Fundamental Difference between Men and Women

So yours truly and the wife are planning a Labor Day weekend trip to Chicago for the one-year anniversary. The wife knows that she can plan essentially the entire trip but the one thing on my agenda is to make it to a Cubs game at Wrigley Field. Any red-blooded male understands the need to go to Wrigley Field. Let alone for a sunny afternoon game on Labor Day Monday.

Tickets are obviously sold out. They've probably been sold out since five minutes after tickets went on sale. It's a good game against the Astros. And, of course, because it's Labor Day, it's an excuse for the Cubs to charge "premium pricing" for their tickets (i.e. double the normal cost). What is any buyer's recourse for a sold out event aside from dealing with scalpers? Hit Stubhub. On Stubhub, I tracked down sixth row upper deck seats which at Wrigley are ridiculously low, just behind first base, for $65/ticket. This is only ten dollars above the face value of the ticket of $55. Of course, after shipping and Stubhub's commission, this comes out to about $75/ticket.

Really? I have to give THIS experience up??

Well now it appears as if I have to resell the tickets because $75/ticket. This is not a final decision by any means. It is an ongoing "dispute" shall we say. My contention is that it is Wrigley Field, it's good seats, it's not a bad price given the sold out nature of the game, it's one of the true meccas for sports fans, I would be a whining, annoying wreck if we went to Wrigleyville the day of the game for the atmosphere and I couldn't go into the game, that on an anniversary trip I'm not going to abandon the wife for one afternoon and do my own thing, and that this is simply an opportunity that I, as a sports fan who has only ever been in Chicago one other time in November and won't foreseeably be there in baseball season anytime soon, can't pass up. The wife's contention is that $75 is a ridiculous amount to pay for baseball tickets, let alone upper deck tickets, and that it's money that could be better spent elsewhere on our trip.

Gentlemen, I don't write this because I need validation of my viewpoint. I know that I am correct. I am writing this to vent. It's Wrigley Field. It's Labor Day. It's one of the all-time best environments for a major league ballgame. I'm there. I may need a divorce attorney, but I'm there.




EDIT TEN MINUTES AFTER POST - There has been some resolution. I still win. However, our attendance will be part of my birthday present. I'm an awesome negotiator.

Soriano Owes Apology to Cubs, Fans

The culprit limps off, with help. (AP Photo)

In yesterday's game with the Cubs, Alfonso Soriano suffered a lower leg injury while catching a fairly routine fly ball. Watching the replay shows that he was not contacted during the play nor did he dive or even need to extend himself. The cause of the injury was the landing from a small hop he performed while catching the ball, and the hop was unnecessary to reach the ball. Apparently, the hop is common for Soriano, but depending on the MRI results, he could be out a few weeks.

Why the hop? No other outfielder in MLB or college or HS catches the ball while jumping. Soriano was originally an infielder, but this is his third season in the outfield. The hop does not help him get to balls nor position himself for a subsequent throw. Is it flair made to make himself more noticeable? Can he not run without bouncing his head, so he has to jump to have a steady look at the ball? What was he doing the last two offseasons when he could have been unlearning this bad habit? One would have to think the Nats and Cubs coaches have offered to help him fix that.

The unfortunate result is that the leadoff hitter and one of the best players on a team that expects to compete for the NL title may go on the DL, for no good reason. Injuries happen to anyone and can happen at any time, no matter how careful you are (just ask Mike Hampton). However, an injury caused by bad technique, which isn't new or an accident, falls squarely on the player's shoulders. Any player making over $15 million per year for 8 years owes it to the team and its fans to do everything in his power to make sure he plays as many games as possible at the highest possible level.

Whatever the reason for it, and however much of a fluke it may have been, Soriano is injured and I think it's clearly his fault. He should apologize.