Ah, yes. The ball game. America's pastime. And the White Sox. America's team. Okay, they're admittedly probably not even CHICAGO'S team. Seems like it's easier to show undying allegiance to the lovable losers on the north side rather than show support for an organization that's produced far more winning in recent years. Better scouting. Shrewd trading with a tighter budget. They've got Sweet Lou. We've got the Oz. They have Wrigley. And, frankly, they can have it. We've got the Cell. They have Harden, Soriano, Aramis, Zambrano... Ah, who's kidding whom? They can keep 'em all.But I'm drifting a bit, aren't I?
The White Sox have been a part of my life for the last 30+ years. Starting with about 1977 and the infamous lineup of Zisk, Gamble, Lemon, Soderholm. That lineup put a charge in Chicago baseball for most of the summer until poor pitching proved to be too much to overcome. But that 90-win season (and let's not forget those hideous softball-style uniforms) forever placed the team in my heart. And the Sox have been part of the "household" (defined by the period of marriage, kid, etc.) for the last 20+ years. And with that devotion comes much bias in the house. And with that bias comes much influence. And that brings us to Su.Su has been a White Sox fan for almost all of her 7 years of existence, starting with her early pajama-style jumper, the gift cap from Uncle Clement, the small ballpark giveaway bat (with etching misspelled as "Chacigo White Sox"), and her full range of t-shirts, most of them sporting the name/number of her favorite player: Paul Konerko. She's also was the only kid her age (4 and 5 at the time) that could actually SAY the name Tadahito, not to mention know that he played 2nd base for the team.
But it was only just this past weekend that we took her to her first actual game. She finally reached an age where we felt confident in her ability to hang with us without getting tired and/or whiny during the 1-1/2 hour drive, the 3+ hour game, and the return trip home. Courtesy of Uncle Bill, we were able to take Su to the Saturday game against the Baltimore Orioles. Great seats (21st row, 1st base side, edge of the net) and great weather (not too hot) provided the foundation for a great day of baseball.
And the home team didn't disappoint. With Mark Buehrle on the mound, it was a fast-paced game, wrapped up in about 2-1/2 hours. Timely hitting and solid defense gave the Sox the lead and, despite a little shakiness in the 9th, they held on for the exciting win. Su was able to see her favorite (Paul-ee, Paul-ee, Paul-ee) up to bat and play first base. Anita's fave (Jermaine) hit the go-ahead home run. And all of this was wrapped around a "Beach Bash 2009" theme for the day. And that also meant free Sox beach towels!! Su couldn't believe it, asking the staff person, "You mean we get to KEEP these?! Sweet!!"
Mixed in with the game was food and fun. Su was thrilled to get the ballpark hot dog, the Gatorade, and most important -- the COTTON CANDY (see pic). And as we were leaving, a very kind vendor, closing up his concession area, gave Su his last item -- a 1/4 pound cookie.
Somewhere in between the cookies and candy, the Sox won and gave Su a victory in her first appearance at the Cell. We hope to do it again very soon.
