Former Chicago ballparks - Wrigley Field Expansion Project
Chicago, Illinois
Formerly Weeghman Park and Cubs Park
Groundbreaking: March 4, 1914
First Federal League game: April 23, 1914 (Federals 9, K.C. 1)
First National League game: April 20, 1916 (Cubs 7, Cin 6)
First official night game: August 9, 1988 (Cubs 6, N.Y. 4)
Last NFL game: December 13, 1970 (Bears 35, GB 17)
Surface: Natural grass
Architect: Zachary Taylor Davis (1914)
Owner: Charlie Weeghman (1914-1916); Chicago Cubs (since 1916)
Cost: $250,000 (1914)
Seating capacity:
14,000 (1914); 18,000 (1915); 20,000 (1923); 38,396 (1927); 36,755 (1951); 37,702 (1972); 38,040 (1986); 38,902 (1998)
Dimensions:
LF foul line: 327' (1914); 348' (1925); 364' (1928); 355' (1938)
Power Alleys: 364' (1914); 368' (1938)
Center Field: 440' (1914); 447' (1923); 436' (1928); 400' (1938)
RF foul line: 345' (1914); 298' (1921); 321' (1928); 353' (1938)
Height of wall (current):
Bleachers - 11.5 feet
In corners - 15.0 feet
Hosted World Series: 1929, 1932, 1935, 1938, 1945
Hosted All-Star Game: 1947, 1962, 1990
In 1914, Charles Weeghman, owner of the Chicago Franchise of the upstart Federal League, built his ballclub a new 14,000 seat park on the corner of Clark and Addison streets. The land was originally the home to the Chicago Lutheran Theological Seminary. Built from the ground up in only 2 months at a cost of $250,000, Weeghman Park opened on April 23, 1914, as the Chicago Whales thumped the Kansas City Packers before a capacity crowd. The ballpark was designed by Zachary Taylor Davis, who was the same architect of Comiskey Park, the South Side home of the Chicago White Sox. In compliance with the fire codes of Chicago, Weeghman Park was fireproof, being built of steel and concrete.
After the Federal League folded after the 1915 season, Charles Weeghman was given the opportunity to buy the National League's Chicago Cubs. Weeghman purchased the Cubs and moved the team to Weeghman Park, which was renamed Cubs Park in 1920 when the Wrigley family purchased the team outright. In 1926, renovation work was started on Cubs Park in the way of a second deck, and was also re-named Wrigley Field. Incidentaly, Los Angeles' Wrigley Field, home of the Wrigley-owned Los Angeles Angels of the P.C.L., was so-named a year earlier, in 1925, becoming in fact, the first "Wrigley Field".
1937 saw the construction of the current bleachers and expansion of the main scoreboard, which replaced the smaller bleacher sections and smaller scoreboard in center field. Also in '37, the original vines were purchased and planted on the new outfield walls by young Cubs exec. Bill Veeck.
In 1941, night baseball was ready to come to the north side. Lights and cables were already purchased and towers were all set to be erected. However after the Pearl Harbor attack, The Cubs donated all of the equipment to the U.S. government for the war effort, to use the material in the rapidly booming shipyards. Years went by without lights, long after they had become standard in every other park. This became part of Wrigley's charm, but also its liability. By the mid 1980's, the Cubs were told be the league that if they ever won the pennant, they would be forced to play their home games at Comiskey Park. Tradition eventually gave way to illumination, and on 8-8-88, the lights were turned on for the first time.
The Cubs and Chicago have no immediate plans to replace Wrigley Field. If they're smart - they never will - What could you possibly replace it with? The oldest park in the National League by a 48 year margin, Wrigley field just keeps on going, and at the ripe old age of 90, she still looks, feels and smells... fresh... baseball fresh.
The taunts from the bench and the stands became feverish. What happened next is muddled in legend - Ruth definitely pointed but whether he was pointing at Root, the center-field bleachers, or the Cubs bench is anyone's guess. Whatever the gesture, it certainly silenced the fans as he delivered the next pitch over the centerfield wall for the go-ahead score. Even Lou Gehrig (who was on-deck at the time) maintained that Ruth had definitely "called his shot" although Root was quoted as saying, "If he had, I would have knocked him down with the next pitch." Ruth never expounded much upon the matter and was content with another contribution to baseball folklore. By the way, it was Ruth's last of his record 15 World Series home runs, and the longest home run ever hit to that date at Wrigley Field.
The good: Wrigley Field is iconic. It's big league baseball of another era. No canned music-only Gary Pressy on the Lowery organ , the ivy, no Jumbotron blaring a movie trailer, no names on the jerseys, lots of day games and a ton of history. It's all good - every last bit of it.
The bad: No World Series played here since the end of World War II.
The ugly: Wrigley's 1938 bleachers have been renovated and expanded to include nearly 2,000 new seats incliding a restaurant replacing the centerfield Batter's Eye greenery. Although the height of the centerfield section wont be changed, the LF and RF sections will be raised - blocking the views of the neighborhood apartments. It's the first major alteration of the historic bleachers since Lou Gehrig played here in the 1938 World Series.
Below - Construction work progressing on the new expanded bleachers - November/December, 2005.
Chicago Cubs
1060 West Addison
Chicago, IL 60613-4397
773-404-CUBS
Club Box (IF) $54
Club Box (OF) $43
Field Box (IF) $43
Field Box (OF) $41
Terrace Box (IF) $38
Terrace Box (OF) $34
Terrace Reserved (IF) $22
Terrace Reserved (OF) $20
Upper Deck Box (IF) $38
Upper Deck Box (OF) $34
Upper Deck Reserved $14
Bleachers $30
Notes: Prices reflect Regular dates. Prime and Value date prices vary.
Seating Chart
Purchase Cubs Tickets
TV: WGN, FSNC
In-park dining choices: Standard ballpark fare. Concession items include: chicken sandwiches, calzones, pizza and mai-tais kosher dogs and Italian beef sandwiches.
Chicago Local Dining - Best Bets
Directions & Parking
Ballpark Tour & Vacation Packages
Gabby Hartnett's famous "Homer in the Gloamin'" September 28, 1938, vs. Pittsburgh's Mace Brown.
May 2, 1917, the great pitching duel between Jim "Hippo" Vaughn and the Reds' Fred Toney ... both Vaughn and Toney threw no-hitters for 9 innings before Cincinnati's Jim Thorpe (of Olympic fame) drove in the only run in the 10th inning ... Toney finished with a no-hitter.
Ernie Banks' 500th career home run May 12, 1970, vs. Atlanta's Pat Jarvis.
Pete Rose's 4,191st career hit, which tied him with Ty Cobb for the most hits in baseball history ... Rose singled off Reggie Patterson September 8, 1985.
No batted ball has ever hit the centerfield scoreboard ... two baseballs barely missed - a homer hit onto Sheffield Avenue (right-center) by Bill Nicholson in 1948, and one hit by Roberto Clemente onto Waveland Avenue (left-center) in 1959.
One of the traditions of Wrigley Field is the flying of a flag bearing a "W" or an "L" atop the scoreboard after a game ... a white flag with a blue "W" indicates a victory; a blue flag with a white "L" denotes a loss.
The basket attached to the wall was constructed in 1970.
Ernie Banks' No. 14 and Ron Santo's No. 10 are imprinted on flags which fly from the leftfield foul pole ... Billy Williams' No. 26 flies from the rightfield foul pole.
The first night game took place August 8 against Philadelphia, but was rained out after 3 1/2 innings.
the first official night game occurred August 9 vs. New York, when the Cubs defeated the Mets 6-4.
New office space was created and old offices refurbished in the administrative area behind home plate in 1981-1982, while the ticket office was built directly behind home plate in 1983.
In 1989, private boxes were constructed on the mezzanine level, formerly occupied by the press box and broadcasting booths ... a press box and broadcasting booths were constructed in the upper deck directly behind home plate ... other improvements included a food court in the upper deck.
Following renovations in 1994 and 1995, there are now 63 private boxes.
3,000th hit by Stan Musial on May 13, 1958.
Kerry Wood's 20 strikeouts on May 6, 1998.
Did you know that Wrigley Field is the ONLY ballpark still in existence where a Federal League team played their games? From April 23, 1914 until October 3, 1915 Weegham Park (as Wrigley Field was once known) was the home of the Chicago Whales.
Almost as soon as the ballpark was finished in 1914, Herman and Margarita Croon of 3699 N. Sheffield Street (behind the right-field wall) threatened to bring a law suit, claiming that the Whales had violated a city ordinance by failing to get the consent of the property owners adjacent to the ballpark.
Charles Weeghman brought many innovations into baseball. He was the first owner to allow spectators to keep balls hit into the stands. Prior to Weeghman's generosity, fans were expected to return the balls to an usher or they could be thrown out of the ballpark and possibly arrested. Then as now, vendors hawked their wares by walking amongst the fans throughout the ballpark. Many fans complained at the boisterous bellowing and the constant obstruction of their view of the action on the field by the vendors. The Whales owner, listened to his fans and constructed concessionaire stands behind the stands.
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Click Titles for more information
Wrigley Field: The Unauthorized Biography New release!
by Stuart Shea
Wrigley Field : A Celebration of the Friendly Confines
by Mark Jacob
Bleachers: A Summer in Wrigley Field
by Lonnie Wheeler
Wrigley Field's Last World Series: The Wartime Chicago Cubs And The Pennant Of 1945 New release!
by Charles N. Billington
Bury my heart at Wrigley Field: The history of the Chicago Cubs
by Larry D Names
Forever Loyal - A Salute to the Cubs Fans and Their Field
Special DVD Presentation
Fodor's Baseball Vacations: Great Family Trips to Minor League and Classic Major League Ballparks Across America
by Bruce Adams
America's Ballparks
by Kenneth Hogan
Ballparks of North America: A Comprehensive Historical Reference to Baseball Grounds, Yards and Stadiums, 1845 to Present
by Michael Benson
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