Here's Alberto Cabrera.
And Rafael Dolis
And Jaye Chapman
These are the Sprinkles cupcakes Angela had made for Danny the equipment boy. The Cubs players loved it.
Michael Bowden
This woman on the left is someone we met at the games earlier in the year. She had never been to Wrigley before, but since meeting us, she had been to two more. I would like to believe that I help people love the game.
Jeff Beliveau
Michael Bowden gave us his shoelaces!
Anthony Recker, who said, "I don't fist bump--let me show you what I do." So this is our secret handshake. Guess it's not a secret now.
Josh Vitters
Before the game, all the players came on the field with backpacks filled with autographed balls, and they threw them to the crowd. It was awesome. What a great idea!
Here's Joe Mather, who said, "How about one last picture?"
The lineup was weird, mostly young guys.Houston scored one in the first. In the bottom of the second, LaHomer did what he was known to do earlier in the season--he homered. The game was tied.
Josh Vitters walked.
Then Vitters stole second.
Here's Travis Wood on the mound for the Cubs.
Campana reached on an infield single in the third.
Then he went to second on an error.
Then he stole third. I love watching this guy run the bases.
Here's Anthony Recker.
Here's Josh Vitters.
Here's Tony Campana.
In the fourth, Sappelt reached on an infield single, then Vitters singled.
Brett Jackson walked to load the bases.
Here's Anthony Recker.
He walked to drive in a run, and the Cubs lead 2-1.
Travis Wood singled, because he is an amazing hitting pitcher, and Vitters and Jackson scored.
Cubs left the fourth up 4-1.
Here's LaHomer. He grounded out in the fifth.
Dave Sappelt and Josh Vitters also ground out.
Hi, Jeff.
Anthony Recker
I will miss seeing Garza's head peeking out all the time.
And I will miss Anthony Recker's face.
Jaye Chapman came on to relieve Wood in the seventh.
Sorry about this hand, but the crowd was excited that the groundscrew would sing the 7th inning stretch!
Angela and me at our last game of the season.
Shawn Camp came on to pitch the 8th.
Sadly, the Astros scored three runs off Camp and tied the game at 4. It's usually not Camp who does this, poor kid. But Recker did throw Corporan out stealing.
Another Garza picture.
Marmol came on to pitch the ninth. With a tied game, of course I was nervous. But he did a great job, and we headed into the bottom of the ninth, still tied at 4.
In the bottom of the ninth, Anthony Recker walked. Darwin Barney came in to run for him.
Then Steve Clevenger came in to pinch hit. Oh, how I wanted him to win the game for the Cubs. But he popped out bunting.
Campana reached on a bunt single, pushing Darwin to second.
Castro walked to load the bases.
Bryan LaHair came up to bat. LaHair, who had such a great start to the season but had been largely forgotten when Rizzo was called up to take his place at first. LaHair, who couldn't seem to hit lefties. LaHair, selected to the All-Star team by the players but who let another player use his glove at first. I am not a baseball mind, but I didn't understand why he sat the bench so much and didn't even get a chance. I was pretty sure he wouldn't be on the Cubs next year--they could trade him and get a lot for him. And I really wanted this for him.
And he singled.
As the run scored, the Cubs ran on the field and mobbed him.
It was a great way to end the season, since it did in fact have to end. You could see it on everyone's faces. They loved him.
We met this girl Jenn who loved Joe Mather. We told her for sure she could meet him. And she did. I think I feel more joy when other people meet the people they love than when we do.
I was pretty excited to meet Theo Epstein again, and this time he posed for a very blurry picture.
And here's David DeJesus.
When we went outside, there was a mob of people. I didn't want to stand there with all these people who didn't even know these boys. I didn't want to watch them push little kids out of the way to get close to the players, only to ask me three minutes later, "Who was that?" Because they should know. They should know that Steve Clevenger is the back-up catcher who had a great start until he was injured. They should know that Adrian Cardenas is the back-up second baseman, an unenviable job because who wants to back up Darwin Barney? And they should know who Blake Parker was, since they pushed me out of the way to get to him. They should know these things. It wasn't hard. You just have to watch a few games, have your heart broken, and allow your hopes to be brought up only to be trampled on.
It wasn't that I didn't want to share these boys with anyone. I just didn't want to share them with people who didn't really care. I had put in so much time, sat through rain delays and freezing weather and boiling weather and enormous losses. I had come six hours early and stayed three hours after the game. I had put in my time, and now these strangers were just going to push me out of the way to get autographs of players whose names they didn't even know?
But the players came to us, including Jeff Beliveau.
I wanted photos with the roommates Jeff and Blake. There are a lot of Jeff and Blake pictures, as they are two of my favorites.
Here's Adrian Cardenas's bat. Steve Clevenger had bats for us, but he didn't see us, so he gave them to strangers. He's in big trouble for that.
Dave McKay
The shirts Jeff Beliveau gave us.
Dale Sveum
Darwin Barney, who promised us bats next year. And then he made fun of the way we talk.
The season is over. And yes, I am wearing a Dodgers shirt that I got at the airport in L.A.
Angela and I would be there next year when the gates opened. Guaranteed. Clean slate. I can't wait. See you then!
All of my photos from this day can be found at http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151097592428786.442993.511233785&type=3
