"Day ball, night ball, it doesn't matter. There's no place that can match Wrigley Field. It's just one of the few old shrines that still belongs to the fans."
- Don Zimmer, Cubs' Manager from 1988 to 1991
Home of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. Home of Baseball’s perennial underdogs. Home to the sport’s most lovable losers. Home to the longest running championship dearth in all of sports.
No, the boys of Wrigley are not legendary for winning. Only for coming oh-so-close.
"When this place is gone, there will never be another to replace it."
- Ernie Harwell, legendary Detroit Tigers' broadcaster
Yet it remains hallowed ground (literally as it was built on what had once been a seminary). A place not just to see, but also to visit. It’s a place where one goes to enjoy the experience, not the outcome. It’s where jumbotrons and parking structures are shunned in favor of manual scoreboards and cold beers. Passersby on the elevated train need only look up at the flag on top of the stadium to see the result of the game (a white flag with a “W” for a win, blue with an “L” for a loss). There’s the ivy on the outfield walls, planted in 1937 by the future owner of the Cleveland Indians, Bill Veeck. Wrigley purportedly gave rise to the term “out in left field” since a mental institution had once bordered it on that side.
But Wrigley is more of a landmark than a ballpark. Outside the Friendly Confines lies Wrigleyville, the commercial area running along Clark and Addison Streets. Places such as The Cubby Bear, Murphy’s Bleachers, and The Goose Island Brew Pub provide classic bar food to friends and fans alike, and become as packed as the ballpark itself on game day. On the old tenant buildings lining the streets surrounding the field, friends gather for a barbecue and a free peek over the walls. And if an opposing team hits a homer out of the ballpark, the Wrigley faithful throw it right back in.
"It's always been my favorite place to go...it's the head of the class for some reason. I can't put my finger on it. It just seems like it should never be touched. It's too much of a treasure."
- Atlanta Braves Manager Bobby Cox
And despite never housing a world champion, Wrigley has been home to legends. The Hippo Vaugh vs. Fred Toney no-hitter duel in 1917; Babe Ruth’s “called shot” to the outfield bleachers in the 1932 World Series; Gabby Hartnett’s division clinching “Homer in the Gloamin’” in 1938; “Mr. Cub’s” 500th dinger; Pete Rose’s 4, 191st hit; Kerry Woods’ 20k game; and Slammin’ Sammy’s 60th homers in ’98, ’99, and ‘01.
Beloved by fans and the game at large, Wrigley became a place of firsts. It’s the first ballpark to ever offer have a permanent concession stand, in this case hot dogs and beer sold in 1914. And stadium namesake and chewing gum magnate William Wrigley, Jr. is credited with being the first to allow fans to keep foul balls. It was at Wrigley Field where the tradition of throwing the opponent’s home run balls back onto the field began. The tradition of singing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” during the seventh inning stretch began at Wrigley, with the late Hall of Fame broadcaster Harry Carey singing it from 1982 until his death in 1998. It was the first – and now one of the only – baseball venues to feature an organ. And most notably, before the 1918 World Series, the tradition of singing “The Star Spangled Banner” began within the Friendly Confines.
"This place is like a cathedral. It's the baseball version of St. Patrick's Cathedral. It's something people have seen and been to and have been associated with for not only their lifetime, but their parents' lifetimes, too. You just cannot replace this type of ballpark."
- Ed Lynch, General Manager of the Cubs from 1995 to 2000
