Tag Archives: Wrigley Field

Woman Sexually Assaulted During Foo Fighters’ Concert at Wrigley Field

Jul 31, 2018 | kimberlykaczmarek

CHICAGO (Sun-Times Media Wire) – A woman was sexually assaulted Sunday night during the Foo Fighters concert at Wrigley Field.

The 23-year-old woman was standing in line for food about 9:30 p.m. in the 1000 block of West Addison when a man groped her, according to Chicago Police. She left the line and went into a port-a-potty.

The man followed her and also entered the port-a-potty before she could lock the door, police said. He then sexually assaulted her.

The woman was taken to a hospital after the assault, police said.

The suspect was described as a 5-foot-9 white man between 40 and 50 years old, police said. He was balding with brown hair.

No one was in custody yet, as Area North detectives investigated.

 

Fan hit by metal debris from Wrigley scoreboard

Jul 27, 2018 | kimberlykaczmarek

 

WGN —A Cubs fan avoided a potentially serious injury at Tuesday’s game thanks to a silly but fortunate choice of headwear.

On a beautiful summer night, Wrigley Field had a nearly full house under a nearly full moon.

“The skies cleared up and it was almost like a perfect night for a ballgame,” said Nancy Hopf, a fan who was sitting in the bleachers at the time. “It was packed; I mean, only the Cubs can pack the place on a Tuesday night.”

As Hopf and her husband settled into some seats, they didn’t realize how bizarre things would get that night.

“He was like, ‘How about we sit underneath the scoreboard?’ I’m like, ‘That’d be great, yeah,’ and we happened to find seats pretty close underneath the scoreboard,” Hopf said.

About two hours into the game there was a commotion in the crowd.

“All of a sudden, everybody starts turning behind me and looking at the scoreboard, and I’m like, ‘Something must be going on with the scoreboard,’ so I turn around and I’m like, ‘No. It’s the kid,'” Hopf said.

A 19-year-old man sitting in the centerfield bleachers just a row or two from the Hopfs had been hit in the head with a foot-long metal pin. The team says it was either dropped or fell from the manually-operated scoreboard.

“People started talking, ‘What happened? What happened? A tile fell on him?’ I was like, ‘Has this ever happened? Does this happen all the time or what? What’s going on?’” Hopf said.

Paramedics came into the bleachers to help the fan. Hopf says he could have been seriously hurt, except for the fact that he was wearing a plastic bucket on his head.

“So, I can imagine what would have happened if that bucket wasn’t there. I think we might have been dealing with something totally different,” Hopf said.

The fan hasn’t been publicly identified, but he was treated at Illinois Masonic  Hospital, and still needed five staples to close a cut on his head, according to the Cubs.

“It happened in probably the best circumstances it could happen. For some reason you had a kid with a bucket on his head, and he’s going to be ok,” Hopf said.

Hopf says some fans left, but most went on to watch the game when it was clear the injured fan was going to be fine. She says she hopes the Cubs review safety around the scoreboard in the bleachers.

Parking near Wrigley Field about to get more expensive

Feb 27, 2017 | WLSAM Staff

CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Cubs are raising ticket prices to get into Wrigley Field and now the city is raising the price to park nearby.

The Chicago Sun-Times reports that City Hall is getting ready to implement Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s plan to double the meter rates at the 820 parking spaces around the ballpark. That means the parking spots that now cost $2 an hour will soon cost $4. Those rates will start two hours before a Cubs game, concert or other special event at Wrigley and extend for seven hours.

Cubs fans might not be the only ones forced to pay more to park. Chief Financial Officer Carole Brown says depending on how things go around Wrigley, rates near Soldier Field and the United Center might go up. too.

Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

For Cubs fans, it’s the win of the century

Nov 3, 2016 | WLSAM Staff

CLEVELAND (AP)  Cubs fans can now forget about billy goats and Bartman. The Curse has been laid to rest by Ben Zobrist.

The Cubs are World Series champions for the first time in 108 years after Zobrist delivered a tiebreaking double off losing pitcher Brian Shaw in the 10th inning to lead an 8-7 victory over the Indians in Cleveland. Zobrist is now the toast of Chicago and the World Series MVP, less than 11 months after signing a free-agent contract and one year after helping the Royals win the Fall Classic.

The rally began following a brief rain delay between the ninth and 10th innings. Kyle Schwarber got things started with a leadoff single before pinch-runner Albert Almora Jr. took second on a fly ball. Anthony Rizzo was walked intentionally to set up a potential inning-ending double play, but Zobrist ripped a base hit down the left-field line. Miguel Montero followed with a RBI single two batters later, a hit that would become crucial.

Fittingly, the Cubs won it the hard way. Carl Edwards Jr. was one out from earning the save until Rajai (RAH’-zhay) Davis poked a RBI single following a walk by Brandon Guyer (GY’-ur). Davis also tied the game with an eighth-inning homer.

The Cubs also enjoyed leads of 5-1 and 6-3 before the Indians got to Aroldis (ah-ROHL’-dihs) Chapman in a three-run eighth. The game-tying rally began with an infield single by Jose Ramirez that skipped off of shortstop Javier Baez with two out. Guyer followed with a RBI double and scored on the home run by Davis.

Chapman managed to get credit for the victory by working a scoreless ninth in the Cubs’ third consecutive win. Mike Montgomery got Michael Martinez to ground out to third, touching off celebrations throughout the Windy City.

Dexter Fowler, Javier Baez and David Ross supplied solo homers for Chicago, which trailed three games to one in the series. Fowler led off the game with a blast, Baez made it 4-1 in the fifth and Ross added an insurance blast the next inning.

It was 5-1 for the Cubs in the fifth until Jon Lester uncorked a wild pitch that allowed two runs to score. Lester entered the game with two runners on base and worked three innings after Kyle Hendricks pitched the first 4 2/3s.

Indians starter Corey Kluber struggled over four-plus innings after getting the victory in the opener and Game 4. Kluber was charged with four runs on six hits without striking out a batter.

It’s the second time the Indians have lost Game 7 of a World Series in extra innings. They also did it in their last Fall Classic, losing to the Marlins in 1997. The latest setback continues a champion drought that began with their 1948 World Series win over the Boston Braves.

The Indians are the seventh team to lose a World Series after taking a three-games-to-one lead, and the first since the 1985 Cardinals against the Royals.

 

Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

CPD: High security in Wrigleyville during World Series weekend

Oct 27, 2016 | WLSAM Staff

(CHICAGO) Acknowledging that the coming weekend will be “inconvenient” for neighborhood residents, city officials said Wednesday that first responders would be out in large numbers to ensure safety during any Cubs World Series celebrations in the streets of Wrigleyville.

Chicago Police Supt. Eddie Johnson said more than 1,000 Chicago Police officers, FBI and Homeland Security agents, Illinois State troopers and Cook County sheriff’s deputies will be out in the neighborhood “to ensure we have a safe and enjoyable weekend of baseball.”

“Security during the entire series will be very high,” he told the Chicago Sun-Times.

Chicago Police officers also will conduct security checks within a two-block perimeter of Wrigley Field, according to Rich Guidice, first deputy director of the Chicago Office of Emergency Management and Communications.

The Cubs are scheduled to play host to the Cleveland Indians on Friday, Saturday and Sunday night.

About 300,000 people — equivalent to more than 10 percent of the entire city’s population — were out in Wrigleyville last weekend celebrating the Cubs’ first World Series berth since 1945.

Ald. Tom Tunney (44th), whose ward includes Wrigleyville, said the same number of people, if not more, are expected in the area this weekend. “We’ve been down this road before,” he said.

Julian Green, a spokesman for the Cubs, told reporters the team has hired private security to work in concert with law enforcement throughout the weekend.

Last summer, the Chicago Blackhawks Stanley Cup victory brought revelers out to Wrigleyville as well.

Robert Cesario, commander of the Town Hall District, said the department has made “tweaks” to its crowd control strategy since then.

“We looked at our plan from last year and we’re using that as a foundation to build on our plan for this year,” he said. “We made a few tweaks.”

According to a memo sent to the police department by First Deputy Supt. Kevin Navarro obtained Tuesday by the Sun-Times, “All units of the Department will be in regulation field uniform and be prepared for deployment with soft body armor, helmet, baton and rain gear.”

The order will go into effect from Friday, Oct. 28, the date of the first World Series game at Wrigley Field in 71 years, until Wednesday, Nov. 2, the date of a potential Game 7. The order calls for officers to be prepared on Oct. 31, even though no game is scheduled that day.

Last weekend, six people were arrested on misdemeanor charges of unlawful ticket sales, traffic obstruction, storage of goods on the public way, disorderly conduct, reckless conduct and resisting arrest, according to police. Nine people were taken to hospitals.

Eric Carter, the police department’s deputy chief of special functions, said that people will be allowed to hang around the ballpark, provided they’re respectful and well-behaved.

“People will be allowed to, obviously, take their selfies in front of the marquee and celebrate somewhat,” Carter said.

© Copyright 2016 Sun-Times Media, LLC. All rights reserved.

CPD makes plans to keep peace in Wrigleyville during World Series

Oct 26, 2016 | WLSAM Staff

(CHICAGO) As the World Series gets underway, the Chicago Police Department issued an order Tuesday calling on all sworn members to be ready to respond to the area around Wrigleyville in the event of large, unruly crowds, the Chicago Sun-Times is reporting.

According to a memo sent by First Deputy Supt. Kevin Navarro obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times, “All units of the Department will be in regulation field uniform and be prepared for deployment with soft body armor, helmet, baton and rain gear.”

The order will go into effect from Friday, Oct. 28, the date of the first World Series game at Wrigley Field in 71 years, until Wednesday, Nov. 2, the date of a potential Game 7. The order calls for officers to be prepared on Oct. 31, even though no game is scheduled that day.

The Cubs host the Cleveland Indians at Wrigley Field on Oct. 28, Oct. 29 and, if needed, Oct. 30.

Time off, aside from personal days and previously approved furlough days, will not be granted to any member of the department, according to the memo.

“All units of the department will anticipate days off cancelled,” it read.

Officers are also told to “anticipate working a twelve (12) hour tour of duty.”

Chicago Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said police activity over the next week was part of “customary measures” for any large-scale event.

“Essentially, all officers will be working to not only ensure safety around the World Series but also patrolling neighborhoods and parks,” Guglielmi said in an email Tuesday night.

About 300,000 Cubs fans took to the streets outside Wrigley Field from Saturday night into Sunday to celebrate the team’s first National League Championship since 1945, city officials estimated.

Six people were arrested on misdemeanor charges of unlawful ticket sales, traffic obstruction, storage of goods on the public way, disorderly conduct, reckless conduct and resisting arrest, according to police. Nine people were taken to hospitals.

— Chicago Sun-Times

© Copyright 2016 Sun-Times Media, LLC. All rights reserved.

Judge denies rooftop owners’ request to stop installation of Wrigley signs

Feb 19, 2015 |

(Chicago)  In a win for the Cubs, a federal court judge on Thursday refused to grant a request by the owners of a pair of Wrigley Field rooftops to stop the team’s installation of outfield signs that would block their valuable view.

U.S. District Judge Virginia Kendall ruled that the “vague possibility” rooftop owners could be injured by the Cubs installation of the signs isn’t enough to issue a restraining order against the team, the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

During a four-hour hearing on Wednesday, lawyers for the two rooftop businesses, Skybox and the Lakeview Baseball Club, reiterated their arguments that the Cubs’ plans violate both a 2004 revenue sharing agreement they signed with the rooftop owners, and federal anti-trust laws.

They argued to the judge that if she didn’t issue a temporary restraining order banning the Cubs from installing the signs until a fuller hearing of the issue next month, the rooftop businesses will not be able to sell tickets to corporate clients who plan events months in advance, and that they therefore will not survive.

“Without the views they have nothing to sell,” attorney Thomas Lombardo said.

But lawyers for the Cubs repeated their arguments that the Cubs have the right to install the signs, and that the rooftops could continue to argue their case in court while the signs are installed.

Cubs attorney Andrew Kassof denied the Cubs were attempting to create an illegal monopoly over rooftop pricing, telling the judge that the “the point is to renovate Wrigley Field to generate revenues to make a better product, get better players on the field and win a World Series.”

–Sun-Times

© Copyright 2015 Sun-Times Media, LLC

89 WLS Sports Pregame Show – Thursday, August 8th – Producer’s Log

Aug 8, 2013 |

WLS Baseball Comissioner and former Cubs color analyst, Steve Stone, joined the show today to talk about the 25th anniversary of lights being added to Wrigley Field. Stone was broadcasting that day, 8-8-88, with Harry Caray. Wrigley Field was the last team in baseball to add night games to their schedule. Alex Rios was also discussed, he was claimed by the Texas Rangers off waivers today. 

89 WLS Sports Pregame Show – Thursday, July 17th – Producer’s Log

Jul 18, 2013 |

Chris Kuc, Hockey writer for the Chicago Tribune, joined the show to talk Blackhawks. The 2013-2014 season schedules was supposed to be released this week but has yet to happen. The problem with releasing the schedule is figuring out if the players can play in the 2014 Winter Olympics. With many of the key players potentially playing for their countries, Lou and the guys want to know if Hawks fans should be worried. Well, what happened last time the Hawks players played in the Olympics during the season? They won the Stanley Cup. Don’t worry Hawks fans!

We had breaking news during the show that the City Plan Commission APPROVED the $500 million revamp for Wrigley Field, which is the second oldest ballpark in America. 44th Ward Alderman Tom Tunney surprised everyone with an endorsement of the plan. The revamp plan includes a 175 room hotel, a four-screen digital advertising board, and a pedestrian bridge that will stretch over Clark Street. 

Tune in tomorrow at 5PM to hear the top sports stories around Chicago and the country!

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