Wrigley Field
					Wrigley Field, Chicago, Illinois (visited May 6, 1996) - I unfortunately only have been fortunate enough to visit Wrigley once.  On the other hand, at least I’ve been there once.  This place is everything they make it out to be.  I was there on a cold May day against the Mets with a friend who was a Cubs fan.  It was May, it was a weekday, and yet the place was pretty full.  That’s one of the unique things about Wrigley.  They still play the vast majority of their games during the day and are always among the leaders in attendance.  People sit on the roofs of buildings across the street and in living rooms of 2nd floor apartments in the houses over the left field bleachers.  Kids wait on Waveland Avenue for Sammy Sosa HR balls to come bouncing over.   The bleacher creatures love Sammy and often ask him how many outs there are just to keep him on his toes.
		He is one of the few big leaguers who will acknowledge fans that call out to him.  And if you’re a visitor and have the nerve to hit a HR?  Well, you can keep it, as the bleacher faithful will heave it back, regardless of its significance.  There are plenty of good Chicago eateries in the area where many a Cubbies fan has drowned his sorrows in a beer.  The “L” runs right nearby and the entire area surrounding Wrigley is residential – thus the lack of night games.  Inside the old park, you can’t help but smile as you continue staring like a little goofy kid at the ivy covered outfield wall and the beautiful green grass.  There are very few more beautiful parks in the world – and I don’t think there are any in MLB.  It differs from the Yankee atmosphere in that while they both have history, the Yanks is a history of win at all costs, while the Cubs is simply a history of being lovable and loyal.  The one game that I was there for turned out to be a memorable finish.  The Mets led 4-3 in the bottom of the ninth and the Cubs got a runner on – and Sammy was coming to the plate.  He had already hit a bomb earlier in the game so I informed my friend that he wouldn’t do it again.  Jerry DiPoto was pitching for the Mets and he grooved a batting practice fastball right in Sammy’s wheelhouse.  Let me just say I have never seen a ball hit like this.  As soon as Sammy made contact with the cookie from DiPoto, the whole park knew it was gone – it’s easy to tell in Wrigley, when the wind is blowing and Sammy hits it hard.  But this one didn’t just go out….it cleared the left field wall, the retaining fence, Waveland Avenue, the front yard of a house and smashed into the window of that house!  My friend and I took a walk afterwards and confirmed it.  Unbelievable.  I have since seen that HR on videotapes of the biggest HRs ever – and I can say I was there.                           Go Back to Main Stadium Page                   Go Back Home!