Wrigley Field: A Celebration of the Friendly Confines

Wrigley Field may be one of the oldest venues in the world of sports, but its one of the most legendary. The building was once called an "edifice of beauty" by Charles Weeghman, its designer. The stadium was originally named Weeghman Park when it was built in 1914, then to Cubs Park in 1920, and finally to Wrigley Field in 1926. NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon erroneously referred to the park as "Wrigley Stadium". There has been debate recently over naming rights to the park. It was actually the first sports venue to bear a company's name although the William Wrigley Jr. Company, the chewing gum manufacturer, has not had to pay for naming rights. It has undergone numerous renovations over the years since being built as a single-decked structure in 1914. It was the original home of the Chicago Whales, or Chi-Feds, of the Federal League before the Cubs moved there from West Side Grounds in 1916. It is famous for its ivy-covered outfield wall and its manually-operated scoreboard, and more recently for stirring renditions of Take Me Out To The Ball Game during the middle of the seventh inning. Wrigley Field is to baseball what the Boston Garden was to basketball and the Montreal Forum was to hockey. It may be considered a modern-day version of the Colosseum in Rome. It truly is a structure of amazing design and shows no sign of going obsolete as it is constantly being improved and updated. Colorful photographs of this sports palace abound in this entertaining and informative book. It is considered a landmark alongside all the other buildings that have made Chicago one of the world's great cities. The stadium was also home to the Chicago Bears of the National Football League for many decades before moving to Soldier Field in 1970. A must-read for baseball fans or sports fans in general, and especially for Cubs fans who have endured a losing baseball team for so many years. Wrigley Field will be the first baseball stadium to host an outdoor ice hockey game between the Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings on January 1, 2009. The ballpark has proven to be a functional concert venue. It has hosted Jimmy Buffett and The Police. During the summer of 2009, the duo of Elton John and Billy Joel as well as Rascal Flatts with Vince Gill are scheduled to perform at the famed North Side baseball park.

If you've ever been to Wrigley, few words can describe the feeling you get as a baseball fan. This book manages to capture a lot of those images and feelings, tracing the history of Wrigley Field and getting lots of insight from fans, players, coaches and more about what makes it special. Gorgeous photos throughout punctuate an excellent narrative. A must for fans of ballpark books.