The first thing I thought about when we decided to take the train to Chicago was going to Wrigley Field and seeing a Cubs game. I think I have gone to Chicago three different times for conferences, and all three times I wanted to get to Wrigley Field and yet I never did. This time would be different. I booked these tickets as soon as I could once they went on sale in March because I knew the Cubs would be in the playoff mix. I also booked a tour of Wrigley Field for the morning of the game. What a treat that turned out to be!
We could have walked to the field, but elected to take transit because we knew we would be doing quite a bit of walking once we got there. We took the bus to the red line and then rode a couple of stops to the north side of Chicago (Wrigleyville neighborhood). There is a stop right at the field!
It was a cloudy and quite breezy day, but there was no rain, so we were lucky there. It was a bit chilly, so I was glad I had my jacket, but wished I had worn a sweater as well. I'm not sure what was going on down on the field during our morning tour.
These display cases house memorabilia of Cubs history. It was fun to pause and see things like gold gloves (I never knew they really got an actual trophy with a gold glove on it) and silver bats.
The stadium is very much like Fenway and even Camden Yards which was modeled in the style of those two grand old ball parks. Like Fenway, Wrigley has been updated and remodeled as much as it can be, and is in a neighborhood. It really has a family feel to it.
The owner of the Cubs is a sailor, and you see a lot of flags at Wrigley. This structure shows the standings of each of the divisions. Each team has a flag and they move them around depending upon what the standings are.
All around the area are commercial buildings that have constructed rooftop stadiums. You can buy a ticket (which can cost up to $200 during the regular season) and watch the game. It's really fun to hear the cheers from the rooftops during the game.
When the Cubs win, they fly this "W" flag from the flagpole so that everyone in the neighborhood knows that the cubs have won.
In the stands, hundreds of people have their own copies of the flag, and wave them proudly, some wrap them around themselves and where the "W" all the way home.
It was a great day at Wrigley Field. Both JJ and I have wanted to see a game there for many years, so it's awesome that we were able to see the game. The Cubs did not know it at the time, but by the end of the evening they had clinched their division and home field advantage. As for us, we moseyed back to our Chicago abode, enjoyed a home cooked meal, and listened to the Yankee game that we streamed over Tune-It-In radio.
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