How To Get A Job At Wrigley Field – Nicknamed the Friendly Limits, Wrigley Field is baseball’s second-oldest ballpark, where fans come to see ivy-covered outfield walls, a classic hand-operated scoreboard, a marquee outside the homeplate entrance, and kids playing balls! Stepping into Wrigley Field today is almost like stepping back in time. Fans flock to Wrigley Field whether the Cubs win or lose, and the ballpark has been home to many historic moments since Babe Ruth’s call shot in 1932 and the home of the 2016 World Series champions.
History of Wrigley Field Before the start of World War I Charles Wiegman purchased the Chicago Whales of the Federal League. Weigman moved his team to Addison and Clark Streets on Chicago’s largely undeveloped North Side, now fully developed with businesses, residences and local Chicago hotels. Zachary Taylor Davis was hired to develop plans for the ballpark, which was initially called North Side Park, until Weigman gave it his name. Construction on the 14,000-seat ballpark began on March 14, 1914. The ballpark has only one deck grandstand in a V-shape, with wooden bleachers in the outfield. The $250,000 ballpark was completed by April 23, 1914 when the Whalers played their first game at the ballpark. The original measurements at Weigman Field were 310 feet (left), 440 (center) and 356 (right). It was the first ballpark to have permanent concession stands. Wiegman Field was home to the Chicago Whale for two years before the Federal League went bankrupt.
How To Get A Job At Wrigley Field
The Cubs played at the 14,000-seat West Side Grounds, located on the west side of Chicago. They had played here since 1893 and by 1915 were struggling to attract fans. Wiegman bought the Cubs after the 1915 season and moved them to his ballpark on the north side for the 1916 season. The first Cubs game at Weigman Field was on April 20, 1916. In 1920, Weigman Field was renamed Cubs Park and Weigman sold the club to William Wrigley Jr. Beginning in 1922 and then in 1923, Cubs Park underwent several renovations. The grandstands were moved back 60 feet and wooden bleachers were added, increasing the capacity to 20,000. Major renovations began in 1926 when Cubs Park was renamed Wrigley Field. The grandstand was double-decked, the playing field was lowered, and the bleachers in left field were removed. Capacity increased to 38,396. Additional renovations were completed at Wrigley Field in 1937. Bleachers were added in the outfield, and the famous 27 by 75-foot hand-operated scoreboard was placed behind the bleachers in centerfield. A very unique feature is the planting of ivy at the base of the outfield wall. Before World War II, the grandstand in left field was enclosed so all seats faced home plate instead of centerfield. The lights for Wrigley Field were originally installed for the 1942 season. However, due to the involvement of the United States in World War II and the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Phil Wrigley donated the lights to the government.
Wrigley Field Modifications Underway As Cubs Prepare To Host Fans On Opening Day
Wrigley Field changed little from the 1940s to the 1980s. In 1981, the Tribune Company purchased Children’s. The company began talking about installing lights after the 1981 season. However, a group of fans fought to keep night baseball out of Wrigley Field. On May 13, 1982, the Illinois Legislature outlawed baseball after midnight in facilities that had not played night sports prior to July 1, 1982. Also that year, an electronic message board was placed under the scoreboard in centerfield. When the Cubs made the playoffs in 1984, MLB threatened to move games to an area with lights if the team made the postseason in the future. Finally on February 23, 1988, the Cubs decided to install the lights at Wrigley Field. The first night game at Wrigley Field was scheduled for August 8, 1988. However, rain canceled the game after four innings, postponing it to the next day. In 1989, private boxes were built on the mezzanine level, which was originally occupied by the press box and broadcasting booths. The press box and broadcast booths were built in the upper deck directly behind home plate. After the 2003 season, the Cubs added 200 seats directly behind home plate to bring fans closer to the playing field. Tradition is not lost with this addition, as the brick wall remains behind home plate. After the 2005 season, the Cubs added about 1,800 seats to the bleachers, bringing the capacity to just over 41,000. For years, Wrigley Field has been known as one of the worst grass fields in the game. The crown in the infield extends 40 feet into the outfield. Because of the crown, the players run slightly up or down the hill on the field. After the 2007 season, the entire field was removed and replaced with a new drainage system and bluegrass playing field.
The biggest transformation at Wrigley Field since the opening of the bleachers in 1937 began after the 2014 season. A $575 million project, titled the 1060 Project, began at the ballpark, completely transforming the entire facility. Almost every part of Wrigley Field was upgraded over a five-year period. Work on the outfield began prior to the start of the 2015 season with the demolition of the bleachers in left and right field. The Cubs pushed the ballpark’s outer wall onto Waveland and Sheffield avenues to expand the bleachers, widen the concourse and add more concessions. Construction that was originally supposed to be completed by the start of the season was delayed until late spring, with the entire outfield closed for the first two months of the 2015 season. The project added 300 seats to the bleachers. The most impressive addition to the ballpark is in left field, a 95-foot x 42-foot HD videoboard. Another 2,250 square foot videoboard was added in right field. However, the traditional manually operated scoreboard remains in centerfield.
Additional renovations were completed by the 2017 season. The on-field home and visiting bullpens were moved under the bleachers in left (Cubs) and right (visiting team) fields. Bullpens have windows that allow fans to watch from the ground-level concourse. The outfield wall now features a set of green-tinted transparent doors that allow players to watch the game from the bullpen. Four new rows of seats were added where the bullpens used to be. Behind homeplate, the entire lower deck was replaced and rebuilt. Below that is the American Airlines 1914 Club, with 700 new padded premium seats above. Outside the ballpark, the facade was replaced, returning it to its original 1930s appearance. The west side entrance between Clark Street and Wrigley Field now features a new plaza called Wrigley Park, which allows fans to gather before games and provides a new entrance into the ballpark. Adjacent to the park at Wrigley Field is a multistory structure that houses the Cubs’ 30,000-square-foot clubhouse on the lowest level, Cubs merchandise stores and shops on the street level, and team administrative offices on the upper levels.
Other parts of the renovation project at Wrigley Field include upgrading the steel infrastructure and a new roof to replace the existing wood. A two-story retail and entertainment complex was added to the right field corner of Wrigley Field at the corner of Addison Street and Sheffield Avenue. Additionally all meetings have been expanded and restrooms/concession areas have been upgraded. This entire renovation project will allow the Cubs to continue playing at Wrigley Field well into the future.
Visit Wrigley Field In Lakeview
Today, Wrigley Field is the last Federal League ballpark standing. Even with the lights and now its modern videoboard, Wrigley Field remains one of baseball’s most old-fashioned parks. Wrigley Field is basically ad-free, with ads on nearby buildings and some in the ballpark. The neighborhood known as Wrigleyville surrounding Wrigley Field is filled with fans on game day. Look for the Ballhawks to catch homeruns during the game on Waveland Avenue. Fans sit on top of the buildings behind Wrigley Field and watch the game. Ivy still covers the brick walls in the outfield, the scoreboard is still manually operated, and the bleacher bums still sit in the bleachers in the outfield. Flags above the scoreboard still remind fans if the Cubs won the day before and where they are in the standings. Because Wrigley Field is surrounded by the Wrigleyville neighborhood, parking for games can be a nightmare. It is recommended that fans take the CTA Red Line train to the Addison stop to Cubs games. Although it has been the exclusive home of the Cubs for many years, Wrigley Field has hosted more professional football games than any other stadium in the country. One thing missing from Wrigley Field today is former Cubs broadcaster Harry Carey, who used to sing “Take Me Out To.”
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