Never Leave Early

Tuesday night was supposed to be a relaxing if mundane evening at Wrigley Field with my dad.

Instead, I wound up leaving the ballpark with a souvenir, a memory, and a lesson I’ll never forget.

Never leave early.

Dad and I had gone to countless Cubs games over the years. Wrigley Field was the very fabric that tied us together, and I never felt like I was truly successful in my career until I could afford to take him to a Cubs game.

Tuesday night was one of those nights. I bought us a pair of tickets in Section 319R right behind home plate in the lower part of the upper deck. They were affordable, they offered us a great view of the game and the ballpark, they were perfect for us.

“Perfect because nobody will be walking in front of us,” my dad said. “Plus, we’re in prime foul ball territory.”

The game went on, and foul balls kept finding more sure handed fans in our section.

“Man, they keep getting closer and closer to us,” I told him around the fifth inning.

The game wore on, the score kept getting worse for the home team. The Cubs were down by eight heading into the bottom of the…