Tag / Wrigley Field

by admin

Games Per Stadium By Year

With the 2023 season officially in the rearview mirror, let’s take a look at the number of games I’ve attended each year at one of the now-29 different stadiums I’ve visited over the years.

Games Per Stadium Per Year

GameYear StadiumName TotalGames
2008 US Cellular Field 46
2003 Wrigley Field 46
Surprise playoff runs for the White Sox in 2008 and the Cubs in 2003 led to what remains my highest single season totals ever, boosted by post-season play.
2021 Guaranteed Rate Field 44
My highest-post-pandemic total, helped in part by a division champion and the desire to get back to the ballpark following the lockdown of 2020.
2007 Wrigley Field 43
2004 Wrigley Field 41
My highest non-playoff total saw me attending over half of the home games for the Cubs in 2004.
2011 US Cellular Field 40
2009 US Cellular Field 40
2010 US Cellular Field 36
2005 Wrigley Field 34
2008 Wrigley Field 34
2017 Guaranteed Rate Field 33
2016 US Cellular Field 32
2006 US Cellular Field 32
2023 Guaranteed Rate Field 32
2015 US Cellular Field 31
2012 US Cellular Field 31
2007 US Cellular Field 29
2014 US Cellular Field 28 Continue reading →
by admin

Fitbit IX – Week 35

A successful week, garnering my highest step total since my trip to Seattle back in June.  Despite a trip out to Anderson’s Bookshop to meet Millie Bobby Brown, Sunday ended up a disappointment, needing 2 additional steps just to get to 2600.  Monday saw a nice improvement, coming 27 steps shy of 5400 thanks in part to a lunch trip to the mall.  A post-work trip to Wrigley Field, my final visit of the regular season, pushed me up over 8300 steps on Tuesday.  Wednesday fell back down to a now-normal 4000 steps.  Thursday also came in just over 4000 steps, despite a 2-hour drive to Lafayette after work.  Friday turned into my second 10,000 step day of the year, finishing just 15 steps shy of 11,700 thanks to a remote working day followed by Purdue football losing once again to Wisconsin.  A morning walk about campus followed by breakfast with Danny before heading home led to 4200 steps on Saturday.

Total steps: 40,262

Daily average: 5751.7

by admin

Fitbit IX – Week 34

A pretty good week, as I managed to surpass my daily goal twice while putting up my second-highest weekly total of the year.  A trip to Wrigley Field with old friends on Sunday got the week off to a great start, coming 10 steps away from 7600 steps.  Predictably, Monday’s total fell off just a little bit, dropping to 3500 steps.  Tuesday improved on that total, jumping up to 3600 steps.  A trip to the office on Wednesday pushed me up over 4600 steps.  Thursday went down a little, finishing with 4100 steps.  Friday saw a nice increase, going up to 4400 steps.  My first Purdue football game of the season led to a big surge on Saturday, ending the day 24 steps shy of 7800.

Total steps: 35,765

Daily average: 5109.3

by admin

Fitbit IX – Week 33

A nice bounce back, thanks to a couple trips out to the ballpark.  An unsatisfying trip to Guaranteed Rate Field on Sunday got the week off to a decent start with 5400 steps.  Monday’s total fell off just a little, coming just 27 steps short of 4300.  An after-work trip to Wrigley Field on Tuesday led to my best total of the week with 7100 steps. Things came back down to Earth on Wednesday, finishing 15 steps away from 4300.  Thursday was the low point of the week, needing 2 additional steps just to reach 3000.  Friday saw a small increase, going up to 3300 steps.  A trip out to dinner on Saturday helped drive a much bigger increase, coming 23 steps shy of 4700.

Total steps: 32,187

Daily average: 4598.1

by admin

Fitbit IX – Week 30

After two down weeks, I got back up above 30,000 steps for the week.  Things got off to a good start on Sunday as I finished with over 5200 steps thanks to a trip to Guaranteed Rate Field.  Monday fell off a bit, dropping down to 3700 steps.  The second round of Crosstown kicked off at Wrigley Field on Tuesday, leaving me just 9 steps short of 6800.  Things dropped off a little on Wednesday, coming in at 5,555 steps as my seats were closer to the Red Line stop.  Thursday saw big drop, needing 7 additional steps just to get to 3600.  Things were ever worse on Friday as I fell to 2700 steps.  Saturday saw a nice increase, jumping up to 4300 steps.

Total steps: 31,967

Daily average: 4566.7

by admin

Looking Ahead To 2024

Using the extra off day in the All-Star break, Major League Baseball released their tentative 2024 schedule on Thursday.  For the second year in a row, MLB is keeping with a balanced schedule, playing 52 games against division opponents, 64 games against non-division opponents in the same league, and 46 interleague games, with series against every team in the opposite league.  With the White Sox entering an uncertain second half of 2023 following a disappointing year and a half during what should have been the prime of their contention window, and the Cubs looking to take the next step forward in their rebuild, the 2024 season looks to be an interesting time in the city of Chicago.  So, for one day, at least, let’s turn our attention to next summer for both teams.

The White Sox open their season on March 28 against the Tigers, kicking off a six-game homestand that also features the Braves.

Aside from the Braves, the new interleague schedule sees the Pirates, Reds, Dodgers, Braves, Mets, Rockies, and Nationals travelling to Chicago, while the White Sox will go on the road to face the Phillies, Marlins, Cardinals, Brewers, Diamondbacks, and Padres. The rivalry with their north side foes continues with a two-game series at Wrigley Field in early June followed by a mid-August tilt at Guaranteed Rate Field that leaves both teams the rare Sunday off-day.

After a west coast trip in mid-September, the season wraps up with a mid-week home battle against the Angels followed by a trip to Detroit to finish up the year.

On the north side, the Cubs also open their season on March 28, heading out on the road for the first time in five years to battle the Rangers.  After a three-game series, they open the home portion of the schedule against the Rockies.

Aside from the Rangers, the Cubs will head out on the road to face the Mariners, Orioles, Guardians, Red Sox, and Royals, while the A’s, Twins, Angels, Yankees, Blue Jays, and Tigers will be coming to Wrigley.

Only six of their 26 games in September are against their NL Central rivals, which could make a difference if the Cubs find themselves in contention.  They end the year with a three-game tilt at home against the Reds.

by admin

Fitbit IX – Week 23

Another decent week, as I managed to extend my streak of 30,000-step weeks to seven.  Things got off to a pretty good start on Sunday, finishing with 5200 steps thanks to a tilt between Sox Red and White at Guaranteed Rate Field.  Monday slowed down a bit, dropping to 3700 steps.  A slight increase on Tuesday left me just 19 steps shy of 4200.  A last-minute request on Wednesday led me to sitting at the computer most of the day, needing 16 more steps just to get to 2100.  Eleven days of vacation started on Thursday, with an afternoon meet and greet session at Wrigley Field with Nico Hoerner followed by a nighttime game between the Cubs and the Phillies pushed me up to 9600 steps, easily the high point of the week.  Friday saw a huge drop, going down to 2800 steps.  A slight rebound on Saturday ended the week with 3900 steps.

Total steps: 31,640

Daily average: 4520

by admin

Get Your Bets In (Well, Not Quite Yet)

Back in 2001, the Cubs received approval to build a two-story, 22,350-square-foot structure at the corner of Sheffield and Addison, which would be home to a DraftKings Sportsbook at Wrigley Field.  This week, that sportsbook took a big step closer to becoming a reality, opening to the public as a sports bar while waiting for approval from the Illinois Gaming Board.  To align with Major League Baseball rules, the building is open to anyone 21 and over, with no ticket to that day’s game necessary.  At the present time, there is no way to cross from the sportsbook into Wrigley Field itself.

I’m sure at some point I will make a visit, even if it is just to sample the menu, provided by Levy.  The place appeared to be packed following last night’s Cubs game as I walked past on my way to the El, which bodes well for both DraftKings and the Cubs.

by admin

A Win Off The Field

The Cubs scored a victory in court last week as a federal judge ruled that the billion-dollar renovation of Wrigley Field did not violate the Americans with Disabilities Act.  The decision follows an April trial that came nearly six years after a Chicago attorney filed suit against the team on behalf of his son, who is confined to a wheelchair due to muscular dystrophy, claiming that the extensive renovations did not provide enough accessible seating to comply with the ADA.

With a listed capacity of 39,510, Wrigley Field would be required to have at least 209 accessible seats to meet ADA standards.  In his ruling, the judge notes that there at least 210 accessible seats (the Cubs claim there are 225) and that an April site visit “impressed upon the Court the variety of locations and views on offer for patrons who require accessible seating, as well as that ‘friendly confines’ feeling that is unique to Wrigley Field.”

In a statement, Cubs spokesperson Julian Green said that the team was “grateful for today’s decision and its validation of our belief we followed accessibility guidelines throughout the 1060 Project.”  The team is not out of the woods completely, though, as last July, the U.S. attorney’s office in Chicago filed a separate lawsuit against the Cubs, claiming the renovations at Wrigley Field violated federal law by failing to make the park “appropriately accessible” to fans with disabilities.  That lawsuit is ongoing.

by admin

Fitbit IX – Week 21

A tremendous week, as I put up my best total since my Hawaii trip in February of last year.  The week got off to a good start thanks to a trip to Guaranteed Rate Field to watch the White Sox battle the Marlins, leaving me with 5600 steps.  Monday saw a slight decline, dropping to 4600 steps.  A trip in to work on Tuesday helped put me back over 5000 steps.  Wednesday night saw me travel down to Wrigley Field, which left me 14 steps shy of 6900.  Thursday was the low day of the week, finishing with just 3700 steps.  A trip to O’Hare, followed by a flight to Seattle and visits to Pike Place Market and T-Mobile Park to see the White Sox battle the Mariners ended a mere 11 steps away from 10,300, my first 10,000 step day of the year and my first on the mainland since 2021.  Despite a return trip to the ballpark teamed with a trip to the Space Needle, Saturday saw a slight drop-off, but still managed to be well above goal, needing just 4 steps to reach 8600.

Total steps: 44,802

Daily average: 6400.3