Friday, June 10, 2005

Wrigley Field Trivia

Did you know...

...That in 1941 lights were actually delivered to Wrigley Field in order to have night games? (They were never installed because after Pearl Harbor was bombed, owner William Wrigley, Jr. donated them to a shipyard to aid in the war effort.)

...That the first Wrigley Field was actually out here in Los Angeles?

...That almost 100 sites pop up if you Google "Wriggly Field"? (And that apparently none of them are porn sites?)

13 comments:

  1. Maddox looks on so far...Also looks like a home run type day in Wrigley. Wind blowing out. Arroyo better keep the ball down.

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  2. Also, as much as everyone complains about corporate naming rights for ballparks, did you know that Wrigley originally had a ifferent name, but was re-named for Wrigley gum?

    Along the same lines, Fenway was called Fenway less because of the neighorhood, more because the owner at the time also owned the Fenway Insurance Co.

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  3. Also, the park was built not for the Cubs, but for the Chicago Whales of the old Federal League. The Federal League was a start up league that only lasted a couple years, but did manage to entice some quality players - 3 finger Brown, Joe Tinker (of tinker-evers-chance fame) and Hal Chase. they even had Walter Johnson signed but at the last minute he renegotiated with the Senators and stayed there.

    Imagine how interesting it would be now to have a start up league trying to entice guys away. and maybe forcing MLB to allow for more team movement.

    It was called something like Wegman field for a few years and then Cubs Field until it was renamed Wrigley - although (I think) there is some confusion if it was corporate naming or self importance naming (ala Jacobs Field).

    The park was built in 1914, but the cubs did not play there until 1916.

    And I think we have all seen that the Sox have not played there before since the 1918 series was moved to Comiskey to accomodate more fans.

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  4. New Prediction...
    Sox take 1 of 3

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  5. NESN reported on the pregaem that Nomar has requested a private ceremony and that he be presented his rign by Varitek.

    I wonder if "private" means even to the exclusion of theo, mr henry, etc.

    Ingrate. Remember when Nomar allegedly said "they can keep it" and he also has claimed he didn't watch any of the WS.

    Boy do I miss him.














    NOT.

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  6. Man when it goes bad for Arroyo, it sure does it in a hurry.

    When he is on, he is on. But his bad starts are tough.

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  7. I miss Nomar.

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  8. In Nomar's defense, he never said he didn't want it. I believe the initial "reporter" retracted the story. I will look for that.

    He spoke to Boston press this morning. From what I understand the private ceremony was just "not on camera".

    When Nomar was healthy he was unbelievable. He made a good Sox team in to a contender in some years. Then he had strange injuries. He has another doozy this year.

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  9. I've missed most of the game because of a doctor's appointment. Thank god.

    Andrew might miss Nomar, but I miss Arroyo. You know, the other Arroyo who pitched well and won games.

    And also, was Wrigley really named after the gum company? Minor point I know, but I think it's more like Turner Field or Rogers Centre -- named after the team owner, who also gave his name to the company.

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  10. Yikes...Maddox just went deep on Halama...8-2.

    Sox look terrible. They aren't sharp hitting, fielding, or pitching.

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  11. Just get me done with interleague. Every fraking year, we look like pathetic competition in interleague play, especially n NL parks. It's just embarassing, every single year. I wanna homestand.

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  12. OH MY GOD TYING RUN ON FIRST...

    (...assuming they bat around and Olerud gets another AB.)

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