Wrigley Field
Published On: Oct 26, 2006
One of the obvious local attractions in Chicago - at least it's obvious to baseball fans - is Wrigley Field. Home of the Chicago Cubs, Wrigley Field is the second oldest ballpark in the Major League, right behind Fenway Park in Boston. Built in 1914 for $250,000, the field has a rich history and attracts millions of visitors every year to attend Cubs games as well as tour the ballpark.
Among the historic events that have occurred at Wrigley Field include:
The game-ending home run by Cincinnati Red Jim Thorpe in the 10th inning of the May 2, 1917 game between the Reds and the Chicago Cubs when Cub Jim "Hippo" Vaughan and Red Fred Toney went head-to-head in a pitching match; Thorpe's homer ended a Vaughan's no hitter and saved Toney's.
Babe Ruth's famous "called shot" where he pointed to the specific place in the bleachers where he would hit the ball in Game 3 of the 1932 World Series, then banged a home run.
Pete Rose tied Ty Cobb's record career hits with his 4,191st when he scored a single off of a pitch by Reggie Patterson September 8, 1985.
Sammy Sosa hit his 60th home run at Wrigley Field in three different years - 1998, 1999, and 2001.
Before Wrigley Field, the land was home to a seminary. It was originally named Weeghman Park after the property's owner Charles Weeghman, who had the park built for the Chicago Federals, which were later renamed the Chicago Whales. At that time, a competition between leagues held the public interest due to certain controversies and the Federals played in the Federal League. The park had a seating capacity of 14,000 when it was first built but now can seat 41,118. Through the years it has been called Cubs' Park, Whales Park, and Bobby Dorr's House, so called because the grounds superintendent lived in a six room apartment adjacent to the corner gate in left field.
When the Federal League collapsed in 1915, Weeghman and a syndicate of investors, which included chewing gum entrepreneur William Wrigley, Jr., purchased the National League Cubs. In 1918, Wrigley purchased Weeghman's shares of the team and by the end of 1919 was the sole owner of the team. In 1926, the park's name was changed to Wrigley Field in Wrigley's honor.
One of the long standing traditions at the ballpark is to fly a flag after the game, the color and emblem on the flag dependent upon whether the home teams wins or loses. If the Cubs win, a white flag with a blue "W" is flown; a blue flag with a white "W" is used to represent a loss. The flags are flown over the scoreboard, which to this day has never been hit by a fly ball.
Another bit of trivia: Until 1988, Wrigley Field, when the sun went down, remained in the dark. The first night game at the ballpark was played on August 8, 1988 against the Phillies. The game only played 3 ½ innings, however, due to rain. The first full night time game was played the next day against the New York Mets and Chicago won 6-4.
Wrigley Field sports 63 private boxes, an elevator, a restaurant, and construction improvements continue to be planned as the field's owners seek to meet the demands of the fans. Planned tours draw visitors almost all year long but mostly during baseball season. The Chicago Cubs also sell paver bricks to fans who want to commemorate their favorite players, a historic event, or just support the team. The field continues to operate without advertisements and the outfield walls still flaunts the ivy that has characterized the old-fashioned field for decades. As a note of distinction, Wrigley Field has hosted more baseball games than any of ballpark in history and continues to be a staple of America's favorite sport.
Wrigley Field
1060 W. Addison Ave.
Chicago, IL 60613
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One of the obvious local attractions in Chicago - at least it's obvious to baseball fans - is Wrigley Field. Home of the Chicago Cubs, Wrigley Field is the second oldest ballpark in the Major League, right behind Fenway Park in Boston. Built in 1914 for $250,000, the field has a rich history and attracts millions of visitors every year to attend Cubs games as well as tour the ballpark.
Among the historic events that have occurred at Wrigley Field include:
The game-ending home run by Cincinnati Red Jim Thorpe in the 10th inning of the May 2, 1917 game between the Reds and the Chicago Cubs when Cub Jim "Hippo" Vaughan and Red Fred Toney went head-to-head in a pitching match; Thorpe's homer ended a Vaughan's no hitter and saved Toney's.
Babe Ruth's famous "called shot" where he pointed to the specific place in the bleachers where he would hit the ball in Game 3 of the 1932 World Series, then banged a home run.
Pete Rose tied Ty Cobb's record career hits with his 4,191st when he scored a single off of a pitch by Reggie Patterson September 8, 1985.
Sammy Sosa hit his 60th home run at Wrigley Field in three different years - 1998, 1999, and 2001.
Before Wrigley Field, the land was home to a seminary. It was originally named Weeghman Park after the property's owner Charles Weeghman, who had the park built for the Chicago Federals, which were later renamed the Chicago Whales. At that time, a competition between leagues held the public interest due to certain controversies and the Federals played in the Federal League. The park had a seating capacity of 14,000 when it was first built but now can seat 41,118. Through the years it has been called Cubs' Park, Whales Park, and Bobby Dorr's House, so called because the grounds superintendent lived in a six room apartment adjacent to the corner gate in left field.
When the Federal League collapsed in 1915, Weeghman and a syndicate of investors, which included chewing gum entrepreneur William Wrigley, Jr., purchased the National League Cubs. In 1918, Wrigley purchased Weeghman's shares of the team and by the end of 1919 was the sole owner of the team. In 1926, the park's name was changed to Wrigley Field in Wrigley's honor.
One of the long standing traditions at the ballpark is to fly a flag after the game, the color and emblem on the flag dependent upon whether the home teams wins or loses. If the Cubs win, a white flag with a blue "W" is flown; a blue flag with a white "W" is used to represent a loss. The flags are flown over the scoreboard, which to this day has never been hit by a fly ball.
Another bit of trivia: Until 1988, Wrigley Field, when the sun went down, remained in the dark. The first night game at the ballpark was played on August 8, 1988 against the Phillies. The game only played 3 ½ innings, however, due to rain. The first full night time game was played the next day against the New York Mets and Chicago won 6-4.
Wrigley Field sports 63 private boxes, an elevator, a restaurant, and construction improvements continue to be planned as the field's owners seek to meet the demands of the fans. Planned tours draw visitors almost all year long but mostly during baseball season. The Chicago Cubs also sell paver bricks to fans who want to commemorate their favorite players, a historic event, or just support the team. The field continues to operate without advertisements and the outfield walls still flaunts the ivy that has characterized the old-fashioned field for decades. As a note of distinction, Wrigley Field has hosted more baseball games than any of ballpark in history and continues to be a staple of America's favorite sport.
Wrigley Field
1060 W. Addison Ave.
Chicago, IL 60613
Print This Page
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