babe would have approved of our Ballpark Tours journey.
Ballpark Tours Bleacher Bums XXIII – our rolling group traded miles for memories, and it was a good trade.
