If you thought that Wrigley Field, situated in the north part of Chicago, is only about baseball and hot dogs, you’d be wrong. Ever since it was founded in 1914 by Charles Weegham, this baseball field has undergone a massive transformation. It has hosted boxing matches and hockey games. It has hosted National Football League (NFL) events. And it is also a massive location for music concerts. In fact, in 2017, the attendance record for a concert was broken by Dead and Company reaching over 80,000 people. But what more is there to what is nicknamed the “Friendly Confines” or the previously-named Weegham Park? Let’s take a closer look. Find out how you can make your sports and events transporattion in Chicago easy and hassle free.
History
Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States would not be what it is without Wrigley Field. The stadium was built by Charles Weegham in 1914, costing around $250,000 at the time and taking just two months to complete. Initially, the stadium had a capacity for around 14,000 people although this number has practically tripled to the 41,649 number of seats around 100 years later. Initially, the stadium first opened for the Chicago Whales of the Federal League but this ended in 1915 when there was a financial folding after the baseball season ended.
After construction of Weegham Field in 1914, the stadium was renamed Cubs Park in 1920 when chewing gum entrepreneur of the Wrigley Company, William Wrigley Jr. purchased the Chicago Cubs – one of the major baseball franchises at the time. The name Cubs Park remained until 1926 and was then renamed Wrigley Field in November 1926. It would remain the home of the Chicago Cubs for a few decades after this. Interestingly, the stadium is the only remaining Federal League park and it received National Historic Landmark status in 2020.
Purchased by the Ricketts family in 2009, the stadium would receive major renovations, including those made to the “stadium’s façade, infrastructure, restrooms, concourses, suites, press box, moving the bullpens and clubhouses, as well as the addition of restaurants, patio areas, batting tunnels, a 5,700 square foot jumbotron, and a beautiful boutique hotel in the middle of Wrigleyville, a plaza and office-retail complex. The plan received the go-ahead several years later. It was named the 1060 Project.
Wrigley Field and the entire Wrigleyville neighborhood has a whole new and cool look and feel. It’s a place to go to enjoy a game and have great times with family and friends. Wrigley Field truly is “The Friendly Confines”.
Architecture
Being one of the most iconic stadiums in the US, Wrigley Field also offers visitors an architectural delight. Not only is the score board hand operated to this day, but the ivy-covered outfield walls (a combination of Boston Ivy and Japanese Bittersweet introduced in 1937) and the bright red marquee at the entrance of the stadium make for a colourful and unique architecture. What’s more is that despite opposition from residents, in 1988 was when it was decided to install lights at Wrigley Field so that night games could be played on the field. Until then, only day games were played at Wrigley Field.
Interesting facts
Being the oldest National League ballpark and home to the Chicago Cubs since 1916, it is also noteworthy that the Chicago Bears also called Wrigley Field their home between 1921-1970. But what’s more is that no batter has ever hit the scoreboard, which has been around since 1937 and is still manually operated.
Other interesting facts about Wrigley Field include the fact that:
- “Babe Ruth’s famous Called Shot happened at Wrigley.
- Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, The Blues Brothers, and The Break-Up are a few of many movies that featured Wrigley Field.
- Harry Caray began the tradition of singing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” at the Cubs home games.
- The term “White flag time at Wrigley!” and “Raise the W” means the Cubs WIN!, a ritual that dates back to raising flags after a game. When the Cubs win, flags are raised everywhere around Chicago to celebrate.
- It took 108 years for the Cubs to win the World Series.
Upcoming events
As mentioned earlier, Wrigley field is not just for sports – be it baseball, football or anything else. It’s also an excellent location for staging music events and some of the upcoming tours you can expect in July, August, and September of 2022 include:
- Chris Stapleton, The Highwomen, Mavis Staples, and The Dirty Knobs with Mike Campbell (Saturday, 23 July 2022);
- Lady Gaga (Monday, 15 August 2022); and
- The Lumineers, Caamp, and James Bay (Saturday, 3 September 2022).
Closing remarks
Being located in a residential area since the beginning, and despite changes to the landscape surrounding Wrigley Field, finding a parking space for a game or a concert can be tricky. This is where Bus Connection comes in. We ensure that you get to your game or concert with your friends and loved ones on time every time. We treat our guests with courtesy, politeness, and professionalism and these are the values we enshrine in every single trip we take. Why stress over the hassle of locating a parking spot near the field when you can simply organise a convenient bus tour to help you get to the game. The driver will be waiting for you when the event finishes and you’ll get home safely and soundly, while enjoying a comfortable trip that takes all the hassle out of driving there yourself.