A Classic Baseball Xperience - Wrigley Field

It was April 30, 1998. I wanted to see Wrigley Field my whole life. I was already 25 years old before my first encounter with the historic ballpark. At this time it did not have many of the modern features that it now has some 25 years later. We arrive extremely early to the ballpark. At that time you could actually park fairly close to the ballpark. My dad drove on this day. My dad was not the baseball fan that I am but being a good father he went out of his way to make sure I got to Xperience it. He was a person who was in construction his whole life. Getting to the ballpark early allowed us walk completely around the it. Being that it was built in 1914, the style of the building and park stands out. My dad's reaction surprise me as he got out of the car I could see him right away looking at how the structure was built and fairly well maintained. It really did fascinate him.

Inside the brick theme of the field is found throughout almost looking like an old fair or amusement park that you would walk into. At that time the pitchers would warm up on the left and right foul area. As I walk down to watch them you could almost feel the air move as the ball whizzed by me. There was no screen and very little wall and fence back then protecting the fans like they do now. Watching players warm up without anything inhibiting our view was amazing. Since this was before the events of 911 the security is not what it is today. A simple paper ticket got you into the park.

We finally got to our seats. It is important to remember that going into the ballpark in April can be very unpredictable in the windy city. It is also a different atmosphere because the famous ivy walls had not leafed out yet. The old brick stood out amidst the brown vines that climb up. We had to deal with a rain delay and everything was wet. I actually made my own scorecard to take with me to the game. There was only one problem. Our seats were on the drip line from the upper deck so when I tried to use it the paper would get dripped on. In the end it didn't really matter.

A few innings into the game something typical Wrigley took place. The heaviest fog I had ever seen rolled right into the stadium. It was so heavy I could not see the right fielder.

He just disappeared. I was thinking to myself, "How could they keep playing this game?" The infielders started pointing to the ball as it was hit in the air so the outfielders could follow the flight of the ball and actually catch it. Since it was the beginning of the baseball season I didn't realize the significance this game had. This year would be the year that Mark McGuire and Sammy Sosa would break the homerun record. As the game kept going into the middle of the night, it made you wonder if anything special would happen. Then the top of the eighth inning occurred. Mark McGuire was at bat, and I got to kind of witness one of the 70 homeruns he would hit that year. I say kind of because I could hear the crack of the bat and see the launch off of it but once it hit the fog in my mind that ball never really landed. It was nice to see the home team that night win. To truly Xperience Wrigley it is more than just a Chicago dog and a day game but it is the experience of weather, nostalgia and history around you. It would take me another 25 years before I would be able to go back again and witness its unique baseball legacy.

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