Take me out to the ball game

One of my favorite advertisements I have ever laid my eyes upon in a magazine was for a then-new Major League Baseball video game. It had a Wrigley Field worker looking out onto the field from inside the monstrous green scoreboard that sits behind the centerfield bleachers. Under the worker in the picture the type says, "If heaven were anything like Wrigley Field on a Saturday afternoon, then death wouldn't be so bad."\nWe should adopt that as our national motto.\nBuilt in the early 1900s, Wrigley Field still stands for what baseball used to be and wishes it could be today. While it hasn't hosted a World Series since 1945, fans still flock to the "Friendly Confines," drive the attendance numbers up and see their loveable losers take the field.\nCompared to the gigantic ballparks such as Bank One Ball Park in Phoenix and the Sky Dome in Toronto, Wrigley is a dot on the map, barely seating more than 40,000. But when it comes to mystique and beauty, no other field stands a chance.\nFirst off, you need to get there. Wrigley sits on the North Side of Chicago, right in the middle of the neighborhoods and bars that simply add to the beauty of the area. The best way to get there is take Lake Shore Dr. to the Belmont exit and start looking for a place to throw your vehicle into park, because the only problem with Wrigley, besides the price of food, is the parking. \nBecause the stadium was built when some people still traveled by horse and buggy, there are few parking spots available where you aren't parking in someone's driveway for $20. Don't plan on parking on the streets, because if you don't have a permit, you'll be paying the City of Chicago $50 for your day at Wrigley.\nOnce you get in, the fun begins. Get to the ballpark early to catch batting practice and food for half price for the first hour the gates are open. If you're lucky enough to get bleacher seats, you better line up WELL before the gates open or you'll find yourself sitting under the aforementioned scoreboard in center. If you get there too early, feel free to enjoy yourself at one of the local pubs such as Murphy's Bleachers or The Cubbie Bear.\nBefore you enter the bleacher area, you need to decide on where you're going to sit beforehand. If you want a souvenir ball, sit in left field to catch the onslaught of homers that start with the first pitch. If you want excitement, sit in right field and become a member of the Sammy Sosa family for three hours. \nThe Tribune Company just announced plans to add 2,100 seats to the bleachers, 200 seats behind homeplate and a restaurant/pub underneath the center field bleachers, giving Cubs fans a view of the popular hangout spot of Waveland and Sheffield Avenues. These additions will give even more fans the opportunity to experience the greatest ballpark ever, just as long as it doesn't block the view of the rooftops.\nIf you don't get the opportunity to become a bleacher bum, don't worry. Any seat in Wrigley Field is a good one. From the brass band that performs everywhere outside and inside the stadium to the Old style beer that flows from the overweight but surprisingly friendly beer vendors, Wrigley is a must for fans and non-fans alike. Speaking of the fans that pack the stands, they're another added perk in your baseball-as-it-should-be experience. \nWrigley Field and the Cubs are known for having some of, if not the very best, fans in the game of baseball, and they bring their enthusiasm every game. Last time I went, my friends and I sat in between a bachelor party where the soon-to-be groom was dressed up as Elvis, and a bachelorette party of 20 women with Cubs ribbons around their arm and other body parts.\nWhere else would you want to spend your last night of freedom?\nNext week: Miller Park