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Free Admission - Wrigley Field
Posted by:
Tim
()
Date: January 06, 2010 09:11AM
Late in grammar school, circa 1961 or so, we'd walk to Wrigley Field (from Lakewood/Balmoral area). Memory serves, we'd arrive about 9:00 AM, There would be 30 - 40 kids. We'd be taken into the park and start picking up the trash from the previous day's game. This would continue until just before the start of the game. For the work, we'd get an Unreserved Grandstand ticket for that game or another game in the future. The face value of the ticket back then was $0.60. If we wanted to sit in the bleachers, we'd have to cough up $0.15 because those tickets were $0.75 at the time.
Anyone else remember this?
Anyone else remember this?
Re: Free Admission - Wrigley Field
Posted by:
shoreline
()
Date: January 07, 2010 08:21PM
Although not a Cub fan I recall occasionally going to Wrigley on the L or Clark St bus from Rogers Park in the 50s and early 60s. Following the game kids could obtain a pass for a future date if they would raise the seats in the grandstand area. Ticket prices were under a buck, but weekday crowds would generally fill only the lower deck. Much different from recent years.
Re: Free Admission - Wrigley Field
Posted by:
423reed
()
Date: October 10, 2012 12:12AM
Hi Tim,
When I was a kid (12-13) my folks moved to Wolfram Street near Sheffield. Me and my friends would walk up to Wrigley Field. In those days they were all daytime games and the Andy Frain Ushers kept security under control. Well most weekday games had practically nobody in the park. So in about the second inning the ushers would let us in for free. We could sit in box seats, bleachers, behind the Cubs dugout or up under the scoreboard. This was really sweet on a hot day. I guess its another one of those kid/Our Gang memories.
Jim Reed
When I was a kid (12-13) my folks moved to Wolfram Street near Sheffield. Me and my friends would walk up to Wrigley Field. In those days they were all daytime games and the Andy Frain Ushers kept security under control. Well most weekday games had practically nobody in the park. So in about the second inning the ushers would let us in for free. We could sit in box seats, bleachers, behind the Cubs dugout or up under the scoreboard. This was really sweet on a hot day. I guess its another one of those kid/Our Gang memories.
Jim Reed
Re: Free Admission - Wrigley Field
Posted by:
Lance Grey
()
Date: October 10, 2012 01:03AM
our group used to walk there along the Lakewood Train tracks from Diversey.
Never got in for free, but the Ushers never said a word if we sat in an unused Box seat.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/10/2012 01:04AM by Lance Grey.
Never got in for free, but the Ushers never said a word if we sat in an unused Box seat.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/10/2012 01:04AM by Lance Grey.
Re: Free Admission - Wrigley Field
Posted by:
murphman
()
Date: January 01, 2013 05:45AM
Raise a row of seats left field to right you got a GA seat next day. Hell they didn't open the upper deck for about five years so it wasn't a big deal for ole PK. Getting into the upper deck was like the Holy grail, we always wanted to see what it was like! Andy Frains would stop you if you tried to get up there which only made it more attractive. First time I got up there was 1977 when there was a DH against LA. 40000 attended. And no johns in the upper deck! You kids have it easy!!
Re: Free Admission - Wrigley Field
Posted by:
shekaago
()
Date: January 03, 2013 03:11PM
As a member of my grammar school's Junior Safety Patrol back in the mid 70's, we used to get a "free day" to attend one Cub's game per year. Usually this "free day" was very early in the season so we sat in the stands and drank lots of hot chocolate trying not to freeze our butts off! But it was great to have the day off from school and get into Wrigley Field for free.
Re: Free Admission - Wrigley Field
Posted by:
Cragin Spring
()
Date: February 14, 2015 02:29PM
An old time Cubs fan told me he use to do this to get a free ticket. Himself and a friend would put up the seats then go walking picking up trash. He also told me at one time the Andy Frain ushers if the ballpark wasn't really crowded they let him in after the 6th inning.
My own experience going as a youngster was my mother took me to Cubs games on Tuesdays because it was ladies day. All ladies got in the ballpark for free. My ticket may have cost a dollar to sit in the grandstand. She would pack me a lunch with sandwiches and can of Jewel pop which I think back then Jolly Good soda. If I finished the can of pop and told her I was thirsty she told me to look for a drinking fountain. But what fun we had getting to the ballpark early to watch 2 teams take batting practice and then watch the game. It probably cost my mother with my ticket, making a sack lunch and bus fare maybe $3.00. Good times now it would cost a fortune.
My own experience going as a youngster was my mother took me to Cubs games on Tuesdays because it was ladies day. All ladies got in the ballpark for free. My ticket may have cost a dollar to sit in the grandstand. She would pack me a lunch with sandwiches and can of Jewel pop which I think back then Jolly Good soda. If I finished the can of pop and told her I was thirsty she told me to look for a drinking fountain. But what fun we had getting to the ballpark early to watch 2 teams take batting practice and then watch the game. It probably cost my mother with my ticket, making a sack lunch and bus fare maybe $3.00. Good times now it would cost a fortune.
