Wrigley's centennial celebration has Kansas City tie-in

One hundred years ago today the Friendly Confines of what is today known as Wrigley Field was christened. Weegham Stadium as it was then known saw its first game played on April 23, 1914 against two Federal League foes.

The Chicago Feds and Kansas City Packers would be the first two teams to play baseball at Addison and Clark Avenues in Chicago. Both were part of the short lived Federal League that lasted approximately two seasons, before folding. Two years after the opening Charles Weegham (who obviously was the namesake of the field) would buy the Cubs and move them to the park.

It wasn’t until 1923 that the park would be given its final name of Wrigley Field after its new owner William Wrigley Jr. Currently Wrigley Field is the second oldest ballpark in the Major Leagues, behind only Fenway Park in Boston (1912). A point of interest for Kansas Citians: Kauffman Stadium is currently the sixth oldest park in the Majors.

Baseball is not the only sport to have been played in Wrigley. The Chicago Bears (and Cardinals) football team also called the park home, as well as a professional women’s team. Recently the NHL played an outdoor hockey game at the stadium, and other soccer and even ski jumping teams have also used the brick and ivy.

Today, in recognition of the birthday, the Chicago Cubs will wear throwback Chi-Feds jerseys and the Arizona Diamond Back will don the old Kansas City Packers jerseys. Hopefully for the Cubs things will go the way they did 100 years ago, as the Feds won the first of many games in the Friendly Confines 9-1.

(Photo credit: wallyg via photopin cc)