TOUR: Wrigley takes fans back to yesteryear

The original scoreboard in centerfield of Wrigley Field in Chicago and
the skyline of city and Lake Michigan in the background. (Photo by
John Krueger)

(Editor's Note: Shelby County Sports Online Editor John Krueger is in the midst of the 'Krueger Whirlwind Tour', traveling throughout the Eastern and Midwestern United States visiting various sports venues during an 11-day trip. During this trip he will be reflecting upon his various stops and the sights he observes.)

CHICAGO, Illinois -- Attending a game here in Wrigley Field in Chicago during my 'Krueger Whirlwind Tour' on Monday night was more than just going to a baseball game; it was getting a glimpse of what makes baseball 'America's Game'. And believe me it was an honor to grace its seats one more time.

I first attended a game at Wrigley Field back in the early 2000s. And because it is located in downtown Chicago there is hardly any parking. The Chicago Cubs, the team that plays in the stadium, urge fans to park in outlying areas of downtown and either use public transportation to go to the games or to exercise the opportunity to riding on some kind of shuttle from larger parking lots.

When I first drove into the city some years ago, I parked in one of the many small lots located in one of the nearby businesses. At those lots, you are forced not only to pay a large fee, but to also surrender the keys to your vehicle. This is because automobiles are parked one after another and attendants need the keys in case some wants their car back who has parked in the front of the lot. Let me tell you I was very 'antsy' about giving my car keys to a total stranger. But it all worked out fine.

This year I elected to park at DeVry University and take a free shuttle to the contest. Let me tell you, letting someone else do the driving in the midst of the fans, emergency vehicles and other traffic downtown was much more enjoyable.

Yes, going to Wrigley Field is an event all by itself. Built in 1914, the stadium is hosting Major League Baseball for the 97th season in 2010. It is also the 95th year that the Cubs have played there.

One of the first things you notice when you arrive at Wrigley, is the now-famous sign on the outside of the stadium. As the shuttle bus pulled up in front of the stadium on West Addison Street, you saw many fans milling around the area, talking and meeting their friends and family. It appears to be the gathering place for many at the stadium.

The stadium itself has many unique characteristics. First of all, a good portion of all the seating is covered. It's an open-air stadium, with the skyline of Chicago, as well as Lake Michigan, as the backdrop in the outfield, sitting on the top level was not such a bad seat on this night.

The stadium was originally known as Weeghman Park, the stadium was actually built on grounds once occupied by a seminary.

Here are some other interesting notes about the stadium that you might find interesting:

• Wrigley Field is the second-oldest ballpark in Major League Baseball, taking the 'back seat' only to Fenway Park in Boston, which was built two years earlier in 1912.
• The Wrigley Field bleachers and scoreboard were constructed in 1937 when the outfield area was renovated to provide improved and expanded seating ... the original scoreboard remains intact.
• The score-by-innings and the pitchers' numbers are changed by hand ... the numbers signaling batter, ball, strike and out, along with "H" and "E" to signify hit and error, are eyelets.
• No batted ball has ever hit the centerfield scoreboard ... two baseballs barely missed - a homer hit onto Sheffield Avenue (right-center) by Bill Nicholson in 1948, and one hit by Roberto Clemente onto Waveland Avenue (left-center) in 1959.
• One of the traditions of Wrigley Field is the flying of a flag bearing a "W" or an "L" atop the scoreboard after a game ... a white flag with a blue "W" indicates a victory; a blue flag with a white "L" denotes a loss.

Dedicated baseball fans know that night baseball has only been played at the stadium for a 'short' amount of time, compared to other Major League Baseball venues. The stadium had no lights and hosted all day games until Aug. 8, 1988. And the first night game against Philadelphia was actually rained out after 3.5 innings on that date. The official first night game occurred Aug. 9 against New York, with the Cubs coming out victorious by a 6-4 count.

Here are a few other tidbits of information since the Tribune Company bought the Cubs back in 1981:

• New office space was created and old offices refurbished in the administrative area behind home plate in 1981-1982, while the ticket office was built directly behind home plate in 1983.
• During the winter of 1984, a new home clubhouse was completed under the third base stands ... the visitors' clubhouse was renovated in 1990.
• In 1989, private boxes were constructed on the mezzanine level, formerly occupied by the press box and broadcasting booths ... a press box and broadcasting booths were constructed in the upper deck directly behind home plate ... other improvements included a food court in the upper deck.
• Following renovations in 1994 and 1995, there are now 63 private boxes.
• An elevator was added to the third base concourse in 1996.
• Following the 2005 season, the Cubs expanded the bleachers, adding a restaurant in the batter's eye and a window to Sheffield Avenue in right field.

Some of the seats at Wrigley Field are actually obstructed by support beams of the old stadium. But as I observed some of those people on Monday night, they didn't seem to mind the situation too much.

If you look past the outfield you will notice there are actually stands that were constructed on top of buildings across the street from the stadium. This is the only major league team that has this characteristic.

I was amazed as the electricity in the air as the Cubs, who sit in fourth place in the six-team National League Central Division, hosted the sixth-place Pittsburgh Pirates. Especially with the contest being on a Monday night, you would have thought that two front-running teams were battling it out for a playoff spot as a near capacity crowd of 38,512 was on hand in the 41,160 stadium.

Not being a big Cubs fan, it was almost as enjoyable to observe the constant people mulling and moving around the stands, walking about and having the time of their lives, eating, drinking, tasting peanuts and cotton candy.

Readers will be jealous at the fact that the temperature at game time was a balmy 74 degrees after a 'cold front' pressed through the area earlier in the day. By the time the contest was over, temperatures had dipped into the upper 60s, causing some to don jackets and sweatshirts. This just added to the fun of the evening.

It's true that tickets to a major league game are expensive and it is a tremendous amount of hassle to make the trip into the city and 'fight' the crowds to attend the game. It sure isn't desirable to pay $4.75 for a 20-ounce Pepsi, $4.50 for a hot dog or $5.75 for a cup of beer, but I enjoyed making this 'twice-in-a-lifetime' trip, which could very well be my last time to make it.

Oh yeah, in case you're wondering, the Cubs fell to the Pirates, 2-1, as Pittsburgh scored a run in the top of the ninth to escape with the win. This definitely didn't take away from my trip to this historic sports venue.