The absurd discrimination against dogs prevents
me from providing first-hand reporting on the trip to Wrigley Field, one of
America’s holiest baseball shrines.
Dogs of
course are not allowed on Chicago’s L (for elevated) transit system serving the
stadium. Even if I got there, dogs are not allowed into the stadium. However, I
can provide a report from various sources, none of whose reporting is as
accurate or detailed as my own would be.
Wrigley Field is the second oldest major
league ballpark, opened in 1914. The oldest is Boston’s Fenway Park which
opened in 1912. The L stops right beside the stadium and pours out thousands of
people into the lively neighbourhood surrounding the park. Many crowd into
Murphy’s Bleachers, the famous sports bar where patrons grab a beer and spill
out onto the street.
If you look up from the street you see an
amazing example of American entrepreneurship. Bleachers have been built atop
the stone and brick apartment buildings lining Sheffield and Waveland Streets.
The bleachers look down in to the ballpark. You don’t need to buy a regular stadium
ticket to see the game from there, but the people who own the outside bleachers
charge a price for the novelty of watching the game from these perches.
Inside Wrigley there is real grass and the
outfield wall is draped in ivy. You are back in a different time, expecting a
legendary player such as Babe Ruth to trot onto the field.
There are hot dogs, pretzels and salted
peanuts for sale. And, beer, of course. You need to get a pink wrist band to buy beer.
It’s proof that you are old enough to purchase alcohol. They even made the Old
Guy go to the pink band desk to show his age ID. Obviously, it’s not just the
umpire who is blind here.
Wrigley truly is a place of miracles. The
lowly Chicago Cubs defeated the league-leading Pittsburgh Pirates 4-1.
That's it for now.
OZ
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| Murphy's Bleachers |
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| Apartment Bleachers |
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| The Venerable Ballpark |
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| Steve, Marcus and John |
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