They say that baseball is as American as apple pie. The game of baseball conjures up images of some of the great men of sports – Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Mickey Mantle, Sandy Koufax and countless others. The ballparks where baseball is played have a historical aspect of their own. Wrigley Field in Chicago is one of these parks.
Wrigley Field was built in 1914 and is the oldest baseball park in the country, only second to Fenway Park in Boston. Then it was known as Weeghman Park and was home to the Chicago Whales, a Federal League baseball team. The Chicago Cubs began playing there in 1916. The Chicago Bears called Wrigley Field home from 1921 to 1970. It was the first park with a permanent food concession stand. It bears the name of chewing gum magnate William Wrigley Jr.
Restoration required at Wrigley Field
Over the years, Wrigley Field has been the site of many baseball games, not to mention other events. These events have taken a toll on the famed park and its field is suffering from wear and tear. To help keep Wrigley Field in operation, and to keep a long-standing Chicago tradition going, the services of Roger Bossard, the so-called Sodfather, were required.
Read More about Wrigley Field’s Restoration
For baseball park history buffs, or for fans of the game, an interesting article about the Wrigley Field restoration project can be found at the Smithsonian Magazine. To read it, log on to http://www.smithsonianmag.com/.
National Archives, Cleopatra, Quincy Jones, Wrigley Field, Diane Arbus, the Phantom of the Opera
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