3000 Strikes- One Weird Night

When Maddux was 2 K's short of 3000, my father and I mutually agreed that we should try and see the game on Tuesday night. I logged on to Stubhub on Sunday and found 2 in the Upper Deck. I left work a little after 4 and drove home. We left the house at 4:45. As we approached the Skyway, it started to rain. It didn't stop raining until about 9:00. It took us about an hour and fifteen minutes to go from the Museum of Science and Industry in Hyde Park all the way to the stadium, a ridiculous amount of time. Lucky for us, the rain kept falling and the game got delayed. We decided to wait it out and see what would happen. We found a Burger King on the corner of Clark and Irving Park and just sat there in the Parking Lot for a good hour and a half. All of a sudden it stopped raining about 9-9:15. We drove back to our old Parking Lot on the corner of Addison and Broadway. By that point, there was nobody charging, so we pulled right in, free of charge. We decided to walk to the stadium. We walked with a father and his two sons and another youngish male who had also decided to wait it out outside the park to see what would happen. We even joked that we were staying for 2 strikeouts and then leaving. Lucky for us, as we got to our seats, the players were being introduced and the National Anthem was about to be played.

Onto the game. Maddux got the first K the very first batter of the game. Anytime, someone came up with 2 strikes, everybody (probably 65% full) stood up. Finally, in the 3rd, he struck out Omar Vizquel for #3000. Maddux took little time on to be applauded on the field. He did come out for a curtain call though. My favorite Maddux quote: "It was different," Maddux said of the crowd reaction. "I don't try to strike guys out, I never have. I've always tried to just make a pitch, but I found myself trying to strike somebody out and it took me out of my game a little bit. It was pretty cool on the mound pitching with that. You hear it -- believe me, you hear it. This is a great place to pitch and tonight was a big reason why. The fans here are super." Another reason why the Cubs have some of the best fans anywhere.

The strangest part of the night came in the bottom of the 8th inning. My dad and I had moved down from the Upper Deck onto the lower level and found 2 seats very easily. LaTroy Hawkins came into the game with lots of boos and chanting of his name. I didn't participate in either of them. He really got a raw deal by the fans near the end of his career with the Cubs. But I would say at least half of the 8,000 or so were heckling the guy. I looked at my watch: 12:15 AM. There were still 8000 people at this game, most of them still in to it, like it was a playoff game. Except for the fact it was July 26th. I kind of liked being at the game at that moment. Only the die-hards were left. Vocal or not, it made a much more fun experience at the point in the night.

Then I opened up the paper and read this. Sometimes people just don't get it.