Take Me Out to the Ball Game is a CubsDNA series where our staff visits ball parks . Today, Tina takes you on the way back machine (again!) to Wrigley Field in 2004.
Back in the early 2000's, if you lived in Wrigleyville or Lakeview, you might get an invitation to tour Wrigley Field. It was a neighborly gesture, done especially after Wrigley had its lights installed in 1988, which turned the neighborhood into a zoo. In 2004, my friend got such an invitation, so a few months after our Spring Training trip to Mesa, she invited me to tour Wrigley with her.
What I remember about the tour is when we got onto the field, we got to go just about everywhere. It was such a thrill to be on the field. We didn't get to run the bases tho, darn it. It had rained the night before and they didn't want us tearing up the infield. However, we were able to go all around the stadium, sometimes unescorted.
Put me in coach!
It was a dream to play catch in the outfield and goof around.
We also got to see the clubhouse. I mean... this was worse than the locker rooms at my high school! We also got to see why visiting teams hated visiting Wrigley. Their locker room was way far away, so they had a urinal right in the tunnel. LOL
One of these days, I'll need to do a tour of the newly renovated Wrigley. But will they let me play catch in the outfield?