Aug 04 2008 09:35 PM
I left for a quick bizz trip to suburban Chicago Sunday and just returned.
I'd checked into my hotel around 9, and walked across the parking lot to to the local restaurant which was the kinda joint that has peanut shells all over the floor and laminated menus and beer and TVs tuned to Sunday Nite Baseball. Poifict!
Group of maybe 5 young guys are gathered on the other side of the bar to my left. The one sitting closest to me is wearing a Lynyrd Skynyrd t-shirt and has a thick hillbilly accent. Construction workers? Wifey calls on the cell and I remark this must really be the sticks, even though it's less than an hour from Chicago.
Even more guys arrive. Hooters t-shirts, hats on backwards, Bud Lights all around (one guy orders water) and a dude wearing a flat-brimmed A's cap.
Then it hits me: These must be players from the local minor league team -- I saw a sign driving in saying the stadium was at this exit. The Kane County Cougars. I didn't interrupt them, just sorta listened in -- mostly busting eachother's chops, and remarking on the game which the Cardinals, Met-like, cough up a slim lead then fail to take it back despite a golden opportunity.
That disgusted me and I went back to the hotel to collapse. This morning I discovered the stadium was basically right across the street and that the Cougars are the A's Class A Midwest team, out celebrating a 7-1 win earlier last night vs. the Michigan Whitecaps. Tonight for fun I went through the roster and discover who I met:
SS Matt Ray (the Lynyrd Skynyrd/ goofy accent guy)
1B Greg Dowling (the ringleader)
Ps Brad Herzler (Hooters T-shirt); Justin Friend (flat-brimster), Anthony "Just Water for me" Capra, & Scott Hodson
3B Christian Vitters