Oct 29 2016

World Series 2016 Game 4: Indians @ Cubs

Surprisingly enough Wrigley Field is not the oldest active Major League Ball Park. That would be Fenway which I’ve been to a few times and is remarkable for its physical smallness besides (old) Yankee Stadium (a creaky vast minepit) and Shea (a modernist version of the same with long skinny escalators that never failed to kill 1 or 2 people a season).

Fenway opened 2 years before Wrigley (1912 to 1914) and has always been home to the Red Sox, but Wrigley belonged to the Federal League Whales who went belly up the year after it opened becoming host to the Cubs only in 1916, 8 years after their last World series title.

It’s called Wrigley after William Wrigley Jr. who was kind of the Steinbrenner of the Cubs between 1921 and 1932. Yeah, he’s the gum guy and originally gave it away as a bonus for buying his scouring powder (yum) and baking soda. He also was one of the prime developers of Catalina Island in California.

What Wrigley is know for today is the ivy covered brick outfield wall and the frequently asked question is- so what happens if they lose a ball in there? Well, truth is that it’s only about a couple of inches deep so it’s quite unlikely and also it’s a Ground Rule Double just like any quirky hit that touches the field of play before exiting the boundaries of the park.

It is in fact nick-named “The Friendly Confines” though that’s kind of a generic term like Kleenex or Xerox today for any team’s Home Field. The phrase was popularized by Ernie Banks, “Mr. Cub”, who was the Cubs first Black player and also played with the Negro League Monarchs and the Harlem Globetrotters Basketball team.

Most of the other throwback goodness of Wrigley has fallen to modernization. It was the last Major League Ball Park to install artificial lighting for night games in 1988 (the Regular Season schedule is still weighted to day games). It was also the last to install a mechanical scoreboard though the old hand operated one is operated in parallel out of tradition and sentiment.

One of the more interesting community traditions is that many of the 3 and 4 story Brownstones in the neighborhood (which is called Wrigleyville) have Bleacher Seats installed on the roof by the owners and because of nostalgia and quaintness they are some of the most sought after. This year they are a sold out bargain averaging about $3000 for all three games as opposed to the same just for Standing Room at the Park.

rustymancuso581

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  1. Vent Hole

  2. Another balmy, breezy night in Chicago. It’s 61 F with wind from the North at 3 gusting to 7. Chance of rain after the game ends

  3. First Pitch Ball

  4. We start with a Ground Out

  5. Top of the 1st: John Lackey pitching for the Cubs

  6. Rajal Divis grounded out to rd baseman

  7. Swinging. 2

  8. Kipnis struck out. 2 outs

  9. Lindor struck out to end the top of the 1st

  10. KO. Bottom 1st

  11. Bottom of the 1st: Corey Kluber pitching for Cleveland

  12. First Pitch Strike

  13. Dexter Fowler lead off double

  14. A Leadoff Double. Good Start!

  15. Kris Bryant flies out to left field

  16. Fly. 1

  17. Anthony Rizzo RBI single

    Cubs 1 – Cleveland 0

  18. RBI Single. Cubs 1 – 0.

  19. Ben Zobrist flies out to left center 2 out

  20. Long Fly. 2

  21. Rizzo steals 2nd

  22. Steal

  23. KO. Top 2nd

  24. Willson Contreras struck out to end the 1st inning.

    Cubs 1 – Cleveland 0

  25. Top of the 2nd: John Lackey pitching for the Cubs

  26. Carlos Santana lead of home run.

    Cubs 1 – Cleveland 1

  27. Leadoff Solo Shot. Tied at 1. Shit.

  28. Jose Ramirez grounds out

  29. Lonnie Chisenhall singles with 1 out

  30. Ground Out for 1

  31. Error. Runner at 1st

  32. Roberto Perez grounded out. 2 outs

  33. Sacrifice. Runner to 2nd

  34. Tyler Naquin intentionally walked

  35. Intentional Pass

  36. Corey Kluber RBI single.. Chisenhall scores; Naquin to 3rd

    Cleveland 2 – Cubs 1

  37. Throwing Error. RBI. Indians 2 – 1. Shit again.

  38. Runners at Corners

  39. Bottom 2nd

  40. Rajal Davis grounds out to end the top of the 2nd

    Cleveland 2 – Cubs 1

  41. Bottom of the 2nd: Corey Kluber pitching for Cleveland

  42. Addison Russell lines out to right.

  43. Fly Out. 1

  44. 1 On 1 Out

  45. Fielder’s Choice

  46. Jason Heyward singles on a ground ball

  47. Nope. Double Play. Top 3rd

  48. Jason Baez grounds into a forced out. Heyward out at 2nd to end the 2nd inning.

    Cleveland 2 – Cubs 1

  49. Top of the 3rd: John Lackey pitching for the Cubs

  50. Kipnis lead off double

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