Stadium Report Cards: Wrigley Field

Final entry from my summer road trip.

Team: Chicago Cubs
Location: Chicago, IL
League: NL Central
Built: 1914
Capacity: 42,157
My event: Regular season game, vs Atlanta Braves

1. Outdoor Design

One of the most classic ballparks in baseball, the outer design is awesome. It is very unique, easily identifiable as the great Wrigley Field. The classic red sign out front is priceless. Of course, it also looks old.
8/10

2. Indoor Design

Once again, it is a classic look. It isn’t quite as nice inside though. The concourses are small and old, the transportation system (ramps and such) is bad. The seating is awful. Our seats were right below the upper deck, and you can’t see much of the field. Despite the tradition, it was an uncomfortable experience inside the stadium.
6/10

3. Prices
The prices were very respectable.
8/10

4. Food
The Wrigley Field food was awesome. All of the ballpark classics, plus some great Chicago classics.
9/10

5. Staff
The people at Wrigley are part of the reason it is so great. We went on a tour hours before the game, everyone was so nice and helpful. When we went on the field, the staff was very calm and easy-going, as were the Cubs players themselves.
10/10

6. Cleanliness
Well, you can’t be too clean when you’re almost 100 years old.
4/10

7. Parking
The parking around the stadium is kind of a mess. My tour bus just parked on the street nearby, there aren’t many lots nearby.
3/10

8. Atmosphere
The atmosphere was basically a 15/10. It was incredible. It was the type of thing you could feel, and everyone was having a great time. I thought it couldn’t get any better, until the Cubs won. I wasn’t a Cubs fan going into the game, but I was when I came out.
10/10

9. Playing Surface

The one field I have actually been on. It is ok, but still has an old feeling to it.
6/10

10. Scoreboard

It couldn’t see the scoreboard very well from my seats due to the overhang. There are small scoreboards under the decks for the people in the seats, but they are bad quality. The classic scoreboard was pretty cool, they still change the numbers out by hand.
6/10


Wrigley gets a 70, thanks to a great atmosphere and a great staff. And that concludes my summer road trip!