Simona Rhodes dropped off her dying cat at the veterinarian on the way to U.S. Cellular Field.
In all likelihood, Slick, a 15-year-old Siamese, would not make it through the night.
But Rhodes had more important things to do Tuesday. Like watching her beloved White Sox beat the stuffing out of the defending World Series champion Boston Red Sox 14-2 in the first game of their American League Divisional Series.
“We wouldn’t miss it,” said Rhodes, 53, of Manitowoc, Wis.
She was thinking of her cat and the White Sox as she entered the Cell.
“Not necessarily in that order,” she said.
Not that Tuesday’s game against the Red Sox was a life-and-death proposition. After all, to win the World Series, the White Sox still have to win 10 more postseason games.
But many fans, like Rhodes, seem to have taken this year’s White Sox’s slogan to heart.
Win. Or Die Trying.
Or, at the least, risk your job.
Devin Szymanski, 21, a bank teller from Chicago, rearranged his schedule to work 9-5 Tuesday, figuring the game would be at night. When he found out it started at 3 p.m., he called in sick.
“They knew what I was doing,” he said. “They got real upset. . . . I don’t know where I stand, but it’s worth it. This doesn’t happen very often.”
That was evident all around the ballpark. Before the game, desperate fans looking to buy tickets far outnumbered those selling them. Along 35th Street outside the stadium, dozens of potential buyers asked all who passed if they had extras. Few did.
“I’ll cry if I don’t get one,” said Mary Lechowski, 17, of Des Plaines.
She was prepared to give up when someone offered her and a friend two seats in the upper deck for $60 apiece.
“We’re in the nosebleed section,” Lechowski said happily. “But we’re here.”
Others tried a more creative approach. David Eglit, 39, of Chicago, held a handmade sign that read “Sox fan, need 2 tickets. Please do not sell any tickets to Red Sox fans. Please!!”
If there was enthusiasm outside the stadium, it paled in comparison to the havoc inside.
Sox fans–mostly White, but with a sprinkling of the Red variety–filled every seat and lined up three deep around the outfield concourse. When the White Sox raced to a 5-0 lead in the first inning, cheers from the crowd of 40,717 were almost deafening. With every hit, fans twirled their white towels, creating the illusion of a blizzard inside the sweltering stadium.
“I’ve got the chills,” said Mark Gornik, 26, of Joliet, as he sat in the bleachers.
When Scott Podsednik hit a three-run shot in the sixth to make it 12-2, it was pandemonium.
In his lower-level seat, Christopher Korinek’s scorecard was a blur of scratch marks and colored-in diamonds signifying White Sox runs.
“I’m feeling great,” said Korinek, 21, of Berwyn. “We’re underdogs. Nobody expected us to be here. This team embodies the city.”
A few rows down, Melanie O’Brien danced in her seat as the White Sox added to their lead in the eighth, bringing the final score to 14-2.
“Oh my God, I’m a South Side Irish girl,” said O’Brien, 39, describing her love of the Sox as a birthright. Her enthusiasm was boundless.
“That was our dream, to come out and kill the Red Sox,” she said. “Look at this game. We have got the momentum.”
Others were more cautious, having learned the hard way.
“I still have to keep it in perspective,” said Adam Moore, 24, of Chicago. “As a Sox fan, you can’t get your hopes too high. It’s just part of the city. You see too many failures.”
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jyates@tribune.com
