Cubs rally to defeat the Phillies after a torrential downpour, 4-3

I was in Philly for work so I had to head to Citizens Bank Park for the Chicago Cubs v Philadelphia Phillies game last night.  I was sitting 18 rows behind the Cubs' dugout and it was about 100-degrees.  Jimmy Rollins hit a home run and the Phillies led the game 3-0.

Around the 3rd or 4th inning the wind started to pick up and my "Bambi" reflexes kicked in.  For some reason I decided to get up and head towards the concourse.  Sure enough, the wind REALLY started swirling and the field was covered.  A group of girls had a sign, "The wind isn't the only thing that blows in Chicago."  The clouds overhead looked ominous and then the rain came down in HARD.  I'd never seen rain like that before and I was happy I hadn't been caught in it.

After the rain delay, I caught up with a long-time, family friend, Gaya and her co-workers. 

Highlight of the game: A foul ball almost caught me in the face.  The man who tried to catch it (i.e. he was sitting a few rows in front of me) missed and it deflected towards my neighbor.  I saw it coming and dodged the ball.

I left the game in the 8th because I wanted to listen to the Miami Heat v Dallas Mavericks game.  It's a good thing I didn't wait for the baseball game to end, because it went into extra innings.  It took 11 innings, but the Cubs rallied in the 9th to defeat the Phillies 4-3.  To be honest, I'm not sure what's going on with the Phillies ~ but every time I watch them, they lose.

More on the basketball in the next post.


THE WIRK

I know nothing about baseball ~ Thanks Nationals...

I just got back from vacation in Vegas and let's make a couple of points clear... 

1 - My huge lucky streak (from May) is over. 
2 - I have determined that I know nothing about baseball...

The Washington Nationals have managed to cost me more money than I'm willing to admit.  Seriously?!?!  The Nationals?!?!  The Washington Nationals' bats beat the Philadelphia Phillies' Cliff Lee and Roy Oswalt.  Further, to add further insult to injury, the Nationals beat the Arizona Diamondbacks last night.

Awesome.  Just awesome.


THE WIRK

Giants defeat the Phillies ~ NLCS Game 1, Cody Ross was the hero

In every game there must be a winner and a loser.  I was more than excited to score a front row ticket to the pitching duel between San Francisco Giants, Tim Lincecum, and Philadelphia Phillies, Roy Halladay.  That's right...  NLCS, Game 1...  A Saturday night...  You read it correctly, FRONT ROW!!!  My seat was right behind the Giants dugout, and I couldn't wait to watch The Freak battle Doc Halladay.

From my seat, I was in a great spot to cheer on the San Francisco Giants, but I was disguised in my Philadelphia Phillies hat.  Don't get me wrong, I really don't have a preference in the National League between the Phillies and the Giants.  However, I made it out to AT&T Park this year and really enjoyed that ballpark.  I'm not really a Phillies fan, but I like Charlie Manuel.  I remember him from his days in Cleveland when he was managing the Indians.  I met him briefly years ago and he seems like a good-hearted man with a comedic touch.  I recently saw a clip of his post-game press conference when he was reacting to Halladay's no-hitter.  He made reference to it being a "good managing"...  It made me laugh.

In a game that I anticipated to have more defense than offense, I was quite surprised by the drama in the game.  Cody Ross is a name I didn't even know, but the man had 2 home runs!  That's right, 2 home runs and both were the the left.  Have you seen this guy?  I'm definitely paying attention now.  He was the star of the game.

This game was another good one, and I'm definitely glad that I went to it.  The ALCS game 1 had a 8th inning, Yankee rally that made things interesting.  I eagerly anticipated the NLCS game 1 match-up since it promised pitching drama.  I have to admit though, that I'm a Pablo Sandoval fan, and was bummed that the Panda didn't play.  I've never met the man, but I find him to be likable.  I had a great seat and was looking forward to seeing him do something exciting.

If you want a game re-cap or a boxs core, check ESPN.  I really don't have anything more to say about the game.  Oh, here's a funny one for you.  During the game, a lady came down to my section and started calling for Freddy Sanchez.  She wanted the media and Phillies facility staff to let him know she loved him.  Awesome.  She tried to get to the dugout, but didn't get too close.  Sanchez should thank us...

THE WIRK

Giants v Phillies for the NLCS ~ Lincecum v Halladay, Game 1

Well, the NLCS match-up is set, and I can't wait to see the San Francisco Giants play the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park!  Game 1 has Tim Lincecum going up against Roy Halladay, and it should be an amazing battle... 

I guess it's time for me to hunt down some tickets and try to rearrange my schedule, since I really don't want to miss this match-up...  If you can help a girl out with access to tickets, please contact me via email at thewirk@gmail.com. 

If the Giants are more your "flavor", then I recommend you buy the Pablo (i.e. Sandoval) Panda hat like my friend, Mandy.

Panda hats, not your style?!?!  Well, for those of you that cheer for the Phillies, how about a Halladay jersey?!?!

****  The Giants victory today, was the last note of Bobby Cox's 29-year song as Manager of the Braves.  Thank you, Bobby, for all you've done for the Atlanta Braves and Braves' fans everywhere.  Enjoy your retirement!


THE WIRK

Teixeira hits a homerun and Yankees defeat the Twins - ALDS, Game 1

Last night was the first night of the MLB postseason.  I was able to attend Game 1 of the ALDS between the New York Yankees and the Minnesota Twins.  Earlier in the evening, baseball fans were treated to something special when Philadelphia Phillies' pitcher, Roy Halladay, pitched a no-hitter!



Wow.  Coming off watching the celebration in Philly, I was expecting big things at Target Field.  I didn't witness a no-hitter, but I did see a great game.

CC Sabathia and Francisco Liriano went pitch to pitch, but the bats were hot also.  10 runs were scored, but the Yankees ended up winning 6-4.

CC Sabathia on the mound

My 3rd base favorites, Alex Rodriguez and Scott Ullger

Twins congratulating Cuddyer after his home run

There was not a no-hitter to witness at Target Field.  In fact, the crowd seemed to "boo" a bit when Sabathia hit Thome in the arm with a pitch.  Come on, people!  That's no big deal.  Don't you know that that's how former Tribe players greet each other?!?! 

The Yankees were down 0-3 for a few innings, but then the Yankees found their offense.  I was sitting next to Kunal, a Yankees fan, and he was stressed for most of the game.  I think he finally relaxed in the 8th or 9th inning.  What most people thought was a "gimme" game for the Yankees turned into a bit of a nail biter, even though the Yankees were up 4-3 heading into the bottom of the 6th.

In the bottom of the 6th with Sabathia loading the bases, I started to panic.  However, he was able to work himself out of the jam after only walking in one run.  Great. Game was tied at 4.

In the 7th, with Nick Swisher on base, Mark Teixeira hit a home run to put the Yankees up 6-4.  That would be the final score of the game! 

Mariano Rivera handled the rest.

In today's game that starts at 6:37PM ET, Andy Pettitte takes on Carl Pavano. 

Should I stay or should I go now?!?!

Oh and  I have to mention that since Randy Moss returned to the Minnesota Vikings yesterday, it seems like the people in Minneapolis dusted off their Moss jerseys and decided to wear them to the game.  Welcome back, Randy.  Seems like Vikings fans can't wait to see you.

Lastly, guess what?!!?  I found $20 on the ground on the concourse.  Woohoo! Winner!!!  :-P

Fan of Teixeira?  Pick up a shirt.  Man his name is hard to spell...  "I before E, except when sounded like Teixeira"...


THE WIRK

St. Louis ~ Work, Phillies v Cardinals, and fun with great friends

Every year my company has meetings where we all get together to network and learn.  In previous years, we've held meetings in Orlando, Las Vegas, and San Antonio.  This year we all met in St. Louis, MO.  I look forward to this event because I have the chance to spend time with my coworkers who are my friends.  Usually, we stay the weekend or extend the trip to take advantage of the location and time together.  This time, in addition to learning, I was able to gamble, check out another sporting venue (i.e. Philadelphia Phillies v St. Louis Cardinals at the new Busch Stadium) and visit with friends. 

With The Rick and other friends, I was able to really enjoy and explore St. Louis.  From drinks at the Four Seasons rooftop, Lumiere Place, the City Museum, and the new Bush Stadium (i.e. my 73 venue). 

The pictures from the seats in the stadium were taken from the Redbird Club (i.e. where air-conditioning was available inside).  I ate my first pretzel dog and drank two large bottles of water.  It was a scorcher!  On the way out, I picked up an Albert Pujols' bobblehead ~ and it's sitting pretty on my shelf.  For anyone looking to go to St. Louis and check out a game, I recommend staying at the Hilton Ballpark.  It's right next to the new Busch Stadium and some rooms offer a wonderful views of the park.

St. Louis Arch in the background

At the new Busch Stadium

Albert Pujols at bat

Stan Musial statue

Jack Buck

Ozzie Smith

With The Rick

With great friends in St. Louis

What a great few days!

**** Quote from The Rick: "Cab to Lumiere $10, pretzel dog $5, pizza and cookie at Grill 21 (i.e. at Harrah's) $1200, having someone walk up to craps table with $20, then ask if your green stack of chips is theirs'...  PRICELESS!"

THE WIRK

Tiger Woods at AT&T National and the Phillies ~ 4th of July, Philadelphia

Tiger Woods announced that he's adding the AT&T National at Aronimink Golf Club · Newton Square, PA (i.e. Congresssional is being renovated for the 2011 US Open) in to his schedule.  The tournament is Thursday, July 1 – Sunday, July 4, 2010, and Tiger Woods is the defending champion.

I've actually had to go to Newtown Square, PA for work and it's a relatively easy drive from the DC/VA/MD area and close to Philadelphia.  For those of you that live in the DC/VA/MD area you may find the following information of interest.  When I looked at the tournament ticketing information, I noticed the following text on the tournament's website.  I copied and pasted it here for your convenience.
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Thank you for your support of the 2009 AT&T National!

To express our gratitude to the local Washington, D.C. community, we are offering all Maryland, Virginia, and Washington D.C. residents free admission to the 2010 AT&T National at Aronimink Golf Club! Simply present a valid Maryland, Virginia or D.C. driver's license at the gate to receive your Daily Gallery Pass for FREE!

To reserve your complimentary 2010 AT&T National tickets, click here.

For more information about tickets please contact our ticketing team at ticketing@tigerwoodsfoundation.org.

****  When you click the link and complete the form it says it's for a free Gallery ticket for one day only.  The ticket will be held at Will Call.  Of course there are other ticketing options for the golf tournament, but I found that offer to be the most interesting.

Daily Gallery Pass prices are as follow:
• Tuesday (6/29) or Wednesday (6/30) - $20
• Thursday (7/1) or Friday (7/2) - $40
• Saturday (7/3) or Sunday (7/4) - $45

Additional ticketing information can be found here:  http://www.attnational.org/custompage/default.sps?itype=14121
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Coincidentally, the defending National League Champion Philadelphia Phillies are playing the San Diego Padres at home, on the same dates of the tournament.  Have you seen the Phillies play at home, yet?  If not, you should go and check out Citizens Bank Park.  It's a great fan friendly, ballpark! 

Outside Citizens Bank Park, June 2009

Plaque inside the park

Inside the ballpark, June 2009

So, if you have no plans for the 4th of July, why not consider Philadelphia?  It'd be very easy to make a fun sports weekend, holiday trip out of it all.


THE WIRK