One hundred years ago today, the first ever baseball game was played at what later became Wrigley Field.\u00a0\u00a0 At the time, it was called Weeghman Park\u00a0 – so named after Charles Weeghman, the owner of the Chicago “Federals” professional baseball team of the short-lived Federal League.\u00a0 (The name “Federals” is somewhat of a misnomer.\u00a0 Though they were called the “Federals” or the “Chifeds” to distinguish them from the Cubs and White Sox, the team actually had no formal nickname in 1914.\u00a0 They were named the Chicago Whales the following year).<\/p>\n
The Federal League folded after two years of operations.\u00a0 Weeghman at that point became controlling owner of the Chicago Cubs and moved the Cubs to the stadium in 1916.<\/p>\n
Weeghman was forced out of baseball in 1920 due to financial troubles; the Wrigley family had become controlling owners of the Cubs in 1918.\u00a0 The park was renamed Cubs Field in 1920, and acquired its current name of Wrigley Field in 1926.<\/p>\n
Wrigley Field is the second-oldest Major League Baseball stadium.\u00a0 Only Fenway Park in Boston is older – and only by two years.<\/p>\n
Ground was broken for Wrigley Field on March 4, 1914.\u00a0 Amazingly, it was ready for the Chicago “Federals” home opener that year on April 23, 1914 – barely 7 weeks later.<\/p>\n
Yes, Wrigley Field is a bit dated today.\u00a0 But it has something most other MLB stadiums doesn’t have:\u00a0 a century’s worth of history.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"