Wrigley Rain Event

Wrigley field evacuated after tornado sirens go off in Chicago. Things haven't blown this bad on Clark and Addison since Lee Elia managed the team.

Damn there are a lot of goofballs with Afros tonight... damn it, is it 70's night? Again? Seems like it's always 70's night... Why are there so many more Fat Elvis(es) instead of Farah Faucets?

We settled into our seats in 534. Not bad. Row 3. Pretty good seats overall. The hated 'Stros.

I can't believe Dempster walked in a run!

Hmmm... line of dark clouds coming from the west. Wind is picking up.

I could feel that there was going to be a minor rain delay. I could see it coming...and in my nosebleed seats, I could see a greater portion of the Northern Chicagoland area. That storm was a comin' alright.

I looked at the radar in my phone and noticed a line of RED from the X at Wrigley all the way to Rockford. This might be it. Well, it's only the forth. Lightning cracked around the area.

I struck up a conversation with a nice couple from California visiting ole' Wrigley. I showed them the storm data.

Fifth inning the rain started. The flags of Cub greats were taken down and the grounds crew sprung into action.

The folks of 534 held their ground watching the more expensive seat owners run for cover. Typical rain delay - and the bonus that since, although it was an official game, it had not yet reached the cut off of the 7th. It was my buddy's turn to buy a round - so he went off on his task.

Then the rain turned white.

There was an announcement over PA and a message on the scoreboard "advising fans to seek shelter on the concourse." This was great advice for those folks already soaked. But the gang in 534 were high and dry.

Besides, I had a beer coming. Damn it.

Then the tornado siren went off.

Never heard that before! Even when I lived here, I never heard that before.
Hmmm. Clever way to get the fans out? I suppose?

It turned off. Cheers. Revelry.

Then it went on again.

And that's about the exact moment when the wind shifted straight into 534. Soaked.
The good men and women of the 534 abandoned their posts.
A man in blue, looking quite official was yelling at those who thought to stay. He pointed at the way to the concourse.

Of course no one was moving. And I was just lit up enough, and wet enough that people shuffled out of my way.

Now I was pissed. Where's my goldarned BEER!

A couple of fans ran on the field and started body sliding on the tarp. Cheers. Revelry.

The magic of mobile phones I was able to meet my buddy under the 533-534 sign board on the level below. Beerless! SomofaBitch!

We made our way to the rear exit, realizing that every bar across the way was packed past capacity (no chance at a beer) we decided to call it. But my buddy convinced me that walking THROUGH Wrigley to the main entrance was a good idea.

Not the worst time slogging through a packed Wrigley - believe it or not.

Probably one of the most memorable games I've been to.

Cubs came back to play, despite all logic to the contrary, Act Two ensued. I was no longer there.

The game resumed at 10:24 p.m., with Chad Gaudin on the mound in relief of Dempster. Even seventh-inning stretch conductor Michael McKean stuck around. What a trooper. Wonder if he was in character? It being 70's night - he would have been "Lenny." But wasn't Laverne and Shirley supposed to be in the 50's? Hurm...

The Cubs continued to toy with the idea of run production, the most promising development being Mark DeRosa's line drive to the warning track with a man on in the seventh. But that failed to stretch over the fence.

With the Cubs batting in the bottom of the eighth, the thunder and lightning resumed.

After one particularly jarring blast, Lance Berkman sprinted off the field, like a little baby -- What? Can't handle a little electrocution?

And that was that.