National City: Baseball Appreciation

Check out the stories and memories below, submitted by other Chicagoans just like you! And, while you're at it, why don't you submit your favorite stories and memories that you think about as we celebrate our appreciation for America's favorite sport!

	It has been said that baseball is the only game played that has remained the same. In fact, it has been said that you could take a player from 1910 and bring him to "today" and he could still understand and play the game because it is still basically played the same way it was 100 years ago. As long as there has been baseball there have been errors. We always say that the team that makes the fewest mistakes always wins. Thats not always true. We always say that the best team always wins. However, that's not always true. I do know however know that one basic true always prevails in baseball just as it does in real life. You always get what you deserve & deserve what you get! This is especially true when it comes to the BIG THREE Rs IN LIFE, R-respect, R-reputation, & R-results. Baseball is a true reflection of life. You always get out of it what your put in. Baseball is a game of many emotions; elation, satisfaction, disappointment, frustration, and pride. It can be a very cruel game and it can be extremely forgiving.	by: Donnie G
	"I believe in the Rip Van Winkle Theory: that a man from 1910 must be able to wake up after being asleep for seventy years, walk into a ballpark and understand baseball perfectly."	by: baseballfan1984
	ONLY TWO PENNANT-WINNING TEAMS since 1900 in the American or National League led their league in errors and one even won the World Series that season despite the shoddy defense. The 1925 Pittsburgh Pirates committed 224 errors but still beat out the New York Giants by eight and one-half games for the pennant. In the World Series, the Bucs defeated Hall of Famer Walter Johnson and the Washington Senators, four games to three, and committed two less errors than the American League champions. In 1965, the Minnesota Twins, who had finished seventh the season before, committed 172 errors but beat out the Chicago White Sox by seven games. In the World Series that year, the Twins committed only five errors but lost in seven games to the Los Angeles Dodgers, who had six miscues. Counting the Federal League, three champions led in errors. Indianapolis led the league in 1914 with a whopping 289 miscues but edged Chicago by one and one-half games. All three championship teams made up for their poor defense by leading their league in both runs scored and batting average.	by: djb got the love
	i love seeig the chicago cubs going all the way this year its been 100 years for them that is what c stands for!	by: diane scheid
	I'm 29 years old, originally from Elgin and born into a "White Sox" family. The fondest memory I have is when my dad, who was the manager of my 8-year old Little League team (also the White Sox), took the entire team to the Old Comiskey Park for a Sox game at the end of our Little League season. For some of the kids(some of whom were from less fortunate families than I), this was their very first baseball game. To this day, and I live in Atlanta, Ga now, soem of buddies who I still keep in touch w/in Elgin are still Sox fans because of that first game that my dad made happen. I really don't think he knew the impact of what he did for those kids meant to some of them. It was also special because my grandpa was also with us, one of the biggest Sox fans I know. Great memories. I hope I have a child one day and set the example for them that my grandpa and dad did for me and my brothers. Thanks for letting me share my story.	by: Anthony Witchousky
	I take my best friend, Bunny, to the Cubs home opener every year for her birthday. Its been a annual present for 5 years now & we wouldn't ever miss it for anything! Then of course we need to hit at least 5+ games a year too.	by: Janine Nichol
	My favorite memory is finding out that I was elected into the 8-year old all-star baseball team for Brookfield.	by: Jack Cavanaugh
	I love baseball, I just to go to the games with my Dad, but this year I am going to missed him o lot; he can not join me this year, because he passed away. In memory of him I am going to the football game this year.	by: Lili
	I remember being at Wrigley, back in the mid 1980's quite a bit during the season. My best memory is being in the bleachers and soaking up the sun, sounds, sights and smells of the game! It was easily the best time of my life watching Sandberg, Dawson,Dernier and Sutcliffe play the game with passion, while always looking like they were having fun.	by: John G. Wetzel
	I was at a Cubs vs. Cardinals game years ago when I got up to go get hot chocolate. They told me to come back when they made a new batch. As I was returning to my seat I saw the people below me doing the wave, I thought. They were actually trying to catch a foul ball, which went over their heads and bonked me in the stomach. I fell forward on the ball, as I was instantly tackled by 5 other people. I wouldn't let go and returned to my seat with an injured knee and torn slacks, and got to ask my husband, "Guess what happened while I was gone??" I still have the ball, but didn't get it autographed because I had to go to the doctor and get my knee checked out.	by: Anita Banoff
	My favorite baseball story is taking my 6 year old granddaughter and her yelling for theCubs to win	by: Margaret Matuszewski
	I remember the first day I went to my first White Sox game. It was about 10 degrees and I had 4 hoodies on and kept drinking beer hoping to warm up. I felt like a kid in a candy store the feild is amazing. Dyer hit one out of the park I jumped up and spilled beer all over a guy in front of me and I said " I am so sorry it is my first baseball game." Ha he didn't say anything. It was a great first time.	by: Nicole Ruberto
	I remember the in-the-park home run Ron Santo hit when he played for the White Sox. It bounced off the head of the left fielder and Ronnie kept on running.	by: Tom Courtney
	When A.J. Pierzynski reached first base on a dropped third strike play in the 2005 WORLD SERIES that eventually won the game for the White Sox.	by: Ken Stozek
	Was the home opener at old Comisky. I remember arguing with the nuns at my sons school to get them out early. It was the best day. On the way to the park while we where at 35th and Halsted the news reported that the space shuttle had landed safely. Everyone was blowing their horns and cheering. During the game Carlton Fisk playing he's first home game as awhite sox blasted a grand slam taht just cleared the left field fence. WE still talk abvout it.	by: Earl Ritchie
	The first time I took my daughter to a baseball game and she went in and was amazed at how big everything was. She also got a ball and you would have thought she won the lottery. A few cubs players game her autographs I will never forget that day.	by: Michelle Tenuto
	When the six of us children in the family. It was along time ago...Our father took all of us to see the CUBBIES...Dad was off work because he smash his right thumb @ his work... It was really bad & ugly, he had a big white bandage on it... Well all of my brothers & my sister, & myself were lined up from oldest threw the youngest, & Dad , in the start of the line. MOM was @ home watching the game & I think it was Earne Banks hit a homerun & we all stood up & Dad has a loud voice , he stuck his thumb up & yelled, & all of us looked @ each other & did the same...The camera man took a shot of us & Mom saw that Dad's sore thumb stood above all of us... Oh ! I also learned how to keep score, thankz to my brother ....I'll remember that for the rest of my life, & I'm 50 now ...	by: Patti
	Well, I don't go to Chicago very much however, my brother took me and my son to a game in 2005 and, my son was 6 years old.. he LOVED it! It was the most memorable moment that we've shared. It would be nice to return w/ my brother and son again this summer! Rock on!!!	by: Marissa
	When I was a young boy I was at a Spring training game. The Baltimore Orioles were on the field. My dad and I were sitting behind the dugout. The Orioles manager screamed get in there Mike! So I jumped onto the field with my mitt and ran to the outfield. The crowd roared and I got to meet the players who thought I was cute. My dad loved to tell this story.	by: mike sonnenfeld
	My favorite baseball story was being at my dads house with my parents, my brothers and their families, my uncles, my husband and kids--we all gathered together to watch the white sox win the world series. It was a priceless moment for all of us. We kept remarking that our grandfather who past 2 years before would love to see the White Sox win.	by: carolynn mazurkiewicz
	When I was at the Cubs game 2 years ago and we were chosen as the American Family of the game	by: Michelle Tenuto
	Taking my daughter to see the White Sox receive their 2005 World Series Rings	by: Debbie Brodsky
	i'm a 15 girl, but i'm a DIE HARD white sox fan! even though we're not the richest family in the bunch, my dad and i try to make it to as many games possible. When they won world series i remember sitting on the couch with my dad crying because we were so happy. my favorite memory.. oh lord... i have so many. i remeber when i was littler at almost every game during warm ups i would always get a ball from a player, but one time freddy garcia signed my hat, and i wore it every single day in the summer. I also went to a game with to of my friends who were cubs fans and then Lee, a coach, told them if they beat him in rock paper scissors they could have the ball, but they both lost so he gave it to me! my favorite time was when maglio, carlos lee, and frank thomas were still on the team, they were all my favorites, but i still love Konerko, Buehrle, Pierzynski, Crede, Dye, and Thome and i would do anything in thw world just to meet one of these players. It's one of my lif! e goals (: but anyways, u.s. cellular (i like Comiskey better) field makes me feel at home.	by: Katie
	It was 8/8/1988 and the first night game at Wrigley Field and we were there-tears in our eyes and rain on our faces as we stood on the wooden platform waiting for the train to take us and thousands of other people home-BUT, there was singing on the platform with all those people chiming in to "Take Me Out to the Ball Game"--I will never forget. Also, in a surreal experience after one game Harry Carrey was walking toward us-no one was around-he signed an autograph-and I have a picture of me with him-priceless!!!	by: Sue Pelinski
	In 2005 I went to a Chicago White sox game VS the Red Sox and the best of my life	by: Johnny Dominguez
	my family is die hard cub fans. so, in saying that i was only in the 8th.grade,and had boyfriend who was a red sox fan. my dad asked him if he was a cubs fan. well, after dad found out what team he was a fan of,dad slowly nudged my boyfriend to the basement doorway, told him to step down to the step,then my dad shut the door and locked it! my dad insisted that the boyfriend proclaim his loyalty to the cubs or he could not date his daughter.well,being the man my dad was, he let the boyfriend out of the basement,shook his hand and said, son if you are a fan of baseball you are a fan . in memory of calvin w. bender.	by: edie loos
	I will never forget taking my then 6 year old son to Opening Day for the first game ever played at the new Comiskey Park. It was a great father-son bonding moment. In typical Chicago fashion, it was freezing cold and the Tigers destroyed the White Sox, so we left early.	by: JOHN MINARDI
	My mother was watching game four on the couch terminal uterine cancer, she saw the sox win it all. god bless the chicago w sox! RIP MA TONY FOSTER	by: tony foster
	GOING TO THE UPPER DECK AND RUNNING INTO ERNIE BANKS COMING DOWN THE RAMP WHEN I WAS 12 YEARS OLD.	by: SUE CRADY
	My brother treated about 6 family male members to a game at Minute Maid Park in Houston. We had a great time and bonded the way families should.	by: Jay Zapata
	Having my husband take me to my first baseball game for my 25th birthday at Komensky park. and loving the chicago teams ever since, even grabbing a ball that was hit into the seats in front of us.My husband always tried to take us to a sox and a cubs game in the same day......... NOW THATS CHICAGO BASEBALL !!!!!	by: Karen Heiden
	My favorite story is obviously the 2005 World Series Championship. I had just begun to call myself a White Sox fan after years of not really having a favorite team. Growing up, I was a huge fan of Eddie Murray and Cal Ripken Jr. So, I rooted for the Baltimore Orioles back then. However, I began to fall in love with the way the White Sox played the game under Ozzie, and I was always kind of a closet Sox fan. I'll never for get the call on the radio: "Out, Out, Out, the White Sox are the World Series Champions!!!"	by: Bryan Kizer
	When the Sox Won the World Series. I have never seen my Father happier...except for probably the day I was born and of course I don't remember that. It was a great day.	by: Denise
	I'm a life long Sox fan who used to take the bus, buy a bleacher ticket, get a Hot Dog and Pop and spend less than $5 to see the game when I was a kid growing up on the South Side. My favorite story comes from the Steve Dahl Disco Demolition event held during Bill Vecks reign as owner. The place was packed and rocking. The atmosphere was just like a World Series with thousands of fans unable to get in roaming the streets outside the park. I was in the upper deck of the Old Comiskey Park when the place went up for grabs after the disco records were blown up. I sat there watching the sureal chaos that was going on between games. The crowds never did settle down and the second game was forfeit. Lots of fans went home angry but all have a story that will last a lifetime!	by: Matt Radek
	MY BOYFRIEND TOOK ME TO MY FIRST COMES GAME WHEN I WAS 7 MONTHS PREGNANT SO WE COULD EXPERIENCE IT AS A FAMILY AND NOW HE TAKES MY DAUGHTER EVERY YEAR	by: HEATHER KUTHE
	my mom and dad grew up in chicago and i can remember when i was a kid how they tried to get us kids to decide what we wanted to see the cubs or white sox my 3 sisters and my brother wanted the cubs they saw the cubs and i saw the white sox mom got the tickets i thought it was the greatest that was when base ball was baseball and the players payed baseball for what they were worth you had players like ernie banks,billy williams,jimmy hickman,in the out field ron santo,glen beckart, dave kingman and some other guys that loved there jobs and got what they were worth i hate baseball because baseball players are over paid for what they do and the charge to go to a game you can't even go to a game as a family anymore i me 4 hotdogs and 4 pops and the admission is over a hundred dollars	by: timothy hurley
	When I was in little league I was on a sorry team. We were like in last place at the end of the year and in our last game the most unlikely kid drove me in to win the game. It was a very happy time. It was our championship game for sure.	by: Jay Zapata
	I was lucky enough to get a ticket to the 2005 World Series Game 4 in Houston. The problem was getting to Houston. All the flights to Houston were sold out, so I wound up getting a flight to Tulsa, Oklahoma the night before, and then drove to Houston the next day to witness the White Sox winning the World Series. I was exhausted from all the traveling, but it was one of the greatest days of my life!!	by: Steve Foley
	The most eventful time was running home from work to watch the play offs for the world series I would get home and trun on the tv in the kitchen sit on the kitchen counter and talk with my friend every second of the game as if we were right next to each other talking about each play and how work was during comercials and wish we where at each game together we would yell like we where really there it was fun i would get more into the game then him he would be like your crazy we got closer during that time as friends and when we won the world series I started yelling and he would just laught at me and now i look back every game i see and i miss the friend i had then and our friendship and the goodtimes in my life	by: tabitha aguirre
	I am the ultimate fan of the cubs! i was in the movie "Rookie of the Year" as an extra in the crowds! it was the best memory i have at wrigley besides going to games from the time i was 5 years old til i was 16!	by: ashley doty
	As an 11 year old my Dad took me to my firsst majot league game at Dodger stadium in 1963. It was the second to last game of the season and a win would clinch the pennant for the Dodgers. Sandy Koufax was the pitcher and while I had watched him on tv many times I was stunned by how fast the pitches came to the plate and the "pop" they made hitting the catchers mitt! The Dodgers won the game and a big fan celebration ensued. My Dad patiently waited after the game as I attempted to get autographs from players leaving. Willie Davis came strolling out of the locker room, plastice champaign cup in hand and walked a whole crowd of youngsters across the lot to his car. He actually parked out in the fan spaces! Once to his car he handed me his champaign cup and started signing. So, not only did I get to meet Willie Davis and get his autograph, I actually got to hold his champaign! Oh yeah, and the Dodgers went on to win the World Series!	by: Jim Shaw
	Back in 1960, my dad took me to a Yankee-White Sox doubleheader at old Comiskey. My favorite Sox player at the time was little Louis Aparicio. It was always a full house when the Yankees came to town. That was the day I yelled out for Little Luis to hit a homerun; and he did-one of only 2 that year. That was a game I will always remember. Oh by the way, the Sox were swept that day.	by: Robert Madej
	There are SO many great baseball memories. My favorite is probably taking my mom and my youngest son to their 1st Sox game together. We had been to many, but realized mom, from Ireland, had never been. So, it seemed perfect to bring her and our youngest together. The excitement and awe in our 4 1/2 yr.old boy's eyes as he watched the major leaguers LIVE, combined with grandma's love watching HIM was priceless. The next best was buying the big screen instead of the world series tix to watch the White Sox take it all in 2005. Watching at home allowed us to be with all the grandparents and kids and pop the champagne with neighbors when the SOX WON IT ALL! The frosting on the cake was the CHICAGO PARADE for our WHITE SOX. The kids will never forget being pulled out of school for that "holiday". WE LOVE OUR WHITE SOX!!!	by: Mary G.
	My favorite baseball memory is taking my mom and our youngest son to their first game together. The unbelievable awe in our son's eyes as he watched these major leaguers in person, combined with the love in my mom's eyes as I she watched him was PRICELESS. They both have been to many since. True Sox Fans!!!	by: Mary Gnadt


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