Play Ball! (Wrigley Field Turns 109)

 

 

 

Baseball season is only a few days away, and I’m actually excited to follow along.

I might even make a few bets.  Okay, more than a few bets.

Ten years ago this week, I was working an event in Chicago. I stayed in Chicago for two weeks. It was the longest time I’d spent there since I was just a baby when I lived in Chicago for a few years (I don’t remember anything). In 1963-64, my father was an Air Traffic Controller at O’Hare.

While visiting Chicago, I decided to do what for me was — a first. I drove to Wrigley Field to check it out. I didn’t even need to look up the address, remembering the famous scene from The Blues Brothers which has an exchange filmed in front of Wrigley Field and they say the address, “1060 W. Addison.”

 

Okay, that movie scene is with Illinois Nazis, but let’s brush over that.  Still, funny.  Still the correct address.

When I travel, I love visiting stadiums when I’m in any city, and Wrigley is like a temple. I found the stadium, then walked all the way around the block, peering through fences where I could see the old grandstand and green grass. I admit, it brought me chills. Unfortunately, I couldn’t break inside and get any pictures.

Read:  Breaking Into the Home of the Pittsburgh Steelers

Even though I couldn’t get inside (I tried every trick, but all gates were locked and security turned me away, I still got to see Wrigley on a gorgeous day.  That memory was more than enough. Here’s the view from the air, high above (see photo).

From the air, something is really noticeable. It’s fascinating that Wrigley Field has no parking lots. I’ve argued with people that baseball is an urban game. More so than any other sport. It doesn’t belong in the suburbs. It should be played in cities. Wrigley, Fenway, and so many other stadiums are a testament to where baseball belongs — in the heart and soul of a city. It belongs where people work, live, struggle, and rejoice, like when a home run flies over the ivy.

I’m not a Cubs fan. I’m not even much of a baseball fan. But I love the history, the stories, and the many amazing moments that happened in this magical place.