According to the vendors, the tough rules were made in reaction to last year's debacle with the Los Angeles Dodgers when a fan stole a hat off the head of Chad Kreuter, touching off a melee in the stands when Kreuter and his teammates charged into the box seats. Alcohol consumption was plainly a factor in what took place that night, although it probably wouldn't have been different than any other game at Wrigley if Kreuter had stayed on the field, where he belonged. Unfortunately, my efforts to get any explanations from the ballclub were unsuccessful. For some reason, the Cubs' organization rarely has anybody available to talk to the media unless you are willing to confine your inquiries strictly to baseball or Beanie Baby giveaways. Wednesday was not the best day to research a Wrigley Field beer sales story, with a frigid wind coming off the lake that made everyone in the shadows miserably cold.
Beer always sells.
An Old Style vendor was strictly following the rules when I caught up with him as he poured cold ones in the stands for a large group on the first base side. Well, almost everybody. But the truth is that Baum probably looks a little older than his age. No offense, Steve. Baum said he didn't understand the policy of carding the same person more than once.