Hunt for Blue October
Only six games stand between the Cubs and the 2007 post-season. As the boys in blue head into their final week, we answer six questions gnawing at Cubs fans.
Q. What's the deal with tickets?
A. They sold out in 30 minutes on Saturday, so you're now at the mercy of scalpers, brokers and greedy season ticket holders.
On StubHub, an online marketplace, sellers were asking as little as $125 for standing-room-only spots and as much as $5,000 for infield box seats.
Q. My playoff funds are limited. Should I buy my divisional series ticket now before the Cubs lock down a playoff berth and everyone wants tickets?
A. Not really. As soon as the series sold out Saturday, sellers flooded StubHub with tickets. As of Monday, there were more than 1,500 tickets available and most had steep price tags attached, spokesman Sean Pate said. "Sellers always start high," he says. "They have to loosen that a bit as the inventory remains high. If you're budget-conscious, you can never go wrong waiting until a few days before the game to see where the bottom of the market is."
Q. I'm not going to be able to swing playoff tickets. Have I missed my chance to see the Cubs this season?
A. It depends on how adventurous you are. There are still tickets available for this weekend's away series against the Cincinnati Reds and hotel rates are extremely reasonable in the Queen City. A quick Internet search shows more than a half-dozen hotels around the Great American Ballpark for less than $60 per night, giving fans an affordable way to celebrate the regular season's end.
Q. How can I follow play-by-play action of the Brewers games?
A. The Cubs' Brew Town rivals -- and their only remaining challenge for the NL Central crown -- can be heard on WTMJ 620-AM. The signal is clear in the North suburbs, though it isn't as strong in parts of DuPage and Will counties. You also can watch all out-of-market games this week on MLB.com for $7.95.
Q. With the playoff picture so cloudy, which team should Cubs fans be hoping to face in the first round?
A. We're going to let Cubs beat writer Bruce Miles pinch hit on this one. We caught up with Bruce before he left for tonight's game in Miami and here's what he told us:
"The Cubs should hope to face the Arizona Diamondbacks in Round One. The D'Backs are a young bunch, and if the Cubs can get past Cy Young winner Brandon Webb, they should be fine. San Diego's Petco Park will give the Cubs' hitters trouble, and the Cubs don't seem to match up well against the Mets."
What's more, it shouldn't be too hard for traveling Cubs fans to nab tickets in Phoenix. Bleacher seats at Chase Field are going for as little as $57.
Q. Mathematically, the Cubs can't miss the post season, right?
A. It would be really hard -- but not impossible -- for the Cubs to collapse. Then again, this is the Cubs. Near impossible collapses are the club's oldest tradition.
EXTRA QUESTION
Q. Who's the goofy guy in the Cubs hat?
A. That's our award-winning news columnist Burt Constable. Burt is a lifelong Cubs fan whose baseball emotions rise and fall faster than Ryan Dempster's earned run average. For the rest of the season, we'll be using his smiling or frowning mug on the front page as a barometer of the Cubs' fortunes.
Burt's column: Annual Wrigley ritual appears headed for extra innings