Welcome Back — Baseball Bench Coach

It felt so good being back. As I entered the gate at Wrigley Field this past week, the words of an usher resounded with me, “Welcome to Wrigley Field!” It was the first MLB game I’ve attended since September 2019. My friends and I were in the left field bleachers for an afternoon game against the Nationals. I felt like a kid again – the lush green grass, the carefully manicured infield, and the excitement of the fans. As I looked around taking it all in, it hit me. There’s a little Wrigley Field in each one of my favorite ballparks. Let’s take a little tour and I’ll show you what I mean.

Prior to the game, my first stop outside Wrigley was a visit to the statue of Ernie Banks, “Mr. Cub”. No one embodies the history of the Cubs more than #14 and his motto, “Let’s Play Two!” Three other statues, those of Ron Santo, Billy Williams, and Harry Caray, adorn the outside of this iconic ballpark (built in 1914) and in 2022, a statue of Ferguson Jenkins will be unveiled. The Cubs statues remind me of a visit a few years ago to PNC Park in Pittsburgh, considered by many the best new ballpark (opened in 2001). The approach to the PNC gates is a journey through Pirates history – crossing the Roberto Clemente bridge; walking down Mazeroski Way; and viewing the statues of great Bucs players, such as Roberto Clemente, Honus Wagner, Willie Stargell, and Bill Mazeroski. One of the coolest takeaways about the Clemente statue is that its base forms a baseball diamond with dirt from three of the fields he played at during his illustrious career – Santurce Field in Puerto Rico, Forbes Field, and Three Rivers Stadium.

In the left field bleachers at Wrigley I had an up close view of the ivy-covered outfield walls, one of the ballpark’s three landmarks. This mid-May afternoon the ivy (Japanese Bittersweet and Boston Ivy) was in full bloom. When Wrigley was being renovated in 1937, Cubs then owner, P.K. Wrigley, took a tour of Midwest ballparks and came upon a minor league park in Indianapolis, Perry Stadium (soon to be renamed Bush Stadium), that had ivy on its outfield walls. Mr. Wrigley brought the concept back to Chicago and directed his lead supervisor of the renovations, Bill Veeck Jr., to make it come to life. His crew and he did, in three days! Nowadays, Indianapolis is home to a standout AAA ballpark, Victory Field, recognized as the “Best Minor League Ballpark in America” by Baseball America and Sports Illustrated. Victory Field, which was named that after many years of being called the “new” Bush Stadium, is situated in the heart of downtown Indianapolis. It’s also the home of my favorite in-game promotion, awarding a used car to a lucky fan every half inning during a Brickyard 400 weekend ten years ago.

One thing that really strikes you when visiting Wrigley is how tasteful the advertising is in the ballpark. In fact, from my seat in the bleachers I could see the only reminder of the Wrigley ownership days, a discreet sign for Orbit gum. You may know the story, but it’s a fun one. The Wrigley family, who owned the club from 1922 to 1980, were originally in the soap business yet promoted their products with a little stick of banana flavored gum. That led to the start of their chewing gum empire and the first corporate naming of a sports venue. Another ballpark named for family and corporate purposes is 300 miles south, Busch Stadium in St. Louis. I’ve attended over a hundred games at Busch Stadium, now in its present day version “Busch Stadium III” (most current one opened in 2006). On a steamy St. Louis summer night, there’s no better place to be than attending a game with a cold beer (perhaps, “Busch” or “Budweiser”) in hand. The Cardinals have set home attendance records for the last two decades.

My perch in the left field bleachers also gave me a nice view of another Wrigley landmark, the scoreboard in centerfield. It was also part of the 1937 renovations and is manually operated. Not only are fans treated to Cubs game information, but a small crew in the scoreboard change the score every half inning of MLB games currently being played. The image of the scoreboard caused me to remember my only visit to Boston’s Fenway Park over 35 years ago. My friend and I attended a Red Sox vs. Yankees Saturday afternoon game, and I must admit the “Green Monster” in left field was quite impressive. Interestingly, this highest MLB outfield wall was littered with advertising in its early history and only became the “Green Monster” when it was painted green in 1947. It too features manually operated scores, but only at its ground level base.

There are a couple Wrigley features that remind me of the MLB ballpark I attended as a young boy, Crosley Field in Cincinnati. While Wrigley’s outfield is mostly noted for the ivy-covered walls and the “basket” at the top of the wall, it also has two recessed wall areas, or “wells”, located in left and right field, that make it difficult for an outfielder to judge balls hit into those areas. Crosley’s outfield area had its own quirk, the “terrace” in left field, a 15 degree incline serving as a warning track. Many visiting outfielders spent hours before games learning how to play the terrace. I have memories of a Reds outfielder, Alex Johnson, a tremendous hitter, who had a couple misadventures on the terrace. Legend is that Babe Ruth fell on his face on the terrace playing for the Boston Braves in 1935, his final season. And of course, the history of night baseball begins and ends in these two ballparks. Crosley held the first MLB night game on May 24, 1935, while it took Wrigley 53 more years to host its first night game, in August 1988.

As ballparks welcome fans back, there have been necessary precautions taken for everyone’s safety. On this day Wrigley was still at 25% capacity, but a centerfield bleachers section was 100% capacity for fans who have been fully vaccinated. Years ago centerfield bleacher fans at Wrigley engaged in a little chicanery, wearing white shirts while the opponents were batting and then putting on dark jackets for a better hitting background when the Cubs were at the plate. This practice led to MLB requiring a “batter’s eye” (clean background) in ballparks. A beautiful NL ballpark, Coors Field in Denver, has its own centerfield bleachers of note, the “Rockpile”. Like Wrigley of old, the Rockpile seats are the cheapest at Coors and are reserved for day of game sales. One of the more interesting “batter’s eye” features of the Rockpile is that during night games the Rockpile has no lights.

One thing that was missing in my visit to the Wrigley bleachers this past week, the sound of vendors in the stands touting their refreshments. To be safe, fans were asked to use the MLB app for ordering food or visit the socially distanced concession stands. Cashless payments only! I recall being in these same bleachers back in the late 1970s where $1.00 could get me an Old Style in a Styrofoam cup. Baseball vendors remind me of another great minor league venue, Dozer Park in Peoria, Illinois, the home of the Midwest League’s Class A Chiefs. This ballpark with a friendly downtown setting opened in 2002. Fan involvement is always an essential part of minor league games. One of my fondest ballpark memories was watching a peanut vendor in Peoria helping one of my daughters perform “YMCA” during a pitching change many years ago.

The Cubs are a tough opponent at Wrigley, and this afternoon was no exception. After closer Craig Kimbrel recorded the final out in the ninth inning, it was time to celebrate. The “W” (Win) flag was raised above the centerfield scoreboard while the crowd joined in for several choruses of the victory song “Go Cubs Go!” The W flag has been a longstanding tradition at Wrigley. Years ago when Cubs fans not attending the games would have to wait for the morning newspaper to get the score, the W flag was a signal throughout the community that the Cubs had won that day. I have heard stories from several of you who follow this blog how you continue that tradition at your homes today by raising your own W flag. Baseball parks are all about tradition.

What’s your favorite ballpark?

Until next Monday,

your Baseball Bench Coach