From Ballpark Roadtrip
Wrigley Field
Chicago, IL
Cincinnati Reds vs. Chicago Cubs
August 13, 2000
The Road Trip
We started the day from a Motel 6 on the south side of Milwaukee. We slept in and made the 1.5 hour ride back to Chicago and checked back in to the Econolodge in which we stayed the first 2 nights. We headed to Wrigley pretty early so we could tailgate and try and get to the game on time. It was the ESPN Sunday Night Baseball game which starts at 7:00CT. We stopped at another local neighborhood grocery store along the way and picked up some steaks and beer and made are way down near Wrigley.
We paid $10 to park about 1/4 mile from Wrigley, the lot wasn't very crowded; we set up the picnic table and barbecue, and cracked open some beers. There was some sort of theatre event nearby for which people were using the parking lot. We got a lot of wacky looks but a few people expressed their jealous. Dauber put some secret spices on the steaks and we had a great meal.
The Park
Firehouse across the street from Wrigley
There should certainly be no debate that Wrigley Field is among the most charming venues in all of professional sports and a true piece of Americana. As you approach the stadium you get the feeling that you are embarking upon something truly special, the fans are great and the atmosphere is amazing. When we got to the stadium we took a left down Waveland Ave. which runs along the left field wall, kinda the equivalent of Lands Downe Street at Fenway Park. There is a firehouse just outside the left field corner and the firemen were hanging out in front chatting it up with the fans. It was hard to resist stopping at city hall to fill out an application!
We walked down the streets brodering the outfield. We knew about fans hanging out on rooftops watching the games but we were surprised at the whole situation. They have bleachers mounted to the rooftops and you can actually buy a "season ticket" to sit atop a particular building. One of the roofs was painted with the Budweiser colors and is viewable from anywhere in the park, imagine how much that costs! We made a complete lap and then headed in.
The seating area is typical of old style parks with columns interfering with the views in the lower level. We had a clear view but they also have TV's overhead so you can catch all of the action and replays.
Beerman pours Ed a Bud Light
Unlike many stadiums these days, the in-seat service is great at Wrigley and Anheuser Busch products are readiy available, unlike most of the Great Lakes area parks.
Wrigley Field was amazing, this web page does no justice to the experience. If you plan on building a trip around a single stadium, this would have to be near the top of the list.
The Game
There was a buzz in the air at tonight's game because it was the ESPN Sunday Night Baseball game and featured Griffey vs. Sosa. We had great seats and were pretty much in awe most of the game; this seemed like the promised land of ballparks. We spent much more time talking about the park and the surroundings than the action on the field. Especially when...
Ryne Sandberg on the catwalk
We would have another brush with a local hero at Wrigley as we saw a big comotion going on with people looking up at the catwalk going in to the mezzanine area. There was an entourage approacing us which included Ryne Sandberg and assumedly his family and friends. The fans were going nuts and forming a wave effect as they stood up to see him as he was walking from the left field side toward one of the boxes behind home plate. There was a family in front of us but the father and kids had gotten up and left mom at their seats. She saw all of the action and became really interested in who this celebrity was. Along with Ryne Sandberg was a blonde girl (not in the picture), about 16, with stretch pants and a halter top on (his daughter?). The mom in front of us was getting anxious not knowing who this was. She turned around and asked us who it was and Lumpy quickly blurted out "Brittney Spears". The girl was similar enough in appearance and with the fans causing such a clamor, she bought it! We could barely hold back from exploding with laughter. Her family returned and quickly asked what all of the noise was for. She told them Brittney Spears just walked by 10 feet above our heads. They didn't believe it for a second and when she turned around to us for some sort of backup we finally lost it. She felt so dumb but her kids got a real kick out of it. We fessed up and told them Ryne Sandberg just walked by, mom had no clue who that was.
Pros: Neighborhod, uniqueness of the field/park, Cubs fans, Brittney Spears, a sports venue with a corporate name that isn't a disgrace to sports (i.e. "3COM Park, Staples Center, etc)
Cons: Lights
