I was a teenage Bleacher Bum; an insider's view of Wrigley
Written: Jun 06 '00 (Updated Jul 03 '00)
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Pros: Fans Close to Field; Manual Scoreboard; The Ivy; The Place IS Baseball
Cons: The Lights
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| Horswispr's Full Review: Wrigley Field |
I lived on the South Side but, being a National League fan, frequented Wrigley, not Comiskey. I was a Giants fan, but after a few games at Wrigley, grew to love the Cubs as well. Being a Giants fan is a lot like being a Cubs fan. Steve Goodman, the famous Chicago musician who wrote "City of New Orleans," also wrote a song called "A Dying Cubs Fan's Last Request." And then he died, never having seen the Cubs win a Series.
I loved the left field bleachers because it was a constant party out there, and because you could shag batting practice homeruns pretty easily. In the left field corner of the bleachers, right next to the family section, the bleachers are only about ten rows deep, so if you bring a glove and show up two hours early, there's a real good chance you'll leave with a ball.
The locals had a system. They'd have two or three guys up at the fence, through which you could look out onto the street, and they'd direct the guys on the street when a long shot went over the tall screen behind the left field bleachers. I saw several guys on the street catch balls on the fly as they sailed over the fence. They had a field day when Dave Kingman played for the Cubs. I assume that their sons and daughters are there now, and that Sosa provides similar thrills for the current generation of locals.
We got so jaded that sometimes, after we'd caught a ball or two, we'd turn our backs to the field and play Hearts. We'd give our gloves out to new potential Bums, and play till the game began. One time, a girl caught a BP homerun (with my glove) right behind my left ear as I was playing. She said, "thanks!", I said "thanks" and that was it. I went to 14 straight Cubs home games that summer.
We had a code of ethics. If there were no young kids around, the Bums used to shout at the opposing left fielder, "Fee Fi Fo Fum, ------- is a f-ckin' bum." But if there were kids around, they'd adjust the taunt to make it age-appropriate. When the Cubs were safely behind in the later innings, the left field Bums would start a chant toward the right field Bums: "Right Field Sucks! Right Field Sucks!" Later, the right field bums would retaliate: "Left Field Sucks! Left Field Sucks!" Between innings, the outfielders would get into it and see who they could get to chant louder, raising their hands in the air or cupping their hands over their ears as if they couldn't hear us.
Bruce Sutter was doing a promo for Pepsi in the left field bleachers one sunny summer afternoon. We were supposed to gather around him and cheer, I think. After the taping, I asked him to autograph one of the balls I'd caught in BP. But I didn't have a pen. Sutter asked around until he found a pen and autographed my baseball. High fives and laughter all around. Bruce Sutter: class act.
That was the left field bleachers at Wrigley Field before the lights went in.
Then, suddenly, the Cubs fielded some good teams, WGN started to be broadcast nationally, and Wrigley Field became fashionable.
But it's still the best ballpark in the Country, at least of the 20 or so I've been to.
Unless you're behind a pole, there's not a bad seat in the house. The box seats are very close to the field. The bullpens are right next to the stands down the right and left field lines. The bleachers are so close to the field, there's a basket over the ivy to prevent fans from reaching out and taking a deep drive away from an outfielder. The bricks and ivy give the place character, as does the old manual scoreboard. There is no Jumbotron. There are no "Dot Races" or other such abominations. You eat hot dogs, not sushi, and you drink beer or Coke. The tradition of throwing an opposing team's homerun back on the field started at Wrigley.
Wrigley is a ballpark for people who love tradition and for people who love baseball. I'm glad that the newer ballparks are trying to emulate the older ones, but Wrigley is the Real Thing. There is no better place to watch a major league baseball game.
Recommended:
Yes
Parking Availability: Better Get There Early
Seat Location: Outfield/Endzone
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