Clem's Baseball home

Wrigley Field*
Home of the
Chicago Cubs
(1916-)**




Wrigley Field

DYNAMIC DIAGRAM:
Mouse rollover.

1914 1915 1923 1928 1932 (Oct.) 1938 football (1955) 1979 2006 2015 lower deck 2017 upper deck 2019   hockey 2009 football 2010 football 2021
Key to diagrams

* known as "Weeghman Park" (1914-1915), and "Cubs Park" (1916-1925)
** and home of the Chicago Whales (1914-1915)
Vital statistics:
Lifetime Seating
capacity
Seating rows
(typical)
Overhang /
shade %
Est. territory
(1,000 sq. ft.)
Fence height  CF
orien- tation
Back-stop Outfield dimensions
Built Status Lower deck Middle deck Upper deck Lower deck Upper deck Fair Foul LF CF RF Left
field
Left-center Center field Right-center Right field
1914* GOOD 41,072 56 2 21 55% 100% 107.8 16.5 ** 11 & 11 11 & NE * 55 355 (352) (395) 368 353

* The Cubs began playing here in 1916, two years after it was built.
(Numbers in parentheses are estimated actual distances, which are marked at non-standard locations.)
** Foul territory shrunk by about 2,000 square feet after 2016.
& The walls in the left and right field corners were lowered from 16 to 11 feet in 2015. See photo #10 below.

ALL STAR GAMES: 1947, 1962, 1990 WORLD SERIES: 1929, 1932, 1935, 1938, 1945, and 2016 (1 win, 5* losses) LIGHTS: 1988
NOTE: The Cubs played the 1918 World Series in Comiskey Park.

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT: Aug. 20, 21, or 22, 1963 (PIT won all 3: 5-3, 7-6, 9-3); visited in 1998 & 2008; July 19, 2012 (CHC 4, FLA 2); Aug. 5, 2017 (CHC 7, WSH 4).

With its ivy-covered brick walls and low profile, the "Friendly Confines" of Chicago's North Side are one of the last vestiges of the authentic experience of urban neighborhood baseball. Or at least it was until the last few years. Since 2006, the Cubs have been expanding the outfield bleacher section and adding big new scoreboards and billboards, blocking the view that the folks who live across Waveland Avenue and Sheffield Street used to get. Some of the neighboring buildings still feature distance markers from home plate.

Ironically, given the strong attachment of the team and its fans to their home field, "Weeghman Park" (the original name) was actually built for another team, the Chicago Whales of the Federal League. The upstart league opened for business in 1914 but shut down after two years. The Cubs were then bought by the Whales' owner, Charles Weeghman, and moved into the stadium which bore his name. *With a capacity of only 18,000, however, it turned out to be too small when the Cubs made it to the World Series in 1918, and so -- just like the Boston Braves and Red Sox had done -- the Cubs made use of their cross-town rivals' home at Comiskey Park (capacity 28,800) for the Fall Classic. After Weeghman sold out to William Wrigley in 1919, the name was changed to "Cubs Park," and in 1926 the new owner renamed it "Wrigley Field." Unbeknownst to many, for several decades there was another Wrigley Field -- in Los Angeles! The Angels played there in 1961.

thumbnail Like Crosley Field, the grandstand Wrigley Field was curved behind home plate, with the upper decks set back a fair distance from the field, and with no upper decks extending into the outfield. The original stadium was single-decked, with 14,000 seats. During the inaugural series in April 1914, so many home runs were hit that Weeghman ordered that the field be extended into land that had been occupied by residential buildings formerly associate with a seminary. These changes were completed by May. In 1915, after the demolition work had been finished, new bleachers were built in left field, with slightly longer dimensions on that side and significantly longer dimensions on the right side, where a section of bleachers was removed. Estimates on dimensions in the early years made by Ron Selter (2008) appear to be accurate, based on available photographs and blueprints, but are labeled in gray above due to the uncertainty.

In 1923, the entire third base side and middle (vertex) portions of the grandstand were moved back about 60 feet, which was quite an astounding engingeering feat. The first base side of the grandstand was left in place. These changes gave the stadium a slightly asymmetric form, creating the odd angle that creases the visitors' dugout. In addition, the field was lowered three feet in order to create more space for additional seats and the diamond was rotated a few degrees counter-clockwise. Four years later (in 1927) bleachers were removed from left field and a second deck was added to the left side of the stadium. At some point in the mid-twenties, no later than 1925, a large scoreboard was added in center field. In 1928 the second deck was completed on the right side, bringing the total capacity up to 40,000. For the 1929, 1932, and 1935 World Series, extra temporary bleacher sections extending over the street were added in right and left field.

Wrigley Field assumed its more-or-less final form in 1938, as the exquisite tapered bleachers with the ivy-covered walls were added, along with the trademark scoreboard that towers above center field at the corner of Waveland and Sheffield. That scoreboard still operates manually, just as it did in 1938. The 400 foot "center field" marker is aligned with the scoreboard, and is about 25 feet right of dead center field, which is actually about 395 feet from home plate. In addition, the far end of the left field lower deck was rebuilt about that time, so that the seats out there pointed toward the infield rather than toward center field. The same modification was made to the far end of the right field lower deck several years later. (The "1938" diagram above actually represents the early 1950s.) For many years there was a triangular gap between the upper and lower sections of the lower deck in the right field corner, apparently an entryway for vehicles.

Even though the distances to the right and left field corners are above average, Wrigley's peculiar bleacher configuration makes for rather short distances in the power alleys. Depending on the wind (which can blow hard either in from Lake Michigan or out toward it), this can be a very friendly place for power hitters such as Sammy Sosa, who sadly fell out of favor with Chicago fans during the 2004 season and got traded to Baltimore. Wrigley Field's only real "shortcoming" (from my point of view) is the fact that the field layout is rather symmetrical, at least in terms of the marked distances. In contrast, foul territory is quite asymmetrical, with more room on the first base side than on the third base side.

CINEMA: Parts of Angels in the Outfield (the 1951 original version) were filmed in Wrigley Field, as was a scene from the movie A League of Their Own (1992). Film clips from real football games were used in Brian's Song (1971). Wrigley Field also appeared in It Happens Every Spring, The Blues Brothers, Rookie of the Year, Mr. 3000, The Babe, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, and one episode of NBC's drama ER.

The Cubs being steeped in ancient tradition, there were no night games at Wrigley Field until August 1988. Lights had originally been planned for the 1942 season, but then Pearl Harbor changed everything. Opposition from neighborhood residents played a part in delaying the advent of night games, but the Iron Law of economic necessity could not be ignored forever. In 1989 a small mezzanine section with private boxes for wealthy patrons was added. One of the Cubs' latter-day hallowed traditions was broadcaster Harry Caray, known for his huge eyeglasses and big voice. He died in 1998, and the whole city mourned... One small blemish in this fine ballpark is that the exterior of the grandstand along the left and right sides looks a little worn, with rust on the screens and structural beams.

Prior to the 2004 season, three rows of box seats were added between the dugouts, and in 2005 three rows of seats were added between the visitor's dugout (first base side) and the bullpen. Prior to the 2006 season, the Cubs completely rebuilt and expanded the bleachers, raising the seating capacity by nearly two thousand. This annoyed the neighborhood fans ("freeloaders"?) who over the years got carried away building permanent rooftop bleacher sections across the street. This took to an extreme degree what penny-pinching fans did at Shibe Park in the 1930s, and the Cubs tried to negotiate a deal to at least recoup some of the lost revenue. The expanded bleachers hung over the adjoining sidewalks, like the temporary bleachers built during the World Series of 1929, 1932, and 1935.

But wait, there was more! Further enhancements have been made in the past several years, including a new video board that was installed above the wall in the right field corner prior to the 2012 season. In addition, the seating rows in that corner were replaced by a new terraced dining section. But the biggest change took place in 2015, with another complete overhaul of the bleachers and a second, even bigger video board in left center field. This was a key phase in what was called the "1060 Project," named for Wrigley Field's street address. The bleachers in the "power alleys" now have twenty rows rather than sixteen rows, as was the case from 2006 until 2014. Besides diminishing the historic character of "The Friendly Confines," the view from the rooftops across Waveland and Sheffield is now severely obstructed, sparking another round of legal disputes. Construction of that phase of renovation was finished in June 2015. Prior to the 2017 season, the bullpens were moved under the bleachers in right-center and left-center field. This allowed for four additional rows of seats to be added along the third base side, thereby reducing foul territory by about 2,000 square feet, while one more row of seats was added between the dugouts and along the first base side where the visitors' bullpen had been. During the following winter, most of the lower deck was demolished and then rebuilt, providing for new practice batting area and other enhanced amenities for players. Both dugouts were rebuilt about 20-30 feet farther from home plate. The home dugout (third base side and nearby rows of seats were built so they could be removed to accommodate a football gridiron. In addition, the main grandstand was extended about 20 on both the left and right ends, so that they hung over the sidewalks. This was accompanied by the creation of an large platform in front of the lateral walkways at the respective ends of the grandstand. Other recent improvements include the new office building and Cubs team store on the west side of the stadium, as well as a new grass park on which fans can gather, and a new set of external staircases for easier fan access to the upper deck and rear portion of the lower deck. Finally, the exterior of the stadium has been embellished with green-painted wrought iron trimming, along with red tile. It is a vast improvement over the previous (rather shabby) chain link exterior. The civic love affair between the Cubs and Chicago lives on, as everyone agrees on the inestimable value of this shrine to the National Pastime. The Cubs' wise choise in preserving Wrigley Field may have influenced the Boston Red Sox to follow suit in preserving Fenway Park, but the teams in New York did not follow suit.

For some odd reason, the Chicago Bears played their home games at Wrigley Field for several decades, even though the much-bigger and more appropriate Soldier Field was available downtown. The Bears finally moved there in 1971. The football gridiron just barely fit Wrigley Field, and one corner of the end zone actually extended into the visitor's (first base side) dugout! In 2010 Northwestern University played a football game at Wrigley Field, with the end zones near the home dugout and right field, the opposite of how it was done when the Bears played there. It was too tight of a squeeze, however, hence the 2017 renovations allowed for a removable dugout and seating sections; see above.

On January 1, 2009, the NHL Winter Classic was held in Wrigley Field, and the visiting Detroit Red Wings defeated the Chicago Blackhawks, 6-4. It was the first such hockey special event played at a Major League Baseball stadium.

In October 2015, the Cubs made it all the way to the National League Championship Series for the first time since 2003. One year later they not only won their first National League pennant since 1945 but their first World Series championship since 1908!

SOURCES: Spink (1947); Kahn (1954); Lowry (1992); Gershman (1993); USA Today / Fodor's (1996); Ronald M. Selter, Ballparks of the Deadball Era (2008); William Hartel, A Day at the Park: In Celebration of Wrigley Field (foreword by George Will), Sagamore Publishers, 1994.

WEB LINK: Bleed Cubbie Blue, Dan O'Brien's photo blog, ,

FAN TIPS: Jonathan Dobson

RESEARCH ASSISTANCE: Bruce Orser (Special thanks!)


Click on the section headings hand point down below to display (OR to hide) the respective menu of photos, and then click on the camera icons (camera) to see the photos, one by one.
Also see panoramic photos, below.

Wrigley Field grand view

hand point down Aug. 5, 2017

camera #1 Grand view from upper deck behind home plate.

camera #2 Ernie Banks statue, new staircases, new building.

camera #3 Ticket windows on west side, with new trimming.

camera #4 Southwest exterior, pregame. camera #5 Postgame.

camera #6 The left field bleachers and new scoreboards.

camera #7 The right field bleachers and new scoreboards.

camera #8 Closeup of center field bleachers and old scoreboard.

camera #9 The left field line.

camera #10 Left field corner: 2012 & 2019 compared.

hand point down July 19, 2012

camera #1 View from lower deck behind home plate.

camera #2 Grand view from upper deck behind home plate.

camera #3 View toward right field, from upper deck.

camera #4 View from upper deck, third base side (far).

camera #5 View from upper deck, first base side (close).

camera #6 The famous bleachers and ivy-covered walls.

camera #7 The top of the upper deck, first base side.

camera #8 The press box and luxury suites, seen from below.

camera #9 The upper deck, third base side, seen from below.

camera #10 The main concourse.

camera #11 The ground crew cleans home plate after the game.


hand point down Oct. 4, 2008


hand point down June 2008, etc.


(Back up to regular photoshand point up )

Panoramic views

camera #P-1 Panoramic view of the southwest side. (July 19, 2012)

camera #P-2 Obstructed view from the very back of the lower deck. (July 19, 2012)

camera #P-3 Unobstructed view from the middle of the lower deck. (July 19, 2012)

camera #P-4 Western exterior, showing new staircase / ramps. (Aug. 5, 2017)

camera #P-5 View from upper deck on third base side. (Aug. 5, 2017)

camera #P-6 View from upper deck on first base side. (Aug. 5, 2017)

camera #P-7 View from behind home plate, lower deck. (Aug. 5, 2017)

Wrigley Field exterior SW, sign


Chicago stadiums
The Clem Criteria:
Field
asymmetry
Architectural
design
Seat
proximity
Location * Aesthetics Overall
5 7 9 9 9 7.8

* See the Stadium locations page.



Wrigley Field:
Chronology of diagram updates


 



NOTE: The diagram thumbnails have been continually replaced since 2008, so the images seen in the older blog posts do not reflect how the full-size diagrams looked at that time. Roll your mouse over the adjacent thumbnail to see a pre-2008 version.

Wrigley Field
 
12 May 2005 15 Mar 2008 29 Nov 2008 18 Aug 2012 27 Oct 2015 10 Mar 2016 29 Aug 2017 12 Aug 2018 01 Dec 2021

Vox populi: Fans' impressions

Have you been to this stadium? If so, feel free to share your impressions of it with other fans! (Registration is required.) Also, I welcome submissions of original stadium photos that fans have taken, and will make sure they get properly credited. Just send me an e-mail message via the Contact page.



Valid HTML 4.01 Transitional

Copyright © Andrew G. Clem. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your agreement to the Terms of Use.