Take me out to the ballgame!!

Sometimes you just have to see it to believe it.

In order to know that something really exists, that it isn't just a myth and that the characters are truly living, breathing human beings, we have to see it with our own eyes, and Sunday I did just that when I saw Wrigley Field for myself.

I had been to Wrigley Field for games dozens of times and grew up watching it for countless hours on TV. After the telecast, or during, I would run outside to replicate my favorite players in the back yard, or throwing a baseball against a brick wall or hitting a wiffle ball over the short fence. Or I would gather neighborhood friends to throw a ball around, or take a few slaps at a ball, and we would proclaim ourselves to be our favorite players.

I was often Andre Dawson, Shawon Dunston or Mark Grace. It was kind of hard to believe, now that I look back, that these were real people, not mythical, because my re-enactments would often portray them as super heroes, and sometimes they seemed invincible on their own.

Well, on Sunday, for the first time in years, I again tried to embody them. I had acquired press passes through this newspaper(News-Progress), and I was given the access of my dreams - to step down on the field and into the dugout. I saw the ivy just as Dawson did, and I saw the bleachers overflowing with fans, just as Dunston did.

I took a seat in the same narrow dugout that Dennis Eckersely sat in, and stood by the same rabid beat reporters Kerry Wood has avoided.

I stood in the second oldest Major League Baseball stadium and soaked in my surroundings. Several of the best baseball players in the world were tossing baseballs back and forth right in front of me. I stood right behind the Pirates as they took batting practice, directly behind a coach that was "gently" hitting grounders to infielders, and they all flawlessly threw them on two hops back to the coach. If they missed at all I would have been pelted and hurting, but every throw was on the mark. All of the other reporters stood beside me, not even flinching, not even looking.

In high school games, I would have walked away with several bruises and a missing tooth. No offense, though, high schoolers, these are just the best of the best.

I looked to my right and there was new Cub Jim Edmonds, who was formerly a Cub-killing Cardinal. I'm no longer a bitter Cubs fan who would hold a grudge, thankfully. I looked to my left and there was the Cubs dugout, which I wasted no time to step down into and take a seat. It's surprisingly narrow. As my mind was racing with excitement, I looked up and realized that Cubs' ace starter Ryan Dempster and his red goatee were five feet in front of me, both being interviewed by famous Cubs writer George Castle. The goatee didn't have much to say.

The other reporters were muttering something amongst themselves about Castle, who I later got to interview for this week's News Progress story, and his opportunity to talk to Dempster, who has been blazing opposing hitters this season.

I watched a few excited fans and their families be escorted onto the field. Forty-five year-old-men lit up like 12-year-olds, and their 12-year-olds were frozen in awe. Two boys, probably no older than eight years old, stood in the dugout wearing Cubs uniforms and hats with big, wide eyes, and each held a baseball covered in signatures.

A tall, muscular Cub wearing dark sunglasses and a beard breezed past me and the other reporters and stepped into the dugout, and he took the children's baseballs to sign them, giving each a pat on the head. I'm pretty much positive that was Kerry Wood, who is much taller and even more intimidating than I expected.

The Cubs players then took off for the clubhouse and the media followed. I wasn't granted clubhouse access, unfortunately, but I still got to see more than most eyes ever do, and I'm very thankful for that, too. I can't do too much more talking to do the sights justice, so here are several pictures to help do the talking:

Here's the Cubs dugout. Here have sat Sutcliffe, Durocher, Stone, Garciaparra, Dawson, Sandburg and Rennels.



And Dempster. Here is Ryan Dempster being interviewed by George Castle.



Here is the water fountain that Grace, Sosa, Santo, Girardi, Banks and Rennels have drank from.



Jim Edmonds being helped by another Cub and I'm standing only a few feet from them. Edmonds ran right past me and into the dugout, and as he ran past us reporters he kept his head down. I bravely said hello and asked how he was doing, and Jim told me "good." It was awesome.



There, on the right, stands Lou Piniella, the Cubs' grizzly coach. Lou was the first face I saw walking onto the field, and right then I remembered where I was at. Lou is a tall man, and nevermind that he is 60 years old, he is still built like a brick house. Seriously. I had no idea, either.



Kerry Wood signs autographs for the youngsters.



Here are dozens of rabid fans eagerly requesting a pat on the head from players.



Bratwurst.



Here is the organist that plays all the ragtime and blues between innings and all the sound effects when a player hits a foul ball.



My favorite picture. Here is Ron Santo, the (should be) Hall of Fame former third baseman for the Cubs and now their radio color commentator. I lurked around in the press box hallway every chance I got and constantly looked into his booth to see if I could say "hi" to Ronnie, and then I had my chance. In one inning I looked in the booth window and saw Santo getting up, so I waited for my chance. When he walked out of the booth and into the hallway I said, "Hey Mr. Santo!" and he turned around(and he's really tall!), and then I told him who I was and where I was from, but as I was introducing myself I dropped my tape recorder on the ground and it busted open! Ronnie said "Ohh Gawdt!" just like he says when a Cub outfielder drops a pop-up. (Devoted Cubs fans out there know what I'm talking about) But both he and I regrouped for this nice photo.



Here is the Cubs press room. It, too, is smaller than I would have thought.



Disgruntled Cubs beat reporters.



Did you know that during every press conference they conduct a 15-minute nap for coaches and reporters. OK, not really. I just caught a lot of people with their eyes closed. No flashes allowed. This is Lou Piniella talking about how happy he was with their win and their 10-game homestand.



I want to sum this blog entry up by saying that it was a real blessing to be able to do all of this, and I thank the News Progress for providing me with the opportunity. If any readers have any Cubs memories or anything else Cubs, please share them here.

Check this week's News-Progress for a feature column about the trip and the Cubs' heritage.