A Marquee Moment

This year is the 100th anniversary of Wrigley Field, home of my beloved Chicago Cubs.  The official celebration is this coming Wednesday, April 23.  Though the park itself is the focus of the celebration, and the huge scoreboard is probably the most famous feature, there's one other icon that has stood out prominently -- the famous red marquee, proclaiming "Wrigley Field.  Home of Chicago Cubs."  As this wonderful look at the marquee notes back on the Cubs website, it might even be the most recognized feature, since any TV show that films outside of Wrigley shows it, and any tourist or pedestrian visiting the park or just strolling by sees it.  (The marquee is a kid by comparison, celebrating merely its 80th birthday this year.) 

Yes, I know it's just a big sign, but this history of it, and the changes its gone through are pretty interesting.  Well, okay, particularly interesting if you're a Cubs fan or like baseball -- but still, it's a really nice bit of Americana.  Why it was put there in the first place, and how it's been used.

You can read the whole thing here.  And even if you don't want to read the whole thing (or any of it...), there's a lovely, 3-minute video at the top of the page about the 100th Opening Day at Wrigley Field.

(In the video, you'll see four people throwing out the first pitch at this year's first game -- three Cubs and oddly one person in the uniform of the visiting Philadelphia Phillies.  If you're wondering why the team had someone from the opponents throwing out the first ball, it's because the four men are the living Cubs in the Hall of Fame -- Ernie Banks, Billy WIlliams, Ferguson Jenkins and Ryne Sandberg, who's now the Phillie manager.  I think it was terrific that the Cubs chose to include Ryno.)