Wrigley Field Was Majestic Monday Night

Even though I was expecting it, it was strange entering Wrigley Field on Monday and observing supreme serenity and glee. Die hard fans in many cities would of course be excited for a big Game 3. But, especially if they had the tortured history of the Cubs, there’d also be a lot of anxiety. In a bizarre way, this crowd displayed no outward vulnerability. With the un-hittable Arrieta on the mound, a line-up stocked with relentless young hitters, and the grandly wise Joe Maddon pulling the strings, there was nothing to worry about.

1) With the predictable way that prices have soared as the Cubs got good, I was worried that too many wealthy downtown types would buy up all the tickets, and that this would zap a lot of the fervor. In my observation, this happened a bit with the meteoric rise of the Blackhawks. The United Center gets loud for them, but even in playoff games it feels like they’re a level or two short of where they should be.

However, those concerns were unfounded. There were a variety of factors behind that. A 5pm Monday game-time adds a layer of inconvenience. Also, a lot of business types who root for the Cubs are legit fans. Beyond that, season ticket-holders have been through way too much to sell their seats for the first playoff game in ages. And it was gorgeous outside.

2) Jake Arrieta has been so dominant the past few months that it was shocking to see him lose command. It’s so rare that he misses — it’s kind of like when you can’t believe Aaron Rodgers threw a pick. The elements were impossible for any pitcher to deal with last night. You knew it the second you walked in there. The wind was blowing out so hard that peanut shells were flying when you opened them, and you had to strategically wait until periods where it died down to drink your beer.

3) Not many managers have the equity to pull Arrieta in the sixth as Joe Maddon did. Has an MLB manager ever been as universally trusted to make the right decision as Maddon is? (Tony La Russa, maybe.) It’s especially notable because Maddon hasn’t won a World Series as a manager (though he was a coach on the 2002 Angels). While it’s not as though every move he ever makes turns out right, there’s consensus confidence that it was approached with proper logic. A manager must be a psychologist and a tactician, which are not often complementary skill sets, and Maddon inspires more trust than anybody I’ve ever seen.

4) There are no easy innings with this Cubs lineup, which is all so young. Addison Russell is 21, Kyle Schwarber is 22, Kris Bryant and Jorge Soler are 23. Starlin Castro and Anthony Rizzo are elder statesmen, and they’re just 25 and 26, respectively. Last night, 1-6 in the line-up all homered, which is exceedingly rare:

And as Bleacher Nation founder Brett Taylor told me last week, they take a lot of pitches. This team’s nucleus has a scary five-year window, and they’ve probably arrived a year early.

5) Playing Ernie Banks’ rendition of Take Me Out to the Ballgame on the jumbotrons was a really cool touch.

" Love everything about this. #Cubs use video of Ernie Banks for 7 th inning stretch. @fox32news pic.twitter.com/SFQ25Q4mjA — EvanFitzgeraldFox32 (@EvanWFitzgerald) October 13, 2015 "

I was apprehensive about whether those video boards would detract from the ambience of the classic stadium, and I’ve been proven wrong. By every measure, they’ve been a welcome addition.

6) I’m transparently bandwagoning this Cubs team. I fell in love with the Yankee mystique when I was young, but renounced my fan-hood in the team after they won the 2009 World Series with a mercenary roster in the joyless, sterile new Yankee Stadium. I’ve lived on the north side of Chicago for 6.5 years now, and have probably gone to 40-50 games at Wrigley in that time. I think I’d root for the Brewers over the Cubs still, but I think I’m justified in wanting my friends and this city to be happy.

That this was happening on hallowed grounds was not lost on anybody, and the evening was bathing in happiness.

7) The one thing I’ll complain about is all the damn towels. Whichever marketing exec made the decision to hand those out has never had to sit in a Wrigley seat partially blocked by a pole. You’ve already gotta contort yourself there to see what’s going on, and when there’s a million towels waving in front of you the endeavor becomes more challenging. This crowd was not one in need of props.

8) Whenever I describe what I do for a living, I’m asked if I get free seats. The only time I’ve ever been credentialed was for a Ronda Rousey fight in Las Vegas. Other than that, I think it’s important for my perspective to experience everything as the paying customers do. To sit in the press box and not be permitted to cheer along with the ebullient crowd would have deprived me of the best part of being there.

9) I’ve scolded Vivid Seats when they’ve messed up before, so it’s only fair to give them kudos for a great experience. Yesterday, I bought a ticket about one hour before the first pitch, and I had zero issues picking it up quickly so I could make it into Wrigley for the start of the game. (However, and I know StubHub does it too, $60 in fees right before checkout is no bueno.)

10) It’s obviously not a foregone conclusion that the Cubs will win the World Series, but right now they sure look like the type of team that catches fire in a bottle and puts it all together in October. An NLCS with the Mets would be fun for everybody, and presumably bring about monster ratings. It’s hard to imagine anybody other than big Cardinals and Dodgers fans who is rooting otherwise right now.