Have you heard the saying, “It’s like a second home?” To me, that saying is true for one place and one place only.
Wrigley Field.
Home of the Chicago Cubs, my favorite baseball team, I’ve been to Wrigley at least 23 times in my life. For how much I love going there, that number feels too low.
My first trip to Wrigley Field was on May 5, 2013, with my aunt and two cousins. It was the third and final game of a series against the Cincinnati Reds. To be quite honest, I don’t remember much of it, nor do I remember much of the second time I went in 2015, when I saw the Cubs take on the eventual World Series champion Kansas City Royals. What I do remember is the Cubs lost both games, and I sat in the upper 200s level each time.
I wouldn’t return to Wrigley again until 2018, when my parents brought me to see Journey and Def Leppard in what was my first concert. That was my first memorable experience at the Friendly Confines, but it wouldn’t be my last.
I didn’t make it back to Wrigley for an actual Cubs game until April 2023, when my dad, sister and I watched them take on the Seattle Mariners. Nico Hoerner hit a walk-off single in extra innings, my first time attending a Cubs victory.
That summer was the first time I began consistently going to Wrigley. In 2023, I attended five home games, the best of which came on Labor Day, when Justin Steele threw eight scoreless innings with a career-high 12 strikeouts.
In 2024, I attended seven games at Wrigley, with the Cubs coming out victorious in all seven. I made it to seven games again this year, and though my undefeated record was not repeated, I made numerous new memories seeing the returns of Sammy Sosa and Anthony Rizzo, the latter of whom is my favorite player of all time. I also watched as the Cubs beat the White Sox and Cardinals in two very satisfying victories this season.
Many of my favorite memories have been made at Wrigley, though it’s not just the games that create them. It’s the people there, the atmosphere they create.
In July 2024, I attended a game in the bleachers for the first time, and it truly felt like everyone was a family. No matter where you came from or what your background is, everyone had a great time taking part in the game and hanging out with each other. That stayed true for the next three games I attended.
Wrigley Field isn’t just any ballpark; it’s a place where I’ve made memories that will last my entire life and where I’ll continue to make memories as long as I am on this planet.
I’m truly happy to be able to call it my second home.
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