'Ivy-Coloured Glasses': The Myth of Wrigley Field.

CHICAGO (Ill.); ILLINOIS

WRIGLEY Field (Chicago, Ill.); CHICAGO Cubs (Baseball team)

Chicago's Wrigley Field is commonly described as the cathedral of American baseball stadiums. Yet despite such self-assured claims, the belief that Wrigley Field is the crown jewel of American baseball stadiums is actually of recent vintage. Wrigley has not always been considered hallowed ground. In 1918, for instance, when the first opportunity to host a World Series at Wrigley Field arose, the series was instead played eight miles south at Comiskey Park, home of the Cubs' arch rival, the Chicago White Sox. Further review of the historical record reveals that such facts are not uncommon, but rather part of a larger pattern in the history of Wrigley Field. Despite popular amnesia to the fact, Wrigley Field's iconic status first arose in the 1980s, and was born of several factors including serendipity, nostalgia, the explosive growth of the mass media and a revolt against utilitarian stadium architecture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of International Journal of the History of Sport is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)