Me about to sit down for my first home game
Growing up, I was always just naturally attracted to the White Sox. From my first days of playing rookie league baseball, I always gravitated toward the team. My first pursuit in baseball cards was to land a Frank Thomas. I did so pretty quickly and was very excited. On video games, I always played as the White Sox. At Dairy Queen, I always asked for my ice cream in the White Sox helmet. I bought Frank Thomas' cleats for Pee Wee baseball league. My first hat was a White Sox hat. My parents didn't understand my obsession with the White Sox, but helped me nurture it with purchases.
Growing up in Arkansas, it was pretty apparent that it was not a White Sox fanbase. Everyone was always Cardinal crazy, and the occasional times someone was not a Cardinal fan, they were either a Royals fan or a Rangers fan. We did not travel a lot when I was a child, taking most of our trips to Tulsa or Branson. I always dreamed of going to Chicago and seeing the White Sox play, but it never happened. Season after season I would watch on tv, and wish I was there.
Finally, when I turned 19, and had an ok job with little extra money in my account, I asked my dad if he wanted to take a trip to Chicago. He said he would, and we planned it out. I purchased tickets online for the White Sox and was so thrilled that I was finally going to get to go to a White Sox game at US Cellular Field. It would not be my first White Sox game though. In 1999, I went to a White Sox game at St. Louis' Busch Stadium. We lost 8-6 in a slugfest. I was determined to see a victory this time.
Fast forward back to 2005. Yes, I chose a pretty good year to go to my first Chicago home game. We decided to drive to save money. A 10 hour drive was ahead of us, and we knew we should leave early. So we departed at 1 AM. For a good majority of our drive, we saw little traffic. We arrived in Chicago around 11:30 AM as we had stopped minimal times. As I was driving into Chicago, I got an overwhelming feeling of excitement. I could not wait to see everything and experience all that we were going to see.
After sleeping in the hotel for a few hours, we decided to head out to the ballpark early. We left around 4:30 and arrived at 5:15 with the gates closed. The drive up was amazing for a first timer, seeing the skyline of Chicago. As we were driving toward the exit to which we turn to hit the Dan Ryan, I got my first glimpse of US Cellular Field in the distance. It seemed to sparkle in the late afternoon sunlight, enticing me forward.
As we parked and went toward our gate, I was almost jogging as I was finally going to get to see the place I had dreamed of seeing my whole life. We got to the gate and there was a small line. It was past 5:30, but the gate attendant was not letting people in yet. Finally, around 5:40, he started letting people in. We had lower level tickets, out in right field in the section that is next to the foul pole in fair territory, very last row. They weren't the best seats, but at this point I would have sat on the scaffolding atop the outfield billboards just to be there.
As I walked in, I noticed all of the food vendors' snappy names, and thought that was great. I grabbed a program from a vendor, and went about finding my way to our seats. Once we got to the outfield concourse, I remember remarking that it was so spacious. My dad had been to other parks in the past and said he didn't remember any having a large walking concourse and that it was nice. I had also been to other parks, and had never seen anything like it. We found our seats, but decided to give the park a walk around. We kept walking and I found a man offering to rate my pitching speed. So I decided to stop there. He said I would get booed if I threw less than 60 MPH. I hit 71 and he was impressed.
We moved on and got closer to the scoreboard. This was the scoreboard from all the video games, from all the times watching on TV. It was great in person, and really became the focus of several photos from my digital camera. As we walked around further, I noticed the Pontiac Fundamentals deck and the shower head. The billboards looked massive on games and on tv, but in real life they were gigantic beyond belief. On the way back to our seats we stopped and got food. It was then that I experienced my first Hebrew National kosher hot dog. It was excellent, and to this day I still buy those at the store almost exclusively. My dad ordered a slice of Connie's pizza and promptly went back and got another before we sat down.
So we sat in our seats and waited for the game. It was about a 50 minute wait, but that was fine. I was at my first game with my dad, and we were about to both get to see our favorite teams. He was a Dodgers fan, and I specifically picked this set of games to attend knowing this. Finally the game started. It was Turn Back The Clock day and they had a video montage of the 1959 World Series prior to the game. All the players were wearing 1959 jerseys. They had a couple of players from the 1959 team on hand too. I was really excited, as the White Sox had spent all year up to this point playing as the best team in baseball.
The game got underway and for several innings, it did not go my way. My dad is not the kind of person to just rub it in my face, but his team was winning from the first inning. He just smiled and enjoyed it but never gave me hell over the fact. Elmer Dessens and Duaner Sanchez had really kept us at bay for 8 innings allowing the Sox to score just 1 run to the Dodgers' three. Freddy Garcia pitched a decent 8 innings of his own, allowing 3 runs but walking 6 and giving up a home run to Jeff Kent.
I felt like we could win, but we needed to string together hits to have a chance in the 9th. The Dodgers trotted out Yhency Brazoban to close out their 3 to 1 victory. The inning started with a walk, then a ground out moved Iguchi to 2nd. Konerko flied out to center, giving us 2 outs. At this point, many people began to leave the park, and I was stunned. My team's fan base, at least a fourth of them, were giving up on the game! Knowing that I had driven 10 hours and waited my whole life to be there, I could not fathom the idea of leaving a game before the final out. Every game I attend is such an experience and special moment that does not happen often, and it made me almost mad to see people walking out early.
The next batter was Everett, and he knocked in Iguchi to make the score 3-2. This game me more hope. He was replaced by Willie Harris, who promptly stole second base. Rowand then proceeded to drive Harris in on a 3-2 pitch to tie the game. After a walk to the mound, the manager decided to leave Brazoban in. In stepped AJ Pierzynski with a chance to win the game with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th.
This was a legendary at bat for me, as he battled and battled. He worked a 3-2 count off 9 or 10 pitches. He kept fouling every pitch off. Aaron Rowand attempted to run with the pitch several times, having to trot back to first base each time with a foul. This must have went on four or five times.
Then, Yhency finally threw a pitch that was over the good part of the plate. AJ swung and drilled the ball deep to left center field. Everyone in the house was willing the ball over the wall. It made it about 2 rows into the stands. At my very first White Sox home game, we had put together a 4 run 9th inning rally and won on a walk-off home run!
Fireworks Night after the AJ Walkoff Victory
The excitement was surreal. The fireworks poured out of the scoreboard. The place was so loud it was deafening. I could just feel Hawk going crazy up in the booth. My dad, always a good sport, was telling me that was a great game. I, of the not such a good sport type, was giving him hell. I remember taking off my hat and waving it in his face. What a game to call my first home game. I could not have asked for better. It is an experience I will never forget. I recorded the game on WGN, but as I was watching it later at home, I realized how different it was on TV than experiencing it all in real life. I would choose being there every time. The feeling is unmatched.
We went to the game the next night, and it was on ESPN. An 8th inning rally lead to another victory over the Dodgers, capping off a three game sweep. The following Monday, we decided to go since it was half price. After struggling early, the Sox rallied for an 8-6 victory over the Royals. Frank Thomas hit a home run, which was very special for me.
Me about to watch the White Sox beat the Royals 8-6
As an outsider, each time I visit the park, I always feel like one of the crowd. When I am in the stands, it doesn't matter where we are from. We all have one team, one bond. I may not be from Chicago, Illinois, Indiana or Wisconsin, but I am always at home at US Cellular Field. Each game is special and something to cherish.
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