A couple of you sharp-eyed people noticed, when you clicked on the scorecard link in yesterday's game recap, that I keep personal game counts on my scorecards, and that yesterday was my 1999th Cub game.
Thus, tonight I will attend my 2000th Cub game, dating back to September 7, 1969. Actually, I know I went to a handful of games before then; the very first was July 6, 1963, but 9/7/1969 is the earliest surviving scorecard that I have, so that's where I begin the count. Tonight will make 1867 games at Wrigley Field, 133 Cub road games.
Longtime BCB readers will remember this post from August 18, 2005, noting my 2000th major league game, which included counts of my attendance at various major league ballparks. Most of those counts haven't changed much since then, so all told, I've been at a little over 2200 games in 33 different major league ballparks.
That's a lot of baseball. The three World Series games I noted in the 2005 post were great -- and I've added two more to that total, the two at the Cell in 2005 -- but I'm still waiting, as we all are, for the ultimate joy we will all share when the Cubs play in one.
Incidentally, if you haven't already seen this note, you will in the next few days. The Cubs have, with 12 wins this season, won 9997 games in their history dating back to 1876. That means win #10,000 will come soon, likely on the upcoming road trip to Colorado & Washington. (That, by the way, is the sort of trip you get when you let a computer, rather than human beings, make out the schedule.) It'd be real nice if win #10,000 came on Wednesday in Denver.
In the meantime, I will have a game thread up this afternoon, including a Q&A about the Mets that I'm doing with D. J. Short of MetsBlog. I sent him answers to five questions he sent me earlier this morning; when he posts them, I'll link to them, and post his replies to my questions in the game thread.
Finally, Mike drew this in honor of my 2000th Cubs game. Those of you who have met me know that every single thing he claims here is true.
Click on cartoon to open a larger version in a new browser window
0 recs | 105 comments
Wow, Congrats, Al...
That’s some serious dedication!
IowaCubs- - April 21, 2008
I've Only Been to 24
You’re in another universe at 2000. My modest count is 24.(10 in Cincinnati, 8 in St. Louis, 3 in Chicago, 2 in New York, 1 exhibition in Jackson, TN) I should get that number up to 30 this year with 2 in St. Louis in July and 4 in Chicago in September.
memphiscub - April 21, 2008
Oh--to have your life!
cubfever7 - April 21, 2008
Come join us in the bleachers any time!
n/t
Al Yellon - April 21, 2008
No kidding
lostinthevines - April 21, 2008
Wow... bring us home a W! for game 2,000!
Congrats Al. That’s quite an accomplishment. You’re “our” iron man!
SackMan - April 21, 2008
Thanks!
I have to go check on my personal record (I’m at work now). It’s over .500, but not by much.
Al Yellon - April 21, 2008
Congratulations, Al!
Now that’s what I call dedication. Something tells me I’ll be lucky to witness 200 Cubs games in my lifetime, though I may retire early and make a run at your record. Yeah, right.
daver - April 21, 2008
So, I see Rick Morrissey still doesn't think too highly of us
You know… this really irks me. Yes, we’ve played Pittsburgh a ton. But, you know what. We’ve swept them TWICE! That right there is a sign of a good team.
You’re supposed to beat up on the crappy teams… and, in years past we let teams like PIT and FLA steal wins from us. It’s about time we started clobbering these junky teams.
So, to Morrissey, I say .”Booooo.” Hey Rick, take a look around and wake up. We finally beat the hell out of a bad team!
SackMan - April 21, 2008
LSA
n/t
Al Yellon - April 21, 2008
LSA
I cant imagine 2000 games… thats amazing.
Also has anyone else ever ponder how great it was to be able to use LSA in real life? LOL
Madison Cub Fan - April 21, 2008
Whenever you approve of something...
just stand up and applaud loudly for a sustained period of time.
IowaCubs- - April 21, 2008
Congratulations
That’s a real milestone. 40 years of dedication.
MDBNIU - April 21, 2008
Wow
I didn’t realize we were so close to 10,000 wins.
I’ll be at the game in Washington on Friday night. While I’d never pull against the Cubs to get it, it’d be neat to see the 10,000th.
USCKB - April 21, 2008
So will we!
I’m so excited. We’ll be in section 308, row B and rowdy as all hell!
Fukumania - April 21, 2008
So will we!!!
But I’ll take the Metro from my place in Bethesda and will buy tickets at the stadium. Can’t be too crowded—after all, it’s DC.
zevkalman - April 21, 2008
Your a very lucky man, Al.
I’ll be coming from Pennsylvania June 24th. See you there.
Bricks and Ivy - April 21, 2008
Wish I'd kept track
I’ve been going to Wrigley regularly since I was four, in 1975. At 10-15 games a year on average (fewer in the last 8 years since I had kids), I’ve probably been to more than 300 games, but I’m never going to make it to 2,000 unless I retire right now and spend all my time at games (not a bad idea, actually).
danimal15 - April 21, 2008
hint, hint....Bruce Miles should do an article on you
2,000 games since 1969, popular blog…smells like a Harry Porterfield, “Someone you should know” segment. Either that or a newspaper article.
MDBNIU - April 21, 2008
Bruce Miles is too late to the game
USA Today and the Tribune have both featured fearless Al. Here’s the USA Today link, the Trib link is no longer valid.
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/nl/cubs/2007-08-22-blog_N.htm
sanantonecub - April 21, 2008
Is Harry Porterfield still with us?
lostinthevines - April 21, 2008
I work with Harry Porterfield.
He’s still doing two of the “Someone you should know” pieces every week on ABC-7, 5 pm news (Tuesday & Thursday, IIRC).
Harry’s a class guy and I feel privileged to have worked with him for many years.
Al Yellon - April 21, 2008
Congrats Al - something special!!!
Cub Fan of the Century!
I will be at todays game (section 102) right near your seats, i will swing over to the corner and say hello right near the foul poll. I cannot come into the bleachers but i will yell from the foul poll!
HIGGY - April 21, 2008
Please do!
Stop by in the bleachers when you get a chance.
Al Yellon - April 21, 2008
Do they let...
...non-bleacher ticket holders in to the bleacher area w/o a bleacher ticket?
IowaCubs- - April 21, 2008
no
Hammer - April 21, 2008
Congratulations Al!!
sue369 - April 21, 2008
Don't know if you all saw
Jeff Samardzija on First Take this morning.
They’ll probably replay it in the next hour.
alec - April 21, 2008
Thanks for the heads up
Turning it on now.
Fukumania - April 21, 2008
Gongrats al!!!!!!!!!
Do you sit LF or RF?
fischisgod - April 21, 2008
LF.
stop on by sometime!
Al Yellon - April 21, 2008
Wow.
You are truly one lucky guy. Kudos.
bluebythebook - April 21, 2008
Lucky, yes you are Al.
But that takes some real dedication. As a Cubs fan for 24 years, I bow down to you!
Fukumania - April 21, 2008
Cubs
I know the Cubs have won more games than any other team in history but is it also true they have lost and played more games as well.
10,000 is amazing. 10,000 times someone has said Cubs WIN! (okay not always Cubs win but whatever we were called at the time WIN!)
puckishcubsfan - April 21, 2008
I don't think the Cubs have won more games
The Phillies just win their 10,000th game last season.
gwood - April 21, 2008
looks like
i was wrong (could’ve sworn the Phillies just own their 10,000th last season). Looks like the Giants are the only franchise over 10,000 wins.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/
gwood - April 21, 2008
Damn, beat me to it
They have fewer losses as well.
NittanyCub - April 21, 2008
To clarify
The Cubs have the most wins of any one city franchise in history or something like that.
puckishcubsfan - April 21, 2008
The Phils LOST their 10,000th game last year.
First pro sports franchise to reach that notorious milestone. And as for wins, Pat Hughes and Ron Santo were discussing this a few days ago on a broadcast, the only franchise with more wins than the Cubs? The New York/San Francisco Giants, who have won well over 10,000 games.
ctcoff99 - April 21, 2008
That's right!!
I knew there was something regarding the number 10,000 surrounding the Phillies last year. Thanks for the clarification
gwood - April 21, 2008
Ha ha -- even better!
daver - April 21, 2008
Congrats, Al!
What an accomplishment! Thanks for bringing us along to the games, too!
Here’s to 2,000 more.
Tangled Up In Blue - April 21, 2008
Al, can you help me out with this?
I have a different name for another blog, and SBN keeps acting up whenever I try to log back onto my name over here. It just asked me if I wanted to join BCB, which I agreed to, and then gave me an exclamation point with this:
What the hell?
NittanyCub - April 21, 2008
It was trying to get me to register as well
Even though I’m already logged in. Seems to have subsided, though.
Fukumania - April 21, 2008
Happened to me yesterday.
I sent an email to bugreport@ sbnation.com about it. You guys might want to as well, so they understand the full scope of whatever the problem is.
bluebythebook - April 21, 2008
It just happened to me again
and I haven’t done anything to the window, and was still logged in. If it asks me to join BCB one more time, I’m breaking this computer.
NittanyCub - April 21, 2008
Just click outside of the pop-up window
And it will go away. I think it’s just a glitch.
Fukumania - April 21, 2008
That's definitely a bug.
It happened to me several times this morning. Thanks for sending it along to the bugreport address—I would agree, if this is happening to you send it there, so they know it’s not an isolated incident.
Al Yellon - April 21, 2008
It hasn't happened
here but it has happened on BAB a couple of times today.
sue369 - April 21, 2008
I have been informed...
... that this bug should be fixed now.
Al Yellon - April 22, 2008
This happened to me, like, five minutes ago.
I just went back to the home page and refreshed the site. All seems back to normal at the moment.
daver - April 21, 2008
same for me...
just happened
IowaCubs- - April 21, 2008
Question for Al...
How many homeruns or foul balls (not sure if you have been in the bleachers for all 2,000 games) have you caught, if any?
smitster2008 - April 21, 2008
I have ONE home run ball.
And it wasn’t even in the bleachers at Wrigley—it was in St. Louis, in 1983, hit by Leon Durham.
I have quite a number of BP balls - I get 2 or 3 every year. None this year so far, though. Yesterday a ball hit during BP landed on the stairs next to us - got caught between the fence and the railing.
I went down the stairs, got the ball and handed it to a kid.
Al Yellon - April 21, 2008
LSA, Al
n/t
PurpleLineToWrigley - April 21, 2008
Wow, almost 2,000 games and only one home run ball.
That really says something about the odds of catching a home run ball, I guess.
daver - April 21, 2008
Congrats, Al!!!
That is a wonderful accomplishment that many of us here are very jealous of.
I am still stuck at a very modest 29 (17 at Wrigley, 1 at old Busch, 3 at the Metrodome, 8 at Coors Field).
My goal is to break a 100 before my clock expires.
ilovepie - April 21, 2008
What can I say....
that hasn’t already been said? Congratulations, Al, you are indeed a lucky man but you’re earned it with you dedication too. I say lucky only because you have a work schedule that allows you to go every day, even to day games during the week. Not many people have that luxury, and for that, I am very jealous. : )
Here’s to 2,000 more, and I would wager to say that the Cubs record in the next 2,000 will be better than the first 2,000. Plus, there will be a world championship somewhere in there, maybe (gulp!) more than one!!
ctcoff99 - April 21, 2008
Curious, Al:
Looking back, is this still true? I know I’d rather have a WS title! But on the other hand, 1998 was magical, indeed…
northsider - April 21, 2008
(this is from the USA Today article linked by sanantonecub above)
northsider - April 21, 2008
Yes, I think it still is.
That ‘98 season was amazing. It’s tainted somewhat now, of course, but that pennant race was the closest we’ve ever seen.
Al Yellon - April 21, 2008
Al
Al I tend to agree with you there about 1998.
I also felt the same way that magic night against the Giants. When we were leaving the park the PA happened to be playing “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” from the Lion King which seemed so appropriate.
And congrats on 2000. I’ve got a ways to go!
I even had emails from Mets and Giants fans that week saying “That was fun wasn’t it” and their team lost!
puckishcubsfan - April 21, 2008
Congrats Al
Truly just living the dream.
zjb - April 21, 2008
He is Chazz Reinhold?
i thought Chazz Reinhold was livin the dream crashing weddings and funerals?
HIGGY - April 21, 2008
Yes!
http://ferrelmeatloaf.ytmnd.com/
Bildo1805 - April 21, 2008
I jealous
So in order to selfishly placate my jealousy. I am wondering how much money you have spent over the years to attend all of these Cubs games? Do we have you personally to thank for Fukudome getting signed? :)
Archie - April 21, 2008
2000
Congrats on this milestone. Have you ever figured the cost of the 2000 games? I’m asking only because that’s the accountant in me. Don’t blame you if you’re afraid to add it up.
tucsoncubsfan - April 21, 2008
Um...
... well, no, I don’t think I really want to know.
Keep in mind, though, that until the last 8-10 years, the cost was pretty reasonable. As recently as 1998, all bleacher tickets were $12, and they were $24 until 2003, and some of the value dates that year were only $6.
Al Yellon - April 21, 2008
Many congrats on your Cubbie 2k, Al!
n/t
Shawon O Meter - April 21, 2008
Wow...that's real dedication Al...
santoswoodenlegs - April 21, 2008
Wow!
I get a flying horse! (Or is that a unicorn, I can’t tell.)
Al Yellon - April 21, 2008
I think it's a flying horse. Murton gets the unicorn.
daver - April 21, 2008
Congrats!
Amazing statistic you’ve got there, Al. That’s a lot of moments and memories. I’m also amazed that you’ve worn the same sneakers for 25 years… for real?!
In any case, Great cartoon and a perfect commemoration. Here’s to 2001.
Emelie - April 21, 2008
LMAO
The sneaker bit… is just a bit. I change them every… couple of years.
Here’s a hint for those of you who don’t go to that many games. Don’t EVER wear nice clothes to the ballpark. They’ll just get trashed.
Al Yellon - April 21, 2008
Whew
A lot of men I know would consider 25 year-old sneakers bragging rights. Glad yours only look that way.
BTW, I second your advice to wear ratty clothes to Wrigley. I attended once n my dolled up clothes after a professional reception and 1) I felt silly and 2) I had to purchase a sweat shirt just to keep the clothes wearable thereafter.
Emelie - April 21, 2008
Yes definitely
Yes definitely go to games in not your best dress.
I used to work a stones throw from the park in a professional dress job. I’d carry jeans and a shirt in a bag and change in the bathroom for night games.
Actually I was quite dressed for the 1998 clincher. I had been to a professional event that afternoon and I was in skirt, blouse, blazer, heels my hair all done up fancy. I forgot my bag with the jeans and blouse at the office. And when I realized it I was at the Red Line Cubs stop. I was not going to risk missing 1 minute of that night just to change.
puckishcubsfan - April 21, 2008
No wonder
No wonder I missed you that game in the bleachers. I thought you wore a tuxedo with coattails to every game :).
puckishcubsfan - April 21, 2008
Wow
I am in awe Al, you are the Cub Fan all us lesser fans can only aspire to be.
eswan9 - April 21, 2008
After 2,000 games
this man deserves a world series to attend with his favorite team. I can’t imagine 2,000. See you in a couple of weeks with what is building up to be the big series of the early season (D’Backs).
mrcubsfan - April 21, 2008
Congrats, Al
Hopefully your 2,080th something game will be the one we have been chasing our entire lives as Cubs fans.
BigJohnAZ - April 21, 2008
Another question for Al
How do you sleep? I know you work early in the morning for your job, but having a mix of night and day games throughout the entire season would wreak havoc on my internal clock, not to mention sleeping during the day.
berselius - April 21, 2008
I don't sleep.
Does that answer your question?
Al Yellon - April 21, 2008
No, that's sort of a joke.
I sleep when I can… usually, during the offseason.
Al Yellon - April 21, 2008
Congrats Al!
I think I just broke 100 myself….
LOL…I thought I was addicted!
BartlettBob - April 21, 2008
I got hit in the face with a home run ball... During BP
it really hurt. Pay attention. Cant believe only one home run??
fischisgod - April 21, 2008
I hope you got to keep the ball!!!
you probably deserved it!
IowaCubs- - April 21, 2008
Impressive
I’m most impressed that you have kept it up during the tough times. Sometimes I don’t even want to watch a full game on TV when things are going really bad because it affects my moods, kudos.
slocs55 - April 21, 2008
It affects my mood too.
The 2006 season, for example, was really hard… the worst I’ve ever seen. But I still love the game. And stuff like that will make it so much sweeter WHEN we win.
Al Yellon - April 21, 2008
Yeah...
I could be in the worst possible mood but if the Cubs end up winning that day it will turn into a really good day.
Same goes for having a good day and a Cubs loss turns it into a bad day.
EJThunder - April 21, 2008
2000th game
Yeah but what’s their record when you attend????
Cali2Chi - April 21, 2008
A little over .500.
I can look that up if you really want to know.
Al Yellon - April 22, 2008
Congrats Al, when I grow up I wanna be just like you
Matty G - April 21, 2008
NY Time on sports blogging
There’s an interesting NY Times article on sports blogging and it’s uneasy relationship with major league sportshere. Not really stuff that impacts Al’s approach, but still raises a number of interesting issues.
AlaskaFan - April 21, 2008
There's a fanpost on this...
...here. (And, credit to you, at least you didn’t post another fanpost about it, as seems to be the trend today.)
daver - April 21, 2008
I searched this thread
before posting the NY Times link, but couldn’t find a way to scan/search fan posts. Sorry for the duplicate link. And I see I screwed up the formatting of the link. Sigh.
And sincere respect, admiration and felicitations to Al on # 2,000. Al, you must have a cast iron gut to live with the torment. My hat is off to you, sir.
AlaskaFan - April 21, 2008
Thanks.
And thanks to all for your kind words.
Posting this here to let you all know that the tech team is working on improving the search function. Hopefully, it’ll be soon.
Al Yellon - April 22, 2008
To paraphase an old Irish toast,
May the best Cubs game in your past 2000 be the worse one in your next 2000.
Great record, I’m doubly impressed that you’ve been to that many games in the first place and you can account for each one. Your place must be overrun with scorecards!
JFCubFan - April 21, 2008
Let me also say
congratulation on your 2000th game Al! Here is hoping you see at least another 2000. Let us all also hope that more than a few of them will be winning WS games.
MetsSuck - April 21, 2008
congrats
another upcoming milestone: 3 more wins for 10000 cubs wins!
ecbc - April 21, 2008
Al 2 K puts Y 2 K to shame...
I’m going to try my best to get ESPN to mention this feat because you know at some point they are going to mention the “Cubs Faithful” during the broadcast and if you are not part of that conversation it would be a tragedy. I’ve already sent about 50 e-mails and I won’t stop. Its going to be a great night for baseball and with Big Z on the mound, I like your chances of making #2,000 a very happy one. Take it all in my friend!!!
chi-townbleacherbum - April 21, 2008
50 emails?
Wow, that’s dedication. Did they say anything?
Al Yellon - April 22, 2008
2000
Congrats on the milestone, Al. 2000 games! That’s an amazing testament to your loyalty and dedication. About time the Cubs provided a little payback in the form of a World Series or two;)
I’m at the other end of the spectrum. Intending to get over to Chicago and Wrigley this summer for the first time since 1972.
I’ve been following the Cubs from afar ever since. Thanks to the internet and especially BCB I now feel closer to the Cubs than at any time since my brief Chicago sojourn all those years ago.
Keep up the good work, Al.
simonuk - April 21, 2008
If you do make it..
.... stop in the bleachers and say hi. That’s dedication, too, coming all the way from the UK.
Al Yellon - April 22, 2008
Dang
That’s some serious commitment. Congratulations.
lovitt - April 21, 2008
Oh to lead your baseball life
Wish I could say I was attending my 2,000th game. Don’t think that’ll happen now.
Congratulations!
No Southern Belle - April 21, 2008
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