Former Names: Weeghman Park and Cubs Park
Owners: Chicago Cubs
Date Opened: April 23rd 1914
Location: 1060 West Addison Street, Chicago Illinois
Capacity: 41,160
MLB betting fans have come to enjoy games at the friendly confines ever since the 1916 season. Eight years prior, the Cubs had won the World Series and many baseball betting fans at the time were unaware the team would be cursed for over a century. From 1923 until 1945, the Cubs made the Wrigley faithful proud by going to the World Series four times. Unfortunately, similar to NFL franchise the Buffalo Bills, the Cubs were unsuccessful in winning a World Series each of the four times. As well, since 1945 the Cubs have never made it past the National League finals.
Initially, Wrigley Field was known as Weeghman Park as from 1914 to 1915, the Federal League Whales owned by Chicago tycoon Charles Weeghman, resided at the park. Wrigley Field was built in six weeks for $250,000 by architect Zachary Taylor Davis who had also designed and built the original Comiskey Park home of the Chicago White Sox. However, in 1915 the Federal League folded and Weeghman along with chewing gum billionaire William Wrigley Jr. bought the Chicago Cubs MLB franchise from Charles P. Taft for $500,000. By 1926 Wrigley had bought out Weeghman and changed the ballpark’s name from Weeghman Park to Wrigley Field.
Although the Cubs had moved from West Side Park to Wrigley in 1916, many believe the Cubs have been cursed as a result of the move. The majority of the team’s success as previously noted, came when they played at West Side Park, and since the move the Cubs have had little if any success. One of the main aspects of the curse has been the ivy pines on the back wall of the outfield which were planted by Billy Veeck in 1937. Here, balls that would have been either caught or fielded off the wall have gone on to get lost in the ivy resulting in runs.
