It doesn't get any better than this. Cubs vs Red Sox for the first time since 1918. Cubs vs Red Sox for the first time ever in Wrigley Field. This past Friday, as the members of the two most storied franchises in professional sports stood on the lush grass at Wrigley Field for batting practice, I made my way through the throngs of sweaty fans waiting for tickets and found myself standing directly under the famous red marquee. After taking the obligitory tourist photos, I stood for a few seconds in an attempt to freeze the moment into my memory, lest it ever be forgotten. After presenting my treasured game ticket, I entered the 91 year-old park, wearing a Bill Mueller t-shirt and an awed smile, and welcomed the goosebumps that appeared on my soon-to-be sunburnt arms. My feet moved across the adobe brick concourse touched by so many before me, and before I knew it, I had my first glimpse of the field.

The ivy-covered outfield walls, the hand-operated scoreboard, the bleacher seats on top of neighboring buildings; we've all seen it on TV a hundred times before. But standing there at the top of the stairs above third base, the field came to life. Under the bright blue sky and the blinding orange sun, Wrigley was a sea of green. From the thick infield grass to the foot of the infamous outfield wall that is bathed in ivy, Wrigley is a sight to behold.

We moved closer, unconscious of our movements and unable to fight the pull of the field. The Red Sox were in the middle of BP, so we joined a large group of fans who had gathered along the left field line to watch. My eyes travelled from sight to sight - from the centerfield scoreboard to the Wrigleyville rooftops to the jampacked bleachers. Not an advertisement in sight, Wrigley is truly the last old-school ballpark. Each scene looks like a snapshot from centuries ago, when our ancestors sat in the very same seats to watch players like Hack Wilson and Ernie Banks.

Once the game began, the heat was sweltering and the mood was festive. Details of the actual game need not be repeated, as the outcomes were most unfavorable to my visiting Red Sox, though there were several highlights that bear remembering.

I've never been a big fan of Take Me Out To The Ball Game, as Fenway's 8th inning Sweet Caroline tradition has always been more of an emotional favorite. But seeing every single person on their feet at Wrigley, singing along to baseball's oldest song, was most definitely chill-inducing. There to lead the singing from high atop Wrigley in the broadcast booth window were Chris Chelios (former Chicago Blackhawk and current Detroit Red Wing) and Jack O'Callahan of the 1980 US Hockey Gold Medal team (and former BU student and Sox fan). Chelios, wearing a Cubs hat, and O'Callahan, a Sox hat, led the overheated and overexcited fans in a rousing rendition of the song made so famous by Harry Carey. As they sang "root, root, root for the home team," O'Callahan raised his voice and shouted "root, root, root for the RED SOX," much to the enjoyment of the hoardes of Sox fans in the ballpark.

Deciding one day at Wrigley simply wasn't enough, we returned the following morning, intent to stand in the crowded ticket lines until game time in case any additional tickets became available. The sun was strong and the air was thick, but standing underneath the Cubs' old red marquee with the aniticpation of taking in an afternoon baseball game is not a bad way to spend a morning. A half hour before the first pitch the ticket windows finally opened and ten minutes later, we were the proud owners of tickets 35 rows behind home plate. Elated, we raced into the park, anxious to enjoy as much time in Wrigley as possible. Saturday's game was much more competitive than the previous day's, but it did not change the feeling of comraderie in the stands.

For the entire weekend, the seats at Wrigley were packed with Sox fans, Cubs fans, and baseball fans who had come from California, Boston, Kentucky, Texas, or the suburbs of Chicago to celebrate the meeting of two baseball teams with rich histories. Unlike the Yankees/Red Sox rivalry or the Cubs/White Sox crosstown classics, there were no hard feelings in the stands. The two most written-about fan bases in professional sports have often felt like brothers: twins joined at their heartbroken pasts. When the Red Sox won the World Series last year, many Cubs fans felt that a torch had been passed. Similarly, most Sox fans now hope to see the Cubs win a World Series, so that their fans may experience what we were all lucky to live through last October. It was a weekend of meeting new friends who felt like old family, all of us united by our love of the game.

Saturday, June 11th. Bottom of the ninth, the Cubs lead has been cut to one run, Trot Nixon at the plate, 2 outs. Cubs fans on their feet, Sox fans on their feet. The building was electric, and while everyone wanted to walk away their team the victor, we were really all cheering for the same thing.