A White Sox Victory Without Playing

Nearly two months ago, I was on the Southside of Chicago. It was Friday, September 12 and I was joined by a dozen other people to tailgate for The Chicago White Sox vs. The Detroit Tigers. We drove up to the stadium EXTREMELY early to get to the park by 10 am. The reason for this is so that we could go on a tour of U.S. Cellular Field. What a great experience. Next season, I recommend that every baseball (Sox) fan goes on this tour. I was expecting $30-$50 a person. Nope. Only $5 to take the tour. Plus all the money goes to White Sox Charities which helps out under-privileged children in the area.
So, I got to sit in the dugout where Ozzy yells at people and chews on sunflower seeds. It was a great start to the day.
However, at this point a mist filled the air that looked threatening enough to develop into actual rain. After my many trips to Da Cell that year with inclumate weather looming, it always cleared up by the time the first pitch was tossed out. Surely this would be one of those times.
After a quick adventure on the Red Line into the city to pick up the remainder of the supplies necessary for tailgating, we were back in the parking lot under the sign that can be seen from the Dan Ryan.
We had hot dogs and hamburgers. We even had steak. We drank Miller Light and Apple Pie Shots (Thank you, Sarah!) We played bags or stayed under the trees when the rain really picked up.
With determination that God would not let Da Sox (His favorite team) to be rained out, we marched to the field that we had behind-the-scenes access to earlier that day. We paused for a moment at the 2005 World Series Championship monument (as every true fan should do before each Sox victory.)
It is there that we met up with three of my other friends, Dan, Tatiana and Liz.
After getting our Official, Limited-Edition 2008 Halfway to St. Patrick's Day White Sox Hat at the gates, we went on a quest for the Miller Lite Sports Deck to fulfill a tradition started at the beginning of the season. Should Marcus and I have a tall Miller Lite as soon as we enter the field, Da White Sox win. However, because our friend Josh had too much fun awaiting the game, he needed assistance to his seat by Marcus.
Irregardless, the quest for the deck went on with me and three others. The winding ramps and escalators all blended together and the passageway to the sports deck which was once easily found was extremely illusive.
With the game about to start, we ventured up to our seats and gave up on tradition. We climbed nearly 3 hours to get to our seats at the very top of the stadium. (We could see three separate states from where we sat.) Halfway through the announcement of our team, the game went on rain delay.
This opened up the opportunity to search for the sports deck again. This quest was mainly fueled by the fact that half of our party was already down there. After getting my tall Miller Lite, things felt as if they were beginning to look up. Alas, I was mistaken.
Not even halfway through my Miller Lite I was taking part of my first ever rain cancellation in my many years as a White Sox fan. How very depressing. I hadn't even had an opportunity to have a ball-park dog yet. Let alone enjoy a brat or Polish sausage!
I couldn't stand by this. The three who had joined me on my quest to enjoy 24 oz of Miller Lite in one sitting still had enough adventure surging through their veins to sneak onto the 100 level to get the best brats and Polish sausages in the entire ballpark at The Straightaway Cafe under the bar in center field.
These cylindrical meals of goodness are made by God Himself and handed to you by Jesus. "Enjoy, my son." One of the participants in this expedition was my Second City friend Liz who has a website that talks about food and stuff. Click here for her take on the best bratwurst in the city. (She has a great value in my refined palate.)
While we were all soaked and disappointed that the day ended without the expected White Sox win, it still was a good day to catch up with old friends and hang out with new ones. The comradery enjoyed by everyone there was apparent and appreciated. Plus, our tickets are still valid for next season, so it won't be a total loss. (Like The Cubs in the postseason!)