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Only behind Fenway Park in Boston, Wrigley Field is the second oldest park of all the MLB Stadiums. The Chicago Cubs have called Wrigley Field home for over a century. Named initially Weeghman Park, it was home to the Chicago Whales of the Federal League from 1914-1915.
When the league folded, Charles Weeghman formed an association with William Wrigley Jr. and his ball club, the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs moved into Weeghman Park in 1916. After Wrigley acquired controlling interest in the Cubs in 1918, he renamed the grounds Wrigley Field after the 1926 season.
The Cubs have played there since they moved in and have no signs of leaving anytime soon. Wrigley Field has been a staple tourist attraction in Chicago longer than most have been alive. It wasn’t always as pretty as now, but it has almost always been home.
After acquiring the team from the Chicago Tribune in 2009, the Ricketts family has sunk a lot of money and resources into Wrigley Field and the surrounding neighborhood we know as “Wrigleyville.” New bars, restaurants, and entertainment facilities can be found at every corner. However, the establishments that made the neighborhood what it was all along remain. It’s the perfect blend of history and modernization.
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Many have tried to replicate it, and none have succeeded. But there are very nice MLB Stadiums all over the country. USA Today ranked them from best to worst, and Wrigley Field proves that newer isn’t always better.
Wrigley Field Ranks Third Best Of All MLB Stadiums
Of all thirty MLB Stadiums, Wrigley Field ranks third best. It sits behind top-ranked PNC Park in Pittsburgh and Oracle Park in San Francisco. Rounding out the top five are Camden Yards in Baltimore and Fenway Park in Boston. The worst-ranked parks are our South Side friends, Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, and the Oakland Coliseum.
PNC and Oracle are a combined 47 years old. When Wrigley was 47, John F. Kennedy was President, there were only eighteen teams in the league, and the New York Yankees defeated the Cincinnati Reds to win their 19th World Series. Oh, and Twitter cell phones weren’t a thing.
Walking into the Friendly Confines of Wrigley Field is like walking into a time machine – but you get to keep all of your technology. It’s a beautiful blend of modernization and history unlike anywhere else. When you sit in your seat, you’re sitting in the same place someone watched Babe Ruth call his shot. When you dance to the “Y.M.C.A.,” it’s the same place thousands did over forty years ago. And when that “W” flag goes up on the old scoreboard, it’s the same as it did almost ninety years ago.
Wrigley Field is a different place. Many MLB stadiums will try to replicate it, but no one will ever be able to do so.
