Game 4: Phillies 7, Cubs 4
WP: Dave Coggin (2-2), SV: Jose Mesa (26)
LP: Matt Clement (8-7)
Home Runs: Bobby Abreu (Phi, 10), Fred McGriff (Chi, 21), Scott Rolen (Phi, 16)
Tribune Story (free registration needed)
The list of hallowed sports sites in the professional leagues is dwindling. Boston Garden, Maple Leaf Gardens and the Forums (LA and Montreal) are gone. Tiger Stadium's gone. Yankee Stadium was renovated 25 years ago; Soldier Field is being redone this year. That leaves the following precious few: MSG for winter sports, Lambeau and (arguably) Texas Stadium in football. And in baseball, Fenway, Dodger Stadium, and maybe a couple others.
And Wrigley Field.
Everything about Wrigley, built in 1914, says class and tradition. The eyecatching ivy along the outfield wall. The towering manual scoreboard. The lights, not installed until '88 and still kept uneeded for more than half the Cubs' home games. The booth where Harry Caray sang "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" 81 times a year and screamed "Cubs win! Cubs win!" 30 or 40 times a year. Wrigley is where Babe Ruth called his shot in '32, where Gabby Hartnett hit the "homer in the gloamin'", where Jim Thorpe (!) singled in the only run in the 10th inning of a dual no-hitter. Where Ferris Bueller coined the memorable "hey batter hey batter hey batter...SWING batter!" (OK, I think it was really Cameron). You'd think Cubs fans deserve a better team after all this history.
I was happy to see the Odyssey come to Wrigley when the Phils are in town. It seems every year, the Cubs play a game when the wind is blowing just right and runs are scored in amazing bunches -- and it always seems to involve the Phillies. That's a personal opinion, but Philly and Chicago did have the highest-scoring game in MLB history (5/17/79 - Phillies 23, Cubs 22). 11 home runs were hit that day; 5 by Phillies had to be thrown back from the bleachers, another Wrigley tradition.
Not a lot of time to see Chicago today, since another afternoon game (in Cincinnati) beckons tomorrow. So we skip the Wrigleyville pubs after the game, time to head south to Lafayette, Indiana (home of Purdue University and Gene Keady's amazing hairline).
Day 10: Normal to Lafayette, via Chicago
Mileage Today: 266.5
Wichita Weather: 74°, sunny
States: Illinois, Indiana
Route Traveled: I-55, I-90 north to North Ave., east to Halsted St., north to Clark, north to Wrigley Field. Retrace to I-90 south to Gary, I-65 south to Lafayette.
Cubs/Wrigley Field Facts
First (Cubs) Game: 4/20/16 vs. Cincinnati
Capacity: 38,902
Retired Numbers: 14 (Ernie Banks), 26 (Billy Willams)
Cubs Fan Sites: Cub Rants, The Cub Reporter, Miserable Cub Fans Forum, Bleacher Hideaway
I just felt the need of pointing out to any sticklers out there like myself that Maple Leaf Gardens and Tiger Stadium aren't actually 'gone.' They are gone in that sense that major league sports don't play there, which I assume is what was meant, but in the physical sense they still stand. Unless I missed something somewhere along the line. Last I heard the plan was to turn Maple Leaf Gardens into a museum, and Tiger Stadium was repainted and tinkered with to look like Yankee Stadium for the movie "61."
Texas? What about Notre Dame or Ohio State or all those other crazy mid-eastern schools?
Is MSG all that hallowed? I thought they tore it down and rebuilt a new one in the late 60s.
And I might mention something about the historical value of Mellon (Civic) Arena here in Pittsburgh, but unlike some morons in this area, I want the thing torn down.
I meant Texas Stadium where the Cowboys play...there are surely plenty of college stadiums/arenas that are old and legendary enough to qualify, but I didn't really think about them too much. I also didn't know about Tiger Stadium or Maple Leaf Gardens, thanks.
As for MSG...it's the only one I could think of that even came close.
Posted by: Michael on July 24, 2002 10:45 PMAhhh, I see.
Stupid Gabby Hartnett.
not bad
Posted by: xxx story on July 2, 2004 11:32 AM