Wrigley Field - from a Red Sox Fans Point of View

Growing up a Red Sox fan, I have always been a fan of the old time feel of Fenway Park. The nostalgic feel when walking through make you feel like you are at Fenway and Ted Williams is batting. It so happens that my future husband grew up in Chicago and has always felt the same about Wrigley Field. The lucky girl that I am on a trip to Chicago for my birthday this year he surprised me with tickets.

Getting to finally see Wrigley Field from the inside was something that I was longing to do. Fenway is the oldest park in baseball today built in 1910. Wrigley Field is a close second being built in 1914. This is not the only parallel between the two teams. Both cities are great sports towns, with loyal fans and historic moments. Of course the more notable parallel is their drought from winning the World Series or as fans refer to it "curses".

For the Red Sox it was the "curse of the Bambino" and for the Cubs the "curse of the Billy Goat". Luckily for the Red Sox we broke the curse in 2004, however the Cubs have not been so lucky. As a Red Sox fan however I along with many others in Red Sox Nation can sympathize with the Cubs and the frustration that they including my fiancée feel as a Cubs fans.

Part of this anguish is what makes the fans so devoted and loyal. After all, year after year when disappointment is felt you still say "there is always next year". That being said the atmosphere at Wrigley (especially in April when hopes are high) is one of excitement and hope that this could be the year.

I had been in "Wrigleyville" at the end of last year but being that there were not games it was not the same experience. This time it was electric. Walking around the park prior to the game I felt right at home only this time surrounded by Cubs fans. The experience was amazing watching tens of thousands of fans gear up for the game.

The game itself was not a letdown either. Fortunate enough to have sun at an afternoon game in April, the weather was nice, the company was fantastic and the field itself and its atmosphere did not disappoint. Watching the game from some great seats in at the end of the third base side toward left field, you could see everything.

Like Fenway, Wrigley is not a huge stadium like the newer stadiums housing the amount of fans that football stadiums do. It still has more stands than Fenway and has quite a few rooftops (an ingenious idea) for fans to rent and watch the games. The rooftops help make Wrigley feel quite a bit larger than Fenway, however like Fenway unless there is a pole in front of you there is not a bad seat in the house.

The ivy along the wall had not come into full bloom in April, but I am looking forward to seeing it in all of its green glory the next time we are in Chicago. While I will always be a true Red Sox fan deep down inside if the Red Sox can win this year then why can't the Cubs?

Wrigley is an amazing place for Cubs fans and the rest of us. It is truly a monument in terms of baseball's great places and should be cherished as such.

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_Major_League_Baseball's_oldest_ballpark
http://sports.espn.go.com/travel/stadium/index?venue=mlb_16