Wrigley Field's evolution

Wrigley Field has changed significantly since it opened in 1914. For more video, visit chicagotribune.com/video, subscribe to this channel, or follow us @TribVideo.

[@artesp1972]

Thanks for the history, my grandfather actually helped planting the ivy there at the park!

[@herbpetrillo163]

What year did they plant the ivy?

[@jodycwilliams]

Been to Wrigley. Absolutely an amazing experience. Even with a lot of the updates, it still felt like stepping back in time and watching the same game people were watching 100 years ago.

[@joevignolor4u949]

I'm a Red Sox fan from Boston, but I'll be making my first trip to Wrigley Field this summer. It will be interesting to see how it compares to Fenway Park. Fenway also has evolved over many years. Only about a third of Fenway is original. Everything else was added later.

[@MFPhoto1]

Last time I was in Finway I missed the first three innings. Not because I came late. I was there for the first pitch. But other fans coming in late blocked my view completely. You won't find that at Wrigley.

[@ultimtdisc]

I want to go to Fenway, as the BoSox became my second favorite team in '75 (yes, my two favorites are the teams that had gone the longest without winning it all).

[@jackholcomb9792]

I hate how everyone is saying that Wrigley isn't Wrigley anymore. The most recent time I've been was in 2016, before they won the series, and both the left field and right field Jumbotrons were built. I knew there were many renovations occurring but I didn't mind because I knew all of the history I was looking at. The dirt and grass that I was feet away from was the same as when Santo, Banks, Jenkins, Sandburg, and Maddux played there, Williams, Cobb, Robinson, heck Babe Ruth supposedly called his shot at Wrigley. So even if you aren't happy with everything happening around the Field, still appreciate the 103 years of history that has occurred on this sacred ground, and thank God that as a Cub fan you get to call this place home.

[@Da219StarWarsGuy]

Jack Holcomb even the playing field has been modernized. The White Sox went over there in 2012 I think and dug up about 25ft of it to install a new drainage system and make the playing surface flat finally instead of being crowned like before. Roger Bossard actually installed his own patented drainage system there.

[@posysdogovych2065]

I agree with you 100%. To add, the perception of Wrigley as a charming park full of history and nostalgia didn't start occurring to anybody until the 1980s. Attendance was around 18,000 in the 1970s and many games didn't even see 10,000 spectators. Wrigleyville was a sketchy, run-down area full of drunks and punks and Wrigley Field was thought of as a dump. The fact that the Cubs nearly moved to Schaumburg would be unthinkable today, and yet it was proposed.

[@ultimtdisc]

Ah, sorry, no, they replaced the turf and dirt in 2013. www.nbcsports.com/chicago/chicago-cubs/cubs-completely-redo-wrigley-playing-surface

[@langwell21]

Jack Holcomb Ty Cobb didn’t play there but point well taken

[@MFPhoto1]

And since this video was posted 10 years ago, even more changes and updates have been made. Still it remains Wrigley.

[@kennyc388]

I an an American League guy but I must say, after watching baseball for many, many years, that Wrigley Field is the most beautiful ball park in the major leagues. It looks like a ballpark and not a gawdy amusement park with their ugly embellishments, hideous signs and scoreboards and crap music. The ivy outfield wall is a real beauty and trademark. Do not mess with Wrigley......leave it the hell alone and enjoy it's historic charm. NOT everything has to change!! The Cubs need to get that World Series title this year.......been waiting way too long! Maybe Cubs/Rangers?

[@timallen609]

TARGET field !

[@mikeoudt3216]

I remember when putting in the lights was a big controversy.

[@dougthegreat1808]

As a life long 3rd generation YANKEE fan, I must say, Chicago fans and their loyalty to the Cubbies is/are number one! Long live Wrigley Field......

[@mariocisneros911]

1:02 i liked how it looked with just 1 scoreboard on top of the bleachers in centerfield

[@user-ez8nj4br7x]

I gonna go visit this beautiful stadium

[@pizzasubs]

This was an amazing video, now, 2015, they are right now in the progress of more major construction of at least the outside of the stadium........

[@23ofSeptember]

I wish Wrigley would have changed the main bleachers behind home plate, gotten rid of the beams, etc and put in more seats in that direction rather then blocked out all the homes outside the outfield. To me, that was what Wrigley was about. They should have bought out those homeowners and actually got people to buy tickets for those rooftop seats.

[@AztecWarrior595]

Hopefully they never tear it down i love Wrigleyfield Fenwaypark Old School

[@briancalifornia1]

Hard to believe that the first night game at Wrigley was in 1988 when other classics like Fenway and Yankee stadium lights were installed well into the 1940's

[@justafanintexas7913]

People refer to Wrigley as a hitter's park and that's true to the "power alleys." Point of fact, Wrigley Field has the longest foul poles in baseball, so if you pull one out of Wrigley it has to go farther than any park in MLB.

[@andypetrovich2155]

Thank you Mr. Veeck for planting ivy. Your goats are always hungry!

[@cumulus1234]

I wish the Reds still had Crosley Field. I do know that Frank Robinson, Tony Perez,and Johnny Bench loved Wrigley Field.

[@cjones3710]

Ok Mr..Dramatic.

[@JaredMusil]

Go sox go! At least we were an underdog when we won and now in 2016 are sponsored by a real Chicago company. Yes the logo sucks but we support our own! Enjoy your win, the city is happy you joined the club! Just remember its one city, two teams, one city.

[@prestonberg9604]

Jared Musil sox suck

[@ultimtdisc]

One city......and the Cubs own it. And the Cubs had been in the club for a long time. What is now? 3-1?

[@tyishayoung5953]

great things

[@LilUltraKataru]

Can y’all Update this for the boys in blue ?

[@clanshepard]

The only thing I dont like about it are the two large advertisement billboards they out out in left and right field. It obscures the once pretty views of the houses and apartments on Waveland and Sheffield Avenues.

[@thorpizzle]

Does anyone else think the Cubs should be allowed to update the hand-operated scoreboard, like make it taller or something, to accommodate all 15 games?

[@corbinanderson6700]

No its a piece of history. We do not need to touch the center scoreboard.

[@Danielspamjam]

yeah...i'd rather not. the necessity is not really there. the operators and stadium operations guys do keep in mind which games are important on a given day.

[@marka.graffakasnakebitenat3736]

They could build a new, old style scoreboard and save the signs, numbers from the old one to use the new one.

[@PLefevre95]

I can't wait to visit this famous stadium;^)

[@joevignolor4u949]

It's been 3 years since your comment. Have you made it to Wrigley yet?

[@phlexcrew]

6 years now have u ever been there haha

[@VivekBabbar]

7 years bro. How was your experience (if there ever was)?

[@patrickhawkinson8399]

9 years now. It must have left you speechless.

[@BobInKC1]

At 4:00 are those stands protruding out in left center?

[@jacobeitel1591]

harry shood sleep in heaven reit?

[@MFPhoto1]

I couldn't see them in that shot, but elsewhere you can see the original bleachers just before they were removed. They were two small sections of field level seats in left-center and right-center, which were only a pop-up from home plate. At the same time, the scoreboard in center was 440 feet from home. I have a copy of a circa 1935 photo of Wrigley which shows the whole thing.

[@marvinsoria3075]

I like the song in the beginning was it called ?? Anyone knows ?

[@toontowwnrewritten4563]

+Marvin Soria light em up

[@marvinsoria3075]

+Toontowwn Rewritten thanks man I got it :)

[@GreatMewtwo]

+Marvin Soria It's actually "Take Me Out to the Ballgame." However, it is an early version of the song that emphasizes the original first verse. When I first heard it, I thought of the NES ports of "Millipede" and "Defender."

[@marvinsoria3075]

+GreatMewtwo me too I thought it was a different song haha, thanks tho :)

[@tompusch3044]

What's that song at 2:11

[@toontowwnrewritten4563]

+Tom “Tomahawk998” Pusch light em up

[@VivekBabbar]

I guess that's Avicii's levels

[@langwell21]

Anyone gunna mention it wasn’t built for the Cubs. It was built for a team in the federal league

[@MmsArlif]

0:00 what's that song?

[@Moteeto]

pause at 3:09 and look to the right you can see a modulator 6024

[@gregb6469]

What is a modulator 6024?

[@acebandagedaclown4215]

I see it

[@acebandagedaclown4215]

Top right.

[@mattbrady4962]

Seems like such a small ballpark

[@UBuyTYFlys]

Brady Hockey 355 in the corners 365 in the gaps 400 dead center try n hit it out if the wind is blowing in

[@justafanintexas7913]

TyTy0991 - Correction. 355 to left field foul pole, 352 to right field foul pole, 368 to each power alley and 400 to center.

[@philchigges2955]

By the 1984 season.we were so fed up with cubs front office we decided not to watch or go there anymore.just one bad trade after another.dallas green was a fiasco.they could've left his butt in philly.so my memories of the park as it was won't be tainted by today's park.light were ok.but as usual cubs owners made park ugly in my opinon.get rid of monitors.

[@MrChrisCarter]

You have to give it up to the Cubs keeping a piece of history rather than get all tech with 1 billion dollar ball parks

[@wrigleygamer9336]

fact my name is wrigley

[@davidlafleche1142]

Like heaven and earth, Wrigley Field did not "evolve." It was intelligently designed! (see Creation Seminar, by Steve Grohman.)

[@leonardbennett9903]

It has evolved into a billboard with seats.

[@simplygu]

I hate the nuveen sign in left field. I also don't care for walk-up music. And, the Cubs have been playing the same songs after a home run or rally for years now. Woomp There It Is & Hold On, I'm Coming. Please add some variety.

[@rushmore120]

The walk-up music is terrible..

[@gregb6469]

Why on earth do they need walk-up and homer music?

[@rentslave]

When are the Cubs going to move out of this dump and move to a stadium where the linemakers will give us the over-under the night before?

[@razwanakram4446]

ACTION BRONSON

[@johnr7587]

Too bad they ruined it with two massive jumbotrons.

[@thereadletter2426]

Way to miss the point of the video. lol

[@stuff_n_thanngs7552]

wrong. they look great. they fit right in

[@RonanOShea]

+ben curtis eh, they are ok but it was much better before. the late 90's/early 2000's with the juniper bushes in center, smaller bleachers, little to no advertising, and a hell of a lot of organ was a real golden era for the ballpark. i still like it, but i wouldn't say giant video boards and nuveen sings "fit right in." the entire allure of the bleachers was the ivy and the sweeping, gradual rise of each side up to the large hand operated scoreboard in center. that is long gone. the outfield is very busy and messy now.

[@johnr7587]

Please explain how they fit right in.

[@Mike-zw5cp]

The jumbotrons are a must have, considering it was the only stadium in pro sports not to have one. I do hate the Nuveen sign though, not that I'm against ads. Budweiser and Under Armor are cool, and that Wintrust sign is cool too because it flashes the W when we win. But I hate that stupid Nuveen sign. WTF is Nuveen? Looks so dumb and out of place.

[@darthdwight3656]

Let’s go Cardinals

[@northernsurferboy]

Rogers Centre is better

[@MikeNapoli1989]

im a cubs fan and I still agree.

[@cookingwithchefjeff]

...than Exhibition Stadium.

[@northernsurferboy]

@@cookingwithchefjeff haha, anything is better then Exhibition Stadium that place sucks

[@williammize8799]

They need a new park

[@BilgePump]

Ruined the place. I’ll never go back

[@MikeNapoli1989]

How was it ruined.

[@somebodyandthem]

So true

[@seanwebb605]

Horrible production values.

[@dme1016]

God, that Cub's song is TERRIBLE! Go Yankees!!