Just in time for Saturday’s holiday, what’s happening in this image?
The year was 1976 and the United States was approaching its big bicentennial celebration.
The location was Los Angeles’ Dodger Stadium and the Chicago Cubs were in town on this Sunday afternoon to complete a 3-game set. The teams had split the first two games (Cubs won the first game, 4-3 in 11 innings; Dodgers won the second, 2-1).
Batting leadoff and playing centerfield in all three games for the Cubs was Rick Monday. Monday had the distinction of being the first-ever player selected in MLB’s Amateur Draft (in 1965 to the Kansas City Athletics). He’d go on to hit one of the more famous home runs in Dodgers history, a ninth inning solo homer off the Montreal Expos’ Steve Rogers to give the Dodgers a 2-1 victory in the National League Championship Series and send them to the World Series where they’d beat the rival New York Yankees in six games.
On that April Sunday, however, Monday was noteworthy for a markedly different reason.
In the fourth inning, Monday noticed a pair of individuals enter the playing field carrying something that he later saw as the American flag which the men were dousing in lighter fluid. Monday, a former U.S. Marine Corps Reservist, sprung into action, sprinted over, and snatched the flag before the men could get a match lit.
The incident was unexpected (at the start of an inning) and occurred so quickly, photographers at the game were not really focused on the outfield. James Roark from the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner was able to capture the moment just after Monday snatched the flag and began his sprint to the left field line. Roark’s photo was later nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. Sadly, Roark’s life ended in 1995 at the age of 49 to an act of violence in Portland, OR, where he was working as a night cook following the Herald-Examiner‘s closing in 1989.
Chicago Cubs’ outfielder Rick Monday swooped in to grab the American flag before a pair of protesters lit it on fire at Dodger Stadium on April 25, 1976. (Photo by James Roark/Los Angeles Herald-Examiner)
Today, Monday is working his 32nd year as a Dodgers’ radio broadcaster and he’s witnessed and participated in many amazing moments during his now 60 years in professional baseball, but he might be best remembered for what transpired on that sunny April Sunday in 1976.
Here‘s a Dodgers’ blog retrospective of the event;
Here‘s a National Baseball Hall of Fame piece on the event.
Just to review, The Fan Teaser was the creation of former Ann Arbor News Sports Editor Geoff Larcom. Longtime friend and fellow Ann Arbor News alum, Pat Schutte, took it to heights previously unknown. We aim to keep it alive here at The Sports Fan Project. The cropped photo and the accompanying clue give you an idea as to who or what the image is of. We invite you to use the Comment option to take a crack at solving the Teaser and, if you’re so inclined, participate in some good-spirited banter with your fellow sports fans. The Fan Teaser will appear each Friday morning with the reveal coming to you Sunday.
Cubs win! I win! My first trip with my dad to Wrigley Field in 50 years.
As noted in Event 3, Part 1, this trip to Wrigley Field was going to be special. It was my first trip to Wrigley Field with my father since sometime in the 1970s (I’m going with 1974 or 1976 but who knows for sure).
Of course there was traffic – always traffic in Chicago, right! – and as we made our turn onto West Addison I was really glad I’d reached out to another Cubs fan (and Chicago-area resident), Laura Dennis about how to handle parking. My most-recent trips to Wrigley all involved taking The L. Laura’s advice, download the app Spot Hero, find a spot, and book it in advance. Check, check, and check. We were about a block and a half east of the stadium off Addison and for $30 I felt it was a steal. Aside from the medical emergency on the corner upon our arrival (police cruiser and ambulance blocking the area I figured the spot was at) all worked well.
I’ll be honest, this event was the most personal to date and – quite likely – will remain so even after I’ve completed this entire Around the World in 80 Sporting Events project.
Arriving in Wrigleyville
The Cubbie Bear bar at the corner of Addison & Clark; Cubs and Cardinals fans living in harmony; Wrigleyville banners adorn lightpoles on Clark Street; and Gallagher Way is the place to be during pre-game. (Banner photo by Griffin Hill)
For a 1:20 p.m. game, gates open a bit before noon. We arrived shortly afterward and the area surrounding Wrigley Field – known as Wrigleyville (listen to the Wrigleyville podcast here) – was already a bubbling with activity.
We lingered for a bit at the corner of Addison and Clark to secure a group photo with the famous Wrigley marquee in the background and generally milled about, soaking up the ambience and the sunshine (and midwest humidity;-), as well as the electic mix of Cubs and Cardinals’ garb throughout the area.
The author, his father, Griffin, and Brandon are ready for Cubs-Cardinals.
The Gallagher Way Experience
A recent addition to the Wrigley Field experience (2017) is Gallagher Way, a plaza-like set up along Clark Street in front of Wrigley. It’s open to the public every day of the year, but on game days it’s available only ticket holders.
There’s music, lawn games, beverages, a splash pad, and, among the highlights for our group, the statues of several Chicago Cubs’ National Baseball Hall of Fame inductees: Ernie Banks, Fergie Jenkins, Ryne Sandberg, Ron Santo, and Billy Williams.
Clockwise from upper left, the Billy Williams statue, Fergie Jenkins statue, the view up the gathered on Gallagher Way’s green space, the Ron Santo statue, the Ryne Sandberg statue, Griffin and Jerry flanking the Ernie Banks statue.
Sandberg Pop Up Museum
The longtime Cubs’ secondbaseman is the most-recent honoree with a statue in Gallagher Way. The Cubs commemorated the 40th anniversary of his performance against the Cardinals on June 23, 1984 (aka the Ryne Sandberg Game, here’s Harry Caray’s take) by unveiling his statue earlier this summer.
As part of this “Summer of Sandberg,” there’s a free pop-up shrine to Sandberg in the Gallagher Way area. There was plenty of artifacts from Ryno’s career with the Cubs and it was totally worth the five minutes it took to stroll through.
Displays showcase Sandberg’s Gold Gloves as well as his Silver Slugger awards.
Our Seats
As alluded to perviously and presumably visible through the images, a Cubs-Cardinals matchup virtually assures a capacity crowd. It certainly felt that way as we made our way to our seats behind the Cubs’ dugout.
Entering the concourse of Wrigley Field from the Gallagher Way Gate.
As my friend Sara Earleywine predicted, our seats were as perfect as could be (a touch more leg room would have been ideal, but why quibble!?!). Section 111, Row 15 was in the shade for the game’s duration (thank heavens), it had a slight bit of cover from the second deck should precipitation became an issue, and it was just one step down into the section so it didn’t require much stair work for my father.
A couple of views form our seats, first back toward homeplate and the other one looking at the leftfield foul pole, the bleachers, and rooftop seating.
That was, perhaps, the best part of this magical day. Not only did the weather clear from the early-morning fog and mistiness, but we also got to see 2016 World Series MVP and hometown hero, Ben Zobrist, throw out the ceremonial first pitch and sing the seventh inning stretch tradition, “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.” And, because the Cubs won, we got to see the flying of the ‘W’ flag which dates to 1937 and hear the singing of “Go, Cubs, Go” which was released in 1984 and has been a victory anthem for about the past 20 seasons.
Ben Zobrist throws out the first pitch.
Ben Zobrist sings “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.”
It was a day full of allof the emotions you might expect, going with family to a place that holds special memories for two of us and might well hold similar ones into the future for the other two. To be able to spend a day with three generations baseball fans in our family in a stadium that’s 110 years old and watch a baseball team that dates back 149 years … well, I’m uncertain any words I can put down would do it justice.
Clockwise from upper left, bratwurst with kraut and mustard for me; the busys concourse during the game; the view from the rightfield line through the ivy; the scoreboards (both of them!) say it all post-game; three generations of Hills in our seats at Wrigley Field; one of us kept score; and the marquee may as well say we all win.
Though a long day – we didn’t return to my dad’s place until after 10 p.m. – I’m fairly certain it’s a trip we’d all take again if presented the opportunity. Here’s hoping that opportunity comes along.
Sing the Song!
The immediate aftermath following the Cubs, 6-3, victory over the Cardinals.
The Hills’ traveling party to Wrigley, the author, father Jerry, cousin Brandon, and Brandon’s son Griffin.
I’ll be honest, this event was the most personal to date and – quite likely – will remain so even after I’ve completed this entire Around the World in 80 Sporting Events project.
Previoulsy, both on this website and on my podcast (Conversations with Sports Fans), I’ve traced my sports fandom to my dad, Jerry, and his love of the Chicago Cubs. I recall those times on my parents’ bed and my dad reciting the first names of his favorite Cubbies in a tape recorder and then my response coming with their last names. Likewise, my first-ever Major League Baseball game was at Wrigley Field circa 1974 (I think!) when I seem to remember the Cubs hosting the Pittsburgh Pirates.
So when I set out to travel to the most iconic sporting events and venues the world has to offer, a trip to Wrigley Field was most assuredly on the list. Furthermore, my desire was to see the Cubs play their rivals, the St. Louis Cardinals, during a weekday afternoon start … and get my dad back to Chicago’s northside to see his first game there since the mid-1970s.
That being said, I was delighted when the 2024 MLB schedule and time of games were released back in late 2023, and I saw Friday, August 2, provided both the desired opponent and the day and time of game I was looking for.
Securing Tickets
A ticket “stub” from the Cubs-Cardinals game.
The Cubs-Cardinals rivalry goes way back and I knew that fans of both teams make the teams’ series an annual event. Therefore, this was going to be a tough ticket to come by. I consulted with friend, Sara Earleywine from Iowa. She’s one of the biggest Cubs’ fans I know who also secures tickets to a few games, annually, when they first go on sale. I knew she’d have sage advice for me.
She delivered:
Sign up for your interest in Cubs’ tickets to ensure you have priority for on-sale;
Check your email – regularly! – to ensure you know when the priority on-sale begins;
Clear your calendar when know that date and time for the sale.
She also gave me the best advice for where to sit behind the Cubs’ dugout (my dad’s request of seats) fo the optimum shade and sightlines. That intel was utilized when settling on Section 111, Row 15. It was under shade and was steps away and just one row down from the ramp to our section making it an ideal spot to bring along my soon-to-be octogenerian father.
Determining the Traveling Party
After successfully securing four tickets we decided to make it a family affair.
Both my dad and I reached out to my cousin (and my dad’s nephew), Brandon, to see if he and his son, Griffin, would like to use the other two tickets.
They did!
It heartened me – and my dad – to have three generations of Hills attending, including one (Griffin) who’d be attending his first game at Wrigley Field.
Game Day
We left my father’s place in Adams County, IN, shortly after 8 a.m. for the nearly 4-hour drive northwest across the state to Wrigleyville. U.S. 30 was the primarty route, taking us through large swaths of rural northern Indiana as we made our way toward our destination.
It seemed a natural layover, about 45 minutes from Wrigley, and on brand with the whole Around the World in 80 Sporting Events project. The Hall of Fame was founded in 2005 (by David Raymond, the original Phillie Phanatic) and the site in Whiting opened in 2018.
We arrived shortly after the Hall opened for the day and Helena, an employee, greeted us to explain what Friday Free-Yay was all about. Who knew, we happened upon the Hall the first Friday of the month which meant free admission.
Score!
It was a lovely space that certainly catered to younger guests, but we were all pleased to have seen it … especially after Helena told us it was closing at the end of September!
It turns out, the City of Whiting owned the building and had recently sold it to British Petroleum (BP) which has a major footprint in Whiting and the surrounding areas. BP will be converting the space for its use and Helena did not know whether the Mascot Hall of Fame would be relocating or what its future plans were.
Clockwise from upper left, this Mascot University display greets visitors who happen upon the Mascot Hall of Fame; giant inflatables of many mascot heads hang from the rafters; two of the inductees bobbleheads in the display case (Mr. Met and K.C. Wolf); the Phillie Phanatic was a charter member of the Mascot Hall of Fame; and a wider look at one side of the inductee display case.
I probably enjoyed far too much of baseball’s post-season action over the weekend, but as I reflected on the four major American sports post-seasons, the one that I’ve been able to engage in person the most frequently has been Major League Baseball. So, it’s really not shocking that I found myself hopelessly distracted by the Rays-Guardians’ 15-inning marathon Saturday afternoon or the Mariners’ stunning comeback against he Blue Jays that followed the Cleveland game in short-order.
Tim, Brett, and I at the Cubs-Nationals’ 2017 NLDS, my most-recent MLB post-season game (Photo by Random Fella)
I’ll begrudgingly give MLB credit for the additional Wild Card teams and the decision to make the Wild Card round a best-of-3 at the higher seeded site. That said, I’m mystified why a reseed would not occur following the Wild Card round. Shouldn’t Philadelphia, the final National League qualifier, get the No.1 overall seed Los Angeles Dodgers and all the perils accompanying cross-country travel, extreme changes in climate, etc.? Instead, the Dodgers will see the Padres for the 20th, 21st, and 22nd times this season (at minimum). Los Angeles won the season-series, 14-5, if you’re scoring at home.
Of course, MLB couldn’t get out of its own way with the Divisional Series, granting the ALDS a random day off following Game 1. If there was a desire to keep baseball on the airwaves every day from now until the conclusion of the Divisional Series round, why not start the ALDS on Wednesday rather than Tuesday? Regardless of when it starts, there is going to be one day early in the series where all four games are played on the same day. Rather than cutting the AL teams a break by having an off-day immediately following Game 1 and then another for travel following Game 2 (creating a T-Th-Sa schedule), just have it play Wednesday and Thursday and again on Saturday?
Enough with the ranting, here’s a look back at my in-person experiences with the MLB playoffs. Unsurprisingly, it tracks closely with my hometown Detroit Tigers’ post-season appearances but the most-recent playoff appearance I made was, of all places, Nationals Park in Washington, DC.
Detroit Tigers Joel Zumaya and Brandon Inge celebrate with the fans down the rightfield line following their elimination of the New York Yankees in 2006. Somewhere above Zumaya’s Champagne bottle are my wife and I. (Photo by Getty Images)
1984 World Series, Games 3 & 4, October 12th & October 13th, Tiger Stadium: In this simpler time, I recall sending away a Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope with a check inside for World Series tickets. My envelope apparently got pulled and I was fortunate enough to secure lower deck bleacher seats for both Games 3 and 4 of the Tigers’ first World Series appearance in 16 years. My father deferred the opportunity to attend to his younger brother so my uncle Paul traveled up from Indiana to accompany me to the Friday night and Saturday afternoon Tiger victories. Both games were great, but Game 4 was especially fun as future Hall of Famer Alan Trammell belted a pair of 2-run homers to provide all the offense fellow future Hall of Famer Jack Morris needed in the 4-2 win. I then sat in the comfort of my childhood living room in nearby St. Clair Shores the next night and watched Kirk Gibson‘s monster blast against a stubborn Goose Gossage (seen here) that sealed the World Series Championship over the San Diego Padres.
1987 AL Championship, Game 5, October 12th, Tiger Stadium: The details surrounding this game are a bit fuzzy, but I seem to recall going with a couple of buddies from college and just walking up and buying bleacher tickets at the box office the afternoon of this game, which is the only winner-take-all baseball playoff game I’ve ever attended. It ended with a colossal thud, as trade deadline acquisition Doyle Alexander (who was as responsible as anyone for Detroit even reaching the post-season (9-0 with a 1.53 ERA over 11 starts) couldn’t get out of the second inning and Minnesota’s improbable run to a World Series Championship continued with a 9-5 win. Adding insult to injury, of course, was that the Tigers traded some minor leaguer named John Smoltz to the Atlanta Braves for Alexander. Ouch!
2006 AL Division Series, Game 4, October 7th, Comerica Park: This was during the era our family had a mini-season ticket plan to Tigers’ games. As such, we had access to purchase post-season games for this season that came out of left field for Detroit. My wife, Carol, and I chose this one – a Saturday afternoon game – because a Friday night, 8 p.m. start, would have presented several logistical challenges. Also, fearing the worst (a shellacking at Yankee Stadium in the first two games) we figured Game 4 might not even be played and we’d save a bit of money. Wrong! And boy were glad. Pitcher Jeremy Bonderman was unreal and Magglio Ordonez and Craig Monroe each homered during this 8-3 Tigers’ rout. The biggest highlight of that afternoon, however, came following the game when the lockerroom celebration occurred on the field. The champagne came out and players ran around the field spraying the fans. Truly a magical moment.
2012 World Series, Game 3, October 27th, Comerica Park: The Tigers came into Game 3, down 2-0 having been swept by the Giants in San Francisco. The Giants beat up on Justin Verlander in Game 1 and rode a strong Madison Bumgarner performance to the victory in Game 2. I worked a connection I had with a friend who was a member of the Baseball Writers Association of America and had access to World Series tickets to secure the seats in the upper deck behind homeplate for me and my father, Jerry (heard in Episode 2 of our podcast, “Conversations with Sports Fans”). It was my father’s first trip to a World Series Game. That wound up being the overwhelming highlight of the night. It was a raw 47 degrees with a stiff breeze that made it feel much colder. The Tigers’ offense, despite the fact that Frank Robinson presented Miguel Cabrera with a Triple Crown Award prior to the start, remained in hibernation, getting beat 2-0 and running its scoreless streak to 18 innings.
2017 NL Division Series, Game 1, October 6th, Nationals Park: The Chicago Cubs were beginning defense of their 2016 World Championship in our nation’s capital and it so happened I was in town for a NEA Board of Director’s Meeting. My friend Tim Parker (heard in Episode 3 of our podcast) secured Standing Room Only tickets for me, him, and our fellow education leader, Brett Smith. It was a delightful night and we took in the game from as many vantage points as we could access. It turned out to be a pitcher’s duel between the Cubs’ Kyle Hendricks and Nationals’ Stephen Strasburg and the Cubbies came out on top, 3-0. Chicago went on to win this NLDS, 3-2.
Some of our many vantage points of the Cubs-Nationals’ 2017 NLDS Game 1 at Nationals Park. (Photos by Doug Hill)
Rivalries can be fierce. They can be bloody. They can be intense. But they can also be fun.
Rivalries can lead to some great outcomes in the world of sports.
The St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs may arguably have one of the fiercest rivalries in the Major Leagues.
So as luck would have it, I was in line to see this rivalry during Diamond Baseball Tours‘ Rockies Plus College World Series baseball bus trip. It was one of six MLB games we saw during the tour. We also saw a College World Series game.
As we arrived to the stadium, you could tell the atmosphere was already electric. Lines to get in the stadium wrapped halfway down the block. Ballpark Village (more on that later) on Clark Avenue was almost wall-to-wall people.
The view from homeplate at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. (Photo by Tim Russell).
And the game did not disappoint. While we did not see Albert Pujols in this game, we did see the future Hall-of-Famer in Milwaukee. The Cubs were able to jump out to a 2-0 lead and Kyle Hendricks did the rest. He threw 7 1/3 innings, allowing five hits and one walk with six strikeouts.
What makes the rivalry special is that it’s territorial. One of the big territories in question is central Illinois, which receives radio broadcasts for both teams.
Noted author Buzz Bissinger compared the rivalry to another famous MLB rivalry in his book, Three Nights in August.“The Red Sox and Yankeesis a tabloid-filled soap opera about money and ego and sound bites. But the Cubs and Cardinals are about… geography and territorial rights.”
Overall, the Cubs lead the regular season series 1,259–1,209–18. The teams’ lone MLB playoff meeting occurred in the 2015 National League Division Series, which the Cubs won, 3–1.
In the 130-year history of the rivalry, the Cubs lead the series, 1259-1,209-18. The Cardinals have won 19 pennants to the Cubs’ 17 pennants.
There are lots of rich history between the two teams. One of the most famous connections is the 1998 home run race between St. Louis’ Mark McGwire and Chicago’s Sammy Sosa. The race for the single season home run record helped revitalize baseball after a bitter 1994 players’ strike, which canceled the World Series and part of the 1995 season.
In early September, the teams met for a two-game series in St. Louis. McGwire tied New York’s Babe Ruth with his 61st home run in the first inning. McGwire broke the record the following day.
McGwire would finish the year with 70 home runs and Sosa with 66. However, the Cubs won the National League wild card, making the playoffs for the first time in nine years, while the Cardinals missed the playoffs. Sosa would win the NL MVP that year.
Building Busch was a unique construction venture. They started building the new stadium, while the old one was still in use, right next door. In the end, the footprints of the two did overlap. Half of Busch III was constructed by the time Busch II was closed down at the end of the 2005 season. Busch III was ready for action a few months later.
There are some cool photos showing Busch II in action while Busch III is under construction.
Current Busch Stadium under construction while the old Busch Stadium was still being used during the 2005 season. (Photo by David Carson, St. Louis Post Dispatch)
While it wasn’t 100 percent complete for Opening Day 2006, it was built enough to hold 37,962 fans, in the field level, terrace level and bleachers.
Construction on the rest of the stadium was completed in late May, increasing the capacity to its currently 46,861. The first game under 100 percent completion was May 29, 2006 against the Houston Astros with finishing touches performed throughout the year.
Here are the dimensions for the stadium: Left field line (336 feet), left-center field (375 feet), center field (400 feet), right-center field (375 feet) and 335 feet down the right field line.
Like many of the ballparks, the Cardinals honor many of their former greats. Having a rich history allows for a healthy display.
The biggest one is outside the Gate 3 entrance, a large bronze statue of legend Stan “The Man” Musial. The statues that surrounded the previous incarnation of Busch Stadium are now displayed at the corner of Clark and Eighth Streets, outside the Cardinals’ team store.
Some of the statues on the grounds of St. Louis’ Busch Stadium include Baseball Hall of Famers Bob Gibson, Jack Buck, Lou Brock, and Stan Musial. (Photos by Tim Russell)
Also, outside the stadium is a retail/restaurant area called Ballpark Village. It’a a multi-phase residential and entertainment complex, located on the former Busch site. The first phase was completed in time for Opening Day 2014.
Clark Street doubles as St. Louis’ Ballpark Village. (Photo by Tim Russell)
It includes a St. Louis Cardinals Museum as well as many restaurants and bars. It is very similar to other developments around the league, like Texas Live in Arlington, TX (Texas Rangers’ Globe Life Field), Philly Live (Philadelphia Phillies’ Citizen Bank Park), and most recently, The Battery at Atlanta’s Truist Park.
Concessions range from the standard ballpark fare to St. Louis-area favorites like pork steak sandwiches and toasted ravioli. Budweiser holds the beer contract as expected, but local craft breweries such as Saint Louis Brewery, Urban Chestnut, and 4 Hands all are available.
Attendance is always pretty high in St. Louis. With the exception of 2020 (no fans due to COVID-19) and 2021 (limited capacity due to the pandemic), the Cardinals have drawn more than three million fans every year since its opening.
This Thursday Major League Baseball will once again shine the spotlight on a baseball diamond borne of a corn field in Dyersville, IA, with its second annual Field of Dreams game. As a sucker for most things baseball, all things Field of Dreams, and of corn in general, I will – no doubt – check out some of the action.
The sites after sundown during the initial MLB Field of Dreams game in Dyersville. (Photo by MLB)
I doubt the going-nowhere-fast Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds will be able to duplicate the excitement of last year’s inaugural game between a pair of then-pennant contenders in the Chicago White Sox and the New York Yankees (see the highlights here), but who cares. As our realtor friends might tell us, it’s all about the location, right?
Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s great that two teams due to play each other 19 times this year will take one of those contests and play it in a state where no MLB team is within 180 miles.
In my pre-blog days I penned a rant on Facebook about MLB needing to do more of this. Why do I, a Tigers’ fan, need to be subjected to 10 games in town against the Guardians? Or the Twins? Conversely, do the fans in Kansas City or Chicago really want the Tigers in town 10 times?
To its credit, MLB and the MLB Players Association took a step in the right direction with the labor agreement it reached back in March. The so-called balanced schedule that will debut in 2023 will see divisional rivals play each other only 14 times each (7 home/7 away), six times each against other league opponents (3 home/3 away), and a three times each against the 14 opposite league opponents and four times against the “natural” rival (2 home/2 away, presumably). The seasons of 19 divisional games are, mercifully, long gone. As our the lengthy stretches between visits by teams from the opposite league.
We learned last week that the London Series is returning in 2023 (Cubs vs. Cardinals, June 24-25). There will also be regular-season games played in London during the 2024 and 2026 season. Mexico City will host regular-season baseball in each of the next four seasons, there will be games played in Asia/Japan in 2024 and 2025, Paris in 2025, and San Juan in 2025 and 2026. Again, I applaud the MLB/MLBPA’s desire to showcase the sport in non-traditional markets, but …
… why the continued neglect of non-traditional markets in the United States and Canada?
I’m delighted the MLB-Little League Classic is returning to Williamsport, PA, on August 21 (Baltimore vs. Boston) but Pennsylvania has two MLB teams that play 81 home games apiece.
How about getting some MLB regular-season action in locations that don’t have multiple bites at the apple of attending live MLB action, annually? Places like Montreal, Portland, Indianapolis, Las Vegas, Calgary, Mobile, Durham, Honolulu, Winnipeg, or even Anchorage? If the engineers are able to make a MLB-quality diamond/field in Dyersville and Williamsport, one can presume something similar can be accomplished in these other locations. Red Sox-Blue Jays in Montreal? Mariners-A’s in Portland? Reds-Cubs in Indianapolis? How about the Rockies playing a pair of games in the Canadian Rockies? Or the Twins taking a pair of divisional games north to Manitoba? Maybe the Rays meeting the Orioles in Durham? Or the Braves-Marlins in Mobile?
Bottom line, there are plenty of Dyersvilles and Williamsports out there. Let’s get Major League Baseball in these spots, expose fans of all ages to the game, and grow it domestically as well as internationally.
To this point we’ve tried to use this space to offer personal reflections on upcoming major sporting events. We’re deviating this week based upon recent travels to Chicago (see my other blog here for about that) that took me to a recentChicago Cubs–Cincinnati Redsgame at Wrigley Field.
To the best of my recollection it’s been since the late 1980s since I attended a baseball game at Wrigley. To say it’s changed would be an understatement. While I’m uncertain if the lights were up when I was last there, I definitely remember it was a day game. So the fact I found myself on a crowded Red Line out of central Chicago during the late afternoon rush hour heading to a night game between the hometown Cubbies and my childhood favorite Reds felt odd.
I hadn’t been on a train to a MLB game since a visit several years ago to Nationals’ Park so that, in and of itself, was enjoyable to capture the vibe of the fellow passengers as the train grew more and more crowded en route.
As our group emerged from the Addison Street Station in the heart of Wrigleyville the excitement – as much as their can be for an insignificant regular-season midweek game between two teams heading nowhere – was palpable. Another addition since the last I’d attended a game here are the monetization of the rooftop seats along Sheffield and Waveland Avenues. I was suprised to see patrons of these seats had their bags checked and get wanded as part of a security check.
After a quick moment to pose for a photo with the Harry Caray statue across from Murphy’s Bleachers on the corner it was onward to the plaza out front of Wrigley on Clark Street. There we were greeeted by four statues of Cubs’ Baseball Hall of Famers (Ernie Banks, Fergie Jenkins, Ron Santo, and Billy Williams). Jenkins’ is the latest statue to go in, dedicated May 20th. There’s another pedestal awaiting the next Cub legend to get the bronze treatment. (My money’s on Sandberg.)
My earliest memories of entering Wrigley Field are from the early-to-mid 1970s when, as a young boy, I joined my father (and perhaps some family friends?) for a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. I recall sitting along the firstbase side and seeing Steve Garvey and his furry forearms. While I remember very little about the game or the other players who might’ve been on the field that day, I do remember that moment we emerged from the dark, dank ramp up into the seating area and seeing the green. The green grass, the ivy-covered outfield walls, and the green seats. To this smalltown kid who’d only ever seen dirt infields it was like Dorothy’s first glimpse of the Emerald City. I had every intention of capturing video of the trip up the ramp into Wrigley’s seating area, but, alas, I was the keeper of our digital tickets and my phone was needed. So you get that look in two segments.
Walking through the tunnel and steps up to Section 11.
Catching our first glimpse inside the Friendly Confines.
Based upon the pricetag of our seats, I knew our friend Sara – a longtime Cubs’ fan – wasn’t fooling around. Seventh row behind the Chicago dugout. To quote legendary broadcaster Harry Caray, “Holy Cow!” The seats were good, the company great, and the Cubbies better still, winning 8-3. Catcher Willson Contreras went 3-for-4 with pair of doubles and a homer. The Reds’ struggling (and aging) star, Joey Votto, even had a pair of doubles.
The real star of the game, however, may have been the Wrigley Field Organist. I’ve no idea who was playing that night, but they were on top of it … all of it. When Reds’ designated hitter Brandon Drury strode to the plate, “The Muffin Man” played. After a terrific leaping grab by Cubs’ secondbaseman David Bote, Van Halen’s “Jump” played. And after Chicago centerfielder Christopher Morel fouled off a pitch that camed straight up into the area between his thighs (fellas, you get it), Bobby McFerrin’s “Don’t Worry Be Happy” played. Who knows what we missed before we were really paying attention?
After a walkabout to get as close to the Wrigley Bleachers as possible (no dice, but I did score a sweet photo of a cople ivy leafs through a fence in rightfield), I was back in my seat in time for the seventh inning stretch and the singing of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.” Among the guest conductors during our game, which was Cubs’ Pride Night was the team’s part owner, Laura Ricketts, the first openly gay individual to have an ownership stake in a American major league franchise.
A snippet of the Wrigley Field tradition, “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” led by celebrity conductors.
When Cubs’ reliever Matt Swarmer fanned Votto to end the game you would have thought the home team had just won Game 1 of the NL Divisional Series.
Swarmer gets Votto to chase to end the game.
The official post-victory anthem is “Go, Cubs, Go” which has a pretty neat story of its own.
All in all, a good – dare I say, great – night. My first game under the lights at Wrigley Field was memorable because of the company, the excellent seats, the beautiful evening, and seeing the home team win. I hope it’s not my last.
The ‘W’ flies. Ron Santo after dark.The marquee says it all.
