Wrigley Field
The Long Life and Contentious Times of the Friendly Confines
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.
About the Author
Stuart Shea is an editor and contributor to "The Baseball Encyclopedia: The Complete and Definitive Record of Major League Baseball", "The Emerald Guide to Baseball", "Who's Who in Baseball", and "SABR's Baseball Research Journal". He lives in Chicago, twenty-four blocks north of Wrigley Field.
Reviews
"Unlike any other venue, Wrigley Field has been a second home for generations of fans, a paragon of modern convenience turned baseball's ultimate wayback machine, a status symbol for social climbers and corporate muscle alike. Shea's book is the perfect history of the place that reflects Chicago's past and future, its failures and its aspirations" – Christina Kahrl, co-founder of Baseball Prospectus
"Most ballpark books are like junk food – hundreds of empty calories of glossy photos and told-a-million-times anecdotes. They sate your appetite briefly without feeding your brain. But Stuart Shea's 'Wrigley Field' is a Thanksgiving feast for baseball fans. The book is saturated with culture and passion, flavor and spice, all lovingly created by a master chef. This is history to be savored: a winning combination of intimate knowledge, amazing detail, relevant context, and expert storytelling" – Gary Gillette, editor of "The Baseball Encyclopedia"
"Home of the Cubs, world's greatest ballpark, Chicago's largest beer garden, bucket list-worthy tourist attraction, field of (broken) dreams, enduring monument to enduring failure – Wrigley Field is all of these things, and of course so much more. Stuart Shea's witty, informative, and deeply entertaining book gives the Friendly Confines the tribute it deserves" – Dan Epstein, author of "Big Hair and Plastic Grass: A Funky Ride Through Baseball and America in the Swinging '70s"
