…AKA Wrigley Field. On Friday, I decided to grab some tickets off of Craigslist for the Cubs’ afternoon game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Apryl needed to work at home on school, and since I wasn’t working and the weather was actually nice, it seemed like a great way to spend the day as well as give Apryl her space. So, I took Lady Blue over to pick up my ticket and trek over to the Fullerton Red Line, making my way over to the infamous Addison stop.
This would be my first game at Wrigley. Sure, I’m a Sox fan, but that doesn’t mean that I wasn’t excited about entering one of the most famous ballparks in the world. Heck, my whole childhood was split between watching the Cubs on WGN and the Atlanta Braves on TBS (speaking of which, how come the Braves are never on TBS anymore?). After getting off the train, I bravely made my way through the tangled mob of Cubs fans, the vocal ticket scalpers, and persistent street merchants to the park’s entrance. I enter:
Pro’s:
1) Wrigley Field is a national treasure and deserves to be protected as such. Will this happen? Let me just say, that if the House that Ruth Built (AKA Yankee Stadium) can be torn down, no stadium is safe from a similar fate. Which is a shame, because I would hate to imagine a Chicago without Wrigley Field. Sure, the paint is crumbling off at parts and sections seem to be in desperate need of repair, but there is no denying its charm. Once you step inside, you are immediately taken back into time. Cliché, I know, but it’s true. I mean we’re talking about the place where Babe Ruth called that shot to centerfield!
Some photos from the ballpark:
2) Even on an afternoon game during the work week (granted, it was Friday), there was still a crowd close to 45,000! That’s more than 12,000 more people than the average Sox attendance.
3) My great seats!
4) Wrigley Dog. This was one good hot dog! The best part is that you could get it extra charred! See below:
Con’s:
1) To get one of those tasty dogs, you had to walk all the way down to the lower level. The only vendors that aren’t on the lower levels are those selling beer. Of course, there were vendors that walked around to your seats, but I didn’t feel like leaving a tip on a hot dog that was already priced at $3.75. I didn’t even pull out my wallet for the $6.25 Old Style.
2) The bathrooms are a bit scary. The urinals are a long metal trough that extended from one side of the wall to the other. Forget privacy here.
3) The fans. Okay, I’m not going to really bash Cubs fans here. In fact, everyone around me seemed quite nice. However, I will say that the game was too much of a social event. Sound travels oddly in the park, so while you are watching the game, you hear a constant rumble of people’s conversation. Most of the people around me were texting on their phones or carrying out long conversations rather than watching the game.
Another observation is that I only saw one non white fan in all of my section. Which made this article even funnier. Typically, the fans around me were young, wearing shorts and sandals, and recalling stories that revolved around drinking. Still, no one near me was obnoxious, and I appreciated that. Of course, perhaps I might have a different story if I had decided to wear my Sox cap. I decided that I didn’t want to find out. However, I did see a young kid all dressed up in a Sox uniform and cap, and I had to commend his boldness.
4) The uneasiness of being a Sox fan in Wrigley Field made me feel like a spy in enemy territory. On top of that, these weren’t the players I knew and loved. Being from Memphis, I feel more comfortable being the underdog. And even with the worst Cubs’ season, a Cubbies fan is never the underdog in Chicago.
A far way from the South Side.
Still, I had a great time at Wrigley Field. I doubt I will be attending another game this season, but I certainly wouldn’t be turning down a free ticket. The stadium is really something, and I would urge any baseball fan to make the trip before all these classic stadiums are gone forever.
A base hit for Geovany Soto in the 8th.