Alongside the tradition of the "W" and "L" flags, the song "Go, Cubs, Go" is sung after each home win (it was also sung by visiting Cubs fans in Game 7 of the 2016 World Series at Progressive Field in Cleveland, where the Cubs clinched their first championship since 1908).
It first opened in 1914 as Weeghman Park for Charles Weeghman's Chicago Whales of the Federal League, which folded after the 1915 baseball season.
The elevation of its playing field is above sea level. ==History== Baseball executive Charles Weeghman hired his architect Zachary Taylor Davis to design the park, which was ready for baseball by the date of the home opener on April 23, 1914.
The original tenants, the Chicago Whales (also called the Chi-Feds) came in second in the Federal League rankings in 1914 and won the league championship in 1915. In late 1915, Weeghman's Federal League folded.
The Cubs wore the uniforms of the Chicago Whales (Federals), the original occupants of the stadium, and the Diamondbacks wore uniforms representing the Kansas City Packers, whom the Federals played on April 23, 1914. ==Features== Wrigley Field follows the jewel box ballpark design that was popular in the early part of the 20th century.
Although that distance is standard, the relatively small foul ground area in general gives an advantage to batters. ===Rooftop seats=== When the Wrigley Field was constructed in 1914, the buildings along Waveland and Sheffield avenues gave spectators a view of what was going on inside the ballpark, but did not become popular spectator areas until the 1929 World Series.
It was also the first night game ever played in the historic ballpark (July 1, 1943). ==Stadium usage== ===Baseball=== Weeghman Park's first tenant was the Federal League team, the Chicago Whales, from 1914 to 1915.
It first opened in 1914 as Weeghman Park for Charles Weeghman's Chicago Whales of the Federal League, which folded after the 1915 baseball season.
The original tenants, the Chicago Whales (also called the Chi-Feds) came in second in the Federal League rankings in 1914 and won the league championship in 1915. In late 1915, Weeghman's Federal League folded.
It was also the first night game ever played in the historic ballpark (July 1, 1943). ==Stadium usage== ===Baseball=== Weeghman Park's first tenant was the Federal League team, the Chicago Whales, from 1914 to 1915.
The Cubs played their first home game at the park on April 20, 1916, defeating the Cincinnati Reds with a score of 7–6 in 11 innings.
Weeghman Park / Cubs Park / Wrigley Field has served as the home baseball park for Major League Baseball's Chicago Cubs franchise since 1916. ===Football=== The Chicago Bears of the National Football League played at Wrigley Field from 1921 to 1970 before relocating to Soldier Field.
Weeghman immediately moved the Cubs from the dilapidated West Side Grounds to his two-year-old park. In 1918, Wrigley acquired the controlling interest in the club.
It was named Cubs Park from 1920 to 1926, before being renamed Wrigley Field in 1927. In the North Side community area of Lakeview in the Wrigleyville neighborhood, Wrigley Field is on an irregular block bounded by Clark and Addison streets to the west and south, and Waveland and Sheffield avenues to the north and east.
As early as the 1920s, before the park became officially known as Wrigley Field, the scoreboard was topped by the elf-like "Doublemint Twins", posed as a pitcher and a batter.
of the Wrigley Company acquired the Cubs in 1921.
Between 1921 and 1970, it was the home of the Chicago Bears of the National Football League, and was also the home of the Chicago Cardinals (now Arizona Cardinals) of the National Football League from 1931 to 1938.
Weeghman Park / Cubs Park / Wrigley Field has served as the home baseball park for Major League Baseball's Chicago Cubs franchise since 1916. ===Football=== The Chicago Bears of the National Football League played at Wrigley Field from 1921 to 1970 before relocating to Soldier Field.
The team had transferred from Decatur, and retained the name "Staleys" for the 1921 season.
There were also ads painted on the bare right field wall early in the ballpark's history, prior to the 1923 remodeling which put bleachers there.
It was named Cubs Park from 1920 to 1926, before being renamed Wrigley Field in 1927. In the North Side community area of Lakeview in the Wrigleyville neighborhood, Wrigley Field is on an irregular block bounded by Clark and Addison streets to the west and south, and Waveland and Sheffield avenues to the north and east.
In November 1926, he renamed the park "Wrigley Field".
Ricketts, however, has expressed no interest in selling the naming rights to Wrigley Field, preferring that it retain the name it has used since 1926. ====Outside venues==== Corporate sponsorship has not been limited to the park itself.
It was named Cubs Park from 1920 to 1926, before being renamed Wrigley Field in 1927. In the North Side community area of Lakeview in the Wrigleyville neighborhood, Wrigley Field is on an irregular block bounded by Clark and Addison streets to the west and south, and Waveland and Sheffield avenues to the north and east.
In 1927, an upper deck was added, and in 1937, Bill Veeck, the son of the club president, planted ivy vines against the outfield walls after seeing the ivy planted at Perry Stadium, Indianapolis. ===Renovation=== The Ricketts family aggressively pursued a Wrigley Field renovation since buying the team and the stadium in 2009.
Although that distance is standard, the relatively small foul ground area in general gives an advantage to batters. ===Rooftop seats=== When the Wrigley Field was constructed in 1914, the buildings along Waveland and Sheffield avenues gave spectators a view of what was going on inside the ballpark, but did not become popular spectator areas until the 1929 World Series.
Between 1921 and 1970, it was the home of the Chicago Bears of the National Football League, and was also the home of the Chicago Cardinals (now Arizona Cardinals) of the National Football League from 1931 to 1938.
Coupled with the Chicago Bears, the Chicago Cardinals of the National Football League called Wrigley Field home from 1931-1938.
A scoreboard similar to the one existing in 1932 was used, atop an ivy wall (though that did not exist until later in the decade). The ballpark was used for the establishing tryouts scene in A League of Their Own (1992).
Five NFL championship games were played at Wrigley Field; 1933, 1937, 1941, 1943 and 1963.
The marquee was installed around 1934. It was originally painted blue, and had changeable letters—similar to the scoreboard—to announce upcoming games.
It may also be observed that the original black-and-white aerial photo, from the 1945 World Series, was taken from nearly the identical spot as the photo of the 1935 Series, allowing a comparison before and after the 1937 alterations to the bleachers.
In 1927, an upper deck was added, and in 1937, Bill Veeck, the son of the club president, planted ivy vines against the outfield walls after seeing the ivy planted at Perry Stadium, Indianapolis. ===Renovation=== The Ricketts family aggressively pursued a Wrigley Field renovation since buying the team and the stadium in 2009.
On April 7, 2013, Total Pro Sports voted Wrigley Field the "Best Place to Catch a Game in 2013," owing the award primarily to its architecture and ivy-coated fields. In 1937, the stadium was renovated and P.
However, if the ball becomes dislodged or the fielder reaches into the vines to try and get the ball, it is considered in play and the runners can advance. ===Dimensions=== The distances from home plate to various points in the outfield have remained essentially unchanged since the bleachers were remodeled during the 1937 season.
The scoreboard was installed in 1937, when Bill Veeck installed the new bleachers.
Five NFL championship games were played at Wrigley Field; 1933, 1937, 1941, 1943 and 1963.
The elves were removed permanently in 1937 when the bleachers and scoreboard were rebuilt.
Wrigley and the 1937 bleacher/scoreboard reconstruction, a flag with either a "W" or an "L" has flown from atop the scoreboard masthead, indicating the day's result.
It may also be observed that the original black-and-white aerial photo, from the 1945 World Series, was taken from nearly the identical spot as the photo of the 1935 Series, allowing a comparison before and after the 1937 alterations to the bleachers.
Between 1921 and 1970, it was the home of the Chicago Bears of the National Football League, and was also the home of the Chicago Cardinals (now Arizona Cardinals) of the National Football League from 1931 to 1938.
The 1938 World Series brought paying spectators to the rooftops, however, fans typically sat in lawn chairs and brought their own food and beverages.
It was the first football game at Wrigley Field since 1970 and the first collegiate football game at Wrigley Field since 1938 when the DePaul Blue Demons played its regular games at Wrigley.
It read "Home of the Cubs", a legend that was replaced with "Home of Chicago Cubs" by 1939.
That placement by the Chicago-based Curtiss Candy Company, coincidentally positioned in the line of sight of "Babe Ruth's called shot", proved fortuitous when games began to be televised in the 1940s—the sign was also in the line of sight of the ground level camera behind and to the left of home plate.
Unsuitable for the bleachers that now decorate many of those buildings, that building's angling roof has been painted in the form of a large billboard since at least the 1940s.
This film was a Hollywood account of the 1940s women's baseball league which Cubs owner P.K.
The clock was added in 1941, a fifth row of scores was added to each side in 1961; by 1969, a sixth.
Five NFL championship games were played at Wrigley Field; 1933, 1937, 1941, 1943 and 1963.
T, actor and lifelong Cub fan Gary Sinise, actors Tom Arnold, James Belushi, Bill Murray, WWE wrestler/Chicago native CM Punk, Vince Vaughn, and Illinois-native country music singer Brett Eldredge. ===Organ Music=== Wrigley Field was the first Major League ballpark to introduce live organ music on April 26, 1941.
No players have hit the current scoreboard, although at least three have come close: Roberto Clemente to the left side, on May 17, 1959; and Bill Nicholson and Eddie Mathews to the right, on August 22, 1942, and April 22, 1953, respectively.
In 1942, then-owner Philip K.
That game was rained out after 3½ innings, and the first official night game took place the following evening against the New York Mets, a game which the Cubs won 6–4. The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League's first All-Star Game during the 1943 midseason, was played under temporary lights at Wrigley Field, between two teams composed of South Bend Blue Sox and Rockford Peaches players versus Kenosha Comets and Racine Belles players.
It was also the first night game ever played in the historic ballpark (July 1, 1943). ==Stadium usage== ===Baseball=== Weeghman Park's first tenant was the Federal League team, the Chicago Whales, from 1914 to 1915.
Five NFL championship games were played at Wrigley Field; 1933, 1937, 1941, 1943 and 1963.
This was not available during the last World Series prior to 2016, in 1945 against the Detroit Tigers, so cars parked as much as a mile away on residential streets and fans walked to Wrigley Field. ==Commemorative stamps== In 2001, a series of commemorative postage stamps on the subject of baseball parks was issued by the U.S.
It may also be observed that the original black-and-white aerial photo, from the 1945 World Series, was taken from nearly the identical spot as the photo of the 1935 Series, allowing a comparison before and after the 1937 alterations to the bleachers.
Other buildings have carried signs sponsoring beers, such as Old Style (when it was a Cubs broadcasting sponsor) and Miller; and also WGN-TV, which has telecast Cubs games since April 1948. ====Legacy Partners==== In January 2013 the Ricketts family launched "Legacy Partners," a marketing effort to sell new kinds of advertising in and around renovated Wrigley Field.
However, after lights were installed, the line was changed to "When they put a dome on Wrigley Field" for their 1989 Live-Sold Out album. A few brief shots of Wrigley Field appear in the 1949 movie It Happens Every Spring.
No players have hit the current scoreboard, although at least three have come close: Roberto Clemente to the left side, on May 17, 1959; and Bill Nicholson and Eddie Mathews to the right, on August 22, 1942, and April 22, 1953, respectively.
No players have hit the current scoreboard, although at least three have come close: Roberto Clemente to the left side, on May 17, 1959; and Bill Nicholson and Eddie Mathews to the right, on August 22, 1942, and April 22, 1953, respectively.
Bathroom facilities and concessions were improved throughout the park. Exterior renovations of the park seek to restore design elements present before the 1960s.
(In years when the Bears played there, the sign was changed appropriately during football season.) On March 23, 1960, the Cubs repainted it red. In 1982, a two-line announcement board was replaced with an electronic LED message board and a backlit advertising panel was added below (this is now solid red).
The clock was added in 1941, a fifth row of scores was added to each side in 1961; by 1969, a sixth.
Five NFL championship games were played at Wrigley Field; 1933, 1937, 1941, 1943 and 1963.
In the seventh inning of Ken Holtzman's first no-hitter, on August 19, 1969, Hank Aaron of the Atlanta Braves hit a ball that looked headed for the bleachers, but the wind caught it just enough for left fielder Billy Williams to leap up and snare it. With the wind blowing out, some true tape-measure home runs have been hit by well-muscled batters.
The clock was added in 1941, a fifth row of scores was added to each side in 1961; by 1969, a sixth.
The landmark status also prohibits even simple facelifts such as adding two more games on either side (there are 15 teams in both the National and American Leagues) of the 12-game, 24-team scoreboard (reflecting MLB from 1969 to 1976), so up to three games (1 NL, 1 AL, and the interleague) each day cannot be posted.
Between 1921 and 1970, it was the home of the Chicago Bears of the National Football League, and was also the home of the Chicago Cardinals (now Arizona Cardinals) of the National Football League from 1931 to 1938.
Weeghman Park / Cubs Park / Wrigley Field has served as the home baseball park for Major League Baseball's Chicago Cubs franchise since 1916. ===Football=== The Chicago Bears of the National Football League played at Wrigley Field from 1921 to 1970 before relocating to Soldier Field.
The Bears had one experimental game at Dyche Stadium (now Ryan Field) on the Northwestern University campus in 1970, but otherwise continued at Wrigley until their transfer to the lakefront ended their five-decades run on the north side.
It was the first football game at Wrigley Field since 1970 and the first collegiate football game at Wrigley Field since 1938 when the DePaul Blue Demons played its regular games at Wrigley.
That game will take place in November 2021. ===Soccer=== The Chicago Sting of the North American Soccer League (NASL) used Wrigley, along with Comiskey Park, for their home matches during the late 1970s and early 1980s.
The aging sign was eventually removed in the early 1970s. Another long-standing venue for a sign is the sloping roof of a building behind left-center field.
The last two by a Cubs pitcher occurred near the beginning and the end of the 1972 season, by Burt Hooton and Milt Pappas respectively; not until Cole Hamels of the Philadelphia Phillies no-hit the Cubs in 2015 would another no-hitter be pitched at Wrigley.
Sosa hit the roof of the center field camera booth on the fly during the NLCS against the Florida Marlins, some away. But the longest blast was probably hit by Dave Kingman on a very windy day in 1976 while with the Mets.
The landmark status also prohibits even simple facelifts such as adding two more games on either side (there are 15 teams in both the National and American Leagues) of the 12-game, 24-team scoreboard (reflecting MLB from 1969 to 1976), so up to three games (1 NL, 1 AL, and the interleague) each day cannot be posted.
However, as a tradition, Cubs fans inside and sometimes even outside the park will promptly throw any home run ball hit by an opposing player back onto the field of play, a ritual depicted in the 1977 stage play Bleacher Bums and in the 1993 film Rookie of the Year. The ballpark was featured in a scene in the 1986 film Ferris Bueller's Day Off, where the outside marquee read "Save Ferris".
In 1978, blue and white lights were mounted atop the scoreboard, to further denote wins and losses. The flags were replaced in the early 1980s, and the color schemes were reversed with the "win flag" being white with a blue W, and the "loss flag" the opposite.
The Sting hosted the San Diego Sockers on August 25, 1979, at Wrigley when the Bears were using Soldier Field.
Since the early 1980s, the numbers have been painted directly on the bricks, in yellow.
A Budweiser Beer slogan was on the lower panel in the early 1980s about the time when the team added the LED signage.
In the late 1980s, however, Cubs management insisted that the team was in danger of leaving Wrigley if lights weren't installed, and Major League Baseball threatened to make the Cubs play postseason "home" games at Busch Stadium in St.
That game will take place in November 2021. ===Soccer=== The Chicago Sting of the North American Soccer League (NASL) used Wrigley, along with Comiskey Park, for their home matches during the late 1970s and early 1980s.
In 1978, blue and white lights were mounted atop the scoreboard, to further denote wins and losses. The flags were replaced in the early 1980s, and the color schemes were reversed with the "win flag" being white with a blue W, and the "loss flag" the opposite.
The event gained both local and national attention, receiving coverage from Fox Sports and The Boston Globe. ==In popular culture== Wrigley Field had a brief cameo in the 1980 film The Blues Brothers, starring John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd as Jake and Elwood Blues.
The Tribune Company, owners of the park from 1981 to 2009, chose not to rename the ballpark, utilizing other ways to bring corporate sponsorship into the ballpark.
After his death from leukemia, Goodman's ashes were scattered at Wrigley Field as described in the lyrics. The Statler Brothers' 1981 song "Don't Wait On Me" referred to a then-implausible situation: "When the lights go on at Wrigley Field".
(In years when the Bears played there, the sign was changed appropriately during football season.) On March 23, 1960, the Cubs repainted it red. In 1982, a two-line announcement board was replaced with an electronic LED message board and a backlit advertising panel was added below (this is now solid red).
In 1982, the retired number of Ernie Banks was flying on a foul pole, as white with blue numbers, in 1987, the retired number of Billy Williams joined Banks, the two flags were positioned from the foul poles, Banks from left field, and Williams from right field.
Also, following the 2015 addition of the park's Daktronics video screens, the large "W" in the "Wintrust" logo on the left field video screen is kept on following Cubs' wins. ===Take Me Out to the Ball Game=== The tradition of singing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" at Cubs home games began when Hall of Fame announcer Harry Caray arrived in 1982 (he had sung it the preceding seven years as a broadcaster for the White Sox), and it has remained a Wrigley Field staple.
Louis. The 1984 World Series was scheduled to start in the National League park.
Since the Padres wound up winning the 1984 NLCS, these plans proved moot. After 5,687 consecutive day games played by the Cubs at Wrigley, the lights were finally lit on August 8, 1988, for a game with the Philadelphia Phillies.
The 1984 film The Natural, starring Robert Redford, had a scene set at Wrigley but was actually filmed at All-High Stadium in Buffalo, New York.
However, as a tradition, Cubs fans inside and sometimes even outside the park will promptly throw any home run ball hit by an opposing player back onto the field of play, a ritual depicted in the 1977 stage play Bleacher Bums and in the 1993 film Rookie of the Year. The ballpark was featured in a scene in the 1986 film Ferris Bueller's Day Off, where the outside marquee read "Save Ferris".
In 1982, the retired number of Ernie Banks was flying on a foul pole, as white with blue numbers, in 1987, the retired number of Billy Williams joined Banks, the two flags were positioned from the foul poles, Banks from left field, and Williams from right field.
The park was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2020. Wrigley Field is known for its ivy-covered brick outfield wall, the unusual wind patterns off Lake Michigan, the iconic red marquee over the main entrance, the hand-turned scoreboard, its location in a primarily residential neighborhood with no parking lots and views from the rooftops behind the outfield, and for being the last Major League park to have lights installed for night games, in 1988.
A set of light stands facing onto the scoreboard was added in 1988 with the introduction of night games. The centerfield bleacher scoreboard is still manually operated, with scores coming in through a computer (a ticker tape machine was used in the past); a number turner watches the score changes closely and updates scores by manually replacing the numbers from within the scoreboard.
The back of the sign was given a new green paint job as well, which can now be seen from inside the terrace level. ===Lights=== The Cubs were a hold-out against night games for decades, not installing lights at Wrigley until 1988 (after baseball officials announced that the park would be prohibited from hosting any future post-season games without lights).
Since the Padres wound up winning the 1984 NLCS, these plans proved moot. After 5,687 consecutive day games played by the Cubs at Wrigley, the lights were finally lit on August 8, 1988, for a game with the Philadelphia Phillies.
However, after lights were installed, the line was changed to "When they put a dome on Wrigley Field" for their 1989 Live-Sold Out album. A few brief shots of Wrigley Field appear in the 1949 movie It Happens Every Spring.
An early 1990s film about Babe Ruth had the obligatory scene in Wrigley Field about the "called shot" (the ballpark also doubled as Yankee Stadium for the film).
The Sky Box on Sheffield opened in 1993.
However, as a tradition, Cubs fans inside and sometimes even outside the park will promptly throw any home run ball hit by an opposing player back onto the field of play, a ritual depicted in the 1977 stage play Bleacher Bums and in the 1993 film Rookie of the Year. The ballpark was featured in a scene in the 1986 film Ferris Bueller's Day Off, where the outside marquee read "Save Ferris".
Today, it is complete with a two-tier roof deck, indoor clubhouse, fully staffed bars on three levels, and an elevator. In 1998, the city started requiring rooftop owners to have a license and began to regulate the venues.
Bud Light became the sponsor of the rebuilt bleachers in 2006. In the early 2000s, following the trend of many ballparks, a green-screen chroma key board was installed behind home plate, in the line of sight of the center field TV camera, to allow electronic "rotating" advertisements visible only to the TV audiences.
This was not available during the last World Series prior to 2016, in 1945 against the Detroit Tigers, so cars parked as much as a mile away on residential streets and fans walked to Wrigley Field. ==Commemorative stamps== In 2001, a series of commemorative postage stamps on the subject of baseball parks was issued by the U.S.
In 2003, relations between rooftop owners and the Cubs worsened when the team put up a large screen to block the view of the rooftops.
Wrigley Field once held the record for the most NFL games played in a single stadium with 365 regular season NFL games, but this record was surpassed in September 2003 by Giants Stadium in New Jersey, thanks to its dual-occupancy by the New York Giants and New York Jets.
The game played between the Jets and Miami Dolphins on September 14, 2003 was the 366th regular season NFL game at Giants Stadium breaking Wrigley's regular season record.
In 2004, the ivy was specifically included in Wrigley Field's Landmark Designation by the Chicago City Council.
The Cubs felt that the rooftops were stealing from the team's product and the rooftop owners were "unjustly enriching themselves." In 2004, the building owners agreed to share a portion of their proceeds with the Cubs.
Cyclists may check their bikes up to 2 hours before games at the bike racks off of Waveland Ave, and may pick up their bikes up to one hour after games end. Parking in the area remains scarce, but that does not seem to bother fans who want to come to this baseball mecca, which has drawn more than 3 million fans every year from 2004 until 2011 averaging to a near-sellout every day of the season, even with many weekday afternoon games.
The Red Wings won 6–4. ===Concerts=== Since 2005, Wrigley Field has been opened on a limited basis to popular concerts, not without some controversy.
The 50 seasons the Bears spent at Wrigley Field had been an NFL record until 2006 when Lambeau Field duplicated this feat by hosting the Green Bay Packers for the 50th season, and broke it in 2007. Initially the Bears worked with the stands that were there.
Bud Light became the sponsor of the rebuilt bleachers in 2006. In the early 2000s, following the trend of many ballparks, a green-screen chroma key board was installed behind home plate, in the line of sight of the center field TV camera, to allow electronic "rotating" advertisements visible only to the TV audiences.
By 2006, the board was set up to allow advertisements to be both physical and electronic (thus they can be seen in both live and replay shots). In 2007, the first on-field advertising appeared since the park's early days.
The 2006 film The Break-Up used Wrigley Field as the setting for its opening scene.
The 50 seasons the Bears spent at Wrigley Field had been an NFL record until 2006 when Lambeau Field duplicated this feat by hosting the Green Bay Packers for the 50th season, and broke it in 2007. Initially the Bears worked with the stands that were there.
One remnant of the Bears' time at Wrigley was uncovered during the off-season 2007–2008 rebuilding of the playing field: the foundations for the goal posts.
By 2006, the board was set up to allow advertisements to be both physical and electronic (thus they can be seen in both live and replay shots). In 2007, the first on-field advertising appeared since the park's early days.
In 2007, the band Nine Inch Nails created a promotional audio skit, which involved Wrigley Field being the target of disgruntled war veteran's terrorist attack. The late-1970s comedy stage play Bleacher Bums was set in the right field bleachers at Wrigley.
Hamid had been under reporting attendance at the Sky Box on Sheffield from 2008 to 2011.
Smithe furniture and now State Farm insurance. For 2008 and 2009, the Cubs worked out an agreement with the Chicago Board Options Exchange to allow the CBOE to auction some 70 box seat season tickets and award naming rights to them. For the 2009 season, the Cubs announced that the renovated restaurant space in the southeast corner of Wrigley Field, formerly known as the Friendly Confines Cafe, would be renamed the Captain Morgan Club. On October 27, 2009, Thomas S.
On April 24, 2008, the Cubs flew an extra white flag displaying "10,000" in blue, along with the win flag, as the 10,000th win in team history was achieved on the road the previous night.
In 1927, an upper deck was added, and in 1937, Bill Veeck, the son of the club president, planted ivy vines against the outfield walls after seeing the ivy planted at Perry Stadium, Indianapolis. ===Renovation=== The Ricketts family aggressively pursued a Wrigley Field renovation since buying the team and the stadium in 2009.
The Fighting Illini won the game 48-27 taking home the Land of Lincoln Trophy, which was introduced in 2009. Northwestern football intends to return to Wrigley Field in 2022 and 2024.
Roma played Poland's Zaglebie Lubin in a friendly match. ===Hockey=== On January 1, 2009, the National Hockey League played its 2009 Winter Classic in The Friendly Confines pitting two "Original Six" teams – the host Chicago Blackhawks and the visiting Detroit Red Wings – in an outdoor ice hockey game.
The Tribune Company, owners of the park from 1981 to 2009, chose not to rename the ballpark, utilizing other ways to bring corporate sponsorship into the ballpark.
Smithe furniture and now State Farm insurance. For 2008 and 2009, the Cubs worked out an agreement with the Chicago Board Options Exchange to allow the CBOE to auction some 70 box seat season tickets and award naming rights to them. For the 2009 season, the Cubs announced that the renovated restaurant space in the southeast corner of Wrigley Field, formerly known as the Friendly Confines Cafe, would be renamed the Captain Morgan Club. On October 27, 2009, Thomas S.
In recent years it has borne a bright-red Budweiser sign and, beginning in 2009, an advertisement for Horseshoe Casino.
The scoreboard was extensively rehabilitated for the 2010 season. In 2010, the Cubs considered adding a video screen to the stadium, but the hand-turned scoreboard cannot be moved due to the park's landmark status.
The marquee was painted purple and featured an Allstate Insurance logo for the Northwestern Wildcats who played as the home team against the Illinois Fighting Illini in a Big Ten football game in November 2010. In 2015, a Toyota emblem was placed on the lower panel just below the LED sign on the marquee; previously, the area was used for logos of transient corporate sponsors and team initiatives.
Born on the South Side of Chicago, the Cardinals also played their home games at Normal Park, Comiskey Park, and Soldier Field. The Northwestern Wildcats and the Illinois Fighting Illini played a college football game at Wrigley Field on November 20, 2010.
It is also seen on the History Channel's show Life After People. The stadium made a brief appearance in the open for the first episode of The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien, with Conan rushing through the turnstiles while running from New York (where his previous show, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, was taped) to Los Angeles (where his new show was taped, until his role as host ended on January 22, 2010) and then running onto the field while being chased by Cubs security.
Hamid had been under reporting attendance at the Sky Box on Sheffield from 2008 to 2011.
Cyclists may check their bikes up to 2 hours before games at the bike racks off of Waveland Ave, and may pick up their bikes up to one hour after games end. Parking in the area remains scarce, but that does not seem to bother fans who want to come to this baseball mecca, which has drawn more than 3 million fans every year from 2004 until 2011 averaging to a near-sellout every day of the season, even with many weekday afternoon games.
Soccer returned to Wrigley Field in July 2012, when Italian club A.S.
During the annual Cubs Convention in January 2013 the family revealed the 1060 Project, which called for a $575-million, privately funded rehabilitation of the stadium that was to be completed over the course of five years.
In May 2014 the Cubs announced they would pursue the original 2013 plan to modify the park.
The Hotel Zachary, just across Clark Street, was open for business in time for the Cubs first home game on April 9, 2018. ====National Historic Landmark==== Near the start of the renovations, the Ricketts applied for National Historic Landmark status for Wrigley Field in 2013.
On April 7, 2013, Total Pro Sports voted Wrigley Field the "Best Place to Catch a Game in 2013," owing the award primarily to its architecture and ivy-coated fields. In 1937, the stadium was renovated and P.
In January 2017, Hamid was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison. The owners threatened suit in 2013 when the team announced plans to renovate the ball field and potentially disrupt the sight lines.
When the rooftop owners did not agree to a scaled down plan for renovations of Wrigley, the Cubs owners announced, in May 2014, their intentions to implement the original 2013 plan for renovations even if it meant battling the issue in court.
Most Cubs players support the concept of a video board, and work on two additional scoreboards began at the end of the 2014 season. It was announced March 21, 2013, that Alderman Tom Tunney wanted to demolish the scoreboard to clear the view for nearby residents, who watch games from their rooftops.
Other buildings have carried signs sponsoring beers, such as Old Style (when it was a Cubs broadcasting sponsor) and Miller; and also WGN-TV, which has telecast Cubs games since April 1948. ====Legacy Partners==== In January 2013 the Ricketts family launched "Legacy Partners," a marketing effort to sell new kinds of advertising in and around renovated Wrigley Field.
In May 2014 the Cubs announced they would pursue the original 2013 plan to modify the park.
Over the course of the next three years, the Ricketts family began to purchase many of the rooftop locations. ====Ongoing renovation==== The "1060 Project – Phase One" started Monday, September 29, 2014.
The ball was removed in 2016. ===100th Anniversary=== During the 2014 season, the Cubs celebrated the centennial of Wrigley Field throughout the season.
When the rooftop owners did not agree to a scaled down plan for renovations of Wrigley, the Cubs owners announced, in May 2014, their intentions to implement the original 2013 plan for renovations even if it meant battling the issue in court.
Most Cubs players support the concept of a video board, and work on two additional scoreboards began at the end of the 2014 season. It was announced March 21, 2013, that Alderman Tom Tunney wanted to demolish the scoreboard to clear the view for nearby residents, who watch games from their rooftops.
A video scoreboard was also added in the right field bleachers, and the parking lots along Clark Street were excavated for underground players' locker rooms and lounges. After the close of the extended 2015 season, work began on "Phase Two" of the project.
After winning the World Series in 2016, the sign was updated to AC0000000. ===Seating capacity=== ====Attendance records==== 41,688 – July 12, 2015 high mark after bleacher renovation 42,411 – Games 3 & 4 of the 2015 NLDS 42,445 - Game 3 of the 2017 NLDS ===Unusual wind patterns=== In April and May, the wind often comes off Lake Michigan (less than a mile to the east), which means a northeast wind "blowing in" to knock down potential home runs and turn them into outs.
The last two by a Cubs pitcher occurred near the beginning and the end of the 1972 season, by Burt Hooton and Milt Pappas respectively; not until Cole Hamels of the Philadelphia Phillies no-hit the Cubs in 2015 would another no-hitter be pitched at Wrigley.
The marquee was painted purple and featured an Allstate Insurance logo for the Northwestern Wildcats who played as the home team against the Illinois Fighting Illini in a Big Ten football game in November 2010. In 2015, a Toyota emblem was placed on the lower panel just below the LED sign on the marquee; previously, the area was used for logos of transient corporate sponsors and team initiatives.
Also, following the 2015 addition of the park's Daktronics video screens, the large "W" in the "Wintrust" logo on the left field video screen is kept on following Cubs' wins. ===Take Me Out to the Ball Game=== The tradition of singing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" at Cubs home games began when Hall of Fame announcer Harry Caray arrived in 1982 (he had sung it the preceding seven years as a broadcaster for the White Sox), and it has remained a Wrigley Field staple.
The ball was removed in 2016. ===100th Anniversary=== During the 2014 season, the Cubs celebrated the centennial of Wrigley Field throughout the season.
The rooftop seats are now effectively part of the ballpark's seating area, although they are not included in the seating capacity figure. In July 2016, R.
Cubs owner Ricketts said Wrigley has "the worst player facilities in Major League Baseball...I am saying it is the time to invest in Wrigley Field and do the things that our competitors do." By the end of the 2016 season, the Ricketts family had acquired 10 of the rooftop locations and have a financial stake in an 11th. Some of the rooftops became legendary in their own right.
Prior to the team's 2016 championship, it read AC0871108, with the first two digits indicating the number of years since the Cubs' last division championship as of the end of the previous season (2008), the next two digits indicating the number of years since the Cubs won the National League Pennant (1945), and the last three digits indicating the number of years since their last World Series win ().
After winning the World Series in 2016, the sign was updated to AC0000000. ===Seating capacity=== ====Attendance records==== 41,688 – July 12, 2015 high mark after bleacher renovation 42,411 – Games 3 & 4 of the 2015 NLDS 42,445 - Game 3 of the 2017 NLDS ===Unusual wind patterns=== In April and May, the wind often comes off Lake Michigan (less than a mile to the east), which means a northeast wind "blowing in" to knock down potential home runs and turn them into outs.
Toyota is one of the team's "Legacy Partners" and beginning with the 2016 season will display other signage in and around the park, including branding on all Wrigley Field parking lots. The marquee was temporarily removed and restored for the 2016 season, including new paint, a new LED display board, and new neon lights.
Alongside the tradition of the "W" and "L" flags, the song "Go, Cubs, Go" is sung after each home win (it was also sung by visiting Cubs fans in Game 7 of the 2016 World Series at Progressive Field in Cleveland, where the Cubs clinched their first championship since 1908).
The team respects tradition." === Writing on the Wall === During the 2016 postseason, someone wrote a message in chalk on the outer brick wall of the stadium along Waveland and Sheffield avenues.
This was not available during the last World Series prior to 2016, in 1945 against the Detroit Tigers, so cars parked as much as a mile away on residential streets and fans walked to Wrigley Field. ==Commemorative stamps== In 2001, a series of commemorative postage stamps on the subject of baseball parks was issued by the U.S.
These details include ornamental muted-green grill-work and red terra cotta roofing. Phase Three of the 1060 Project was completed before the start of the 2017 season.
Construction of Hotel Zachary along the west side of Clark Street was ongoing. The fourth phase of improvements began at the conclusion of the 2017 season.
In January 2017, Hamid was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison. The owners threatened suit in 2013 when the team announced plans to renovate the ball field and potentially disrupt the sight lines.
After winning the World Series in 2016, the sign was updated to AC0000000. ===Seating capacity=== ====Attendance records==== 41,688 – July 12, 2015 high mark after bleacher renovation 42,411 – Games 3 & 4 of the 2015 NLDS 42,445 - Game 3 of the 2017 NLDS ===Unusual wind patterns=== In April and May, the wind often comes off Lake Michigan (less than a mile to the east), which means a northeast wind "blowing in" to knock down potential home runs and turn them into outs.
As a result of the 2017-18 redesign of the home (third base) dugout and its adjacent seating into removable modules, the playing field will accommodate a regulation size 120-yard football field that will run east-west.
The Hotel Zachary, just across Clark Street, was open for business in time for the Cubs first home game on April 9, 2018. ====National Historic Landmark==== Near the start of the renovations, the Ricketts applied for National Historic Landmark status for Wrigley Field in 2013.
The final upper level club is planned for the 2019 season.
As of July 2019, organist Gary Pressy, holds the record for 2,653 consecutive games played; never having missed a day's work in 33 years.
The park was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2020. Wrigley Field is known for its ivy-covered brick outfield wall, the unusual wind patterns off Lake Michigan, the iconic red marquee over the main entrance, the hand-turned scoreboard, its location in a primarily residential neighborhood with no parking lots and views from the rooftops behind the outfield, and for being the last Major League park to have lights installed for night games, in 1988.
National landmark status was awarded in 2020, with the U.S.
A Northwestern football game had also been scheduled for Wrigley Field in 2020, but was relocated to Northwestern's Ryan Field due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
As a makeup, Northwestern relocated their 2021 home game against Purdue to Wrigley Field.
That game will take place in November 2021. ===Soccer=== The Chicago Sting of the North American Soccer League (NASL) used Wrigley, along with Comiskey Park, for their home matches during the late 1970s and early 1980s.
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