Wrigley Field / Cubs Park / Weegham Park Historical Analysis by Baseball Almanac

Wrigley Field | Cubs Park | Weegham Park

Charlie Weeghman built Weeghman Park for "his" Chicago Federals of the brand new Federal League. The Federal League went out of business after only two years, so Weeghman, William Wrigley, Jr., and nine others purchased the National League Chicago Cubs. The Cubs were then moved from West Side Grounds to Weeghman Park. Wrigley bought out the shares of the other original members and changed the name to Cubs Park in time for the 1920 Opening Day. In 1926, it was renamed to Wrigley Field in his honor.

"It (Wrigley Field) was really a tough park to hit in because the fans were in center field and they were wearing white shirts and it was really difficult to find the ball." - Ralph Kiner in Banks to Sandberg to Grace (2001)

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Wrigley Field /	Cubs Park /	Weegham Park
1926-Current	1920-1925	1914-1919

Wrigley Field Sign (Photo by CitySearch)

Major League Occupant(s)

Data

First Game

04-23-1914

Last Game

10-03-1915

First Game

04-20-1916

Last Game

Current / Active

Data

Capacity Changes
(Yearly Attendance)

1914

14,000

1915

18,000

1923

20,000

1927

38,396

1928

40,000

1938

38,396

1939

38,000

1941

38,396

1949

38,690

1951

36,755

1965

36,644

1972

37,702

1982

37,272

1986

38,040

1987

38,143

1989

39,600

1990

38,710

1994

38,765

1997

38,884

1998

38,902

Data

Backstop

1914

62.42'

1957

60?'

1982

62.42'

1986

60'

Left Field

04-1914

345'

05-1914

310'

06-1914

327'

1921

343'

1925

348'

1928

364'

1938

355'

Left Field Power Alley

1914

364'

1938

368'

Center Field

1914

440'

1923

447'

1928

436'

1938

400'

Right Field (Deep)

1923

429'

1937

407'

1976

385'

Right Field Power Alley

1914

364'

1938

363'

Right Field

04-1914

356'

06-1914

345'

1915

321'

1921

298'

1922

399'

1928

321'

1938

353'

Data

Owned By:

1914

Charlie Weeghman

1916

Chicago Cubs

Field Surfaces

1923

Merion Bluegrass & Clover

First Night Game

Scheduled

08-08-1988

Played

08-09-1988

Wrigley Field

The architect who designed Weeghman Park (which was its original name) was Zachary Taylor Davis and it was built for roughly $250,000. The legendary outfield ivy vines were purchased and planted by Bill Veeck in September 1937.

Not one batted ball has ever hit the centerfield scoreboard in Wrigley Field. In 1948 Bill Nicholson barely missed the scoreboard when he launched a home run ball onto Sheffield Avenue and in 1959 Roberto Clemente came even closer with a home run ball hit onto Waveland Avenue.

Did you know that Wrigley Field is the ONLY ballpark still in existence where a Federal League team played their games? From April 23, 1914 until October 3, 1915 Weegham Park (as Wrigley Field was once known) was the home of the Chicago Whales.

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