newper wrote:
Time to tell my short story... after April, the Sox are something like 17-7 or so. I read about these new ticket plans that you can just buy the weekend games. Take a look at the schedule and see Cubs, Yankees, Red Sox... hmm I can sell those games on eBay. So I buy two tickets in section 151, about 12 rows up. Left field by Scotty Pods. I sell enough of the tickets to pay for everything. As they are becoming more and more likely to make the playoffs, I take a look at post season tickets. My plan gives me both games in the divisional series, one game (game 2) in the league series, and one game (game 2) in the World Series. Sweet. I sell the first Boston game tickets which pays for the entire playoffs. Ask my dad if he wants to go to game 2 against Boston... says thanks but he can't. I go with a buddy, and White Sox are down early, but rally in the fifth or sixth to go up by one and they hold on to win. Angels are then in town, Game 2. Ask my dad... he says he can't make it again. Go with another buddy... this is the AJ dropped third strike game. We have no idea what the hell is going on, but for some reason he is safe at first in the 9th in a tie game, and they go on to win with Crede clutch hit. (
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Tn5CQ9vyYQ -- interesting to see how bad the graphics were for 10 years ago)
Finally, World Series game 2. Ask my dad, do you want to go? He says sell them and take the 3k or whatever they were going for at the time. I told him I sold that first Red Sox game, so these tickets are basically free -- you can pay for parking, let's go. So we went and it was a Bears/Ravens game that was like a 10 to 6 affair that we watched on the TVs around the vendor areas... drizzled the whole time. Bruce Wolf dropped his dad off in our section and then went up to his skybox. Konerko's slam was the greatest sports moment I have ever been at... I can't even describe the feeling at the park... it was the very definition of euphoric. We stood the rest of the game, and then Scotty pokes one over the fence in right. Unbelievable.
Sox Front office calls me about renewing my tickets for next year. I told them forget it -- they made a deal that if you wanted to go to the World Series, they'd let you if you'd buy 2006 season tickets. I knew the secondary market would be saturated with tickets.
That Buy 2006-Get World Series tickets wasn't quite what it was cracked up to be. I remember looking into it and there was some bullshit catch. 2005 was the first year in awhile I didn't have a full season ticket plan. In fact, I was so pissed about the moves they made in the offseason, I didn't buy any plan at all. Shows what I know.
So I bought a plan like the one you describe, but maybe I did so after you, because mine only came with the first round games, no ALCS or World Series. I went to both Boston games plus made some cash by selling the extras I was able to buy.
I'll always remember where I was for each game:
ALDS:
Game 1 vs. Boston: At the game 500 level
Game 2 vs. Boston: At the game 500 level
Game 3 vs. Boston: That was a Friday night. I watched at Lincoln Tap. It wasn't very crowded during the game which started fairly early, but my buddy Tom Faulkner was tending bar.
ALCS:
Game 1 vs. Angels: Shoeless Joe's
Game 2 vs. Angels: Shoeless Joe's
Game 3 vs. Angels: The little bowling alley on Wolf Road off of Dundee. This was a Friday night. The Garland game. I was having a problem with the ignition on my Cadillac. I couldn't start the thing when I came out. It was a weird problem where I could turn the ignition on for 15 seconds, turn it off, and repeat three times and after a certain period it would start. I tried that a couple times and it didn't work. My buddy Mike gave me a ride home. I was so happy to be up 2-1 in the series I didn't give a shit about the car. The next morning I got up early and rode my bike from Evanston all the way back to the bowling alley. I got the car started.
Game 4 vs. Angels: Shinnick's. This was the same day as the Notre Dame/USC game with the "Bush Push". We got there in time to watch the football game. Before the Sox started I got interviewed by Sharon Wright. She was trying to get me to say I was confident, but I refused. 3-1. Just one more win.
Game 5 vs. Angels: Jimbo's. We got there early enough to grab three seats at the bar. By game time the place was packed. World Series, boys!
World Series:
Game 1 vs. Houston: I wouldn't have been anywhere else in the world no matter what it took. We waited all day and bought four tickets right before game time. $650 each for 500 level. Missed the national anthem but nothing else. Fuck Roger Clemens!
Game 2 vs. Houston: Jimbo's. Tried to buy tickets but they were more expensive than the opener. I wasn't paying $1500 for a Game 2 ticket. As it turned out, it may have been worth it, but it was plenty of fun at Jimbo's and we stayed dry.
Game 3 vs. Houston: The long game. Went to Harry Caray's in Rosemont. The dumb Cub fan broad who was managing the place was rooting hard against the Sox. I've never spent a dime in a Grant DePorter establishment since that day. Control your stupid people. Root against the Sox, fine. Just be smart enough not to do it out loud. She got her comeuppance with a long shift and a Geoff Blum home run. You can put it on the board- YES!
Game 4 vs. Houston: Back at Jimbo's. Packed as hell. Steve Lyons was there with a camera crew. Some nitwit producer broad was trying to orchestrate a fake cheering section. Most of us weren't going for that. Freddy pitched his ass off and Willie scampered home. Standing out in 35th Street after the game I can remember thinking, "If I die now, it will be okay."