|
CHICAGO CUBS |
 |
__________________________
The History of Wrigley
Field
Wrigley Field is playing host to major
league baseball for the 86th season in 1999. built in 1914, The Friendly
Confines is the third-oldest ballpark in the major leagues behind Detroit's
Tiger Stadium (1912) and Boston's Fenway Park (1912). Originally known as
Weeghman Park, Wrigley Field was built on the grounds once occupied by a
seminary. Weeghman Park was the home of Chicago's entry in the Federal League
and was the property of Charles H. Weeghman, a wealthy restaurant-chain owner
... the club was known as both the Federals and Whales.
- The cost of building Weeghman Park, which has a
seating capacity of 14,000, was estimated at $250,000 ... the infield and
outfield consisted of more than 4,000 yards of soil and four acres of
bluegrass.
- The first major league game at the ballpark took
place April 23, 1914, with the Federals defeating Kansas City 9-1 ... the
first homer in ballpark history was clubbed by Federals catcher Art Wilson - a
2-run shot in the 2nd inning off Kansas City's Chief Johnson.
When the Federal League folded for financial
reasons after the 1915 season, Weeghman purchases the Cubs from the Taft family
of Cincinnati and moved the club to the two-year-old ballpark at the corner of
Clark and Addison streets. The first National League game at the ballpark was
played April 20, 1916, when the Cubs beat the Cincinnati Reds 7-6 in 11 innings
... a bear cub was in attendance at the game. The park became known as Cubs Park
in 1920 after the Wrigley family purchased the team from Weeghman ... it was
officially named Wrigley Field in 1926 in honor of William Wrigley Jr., the
club's owner. Wrigley Field has been the site of such historic moments as: Babe
Ruth's "called shot," when Ruth allegedly pointed to a bleacher location ...
Ruth ten proceeded to this Charlie Root's next pitch in that vicinity ... the
home run as hit October 1, 1932, during Game 3 of the World Series. Gabby
Hartnett's famous "Homer in the Gloamin'" September 28, 1938 vs. Pittsburgh's
Mace Brown. the great May 2, 1917, pitching duel between Jim "Hippo" Vaughn and
the Reds' Fred Toney ... both Vaughn and Toney threw no-hitters for 9.0 innings
before Cincinnati's Jim Thorpe (of Olympic fame) drove in the only run in the
10th inning ... Toney finished with a no-hitter. Ernie Banks' 500th career home
run May 12, 1970, vs. Atlanta's Pat Jarvis. Pete Rose's 4,191st career hit,
which tied him with Ty Cobb for the most hits in baseball history ... Rose
singled off Reggie Patterson September 8, 1985. On June 27, 1930 the largest
crowd ever to see a game at Wrigley Field -- 51,556 -- saw the Cubs play the
Brooklyn Dodgers. On Opening Day, 1978 -- 45,777 people -- the largest Opening
Day crowd in Wrigley Field -- was on hand to see the Cubs opens the home season
against Pittsburgh.
__________________________
Cubs Pics
(Click on picture to view a larger image)
