Just North of Wrigley Field

posted by James - 8:45 PM

Something very disturbing happened to me at the game.

I'm just a fan who loves his Cubs. I don't drink. I don't swear (especially when there are children around). I don't boo my Cubs under any circumstance.

I just like to have fun. I like to be emotional. I like to be a leader, not a follower.

I stand up and cheer. I don't do it excessively. I don't do it during pitching changes, or before a 1-0 pitch (i.e. not at inappropriate times).

But like the song says... I root, root, root for the Cubbies.

Interestingly enough, in the bottom of the seventh, right after Ron Santo belted out "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" and introduced our "3,000,000th fan", I was told by an usher (red uniform) not to do so.

When Moises Alou came to bat in the 7th inning with the bases loaded and the game tied, I stood up and cheered, like I always do... and I was told to sit down.

Of course, two seconds later everybody stood just like everybody always does at the biggest moment in a baseball game, I just happened to do it first.

Later on in the at-bat, I was told by a Field employee (dark blue) to sit down or be removed from the building.

To make things worse, they sent another employee by the name of Leigh Steinman (light blue) to watch over me (though I spent the whole rest of the game in my seat).

He proceeded to harass the entire section, even when they were standing at the "appropriate times", as they explained to them earlier.

You can go look for yourself. I posted my seat location two posts ago. I was in the last row of my section and there was even an aisleway in between myself and the apparent complainers.

I sat there in shock for the next six innings. It was like my entire experience as a baseball fan unraveled in one-half inning. I didn't know when to stand, when to cheer... I actually considered at one point whether I needed to ask the usher to excuse myself to the little fan's room.

It's not like they have "applause signs" posted.

From then on, I was useless to my team when they needed me most.

When LaTroy Hawkins had one strike left to go to close out the game, I was sitting down.

When Moises Alou was batting with the bases loaded in the 12th inning, I was on my ass.

I didn't even see what happened. I was surrounded by a whole bunch of fans standing up, like Cubs fans do.

I've never been treated this way at a ballgame, and I've been to a lot of ballgames in a lot of parks in my 26 years.

I'm definitely not over this, but I know if I had a chance, I would have done things differently. I just don't know why I should have had to.