Billy Williams

Around the corner and down the block from the Ernie Banks statue is another Cub great, Billy Williams, still active with the ballclub well into his 70s.  From his Rookie of the Year Award in 1961 through his induction to the Hall of Fame, this man has been and is a class act.  Thanks for the memories, Billy!

Wrigley Statues

I had attended the unveiling of the Ernie Banks statue at Wrigley Field, on Opening Day, 2008.  I have some photos I like of that beautiful monument to Chicago baseball.  But as I had no photos of the Billy Williams and Ron Santo statues, a recent ballpark trip included two visits to the statuary.  Here is Ernie in the soft light of early evening.

Wrigley Field

During the Boston visit, Carolyn and Bobby wanted to see a Cub game. At least, their Daddy and their Poppa thought that they did . . . so we all went to see one. We took the obligatory shot of the family with the scoreboard before the game. Later, Eric was getting popcorn with Carolyn when someone leaving the game offered them fourth row seats behind the dugout. The image of the players coming into the dugout was taken with a pocket point-and-shoot from the up-close vantage point.

Inside the Rooftop

The food lines and the beer lines are all inside the building, of course, and the new interior is bright and airy with large flat screen televisions in every direction. Notice the BELIEVE stenciled on the wall. Look up toward the front and you can see out to the ballpark; later this area can be filled with fans watching the game.

Can You See From There?

Yes, as this stitched panorama shows, you can see much of the playing surface and you certainly can follow the game from the rooftops. Some closer looks in upcoming posts.

Up on the Roof

The second game of the season at Wrigley Field this week, I was on a mission to enjoy a game from one of the Rooftops on Sheffield Avenue. Since I go back to the distant time where people lived across the street from the ball games and could actually see a bit of the field from their apartments, I have read about the growth of these buildings and the thousands of fans who enjoy the games from there.
The result of an offering on Groupon, a wonderful Chicago web site that offers daily "group coupons" with great offers for various attractions in the city and around the area.
Waiting in line until one hour prior to the game, I grabbed a couple of shots of the building. Upcoming posts will take us literally up on the roof.

Silhouette Collage

One more souvenir of the recent Boston trip is actually also a pre-souvenir of the game in August which Bobby will attend at Wrigley Field. It will be his first Cub game at the age of three months.

Last winter Bobby's sister Carolyn and his cousins Gianna and Joey got silhouette collage pictures from me, so here is Bobby's. The base image, of course, is the Wrigley Field scoreboard, and the multi-crossing pattern is that of the well-manicured outfield grass at Wrigley.

Looking forward to our game, Bobby!

Wrigley Field Dreams

Back at the Gilbert Arizona softball complex, which gave us a photo in "Yankee Stadium" in the last post, here are two from the scale-model "Wrigley Field." One shows how the bleachers are painted on a panel above the wall, with the famed rooftops across the street included. The paintings are good if not exact and they are not highly detailed. But the idea of building the general atmosphere of the ballpark is excellent. The Wrigley wall is indeed brick with the familiar ivy planted before it. Since this park is only about 15 months old, the ivy planted against the walls has not had time to grow in as yet. My guess is that it will grow in completely and will only make the fine facility better.

Another blog-from-the-road post is scheduled tomorrow. Now is the time for a little rest so more on-the-run fun will be possible tomorrow.

Big League Dreams

If they build it, I will come. I had seen a discussion of a baseball/softball complex in Gilbert, south and east of Mesa and Tempe, so I had to go check it out. Driving on strange streets on a very dark night for only 7:30, I began to wonder if I was chasing wild geese. How would I even know such a complex would be open on a Tuesday night in March? The sense of adventure which just be a streak of stubbornness urged me on.

Big League Dreams has seven fields, and people play there from junior tee ball through youth leagues, adult leagues, and leagues for those of us in the "senior" category. In a large but compactly organized area, the complex also has an indoor soccer arena, a restaurant, a batting cage area and and pro shop. Each field is a scaled-down model of a current or former major league park. Wrigley Field, Fenway Park, and Anaheim Stadium are joined by Yankee Stadium (recently retired but rebuilt) and Ebbets Field, Polo Grounds, and Sportsman's Park in St. Louis.

Each field has a manicured playing surface, concrete dugouts, fully fenced playing area, and comfortable armchair seating. Youth practices were going on, with games to follow, and adult 12" softball games were also being played. In Yankee Stadium, men were playing some sort of scrimmage, so I asked and was given an at-bat. A hard single to left, racing to third on a hit by the next batter, then scoring on a third hit and my first day in Arizona was complete.

Build one of these near Chicago, I told them, and I will have to come out of retirement and play ball again!