Here’s to you…. Mrs. 100th Anniversary Celebrator

DeeDee&SCAs many of you know by this point, SportsChump.net is always open to having guest contributors write about their sporting experiences.  Said contributors are always imaginative, avid and of course, poorly reimbursed for their efforts.  They do it for the love of sport.

One such person is the lovely and talented Dee Dee.

You all remember Dee Dee because she’s kicked your ass in every single one of my contests you’ve entered.

This time around, Dee Dee took a trip to the hallowed grounds of Wrigley Field to celebrate the ballpark’s 100th anniversary.  She was nice enough to share her story with us… or at least what she remembered of it.

Ladies and gentlemen, I hereby submit for your approval…. Mrs. 100th Anniversary Celebrator.

 

 

Back in 2010, the news media and ESPN started promoting Fenway Park’s upcoming 100th anniversary celebration in 2012.  I knew immediately that I would be going to Boston for the first time ever to help Fenway celebrate!  I mean, my fantasy baseball name was Dee Dee Dreams of Fenway for crying out loud and I certainly dreamt of Fenway – and in all honesty, I still DO.

During our visit in September 2012, I enjoyed 3 games at Fenway Park, two tours of Fenway, participated in a Meet and Greet with the players, scooped up some Fenway Park dirt, James Shields threw me a baseball and I saw Andrew Miller doing the Gator Chomp on the pitcher’s mound as I yelled out to him that we were from Gainesville – Go Gators! I also was honored to be at the game Boston recognized their 2004 World Series Champions.  The World Series Trophy was on the field! The team rode around the field in duck boats and the WS trophy passed right in front of me because I was standing at the brick wall beside the visitor’s dugout!

Dee SC at WrigleyDuring Fenway’s celebration that year, Chicago began promoting Wrigley Field’s 100th anniversary in 2014 and you know it; my vacation plans for 2014 were set. So, once again, I packed my Sportschump t-shirt that I had won in a Sportschump Contest; the same shirt I wore to one of my visits to Fenway Park during their 100th anniversary celebration!  We (Yaz, Tom and I) had a Wrigley Field tour at 10am on Friday, June 20, 2014 and it was amazing. I could not keep my eyes off the ivy walls, the pennant flags, the roof tops and the old fashioned score board.  I wished Andre Dawson would have run out of that ivy! Do you know that Wrigley’s scoreboard has never been run by a woman? This was shared with us by our female tour guide, who said it was because women were too smart to do that job…. There is no air conditioning in the scoreboard nor running water, which means no bathrooms either. You got it guys, pull out the PVC pipe and funnel if you must, you know… gotta go.

I love sports and stats but I realize that I am a minority among all the men that also love sports and stats. Although I am proud to be the only female winner of a Sportschump contest, and the only two-time champion of a Sportschump contest, I am very comfortable to agree with the female tour guide and leave the scoreboard at Wrigley Field for the men!

Dee Dee and the CaptainDuring the tour, I was able to scoop up some Wrigley Field dirt! I have to admit that the excitement of the tour was not at the degree as it was for me at Fenway Park, but I was still so glad to be at the nation’s second oldest ballpark. After the tour, we sat at the Captain Morgan Club and drank delicious hard cider waiting for the game to start. The gates opened at 1pm and we collected our Ernie Banks bobble head as we entered. The Cubs were hosting the Pirates for a 3:05pm game. As soon we entered the park, I took off with my camera to watch the Pirates batting practice. I enjoyed watching the players and seeing 2013 NL MVP Andrew McCutchen.  Chris Stewart signed my ticket and I tried to get a baseball, but they were only giving them to kids! Then I realized, I should have brought my 10 year old son with me, who by the way doesn’t have any interest in baseball!  I should have brought him anyway to push him out on the field to get his Mama a Wrigley Field 100th anniversary practice ball. That was a doggone missed opportunity for sure.

We had awesome seats – second row in the second section behind home plate. I visited with the local men in the row in front of us and was interested that they had no care, nor opinion about the Roof Tops/ Wrigley Field controversy. I also enjoyed watching their cup game. Here is the scoop:

At the start of the game all the participants put $1 in the cup. The cup is passed from person to person after each batter.  The person holding the cup:

·       If the batter walks they just pass the cup to the next person

·       If the batter gets out on base (touch or fly out) the cup holder adds $1 to the cup then passes it on

·       If the batter strikes out the cup holder adds $2 to the cup then passes it on

·       If the batter gets a hit the cup holders removes the appropriate amount of money from the cup then passes it on

o   Single $1

o   Double $2

o   Triple $3

o   Home Run the entire contents of the cup. Then all players add $1 to the cup and they start over

Wrigley tourYou are not allowed to excuse yourself from the game. Once you start, you are in for the entire game.  If money is left over after the game, then the participants decide on what to do, which is usually used to buy more booze.

On a recent head-to-head week in my fantasy baseball league, my friend, Yaz, and I made a bet that the loser would buy the winner a hotdog and beer at Wrigley Field.  Well, I was the winner that week so Yaz had to pay up. We both agreed that we would go to the concessions to get the freshest and coldest, so in the bottom of the 3rd with a 0-0 score, we were off to get dogs and beer and pizza for my husband (Tom). I was at the bottom of the steps trying to carry beer, soda, pizza and hotdog when I heard “AND THAT’S A THREE RUN HOMERUN BY RIZZO”!! I have never run up steps so fast in my life. I stood there, bewildered, watching the players round the bases as I realized the SCORE was now 5-0 Cubs and I had just missed a 5-run inning, including that 3-run homerun. I was SICK! My husband looked at me and said, “I knew you’d be pissed.” The men I had been talking to were saying “That’d teach you for leaving the game!” Will the torment ever stop? While in Fenway, I left to get a hotdog and a foul ball was hit right beside my seat. Had I been there, I probably would have caught that damn ball, but noooooo, I was out of my seat getting a hot dog. Really? Have I not learned my lesson? I guess not. But I was in my seat to see a 3 run inning by the Pirates. The final score was 6-3 Cubs.  We saw the glorious pennants coming down, then replaced by the White W flag to announce the Cubbies had won the game. It was SO EXCITING. Then we sang the “Hey Chicago, What do you say, The Cubs are gonna win today.” To top all that off, the men that were playing the cup game actually gave us beer! Now that’s some nice hospitality for this southern girl.

Wrigley scoreboardSo within two years, I have enjoyed two 100th anniversary ballparks, game 3 of the ALDS playoff game at the Tropicana – Red Sox vs Rays, and even a game for my birthday to celebrate Florida Gator Baseball’s 100th Season (Vandy beat the Gators, who are now CWS Champs). So what’s next for this Mrs. 100th Anniversary Celebrator? My husband is glad to know that there is not another 100th anniversary until 2062, if Dodgers Stadium makes it that long!  In the meantime, there are many more ballparks for me to visit just because I love the game!

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24 Replies to “Here’s to you…. Mrs. 100th Anniversary Celebrator”

  1. Me Buccos took two of three in that series but not the one I attended 🙁 Still, it was an awesome experience which DeeDee chronicled so well here. Huge thanks to you and Tom for inviting me to share it with you!

  2. Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer have yet to make believers out of me . Another year of poor play and a Cubs’ team that simply isn’t worth a damn as demonstrated in the divisional or wildcard standings .

    So A-Rod’s cousin Yuri Sucart is unable to speak English fluently when approached for a statement at the time of his arrest by the Feds (DEA) ? How quaint . Now how many Florida high school coaches are likely to be embroiled in this mess , concerning their purchasing steroids from Sucart and Bosch’s thriving online business ?

    Andrew Wiggins it’s been nice knowing you , but you’re no longer part of LeBron’s or Cavaliers’ long-term ambitions . Good luck in Minnesota . LOL,LOL, LOL !!! This upcoming season the Timberwolves might end up being the worst team in the entire NBA . I mean Flip Saunders as the head coach as well as GM & Head of Basketball Operations ? It’s so comedic and tragic , that it’s sad .

  3. I’m jealous.
    Now that the REAL Yankee stadium is gone, Fenway and Wrigley are at the top of my bucket list for MLB parks. They’re the only two older than Dodger Stadium, which I’ve been going to since I was filling diapers. Hopefully I can get to these two legendary parks before I croak…And like DeeDee, I’ll proudly wear my SportsChump.net t-shirt.

  4. Al…

    There was a time, when the Sox were winning those championships, that we all thought Theo could do no wrong. Apparently building another championship team is not as easy as he thought. Maybe Dan Duquette deserves more credit that anyone gave him.

    Forgetting English during a steroid scandal? Sounds like Yuri took lessons from Sammy Sosa.

    And if you’re the Cavaliers, Al, don’t you make that move? Wiggins for Love?

  5. Bleed…

    I’ve been to the old Yankee Stadium and Fenway countless times as I lived in both those cities. Never been to Wrigley, however. Like I said, bucket list.

    I’ve also heard the new Yankee Stadium is pretty damn nice but who the hell in their right mind would want to see the Yankees play?

    Hey, I’ve also been to Tropicana Field. Ever been there? Nice place, he he.

  6. Those guys were probably in those same seats when Ruth called his shot but they were really cool once the Cubbies took the lead 🙂

  7. N speakin of contests…bring on that NFL overunder thing you do…I’m ready for one more tshirt so I can get in the rarefied air with DeeDee.

  8. As an avowed hater of all things Boston sports related, I’d still put Fenway at the top of my list. The history and knowing thats the very same ground Ted Williams, Yaz, Ruth, Foxx, Rice, Clemens, Boggs, Papi, Pedro, Manny and Cy fucking Young toiled makes even me a little teary eyed. I may root for them to lose, but the greatness is still admired as a fan of the game.

    That’s why it pisses me off to no end that Yankees Stadium is no longer on the hallowed ground that Berra, Dimaggio, Mantle and the rest of the immortals played on. Something about knowing that they did their thing on those very same baselines, mounds and fields made it seem magical. They should have rebuilt it on the same ground. I can’t express enough how wrong it is that it moved.

  9. Tradition, Bleed?

    It’s all about the coin.

    And the next generation will have entirely forgot about the real House That Ruth Built.

    Ruth? Ruth who?

  10. Hello all. Wonderful timing of this post, Triple SC, as the Rays are in Chicago! Yes…the Iovable losers who have more zeros than any other number for their scoreboard!!! I knew all of y’all would be interested in the cup game! Do tell – who’s gonna play that at their next baseball game?

    The group of guys we sat by were so cool…but I thought Yaz was a dead man when he cheered for the Buccos lol! Yaz, so glad you got to go with us to Wrigley; it’s what garden family is all about!

    I too wished I had gone to Yankee Stadium:( but thrilled to mark off Fenway and Wrigley at their 100th anniversary. Bleed, you are so right about Fenway! I had tears when I walked out into the park! In all honesty, it was about damn time for “my dreams”…I had already sent the hubby to Indy 500 with limo ride & police escort to/from race, Richard Petty driving experience in Daytona and passes/autograph sessions at Amelia Island Concourse Elegant . I was definitely due for some baseball adventures! Thanks for letting me share them with y’all 🙂
    Dee Dee

  11. Theo took the money and is simply showing us now the grass isn’t always greener on the other side . Chicago is at least five years away from being a contender in the NL Central much less MLB as a whole .

  12. Dee Dee…

    Sounded like a blast. Thanks for sharing it with us… and for giving me a break on the writing.

    So let me ask you, NASCAR Queen. What will the fall out be on the whole Tony Stewart incident?

    What a bizarre story?

  13. Nascar Queen huh? 😉 I have been following Nascar since 1987. Did you know that The King, Richard Petty, ran over one of his family members during a racing accident? It’s all so sad. I know Tony Stewart has mouthed off and has been explosive at times. The media has dug up old clips of Stewart saying he was going to “run him over every day” – not related to Ward, but regarding a confrontation with another driver sometime back. I feel like the media is frying Stewart, but I honestly believe that no charges should be filed against Tony Stewart. What was Kevin Ward thinking about getting out of his car anyway??? During a night race?? Dressed in a black racing suit?? To get in the middle of the track to face cars coming out of the corner going at a high rate of speed?? Kevin Ward was dealing with blowing his own smoke from his frustrations while forgetting about his own safety. Rules are in place to avoid these tragedies and sadly, Ward did not obey the one to stay in the car (unless fire). We know someone who has raced these side-winder dirt track joys and he says his vision was very limited coming out of corners. It’s a sad tragedy for sure.
    Dee Dee

  14. And on a lighter note… Regarding the poor lovable losers. I also asked the guys in front of me about their thoughts on Theo. They all liked him and thought he was doing a good job – going in the right direction, but that they sucked right now. LOL.. But I got all 5 of them to look at me and this what I told them:
    “Do you remember the 2012 Red Sox? They were in last place! Worst losing record since the 1940s or something horrible like that! But I go to Fenway Park to celebrate their 100th anniversary in 2012 and they ended up winning the World Series the very next year in 2013. And here I am seeing the Cubbies in last place during their 100th anniversary – does this sound familiar? Don’t count the Cubbies out for World Series Champs in 2015; just saying!”
    Ha Ha Ha Oh yes, I did tell them that! Ha Ha Ha Giggle Giggle! And I told them to remember me next year when it happened 😉
    Dee Dee

  15. I think Nascar wants Stewart’s head.

    So, let me ask you this…. what are your thoughts on experiencing the first contested vote for MLB commissioner in 46 years? And on the announcement of Rob Manfred as the 10th Commish?
    Dee Dee

  16. I heard one outlet report Stewart may retire.

    Think there’s any truth to that?

    And I don’t know much about Manfred’s background. I can tell you he can’t do much worse of a job than Selig.

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