Wrigley Field is one of the oldest ballparks in America and is undisputably one of the most famous. It was built in 1914 and still has the same character that it's had for over 105 years. Renovations have been done to ensure that the building stays intact and up to date, but overall the "vibe" of Wrigley Field is very much old yet charming. The ivy covered walls give a special touch to the field along with the old scoreboard and scenery behind it. Wrigley Field is also famous for its' day games. The park didn't have any permanent lights until 1988, playing their first nighttime game 74 years after the construction of the park. Because of this, Wrigley Field day games are much more popular than night games.
Apart from the structure of Wrigley Field, it is the fans that make the park so great. Historically the Cubs have not been the most successful baseball team, enduring a 108 year drought of a World Series title from 1908 to 2016, the longest drought in professional sports history. However, the spirit of cubs fans that is present at Wrigley is unlike any other ballpark. Even during the rough decades of the 60s and the 90s, the park was always been packed with eager fans excited to watch the Cubbies. This makes Wrigley Field so amazing and creates such a special environment.
Before the Cubs won the World Series in 2016, it was a popular belief amongst fans that the Cubs were cursed which is why they were incapable of winning a title. Legend has it that in 1945, owner of the Billy Goat Tavern, William Sianis, brought his billy goat to a baseball game. The goat was not allowed inside the park and Sianis was asked to leave. Supposedly, Sianis said out of rage that "Them Cubs, they ain't gonna win no more." The Cubs lost the NL pennant that year, and thus the "Curse of the Billy Goat" was established.
Another spooky moment at Wrigley Field was in 1969, when a black cat ran onto the field during a crucial game against the Mets. The Cubs were first in the NL at this point, just a slim 1.5 games ahead. After this incident, the cubs went 8-17 in September, losing their spot at top of the NL and missing yet another year in the postseason. Cubs fans were sure that this black cat was bad luck and cursed the rest of the season
Another epic collapse of the cubs was in 2003 during the NLCS. During game 6 of the series with the Cubs up 3-2, Marlins batter Luis Castillo hit a high foul ball that would've been the 2nd out of the 8th inning if it were caught. Steve Bartman, a dedicated cubs fan, reached out and grabbed the ball, preventing Cubs outfielder Moisés Alou from catching it. Cubs players and fans were furious, and the Marlins ended up scoring 8 runs that inning, coming back from a 3-0 deficit in the game. After the cubs were eliminated in Game 7, the "Steve Bartman incident" became known as the first domino to fall that contributed to yet another cubs collapse. Bartman was shamed by Chicago unfortunately and was never seen at another cubs game. To make up for all the harm that was done to Bartman's life, the Cubs organization mailed Bartman a world series ring when they won in 2016 as a form of apology.
All of these historic curses and collapses might be seen as negative towards the Cubs organization, but I mention them to demonstrate just how monumental it was when the Cubs finally overcame their curses and won the World Series in 2016. The game was an epic 7 game thriller and will go down in history as the most important sports game to everyone in Chicago and every Cubs fan around the world. It signified the end of the drought and brought joy to a community of fans that had been so disappointed by the "lovable losers" for 108 years.
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