Wrigley Field

The original Wrigley Field was located in Los Angeles, California. While Chicago's Wrigley was the first built, the first stadium actually named Wrigley Field was located in Los Angeles, California. Home to the Los Angeles Angels of the Pacific Coast League from 1925 to 1957, it was offically named one year before Chicago's famed brick-and-ivy stadium. It was a major league stadium for only one year - 1961. It Happens Every Spring was filmed at Wrigley Field, as was the show Home Run Derby. It was demolished in 1966.

Chicago's Wrigley Field is by far the most famous. The second oldest stadium still in use by the major leagues (Fenway Park is the oldest), it was built for Charlie Weeghman's Chicago Federals, and opened on April 23, 1914. When the Federal League folded, William Wrigley, Jr. bought the stadium and named it Cubs Park. In 1926 the park was renamed Wrigley Field in his honor. Outfield bleachers that jut out onto the field were constructed in 1937, making for strange outfield dimensions. Taking advantage of Wrigley's open architecture, apartment complexes across the street on Waveland Avenue have rows of seats on their roofs for watching Cubs games.

Wrigley Field is known for its signature ivy outfield wall, and its huge, manually operated scoreboard, which has never been hit by a batted ball. Wrigley Field is home to the first permanent concession stand in baseball and the first singing of The Star-Spangled Banner before a sporting event. The tradition of allowing fans to keep foul balls (as well as throwing back those of opposing players) began here. Wrigley Field was also the last park to install lights for night games.

William Wrigley had intended for lights to be installed in 1941, but he donated them to a shipyard after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in order to help with the war effort. Wrigley remained a day-only stadium until the late 80's, when Cubs management threatened to leave the stadium if lights weren't installed, and the league threatened to force the Cubs to play their playoffs games at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. And so, the first night game in Wrigley Field history was played on August 8, 1988 against the Philadelphia Phillies, and - perhaps in true Chicago Cubs fashion - was rained out after 3 1/2 innings.

Famed broadcaster Harry Carey brought the park into a new era with his famed countdown, "3... 2... 1... Let there be light!" Carey also led the crowd in singing "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" during the seventh inning stretch of every game of his broadcasting career until his death in 1998.

Famous events in Wrigley history include Pete Rose's 4,191st hit, Ernie Banks' 500th home run, and Babe Ruth's "called shot" off Charlie Root in the 1932 World Series.

Original Park Dimensions:

     Left Field: 345
     Left Center Field: 364
     Center Field: 440
     Right Center Field: 363
     Right Field: 356

Current Park Dimensions:

     Left Field: 355
     Left Center Field: 368
     Center Field: 400
     Right Center Field: 363
     Right Field: 353

It always seems like it's 20 degrees colder inside Wrigley Field than in the rest of Chicago, especially on Opening Day; ticket prices have gotten almost ridiculously expensive in the last few years; and the retrofit to add luxury suites mean the people in the back half of the lower deck can't see the scoreboard or towering popups and have to look at hanging TV monitors instead.

However, it's very convenient to public transportation, there's a 7-Eleven across the street and plenty of peanut vendors outside so that you don't have to pay concession stand prices, and there's always a great feeling of camaraderie in the stands, especially after Sammy Sosa hits a home run.

Besides, if you get bored with the game, you can look out to right field and watch the 'L' trains making the Addison Street stop, or mull over the meaning of the sign attached to one of the apartment buildings that has no other message beyond "TORCO."

It's an advertisement for a car dealer in the western suburbs.