Elliott: Remembering Wrigley Field in October
Originally published Oct. 7, 2003
By Bob Elliott
CHICAGO _ Baseball is more than people in business suits filing into a new taxpayer-funded, stadium heading for the sky boxes.
It’s about 500 people standing and jostling each other for souvenirs on Waveland Ave., behind the left field wall of ancient Wrigley Field during batting practice.
“Sammy’s on deck,” yells a bleachers bum designated as part of the early warning system. The drives of the Chicago Cubs sluggin’ Sammy Sosa set off the most frenetic chases. Gloves are as plentiful as elbows. Think grade nine dodge ball.
It’s about fans looking up to see the moon-face sketch of the late announcer Harry Caray on a house in right centre. Just as they used to do when fans turned to the TV booth for Caray to sing/mumble Take Me Out to The Ball game at seventh-inning stretch time.
It’s about the green ivy on the walls and atmosphere, each ball park has its own: it’s best to attend Yankee Stadium after a few beers, with one hand on your wallet; in Anaheim you hear more talk on the next Republican presidential candidate than batting averages and at the SkyDome? Well, you have been to a library before?
It’s like rooting for a neighborhood team. Unlike the White Sox, who play on the South Side of Chicago, the Cubs are like a olde town team: a game may last three hours and 34 minutes, but a trip to Wrigleyville starts with a visit to the Cubby Bear lounge across the street behind home plate and ends with a trip to Murphy’s Bleechers behind centre.
Total time in Wrigleyville: seven or eight hours.
It’s not priceless as the adds say.
Pre-game it’s overflowing sidewalks -- everyone headed in the same direction -- all wearing Cubs hats, jerseys, t-shirts or tattoos.
It’s ... well take it away Alex Gonzalez.
“It’s like going to a college football game, maybe a Florida State game in Tallahassee,” Gonzalez said. “Cheering for the Cubs is a lifestyle.”
No more does Gonzalez see ‘Marry Me Alex’ signs carried around by prepubescent teens, as he did when he played shortstop for the Jays for six seasons.
“Those signs are long gone,” Gonzalez said, “you see signs like ‘My 95-Year-Old Grandmother’s Birthday Wish is For the Cubs to Win the World Series.”
Being a Cubs fan didn’t mean great expectations. It was skipping work in the days when all 81 games were played in the day and before lights were installed in 1988. Have a few beers, if they win great, if they lost ... ‘hey a great time had by all.’
Cheering for the Cubs was Ferris Buhler’s Day Off. Living the movie.
“It didn’t matter where you went,” Ryne Sandberg, who played second base for the Cubs for 18 years, “Milwaukee. L.A. San Francisco. Fans would tell you ‘well, if we don’t win, we’d liked to see the Cubs win.’ Some would say ‘yeah, we’d like to see it once -- before we die.’”
The Cubs had a national following, from their day games and exposure on TV-super station WGN.
While Boston Red Sox fans spent sleepless nights after extra-inning losses and post-season meltdowns, the Cubs were lovable losers.
“Boston has been in the post-season a lot more often than the Cubs have,” Gonzales said. “I spoke to Cub fan when we played the Braves and he said he drove 11 hours to Atlanta to see us play. Amazing.”
The Sox have been in the post-season nine times since 1967 while the Cubs, haven’t been to a World Series since 1945 and have not won since 1908, have been in three times in the same span.
“As soon as I came over July, from the Texas Rangers, I could feel the aura and buy into it,” said Cubs outfielder Doug Glanville.
After games a white flag up is raised atop the centre-field flag pole with a ‘W’ on it for a Cubs win or a blue flag with a ‘L’ on it after a loss. This practice was put into place before the internet, TV and radio.
“Did the Cubs win this afternoon honey?”
“Check the flag? And by the way a Mr. Capone dropped by to see you this afternoon.”
The Cubs opened the best-of-seven, National League Championship Series with tradition, ivy, a sold-out house, Waveland Ave. ball hawks inside the friendly confines of Wrigley Field.
Oh yes, the Florida Marlins were also in attendance.