article from Chicago 2000

Hail to Bocanegra Young Fire defender storms into the battle for MLS rookie award


Not long after he arrived in Chicago, California native Carlos Bocanegra got a rather unpleasant introduction to Midwestern weather. He watched, wide-eyed and open-mouthed, as an April storm dumped a barrage of hail at the Fire's Lake Forest training facility.
"It was pretty amazing. I've never seen anything like that. We get hail, but this was like that big," he said, indicating golf-ball size. "The whole ground was white."

The hail cost him $2,000 to repair the dents in his car. He still hasn't gotten used to Chicago weather or Chicago bars, where smoking is legal. But even though he still gets lost here "like, once a week," he's gotten comfortable in the Fire's defense.