I started this in January. I could not wrap my mind around how to do it. I'm still there. It's August. (It's now September - stall much?) I'm just going to do this, and figure out its form as I go. This could be rough.
 |
| Went to my first Opening Day this year. |
I figured I'd start this series with the ballpark where I have attended the most games: Wrigley Field. I set up the ground rules of this earlier, so I'm not rehashing them. Let's dive right in.
Construction on what is now Wrigley Field started in 1912, and was completed in 1914. It cost a whopping $250,000 (inflation adjusted dollars for 2011 - $5.5 Million) when it was complete. To give you a little perspective...the Milwaukee Brewers have recently replaced the 10 year old scoreboard (and a few other things) at 10 year old (and $400 Millon) Miller Park. The project cost $11 Million, or TWICE what it cost to build Wrigley Field (adjusted for inflation). I say this not so much to astound, but more to point out the runaway inflation in the construction industry - an industry near and dear to my heart (and my wallet).
Or - maybe people worked too cheap in 1914? Bah. Anywho.....
Let's talk about The Friendly Confines.
Many people still refer to Wrigley as one of the crown jewels in baseball. I see their perspective.
I also see....a dump.
I love the place and all it represents. Good times with my family. The time, while sitting with my cousins and my grandfather in the bleachers, we had a moment of silence for Thurman Munson, who had died the day before. Seeing Fergie and Mad Dog getting their uniform numbers retired. Watching the Cubs choke away the wild card against the Reds in the "Steve Stone" game in 2004. Being there when the Cubs swept the Mets in 1989 to take over the division lead. Manny Trillo. Jose Cardenal. Bruce Sutter. Bill Buckner. Ivan DeJesus. Rick Monday. Larry Biitner. Dave Kingman. Steve Swisher. Barry Foote. Rick Reuschel. The immortals. Sandberg. Dawson. Grace. Wood. Prior. Sosa. Alou. Maddux. Sutcliffe. Durham. Cey. Sarge. Moreland. JODY! Bowa. Ramirez. Zambrano. Soriano. The Shawon-o-Meter. I need to stop. Green grass. The LOOK of the bleachers. No flashing scoreboards, no "LOUDER" games on the Jumbotron. The neighborhood. The ivy. Oh. The ivy. The place is history.
 |
| Did I mention the ivy? |
But beneath all that, it's a building. A building is not an idea. It's not a sentimental thought. You may have these things related to the building, but ultimately....it's a structure. Nothing more. It's a building that has seen much, much better days. A building that is deteriorating. Why? Because that's what buildings do. That's what people do. Grandma may still be the best, but she's not capable of running around anymore. Does she still have charms? Dozens. Do you miss the running? For this fan, who's been a bunch of other places....it would be nice if Grandma could take a lap or two.
The Basics.
Opening Day: April 12, 1914. (Known as Weeghman Park - named Wrigley Field in 1926)
Current Seating Capacity: 41,160.
Retired Uniform Numbers: 10 (Ron Santo); 14 (Ernie Banks); 23 (Ryne Sandberg); 26 (Billy Williams); 31 (for both Fergie Jenkins and Greg Maddux - one flag each); 42 (Jackie Robinson - retired throughout Major League Baseball). Interestingly, Wrigley is the only field that I've been to that does not have "permanent" fixtures to honor their retired numbers. The numbers are displayed on flags that hang from the foul poles. Wrigley is also the only place I've been that does not have Jackie Robinson's number on display with the other retired numbers. His flag is on the rooftop, and hard, if not impossible, to see for a good portion of the fans at the game. I refuse to comment further. No I don't. That is a travesty. Come on Cubs, fix this. Do something better for him.
First Occupants: The Chicago Whales of The Federal League
 |
| This is relatively new. Street view through the wall. Like it. |
Things you need to know.
My intention with this series is to talk about things that this baseball stadium fan would want to know about someplace he was visting - before he went. So. Those are going to be my thoughts.
Parking: Forget it. Wrigley Field is not designed for automobile traffic. There is parking. It will cost you at least 20 bucks. That being said, I usually drive lately, because I oft times have parking passes, and I usually have a small child with me (the train takes time - time that a 6 year old could be sleeping). However. When it was just my wife and me, we took the El. The Red Line (among others) drops you RIGHT AT Wrigley Field. For us, it was a breeze. I miss those days. I'm looking forward to my sons being a little older, so this option is available again.
Bathrooms: Um. There are precious few bathrooms at Wrigley. They are hot, crowded, and smelly. There are very few urinals. What the men have is a trough. A community trough. There's a reason why the slang for the toilet used to be "the necessary." That's all the bathrooms in Wrigley provide you.....the necessary. It will not be a pleasant experience. Also - people use the sinks when the place is too full. Yup. It's gross. Hold it if you can.
Vendors: Food choices at Wrigley are minimal. Hot Dogs. Pizza. Nachos. Burgers (I think...). Fries. Ice Cream. Nachos. Peanuts. Cracker Jack. Beer. Basic ballpark food. BASIC. Most of the vendors are found on the main floor. There are several stations there, but lines are long. What Wrigley offers (and also kind of sucks) is a steady (and the word "steady" is correct) stream of vendors walking up and down the aisles throughout the game. They will be blocking your view on occasion, if you happen to be close to the aisle. They sell everything from ice cream to foam Cubbie claws, so that part is kind of nice. I could just do without the constant barrage.
Food Item to get: Get a hot dog. Don't think you're getting anything special, because you aren't. There is no specialty food item at Wrigley that you have to try. None that I've found anyway.
 |
| Sheffield Avenue rooftops. Love the neighborhood feel. |
Ticket Prices: Expensive. Very expensive. I'll write more on this elsewhere. So. Factually, it costs a lot of money to go to a game at Wrigley. Value? I'm not getting into that here.
Unique things about the place I've discovered, or I found fascinating, or likeable.
There are scads of books to tell you about the unique features of each park. I'm going to tell you about the things I found particularly "special" about each place I've visited.
 |
| How can you not love day baseball and a manual scoreboard? |
The Ivy. 'Nuff said.
The day games. I know. They cost the Cubs wins. The Cubs played in Wrigley for a good 40 years before lights started appearing all over the Major Leagues. They didn't win the championship during any of those years. That being said, with getaway days, etc., the Cubs don't play THAT many more day games than the rest of the league. Just games on Fridays and Saturdays (and lots of teams play day games on Saturdays). The rest of the days - they're pretty much in line. This translates to like 18-24 extra day games per year. This isn't about the Cubs. This is about Wrigley. Day games allow you to go out for an evening afterward, and you can enjoy the fine Chicago weather. There's something about daylight and baseball. It just feels right.
The Rooftops. Although not technically part of Wrigley, the buildings across the street from the park have formed a cottage industry in conjunction with the Cubs to establish clubs with banks of stadium seats, food, etc. They sell tickets for these things. I've not been to a rooftop party yet. I don't know that I will go. They do look like a lot of fun though. Maybe once.
It's old. This is both a plus and a negative. This place is 97 years old. There's only one other place like that in MLB. It is a piece of history. You can definitely "feel" the age when you get there.
The basket. In Texas recently, a father fell over the wall while catching a ball thrown to him by Josh Hamilton. His 6 year old son watched his father die. I was in Milwaukee when a fan suffered a similar fate. He also died. The basket at Wrigley was not designed to make the wall closer, or to catch home runs. It was designed to prevent tragedies like the one in Texas. Unruly drunken fans caused ownership worries, and the basket was installed. To catch the drunks. P'raps all fields should have one. I know there's rarely controversy about a home run call at Wrigley. Just sayin'.
No amusement park/etc. This will also be a negative. For baseball, it's just right. For kids....well....
 |
| 103 now. Ugh. |
Eamus Catulii. This sign shows a couple of things. "Eamus Catulii" is Latin, and roughly translates to "Let's go Cubs." AC is short for "Anno Catulii" or "Year of the Cubs." The numbers represent, from left to right, the number of years since a Division Title, the number of years since a Pennant, and the number of years since a World Series Title. That last one really sticks in the craw. I long to see "000000" on that sign. Hell, I'd take only the last 4 being zeroes. The Cubs could win the World Series as the Wild Card. That would be just fine. The sign is on a building over the Right Field Bleachers.
The Bullpens. While not completely unique, there are very few stadiums that still have the bullpens in the field of play. Wrigley is one of them. The pitchers are right there, easily accessible to the fans. There was a melee between the Dodgers and some fans a few years back because of it, but it is a cool feature.
The Statues. There are 4 statues around the vicinity of the park honoring Cubs legends. The right field gate has Billy Williams and Ron Santo. The bleachers entrance has Harry Caray. Home plate has Ernie Banks. The foul poles are adorned with the words "Hey Hey" for long time broadcaster (and legend) Jack Brickhouse's home run call.
Things about the park that suck. Suck is too harsh. Things about the park I didn't like.
 |
| See those columns and that overhang? Yup, you'll see a lot of them if you are sitting behind them... |
It's old. This part of old sucks. Code for stairs currently is an 8" rise. Wrigley does not comply to this code. The stairs are uneven, tall, and thin. I've seen plenty of people take a tumble on them. Including my son. The place is falling apart. The columns always look like they need fresh paint. There are nets to catch falling chunks of concrete. For reals. That's what they are there to do. Yikes.
The vendors in the seats. They never, ever stop. It's distracting.
No parking. There is no parking. I mean it. You can't park.
No amusement park/etc. I have kids. They get bored at baseball games. Having an amusement area to take them to prior to game time might get them a little more focused during the game. I don't know. Barrett, my oldest, was a whole lot easier to manage after taking him to "Fundamentals" at US Cellular Field, or the park, etc. at Miller Park. Just sayin'.
The sidewalks outside. They are too narrow. Navigating them can be tricky, and time consuming. It would be nice if Clark and Addison were closed during the games, but having Waveland and Sheffield (outside the bleachers) closed does help.
The Bleachers. This may be the equivalent of sacrilege, but the bleachers at Wrigley suck. You have no access to the rest of the park. The population of the bleachers tends to be overserved youngish people with very few manners. I would not take a child there. Period. I sat there as a kid, but it's changed. There is a charm to the unassigned seats, the showing up early for the bombs that get launched in batting practice, but the bleachers just suck. Maybe I'm too old.
Things to do in town while you are visiting. Let's face it. You may be going somewhere you've never been. Might as well see some sights while you are there.
Go to a Steakhouse. I can recommend several. Go read my steakhouse reviews in this blog. My choice would probably be Gibsons, but Gene and Georgetti is the Chicago standard. I just haven't been there....yet. That's December's project. I also HIGHLY recommend Joe's, Benny's Chop House and Primehouse. Primehouse will cost you, but it's a night of fooding like you won't believe. These places are upscale eateries, so dress accordingly.
Go to the Willis Tower. There is now a "ledge view" at the top. Go do that.
Go to the Lake. I would say avoid Navy Pier, but it can't be helped. You're going to go there.
Check out the following if you have time: The old Water Tower. The Picasso in Daley Plaza. The Art Institute. Chicago Historical Society. Shedd Aquarium. Millennium Park. Lincoln Park Zoo is FREE and right on the lake. It's a fun time.
Get Deep Dish Pizza: Go to Lou Malnati's. It's the best. Get extra cheese. You won't be sad.
Try an Italian Beef: Mr. Beef. Al's if you must. Hot peppers if you're inclined.
Superdawg. I'm not into all the toppings. If you want a Chicago Style Hot Dog, this is the place. Want a specialty dog? Hot Doug's. The line is forever though.
As these reviews progress, I'm going to talk about what I did in the town I visited. In Chicago, I can tell you what to do, because I've done almost all of it. In Philly, I can tell you what I did, and nothing more. I'd love feedback on other things I missed, in case I go back.
 |
| My boys and I playing catch in the Wrigley Field outfield. Sponsor's Night, 2010 |
So that's it.
Overall I give Wrigley a 7 out of 10 for a night game, an 8 out of 10 during the day. Yes, there is a 14.29% better time to be had during a day game, if only because there's more time to do stuff in town afterwards. There is a lot of charm in an old ballpark, and Wrigley has a lot of it. There is also a lot of OLD in an old ballpark, and Wrigley has a lot of that. The sightlines for half the lower deck seats bug the shit out of me. The vendors marching up and down the aisles bugs me. The bathrooms are a mess. But, ultimately, the place has charm. Lots and lots of charm.
No comments:
Post a Comment