Part XI
I woke up, all drowsy, and Otto was in my face. Come on, we're going to the ballpark! I was confused. "What ballpark?" I went downstairs to ask Ray what the heck was going on. "You guys, are going to Chicago, to go catch a Cubs game." I couldn't believe it. How did they know that I was a Cubs fan? Otto interjected "Well, for starters, you wear a Cubs hat everywhere you go, and you scream at the TV every time you watch a Cubs game and we have to go into the next room." That wasn't all that was given to me. I got a Derrick Lee jersey. He's my favorite player. 6 foot 5, plays first base and has some Gold Gloves(for best defensive player at that position.). I always dreamed of going to play at Wrigley Field at first base my whole life.
"And that's not all," Ray said. "You get to meet the players in the locker room." I couldn't believe it. I tried my whole life to meet a celebrity, and now I get to meet the whole Chicago Cubs team. "Your flight is in an hour, and Reggie, Twister, Otto and Sam are already in the car!" Before I went into the car, I grabbed a bat, and showed them how to swing a bat properly. Sam gave me an underhanded pitch, and I whacked it right across the street into the pool about 200 feet away. "Wow, you hit really well, Aaron." "Well, with anything, good hitting requires patience. You just don't swing at anything you want to. Don't swing at anything high or low. Swing at something right around your stomach area."
We arrived at the airport, and once again, Twister managed to make a fool out of himself, seeing that there was a costumed guy in a monkey suit. "They're back! Run for your lives!" "Twister, that is the peanut vendor." Otto and Reggie just laughed and bought several bags for the flight. We boarded the plane. "This flight is from Ocean Shores to Chicago, Illinois and will take about 3 hours. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy yourselves." I grinned at Otto. "Let's gross everyone out!" "1, 2, 3!" And we both ripped one. Otto laughed "That was great! I needed that!" Reggie looked in disgust and gave us 'the look'. "I'm the one in charge here, and since I am the oldest, you two better stop, or I will call Ray, and we'll ship you back to Ocean Shores."
We just hid our heads in shame. Then Reggie said "Bust! I got you two good!" She let one loose in good nature. Eventually, we got to Chicago, and took the bus to Wrigley Field to watch batting practice and get some autographs. They would be playing their arch-rival, the St. Louis Cardinals. Everyone in Chicago was feeling pennant fever, since the Cubs were in first-place and the Cardinals were nipping at their heels. Half an hour before the game, I asked Twister and Otto to go get us some popcorn and soda. Sam had to use the restroom, so it was just Reggie and me!
Then, Reggie got me in a headlock and just started to hug me! That certainly gave me the biggest shock, as I started to kiss her. I thought it would be a private moment, but no! It was captured on the local station, WGN. "Keep, kissing, Aaron!" The crowd just went "Awww! That's so cute!" Eventually, the game would be underway, and it was a nip and tuck game all the way, until the Cardinals struck with a grand slam, making their lead 4-3, going into the 9th. The Cardinals manager decided to walk Derrick Lee, to bring up Cubs 3rd baseman, Aramis Ramirez. The first two pitches were strikes. I couldn't watch. It was like watching a train wreck and watching someone getting trampled under it.
I crossed my fingers "It has to be a curveball inside." Sure enough it was, and Ramirez swung with the full force of a sledgehammer trying to ring the bell at a circus game. He got all of the ball at the heart of the bat. It was going to left field. And it was like watching it in slow motion. It cleared the fence, and the Cubs won! I spilled all my soda on the whole gang and started to throw popcorn around, like fireworks at a 4th of July event! I high-fived a Cubs fan and did a chest bump with Otto! "That was awesome! It felt like winning the World Series, and that was a big, big win!"
We all went down to the field and the locker room to interview some of the players in the locker room. It was an unbelievable sight. There were TVs, ice cream machines, soda machines and tons upon tons of candy! It was a kid's dream! Aramis Ramirez went up to me and said "Go ahead, help yourself." I forgot to introduce myself to him. "Hi, I'm Aaron!" I asked him a question, "Did you look for a curveball on the top half of the plate?" "Because it was righty on righty, they tried to jam you, but you muscled that out." Aramis just smiled "Yeah, it was. He left it hanging a little, and I swung as hard as I could. Say, you know a bit about baseball. How would you like to throw around for a while?" Otto couldn't believe it. Neither could I! "Throw around on Wrigley Field? Are you serious?" I fainted.
Fortunately, I recovered from the shock of that and went out to throw. We got some gloves, balls, bats, cards. And they were all signed by the 2008 Chicago Cubs. It was a blast throwing it around. We even had dinner together with the whole team at TGI Friday's. Of course, I ate the bacon cheeseburger and fries, since I was a burger person. We stayed in Chicago for the next few days, touring the Museum of Art, Sears Tower, and downtown Chicago. It was an awesome experience that I will never forget. Life is great with your friends! However, we had to be back the next day, for the judges will announce on local TV which team brought back first prize in the video contest. So much excitement, so much angst. I couldn't wait much longer! We did an awesome job, now we have to hope for the best!
End of Part XI