Away Days

Hello again, after a three week hiatus it's time to rate another sporting venue. After weeks of exclusively reviewing football stadia, I thought it would be good to rate an American venue. So I decided to start with a baseball park, the iconic Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs, and one of the oldest sporting homes in the USA. It oozes charisma, from it's old 1920's welcome sign, past it's ivy covered outfield walls, to its huge hand operated scoreboard and the bleacher seats built on the roofs of surrounding buildings for illicit viewing. It is within spitting distance of the Loop train network and situated smack in the middle of a residential neighbourhood. Before the game the place is crawling with street vendors hawking everything from merchandise and tickets to packets of peanuts, and there are more bars than you could shake a stick at. Inside the place is cosy, and you can buy grub from just about any corner of the globe. I recommend the massive pretzels that keep you thirsty for the oversize beers on sale. The team itself are best known for there streak of ineptitude, they haven't won, a world series for 100 years, and even when they get close to breaking this duck, usually mange to blow it in a spectacular style. This has given rise to the "Billy Goat Curse" which legend has that when a local fan and his goat, who he had bought a seat for, were ejected during the 1945 World Series versus the Detroit Tigers. As he was shown the door, he cursed the Cubs "the Cubs ain't gonna win no more" and to this day have never made it back to baseball finals. Of course because they haven't been successful for so long, they have become lovable underdogs. The only thing to be wary of is the wind blowing in off the lake. The day I went it was freezing cold. Anyhow, enough history, this has got to be the ultimate place to watch a ball game. Fenway Park in Boston is just as old and storied, but I have yet to visit, and Yankee Stadium is to pulled down at the end of the season. All I know is American Frank has been to all three and rates Wrigley as the pick of the bunch. So if you are ever in Chicago during the summer, and the Cubs are in town (and if you can score tickets) get yourself down there. It doesn't matter if you don't understand all the rules, it is an American must.

Statistics

• Capacity-41,116
  
• Concessions-This is America, baby, and the food and drink stalls are out of this world. Hell, they even have folk walking around the place who will bring your grub and beer to your seat. The beer is a little on the pricey side, but show me a sports team that doesn't overcharge. The food ranges from peanuts to pizzas.
  
• Built-1914, for the princely sum of $250,000
  
• Did You Know?- Wrigley was the last park to install floodlights, not hosting a night game until 1988
  
• Visited By-Big Al, American Frank and Euro Bri
  
• Rating-Mount Olympus-This place has everything-History, Location, Looks and although it doesn't have the atmosphere of a footie game, it still buzzes. As I have said above, an absolute must see for any sports enthusiast. Plus tickets can be bought for the bleachers for the modest sum of $22, which is currently about £12. I think the bleacher tickets are cheaper, and can only be purchased on the day.