More Road Trips:  
Wrigley Field, Miller Park, PNC Park

Wrigley Field
Great tradition and atmosphere, typically bad Cubs baseball
By David Droschak

During my first trip to Wrigley Field in Chicago, a perfectly warm afternoon in June, I was treated to a game reminiscent of one played by the Bad News Bears.

On the game’s first pitch, former LSU and current Cubs’ shortstop Ryan Theriot missed an easy catch and gave the Braves’ second baseman Kelly Johnson with a gift single; he eventually scored the Braves first run. Later, Cubs’ right-fielder Matt Murton dropped a pop-up three steps outside the infield dirt with two outs in the fourth inning. It was a ball that should have been easily handled by second baseman Mark DeRosa. That gaffe led to another Braves’ run.

With two outs in the fifth, catcher Michael Barrett’s passed ball and subsequent throwing error allowed Scott Thorman to score. Then starter Carlos Zambrano allowed a double to the pitcher Kyle Davies on a 2-2 count. Barrett’s misplay led to the much-publicized Zambrano-Barrett brawl in the dugout and clubhouse. Less than 19 days later Barrett was traded to the San Diego Padres.

The next day, Cubs’ manager Lou Piniella got tossed for arguing a close call at third base, even though base runner Angel Pagan was clearly out. Pagan had failed to advance to third on his double to right, even though he had plenty of time to advance the extra 90 feet.

An old baseball maxim declares that a base runner is never supposed to make the first or third out trying to advance to third base. Pagan made the first out in the 8th inning at third base trying to advance on a wild pitch. In the sixth inning, pitcher Rich Hill attempted to stretch his surprising double into a triple and made the third out at third base. So much for playing the game by the book, but that quick snapshot of “Cubbie-Ball” sums up 99 years of frustration for Cubs’ fans (the only time the Cubs won the World Series during the past century was in 1908). Fans have only two things that they can hang their hat on – the Cubs won’t win and the “friendly confines” of Wrigley Field are one of baseball’s treasures.

The last time the Cubs were in the World Series was 1945. And of course, they lost.

“The Armed Forces and World War II were probably more responsible for the Cubs getting to the 1945 World Series than the team was,” said lifelong Cubs’ backer Mike Porcaro said. “For goodness sakes, that year Pete Gray played for the St. Louis Browns with one arm, and Browns’ owner Bill Vecck used a midget pinch-hitter Eddie Gaedel.”

Leading the Cubs in ERA in 1945 was Ray Prim, who was out of the majors for eight years from 1935 to 1943. Ken Burkhart of the Cardinals won 18 games in 1945 as a 28-year-old rookie. He won just nine games when the league was re-stocked with veterans over the next four years.

Hank Borowy, whom the Cubs’ acquired from the Yankees in mid-season, was 21-7 in 1945 for both teams. His record was 11-2 for the Cubs that year, but his career record over the next six years was 41-52.

From 1946-83 the Cubs missed the playoffs 38 times. When the Cubs finally did break into the postseason in ’84, ’89, and ’93, they were a colossal flub, going a combined 6-11 in losing to San Diego, San Francisco and Florida.

The Cubs have employed 15 different managers since 1984, and have had 37 managers in 61 years since their last World Series appearance.

For many years, Cubs fans claim the team was hexed because Greek immigrant and tavern owner William Sianis cursed them when he and his goat were ejected from Wrigley Field during Game 4 of the ’45 series. It seems Sianis had an extra ticket and brought the goat as his guest. The animal allegedly wore a sign that read “We Got Detroit’s Goat.”

After the ejection, Sianis supposedly sent a telegram to Cubs owner Phillip Wrigley that said: You are going to lose this World Series and you are never going to another World Series again. You are never going to win a World Series again because you insulted my goat,” according to the Web site www.dacurse.com.

Then came the Steve Bartman fiasco of ’03, when he reached over the wall down the left field line and snatched a potential out, away from outfielder Moises Alou. The Cubs were five outs away from advancing to the Series, but went on to lose and then dropped Game 7 to the Marlins. One Chicago fan bought the Bartman ball for $106,000 and had it destroyed.

Luke Rose, 59, a lifelong Cubs fan has floated another idea. He says workers uncovered an Indian-style club head 20 years ago when the curbs were redone outside of Wrigley.

“I am starting to think the land is cursed. It’s not the goat,” Rose said. “The goat was just a drunken sports writer story from 1945. I think the stadium is built on an old Indian burial ground and the land is cursed. Go ahead and sell, tear it down, put condos there. Just make an exact replica.”

“Hey, Hey,” as the late announcer Harry Caray used to say, not so fast, and who really cares about all the hexes, curses, and voodoo the long-suffering fans of the Cubs float from time-to-time when things really get bad.

“For those of us who became Cub fans out of the womb, it’s the team that is important, not the Wrigleyville revelry,” Porcaro said. “The team is part of our central beliefs. It is an extension of our family, and when family members disappoint us, our hearts are broken. But when we do win, the beer and the food taste so much better! 

Wrigley Field and its surrounding festivities of drinking, exchanging stories about the loveable losers, the sound of the passing L-train, chasing batting practice homers on Waveland Avenue, and then drinking some more, is about as fun as it gets these days in baseball.

If you’re coming to Wrigley Field for the first time, just a whisper of it in a corner bar like Bernie’s and you’ll likely be drinking for free for hours. Fans of the Cubs are generous folks, proud that baseball nuts from all over the country head to their city of 7 million people to see the National Pastime in a park that truly is a baseball museum.

The atmosphere outside of Wrigley before any game is akin to SEC football tailgating or ACC basketball banter along Tobacco Road. The electricity is real, the smell of food permeates the air, and it’s hard not to genuflect every time you pass the “Friendly Confines.”

“The rooftops here are closer than some of the skyboxes in the super stadiums,” said Rose. “They don’t have this type of atmosphere anywhere else.”

“You can feel baseball when you walk in,” added local golf pro Steve Dell, who has a Cubs logo tattooed on his left shoulder and proposed to his future wife Shellie at the Cubby Bear bar after Opening Day 2006. “Experiencing Wrigley Field is like going to church.”

The rabid Chicago fans have prayed for the Cubs to win something, anything before they die. They are the eternal optimists, starting every season with a “This is our year” mentality. But hopes are usually dashed by the All-Star break.

Porcaro offered this telling comment. “The Cubs not winning a World Series since 1908 can be summed up in one statement from the late and great Cubs announcer Jack Brickhouse, when he said, ‘Hey, pal, anyone can have a bad century.’”

This season was supposed to be different. The Cubs emptied their pockets, spending $300 million on players such as Alfonso Soriano, Mark DeRosa, Cliff Floyd, Wade Miller, Jason Marquis, and Ted Lilly, and hired the fiery Lou Piniella to manage the team.

Nice try.

Chicago is well under .500 entering the dog days of summer. The only saving grace is cross-town rival, the ‘White Sux’, as some Cubs’ fans call them, are out of the pennant race, too. The Cubs swept the White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field in late June, but nothing was worse for North Siders than the hated White Sox winning the World Series in 2005.

 “Who are these “White Sox” you refer to? All I remember about 2005 was the last week of the season when the Sox were in a tail-spin, and every one of the guys and girls in Bernie's cheered wildly on every pitch.... for the Cleveland Indians to beat them,” Porcaro said.

Listening to Cubs’ fans argue back and forth about the fortunes of the team is entertaining, actually some pretty good slapstick comedy.

For years we’ve heard about the winds coming off of nearby Lake Michigan affecting pop-ups and homers, and everything in between at Wrigley. It didn’t take long for me to witness it first-hand. When Theriot couldn’t handle the high pop, it didn’t matter how it dropped to Porcaro. He quickly jerked his head toward me, slapped me on the shoulder and launched into his beloved team with the teeth of a tiger, not a lil’ Cubbie bear. 

“You see, this is the kind of crap we’ve had to put up with,” said Porcaro. “We’re just a bad baseball team.”

Many wish they could trade the Cubs in for another team, but few would trade for a seat at Wrigley Field, even with an “obstructed view” seat – the ones behind the steel pillars that dot the old stadium and add to its well-defined character.

Wrigley Field cost $250,000 to build when it was opened 93 years ago. It’s a national historic landmark, and many of baseball’s traditions and biggest moments have occurred here despite the Cubs’ losing ways.

Wrigley had baseball’s first permanent concession stands. When you visit one in between innings try a Chicago Dog, a grilled hot dog with mustard, onion, sweet pickle relish, a dill pickle spear, tomato wedges, sport peppers, and a dash of celery salt. The tradition of letting fans keep foul balls was also founded here.

Babe Ruth’s famous “called shot” occurred here in the 1932 World Series; Ernie Banks hit his 500th homer in Wrigley; and Pete Rose registered his 4,191st hit here in 1985 to tie Ty Cobb’s record for career hits. In 1966, 10 fans founded the Bleacher Bums.

The first thing I noticed when I entered the old ball yard was the green ivy, planted in the early days. One local fan explained why the ivy was so green and lush this season. It reminded me of my youth when I took in a few games at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh with my father before it was replaced by Three Rivers Stadium and then PNC Park.

Of course, you’re closer to the action than in most modern-day parks, but a seat in the second deck at Wrigley is also a treat, a steep pitched view that seemingly leaves you hanging out over the action.

Tickets aren’t easy to come by and don’t plan on parking close to the park unless you’re willing to fork over $30 to $50.

Walk down Waveland Avenue before a game – the street that runs behind the left-field bleachers. There, grown men in their 40s and 50s, chase down homers – in batting practice and games, many times skinning knees in pursuit of a $3 baseball (www.ballhawk.net tracks every home run).

The king of Waveland is Moe Mullins, 56, who has snared around 5,000 in his ball-chasing career. “It’s the last grasp of my youth, it keeps me healthy,” he said. “I enjoy it, it’s a hobby. Some people golf. I played baseball, so now I shag baseballs.”

During the home run chase of 1998 between Mark McGwire and Chicago’s Sammy Sosa, as many as 200 chasers, many of whom came out of nearby bars when Sosa or McGuire were announced on the PA system, lined Waveland. After a strike out, they would head back in to the watering holes to drink.

Dave Davison, who runs the ballhawk.com, has caught 21 of Sosa’s game homers and has collected 104 in all, including No. 422 by Barry Bonds. “I like anybody who will sign their home run ball after the game,” Davison said. “Sammy would stop the car right here and I would walk over the next day when there would be 150 kids crowded around and he would wave me in. It was like I was a little kid.”

You’ll certainly feel like a kid again watching a ball game at Wrigley Field, and you never know when the Cubs’ on- or off-the-field antics will resemble your favorite Little League team. But there is still no experience like watching a game at Wrigley Field.

Miller Park
Clean and state-of-the-art, Brewers are winning again
By Carl Danbury

We planned to head to the South Side of the Chicago to take in the return of Roger Clemens against the White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field. But Clemens was scratched because of an injury, so we made an editorial decision – rather than watch the struggling Yankees face the nose-diving Sox at “The Cell” as Southsiders call the former Comiskey Park, we drove an hour and 15 minutes north on Interstate 94 to Milwaukee to watch the Brewers play the Cubs in sparkling Miller Park.

The experience was the polar opposite of Wrigley. While Miller Park seats just about 2,000 more than Wrigley, it is about as vogue as you can get with a retractable roof and outfield “climate control” windows that open and close like shutters. Wrigley has a traditional manual scoreboard void of replay capabilities, while Miller Park has two huge screens that are difficult to ignore.

Built in 2001, Miller Park was worth the short drive from Chicago. Within a stone’s throw of the Miller Brewing Co., the Brewers have been about as futile as the Cubs in recent times. Arriving from Seattle in 1971, the former Pilots won their only pennant in 1982 when they were part of the American League, so fans there also are starved for a winner. And this year, the Brewers had a 7.5 game lead on the second-place Cubs heading into July.

We had heard about massive tailgating parties in the parking lot, and while it was raining when we arrived (which also meant the roof was shut for the night) there were still a hardy group of folks in the parking lot grilling bratwurst and tossing down a few cold ones. Certainly, the scene wasn’t worthy of what you might find before a Packers’ game and the area near the stadium isn’t Wrigleyville, either. 

But when you cross over the border from Illinois into Kenosha County you enter the land of beer and cheese. Once inside, there was a choice of a dozen micro-brews at one concession stand in Miller Park – some with names like Totally Naked and Spotted Cow. Try a few with a $4 brat and enjoy.

Miller Park was also the cleanest baseball stadium I had ever witnessed. It had extra wide concourses, making for a nice airy feeling. The park was so clean I felt guilty dropping a few pieces of popcorn on the floor from my overflowing bucket.

Unlike Wrigley, some of the upper deck seats at Miller are distant from the playing surface, so we suggest you sit in the first or second levels for the complete experience. There are four levels at Miller, compared to just a lower and upper deck at Wrigley.

“Our field is very accessible,” said Brewers ticket executive Jim Bathey. “If you’re headed to Wrigley from Milwaukee it takes 50 minutes just to get there once you get off the interstate in Chicago. So there is quite a difference coming this way from Chicago.”

Indeed, as the trip from the Chicago suburbs to Miller Park’s parking lot took a mere 75 minutes.

The Brewers have put together some excellent all-inclusive group deals. For example, a suite can be rented for $3,000 a game ($4,000 when the rival Cubs are in town) that holds 20 people. The suite includes two parking passes, and an extensive food and beverage package. Another great spot to watch the action is from the Mercedes-Benz Field Haus behind the right field fence. For smaller parties, arrive early and watch the Brewers from a seat in Friday's Front Row Sports Grill.

Miller Park gets a thumb’s up for its stadium design, good food, and variety of viewing choices. Parking near the stadium is $15, and while it may take a few innings to get used to the ball flight with the roof closed, Milwaukee has a first-rate baseball facility for its loyal fans and visitors.

If you’re headed to Chicago for a road trip, check to see if the Brew Crew is at home in Milwaukee too. It’s worth a trip a little bit farther North to see the wave of the future, experience baseball’s new technology, and watch closely the Brewers’ infamous Klement’s Racing Sausages between the sixth and seventh innings. You can even purchase one of the five Sausage bobbleheads at several concession stands or take home a replica Major League bat with your name inscribed into the wood compliments of The Sawmill Slat Bat Factory.

PNC Park
Newest of the new, Pirates always second fiddle
By Carl Danbury

It had been 13 years since I visited Pittsburgh for a sporting event, and I had never seen a baseball game at the multi-purpose Three Rivers Stadium. I was pleasantly surprised to see the North Shore area that now compliments the Steelers’ home Heinz Field and the Pirates fabulous PNC Park. PNC Park, which overlooks the Allegheny River and opened to rave reviews in 2001, hosted the 2006 MLB All-Star Game shining the national spotlight on a baseball city that plays second fiddle to the Steelers in Pittsburgh.

The Pirates haven’t contended for anything since winning three straight N.L. East division titles from 1990 to 1992. However, Pittsburgh’s baseball tradition is far more compelling than both Milwaukee’s and Chicago’s, with three World Series titles in 1960, 1971 and 1979. The Bucs’ also-ran status for the past 10 seasons has shown at the ticket window as the Pirates’ attendance is consistently in the bottom third of National League teams. In fact, the last time the Pirates finished first in N.L. attendance was nearly 60 years ago when the team resided near the University of Pittsburgh campus in spacious Forbes Field.

While some locals look upon their baseball team with a disparaging glance, out-of-town guests will revel in the ability to secure great seats in what could be the best “new” ballpark since Oriole Park at Camden Yards was built in 1992.

The baseball-only facility seats 38,365 and offers fans a number of ticket options. Tickets in Section 115 behind home plate are just $27. For a complete fan experience, the Pittsburgh Baseball Club (the first 12 rows of the second deck), such as Section 211, offers club amenities including leather chairs and couches, three bars, pool tables, arcade games, and wonderful food options for $47 per ticket. This is a great outpost for games where temperatures are either too hot or too cold. Fans also can watch the proceedings from three different patio areas on the club level, Club 3000, Gunners Club (a tribute to former Pirates’ announcer Bob Prince) and Keystone Corner.

The Lexus Club, situated in the first 15 rows behind home plate, offers all-inclusive food and non-alcoholic beverages with the price of your ticket. A high-end buffet beneath the stands is available through the third inning, and seat service is offered throughout the game where traditional ballpark fare like hot dogs, peanuts, sodas, and lemonade also are free. Beer and alcoholic beverages are sold in the exclusive area, too.

All attempts to make PNC Park the No. 1 facility in baseball hasn’t yet translated to success on the field, but Pirates employees are hopeful for the future.

“I would say that this is a football town, but we like to think of it as a baseball region,” said Brian Warecki, senior director of business communications for the Pirates. “The folks here are really, really good baseball fans.”

“I think this organization is doing everything it can to put a winner on the field for its fans,” Warecki said. “We are getting there. During the past five years our roster has gotten a lot younger. We like the direction we are going.”

The thriving North Shore has contributed putting both Heinz Field and PNC Park on the destination map for people throughout the Allegheny region. Hotels, restaurants, and corporations have taken to the once unsightly abandoned warehouse district.

Visitors should take a stroll across the Roberto Clemente Bridge (also known as the Sixth Street Bridge), which is closed to vehicles before every Pirates and Steelers home game. Then, venture a couple of blocks to Hyde Park Steak House for a fabulous pre-game meal, or once inside the park, stop by Manny’s Bar-B-Q on the Riverwalk and visit with former Pirate Manny Sanguillen. Sanguillen, a catcher who batted .296 in 13 seasons and won two World Series rings with Pittsburgh, sits leisurely in an easy chair during most games in right centerfield signing autographs for every fan who visits the concession.

As the North Shore continues to develop, Pittsburgh’s PNC Park may offer one of the best combinations in baseball with a great area surrounding the ballpark for before and after the game, and one of the best facilities for watching a game.

This isn’t the Steel City anymore.