Wrigley Field The Centennial

Originally called Weeghman Park, Wrigley Field hosted its first game in 1914, and the 2014 season marks the 100th anniversary of baseball's second oldest ballpark. In Wrigley Field: The Centennial, Les Krantz tells the story of Wrigley's first 100 years—from the origins of the ivy on the outfield walls and ballpark traditions such as throwing back home run balls to Ruth's called shot in the 1933 World Series and unforgettable moments featuring stars Ernie Banks, Ron Santo, Billy Williams, Ryne Sandberg, Greg Maddux, and more. Featuring numerous photographs, Wrigley's first century is beautifully documented and an originally produced DVD narrated by Lou Boudreau Jr. and Ron Santo Jr. features footage from throughout the stadium's history and interviews with Jack Brickhouse, Ron Santo, Ernie Banks, and others.

In spring 1914, a new ballpark opened in Chicago. Hastily constructed after epic political maneuvering around Chicago’s and organized baseball’s hierarchies, the new Weeghman Park (named after its builder, fast-food magnate Charley Weeghman) was home to the Federal League’s Chicago Whales. The park would soon be known as Wrigley Field, one of the most emblematic and controversial baseball stadiums in America. In Wrigley Field: The Long Life and Contentious Times of the Friendly Confines, Stuart Shea provides a detailed and fascinating chronicle of this living historic landmark. The colorful history revealed in Wrigley Field shows how the stadium has evolved through the years to meet the shifting priorities of its owners and changing demands of its fans. While Wrigley Field today seems irreplaceable, we learn that from game one it has been the subject of endless debates over its future, its design, and its place in the neighborhood it calls home. To some, it is a hallowed piece of baseball history; to others, an icon of mismanagement and ineptitude. Shea deftly navigates the highs and lows, breaking through myths and rumors. And with another transformation imminent, he brings readers up to date on negotiations, giving much-needed historical context to the maneuvering. Wrigley Field is packed with facts, stories, and surprises that will captivate even the most fair-weather fan. From dollar signs (the Ricketts family paid $900 million for the team and stadium in 2009), to exploding hot dog carts (the Cubs lost that game 6–5), to the name of Billy Sianis’s curse-inducing goat (Sonovia), Shea uncovers the heart of the stadium’s history. As the park celebrates its centennial, Wrigley Field continues to prove that its colorful and dramatic history is more interesting than any of its mythology.

What is the oldest ballpark in the National League? Whose famous scoreboard is still operated by hand? Whose outfield has ivy-covered redbrick walls ready to snatch home run dreams away from a batter? If you’re a baseball fan and live anywhere in the Midwest, you know the answer. It’s Wrigley Field in Chicago! Just in time to celebrate the April ’14 centennial of its opening day comes W is for Wrigley: A Friendly Confines Alphabet, an alphabetical tribute to the home of the Chicago Cubs baseball team. As one of only two major league stadiums to host baseball for at least 100 seasons, Wrigley Field has seen a lot of baseball history, including memorable Crosstown Classics and pitching feats by Kerry Wood, Ferguson Jenkins, and Greg Maddux. From the fans’ chant of “Go, Cubs, Go!” to the “Hey, Hey” home run call of longtime announcer Jack Brickhouse, baseball fans will enjoy reading about the field’s history, features, and momentous events.

The first major league baseball game to take place at what is now called Wrigley Field occurred on April 23, 1914, on 4,000 yards of soil and four acres of bluegrass. Though the area may have shrunk, Chicago’s love for the iconic Wrigley Field has only grown in the past century. In honor of the legendary ballpark's 100th birthday, the Chicago Tribune staff has compiled a breathtaking tribute to Wrigley Field, including historical photos, archival articles, and new content from the newspaper's award-winning journalists. Beyond the Ivy: 100 Years of Wrigley Field is a beautifully illustrated collection that captures the timeless charm of the "Friendly Confines." With contributions from beloved Chicago Tribune writers like Mike Royko, Christopher Borrelli, Paul Sullivan, Phil Vettel, and more, this book is a dazzling celebration of a national landmark and the gem of Chicago's north side. Stories of homers and blunders, heroes and villains, and triumph and tragedy are spread throughout this book, allowing readers to relive all their favorite memories right in the palm of their hands. From the time the plot of land bound by the streets Clark, Addison, Sheffield, and Waveland was the Chicago Lutheran Theological Seminary, to the construction of Weeghman Park and its renaming as Wrigley Field, this stadium has not only hosted baseball, football, and hockey, but also a century's worth of ever-changing trends in music, food, and fashion. Readers can finally join in on Wrigley's centennial celebration with this entertaining and fascinating book detailing what may very well be Chicago’s greatest contribution to baseball. Beyond the Ivy, in tracing the roots of Major League Baseball's second oldest ballpark, has created a testament that—much like the cherished construction it profiles—will surely stand the test of time.

The dramatic story of a legendary 1979 slugfest between the Chicago Cubs and the Philadelphia Phillies, full of runs, hits, and subplots, at the tipping point of a new era in baseball history It was a Thursday at Chicago’s Wrigley Field, mostly sunny with the wind blowing out. Nobody expected an afternoon game between the Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago Cubs on May 17, 1979, to be much more than a lazy early-season contest matching two teams heading in opposite directions—the first-place Phillies and the Cubs, those lovable losers—until they combined for thirteen runs in the first inning. “The craziest game ever,” one player called it. “And then the second inning started.” Ten Innings at Wrigley is Kevin Cook’s vivid account of a game that could only have happened at this ballpark, in this era, with this colorful cast of heroes and heels: Hall of Famers Mike Schmidt and Bruce Sutter, surly slugger Dave Kingman, hustler Pete Rose, unlucky Bill Buckner, scarred Vietnam vet Garry Maddox, troubled relief pitcher Donnie Moore, clubhouse jester Tug McGraw, and two managers pulling out what was left of their hair. It was the highest-scoring ballgame in a century, and much more than that. Bringing to life the run-up and aftermath of a contest The New York Times called “the wildest in modern history,” Cook reveals the human stories behind the game—and how money, muscles and modern statistics were about to change baseball forever.

A collection of baseball tales, including highlights from the exciting 2015 season.

Now with bonus material on the Chicago Cubs' World Series win, the New York Times-bestselling history of America's most beloved baseball stadium, Wrigley Field, and the Cubs’ century-long search for World Series glory In A Nice Little Place on the North Side, leading columnist George Will returns to baseball with a deeply personal look at his hapless Chicago Cubs and their often beatified home, Wrigley Field, as it enters its second century. Baseball, Will argues, is full of metaphors for life, religion, and happiness, and Wrigley is considered one of its sacred spaces. But what is its true, hyperbole-free history? Winding beautifully like Wrigley’s iconic ivy, Will’s meditation on “The Friendly Confines” examines both the unforgettable stories that forged the field’s legend and the larger-than-life characters—from Wrigley and Ruth to Veeck, Durocher, and Banks—who brought it glory, heartbreak, and scandal. Drawing upon his trademark knowledge and inimitable sense of humor, Will also explores his childhood connections to the team, the Cubs’ future, and what keeps long-suffering fans rooting for the home team after so many years of futility. In the end, A Nice Little Place on the North Side is more than just the history of a ballpark. It is the story of Chicago, of baseball, and of America itself.