Wrigleyworld: A Season in Baseball's Best Neighborhood

by Kevin Kaduk

In a whimsical celebrtation of baseball, devoted fans, and perpetual faith, a Chicago sportswriter pays tribute to Chicago's "Lovable Losers" as he chronicles the unique neighborhood and cultural phenomenon surrounding Wrigley Field. 25,000 first printing.

Genres: Baseball, Sports, Nonfiction

304 pages, Hardcover

First published April 4, 2006

Reviews

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

I went back and forth on this book so much. On the surface, a book on a guy trying to attend as many Cubs games as possible in a season would be a must read for me. There was the added interest that the season in question (2005) is also the season I attended my most Cubs games in a season as well, so I remembered many of the same events. The book worked best when the author focused on life in Wrigleyville and getting to know his fellow fans from around the world. The book dragged a bit more when he focused on his drinking antics and his adventures with women. For a guy who quit his job and talked about having no money, he was able to drink incredible amounts of alcohol...

[Marc · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent read for this genre but I couldn’t get past how sophomoric it sounds at times. Can’t help wondering if I’d feel differently about it if I read it in 2006 instead of 2018 (or at age 26 instead of 44), though.

[Mark Wilkerson · Rating 1 out of 5]

Let me start by saying I am a baseball purist. I love reading books about baseball players, teams, and stories from the "fan's perspective." That said, this book is more about a man who likes to drink and pick up women (baseball is a distant second in this man's life). He begrudges the "fake fans" and "frat boys" who come to the Cubs games to drink and pick up women, yet too much of this book is exactly that; a celebration of inebriation and "the hunt" for the hook-up.

Look, I appreciate some edgy humor, but Kaduk goes too far in his description of women, openly acknowledging that he is only interested in hooking up with them, failing to discuss any meaningful conversations he has with any of them, and making sure to describe their physical make-up, while at the same time, describing men's personalities. I was offended and see no reason why any female Cubs fan or baseball fan would want to read this. The only chapter worth reading is the one describing the ball hawks who spend time outside the stadium to catch home run and batting practice balls. Unfortunately, there is far too few of these moments.

This book is perfect for the Gawker generation, for the "I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell" crowd, but for baseball fans, this book offers nothing insightful, meaningful, or even fun. A waste of my time. I guess I'm more of a Verducci guy as I get older.

[Michael Frazier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gather ‘round and I shall regale you with a tale about a little place on the north side of Chicago. She’s one of the most beautiful things you’ve ever laid eyes on… that is, if you can get over the smell of urine and stale Old Style running through the bleachers.

There isn’t much more to be said about beautiful Wrigley Field that history’s greatest columnists, authors and politicians haven’t already mentioned. “Wrigleyworld” isn’t your conventional “hey I wrote a book about the Cubbies” literary adventure. I’ve been a Cub fan since I can remember. The years peel away and more people write what they think is an original take on the Cubs and Wrigley. They aren’t original. Think of using the same rusty metal cookie-cutters every year at Christmas. I want something new and exciting; something that won’t make me question my self worth as a Cub fan as I read it. Kevin Kaduk finally delivered what I and so many of us north siders want. A Cubs book that doesn’t dwell on the disparaging history of the franchise. Someone actually put a positive spin on subject that leaves quite a bit to be desired, even from its most loyal backers.

Kaduk first points out how he must observe the 2003 Cubs season from afar, as a columnist for the Kansas City Star. The phone calls and texts from friends living it up during a magical run towards a division title prove to be too much for him when he decides to do what many of us… probably would not have done; leaves a steady job to go and watch baseball. He arrives back in Chicago and moves in with a couple of friends just a few blocks to the north and west of the Friendly Confines. Ultimately, we find out Kaduk attends sixty two of the Cubs 81 home games during the 2005 season. Having never purchased a ticket in advance for any game, he details his season long trials and tribulations with scalpers on Sheffield, the Ballhawks on Waveland and a supporting cast of unique, if not friendly characters who call Wrigleyville home. For one season, all he wants do is watch baseball. And consume an obscene amount of alcohol.

Most would argue this was one of the most half-baked ideas imaginable. Now, while it’s certainly not something I would have done, I admire Kaduk’s desire. He actually found a way to go through with it. Let’s face it, jumping ship to experience Wrigleyville in what could possibly be a special season was a pipe dream at best. The team had never put together three consecutive winning seasons, so the odds were already against him. He went anyway; no regrets.

He never does reveal exactly how much money he leaves Kansas City with, though at one point he quips he’s surviving on his “book advance, which was $50 worth in food stamps, a Cubs painter’s cap, and a gift tin of popcorn.” It had to have been a fairly significant advance for this book, otherwise he’s charging himself into an unfathomable amount of credit card debt. From Opening Day to the final out in September, Kevin Kaduk never held a job (nor did he have the desire to attain gainful employment). I still can’t wrap my head around this, regardless of which scenario is indeed accurate. Whatever “advance” he was awarded for this book diminished rapidly to have afforded 62 home games, routine trips to Murphy’s and the Full Schilling, and an east coast road trip to see six additional ball games. Naturally, as I am want to do, I digress.

The Cubs hang around the Wild Card Race until roughly Labor Day (as THEY are want to do) before fading away with the warm Chicago summer. The 2005 Cubs down the stretch go as cold as the brisk autumn wind blowing in off Lake Michigan. Listen, as long as I’ve personally been a fan of this club, I reached a certain point where I trade in my tin foil hat and pie in the sky hopes of a playoff berth with a sense of, well…rationale. It’s not as if we, the Wrigley Faithful are bad fans and give up so easily. Honestly, who wants to sit in the bleachers on a Saturday in September and cling to the last straw of hope that “they’re only 10 games out of the Wild Card with 12 games to go. It’s not over!” First of all, Saturdays in September were made for watching college football (another staple of the Wrigleyville establishments). Second, if I’m caught in Wrigley in September for whatever reason, while I do enjoy a good game of baseball anytime, it’s better for me to enjoy it for what it is and not occupy my brain with wild card standings. Not yet, at least. We have to be sensible about these things. Don’t use your life as a bargaining chip for “just one World Series”. Screw it. I love the Cubs, and nothing would bring me more joy than to see that day come, but if I live 90 years on this earth and it never happens… like Jimmy Stewart, it was still a wonderful life. It’s a game. I’ll get over it eventually.

Kevin Kaduk seems like the kind of guy you would love to have a beer with at Murphy’s post game, or talk about baseball on a hot July day in the bleachers. He gets it. A knowledgeable, reasonable Cub fan… my favorite! The book is separated into chapters, but also into sub-chapters, so to speak, designated by homestand. He and I share the same “worst moment” of that season. I had to laugh when I read it. The day Brad Hawpe and the Colorado Rockies pretty much broke Mark Prior. It hurts me more to talk about Mark Prior and the wasted potential that it likely hurt Mark Prior when he was injured that day. I absolutely loved watching him pitch. He played a pivotal role in that 2003 season when… well, you know how that NLCS plays out. And if you don’t, well I think you’re a liar. I don’t want to talk about it. Forget it. In any case, I find it ironic that catastrophic event took place against the Rockies, who, two seasons later would find themselves in the World Series for reasons unbeknownst to anyone. What’s more ironic is that I gradually grew to be a Rockies fan before I ultimately moved to Colorado. The Rockies are a fun team to watch at Coors, though mostly harmless to their NL brethren in a typical season. Sometimes it feels like I’m cheating on the Cubs with the Rockies. Many friends have posed the question if the Cubs and Rockies clashed in the NLCS, who would I side with? I scoff at the proposal because it’s not even remotely close to being plausible at this point, but if I have to answer, it’s the Cubs. Every time.

There’s a point where Kaduk is attending a series against the Cardinals, sitting next to a man with his two year old son dressed to the nines in Cubs attire. Onesie. Beanie. Passafire. Sidebar… I will NEVER be that parent. Mostly because I’m fairly certain that would be considered child abuse in some circles. The author has a brief thought of whether or not it would be a good idea to expose his own child(ren) to the Cubs. Sometimes, I play that game. I have to say, though, I’ll likely be that parent that inevitably let’s my kids make their own choices. Within reason. This particular chapter and leading up to the end made me think of how I was baited into this hopeless endeavor of Cub fandom. I remember a couple pieces of games when my family still lived in South Bend. My first real memory that will remain ingrained in my mind forever came when I was about eight. It was not of Mark Grace, nor Sammy Sosa. Not even Ryne Sandberg (RHINE… not RYAN). No, my first Cub memory was on Opening Day of 1994 when Karl “Tuffy” Rhodes etched himself in Cub lore by hitting three home runs in that game. He would only hit three more the rest of that season, but ask anyone in Wrigleyville about Tuffy Rhodes and they’ll tell you why he remains famous 20 years later. I’m fairly certain one of those landed on Waveland Avenue and then it was all over. I was hooked. I thought that was the coolest thing ever in my eight years of being alive. Small sample size. If I could could back and say something to my eight year old self, I could tell him “NO! Don’t do it, you’ll hate everything. Get out while you can!” Or I could tell him “no matter how bad this team could ever be, it’s all going to be worth it some day… and you’ll never trade it in for anything.” I’ve been to 11 MLB parks. While my beloved Coors Field is the most aesthetically pleasing to the eye, none of them will ever capture the allure, the comfort, the ambiance or the full baseball experience like Wrigley Field.

It’s true. No day at Wrigley Field is ever a wasted day. We will always be the butt of jokes from spoiled Cardinal fans, delusional Brewers and Red fans and brainless White Sox fans. Yet for me, it will never matter. The north side, as Kaduk writes, is always the place to be every summer, win or lose. I’m in this for the long haul, because of baseball. Because of Tuffy Rhodes. Because of beers with friends in the bleachers. Harry. Ryno. Gracie. Ron Santo. Fergie, Ernie, Billy. Because of that day in the bleachers with dad against the Reds. Because of new friendships with total strangers. Because of the moments and family I can share those moments with.

Kaduk’s season (and story) ends at Murphy’s with friends, despite the disappointing 79-83 record. I’d like to think as he toasts “to next year”, he wants his audience to believe in that. In everything about the Cubs. To remember that for better or worse, you’re either with us or against us.
“‘To next year,’ we toast.
We raise our cups in the air.
Our hopes for the Cubs have hopped a train to next February and the promise of Spring Training. No doubt, we’ll catch up with them there.”

They may not be successful. They may fade in September again. Or August. But that team, that feeling, that emotional rollercoaster will always be there when we need it. I think it’s only fair that we’re always there for them. As the old adage goes “Wait til next year.”

Murphy’s will be there. Kevin Kaduk will be there. Danette Stille will be there. Dad will be there in spirit. And I will most definitely be there. Nothing will ever change that.

To next year.

[Nathan M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic read about another typical lackluster Cubs season and the importance of the neighborhood surrounding its walls. Casual fans will get nothing from Kaduk's tales from the season, but diehards and true fans will eat them up like I did.

2005 holds a special place in my heart, and always will. Why is this, when the season meant nothing but futility like so many others before and after it? 2005 was the first time I finally set foot in Wrigley. A lifelong Cubs fan since the day I was born in 1984, I'd never actually made it to a game until the end of 2005 when I was 21. And wouldn't you know it, Kevin and I were at the same game. Of course, he attended pretty much every game at Wrigley that season, which is the entire point of the book. Me, I managed to take in one: the final home game of the Cubs 2005 season.

Kevin recanted hanging out on Sheffield before the game for batting practice home runs and interviews with ballhawks, then residing high up in the center field bleachers to watch the game. The only way we could have been further apart was if one of us was actually outside the stadium, something almost factually possible for me as I had a seat as high up and as far down the third base line as possible. I attended the game with my aunt (who had won 4 tickets via a contest at the UPS store in our podunk town), my cousin (my aunt's daughter) and my cousins best friend, who knew absolutely NOTHING about the game of baseball. Before the game we stopped by the Lincoln Park Zoo where, as we walked past the Hall of Lions (or whatever it is called) a passing seagull managed to take a huge steaming dump that landed directly on the right breast of my beloved Kerry Wood jersey that I had decided to wear that day, despite him not appearing in the game in any capacity. I took it as a bad omen for the day to come and would ultimately end up right: the Cubs welcomed my blue-bleeding diehard fandom into The Friendly Confines with a 3-2 loss.

We planned to leave the game early because it had started to rain and my aunt wanted to beat Chicago traffic, plus the Cubs were down late. Thankfully nature called, and I had to use the restroom before we got to the car to head hours away to our home. By the time I finished in the bathroom, the Cubs had managed to load the bases in the 9th, thus giving themselves a chance to win. I rushed up to my aunt and shouted at her "We can't leave yet, there's a chance!" and bolted up the first set of stairs I found: the ones that come out directly behind the home dugout. Ever stern, an usher was perched there and told me that without a ticket to that section, I wasn't allowed any further than the top step. Forget the fact that the Cubs were down to their final home outs and the stadium was practically a ghost town, the usher would not waiver on his stance. So, beleaguered and refusing to run all the way back up to my actual seat at the very top of the stadium and miss any of the potential comeback action, I stood solid on the top step...and watched the Cubs piss away a comeback chance in true Cubs style.

My love for the Cubs didn't waiver any after that day. In fact, it grew and has continued to grow each passing season. I've since returned to Wrigley 23 more times, which isn't anything worth bragging about but is at least a bit respectable considering I live out-of-state, a full 2.5 hours away from the stadium. A 2 hour and 15 minute drive to my preferred safe/patrolled underground parking garage on Halsted (next door to the Man Hole - seriously) and a 15 minute walk to the Confines. I've managed to rack up an 18-6 record in my 24 games, which is very commendable given my last 4 visits to Wrigley have resulted in losses. Yes, at one point I was 18-2, a feat anyone would openly brag about (which I did).

Wrigley Field and the surrounding Wrigleyville have both changed drastically since the 2005 season, but the ambiance is the same no matter where you're at, inside or outside the stadium. And there is still no better view in baseball than that of Wrigley Field from any vantage point in the bleachers. That will never change.

A great book to read and reminisce about given the events took place 15 seasons ago, and a pretty cool moment for myself, getting to read about a game I was at (my very first!) from a different perspective from someone also in attendance.

[Tom Gase · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really like a 3.5 rating for me, but a fun book to read about a Chicago Cubs fan/ex reporter and his experience hanging around Wrigley Field during the 2005 season. This book has moments where it's great, where I think the author is more reporter (he previously worked as one in KC) than fan. I love it when he talks about the longtime fan Ronnie, trying to watch a game on the rooftops and the history of those buildings, the man walking from Arizona to Chicago to support Ron Santo, the ballhawks outside of Waveland and Sheffield and how for years they are able to catch a lot of balls, etc. I love those parts. When he's a fan telling the story? Eh. Sometimes it's very entertaining, him describing all the bars in the area and which ones are more Disneyland-ish and which ones are for hardcore fans. But at the same time I feel he is kind of hypocrite and douche too. He has a few me-too moments in the book and although he complains about fake fans that just have too much money, I'm reading this thinking, "Eh, doesn't he not have a job and is just taking a year off to watch Cubs games?" I'm thinking, yeah, he's probably getting some help from mom and dad for this because going to bars every single night and going to around 80 games plus a few road trips, well that costs a lot of money and being a sportswriter myself, I'm guessing he wasn't making bank when he was a reporter. So that bothered me a little, the hypocrisy with that. That being said, this book was kind of what I thought it would be and was very entertaining. Cub fans will love it and I believe people who live in Chicago will love it. It's not bad, not at all. I guess I just feel it could have been more, especially if he had written more as a reporter, because I feel he is a good one.

[Dale Jennings · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’ve lived near Wrigley for over a decade. Thought this would be an interesting look at 2005, recent enough to be modern, but still almost 20 years old now.

One of the worst books I’ve ever read. Supposedly a book on baseball, but really a portrait of a frat boy asshole who doesn’t really he’s a frat boy asshole like the people he criticized in the book.

The author spends most of the book talking about getting drunk, and I’m talking full on hammered, not a couple of beers. When he’s not talking about getting drunk, he talks about hitting on women. In case you didn’t know he was straight and into women, he adds enough homophobia that would have been cringe in 1984, much less 2005.

I am glad I got this book from the Chicago Public Library, at least he didn’t get my money directly to read this rubbish.

[LAMONT D · Rating 2 out of 5]

Amazingly picked this book up from the lending library at our resort in Austin, TX. Who would believe you have a story about the Chicago Cubs in Texas. I had to read it since I have a son and wife that are totally devoted to the Cubs. In fact, my son proposed to his now wife before a summer game at Wrigley. They make the trek to Wrigleyville each year. Even though he spends way too much time talking about his drunken escapades and many friends, he does give you a sense of history and why Wrigley Field means so much to so many people. This was the year before they "improved" the bleacher sections with the attempt to capitalize on the popularity of coming to the games and sitting in the bleachers or across the street. And of course, this was before the Cubs finally broke the course of the goat.

[Rick Zinn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A love story about a neighborhood, a stadium, a fan base and a sport.

Kevin Kaduk moves back to Chicago from Kansas City to sets out to see as many Chicago Cubs as possible in 2005. A tale of scaplers, friends with tickets, bars, meeting people in line and the ups and downs of a season that seems like it should have been better ….

My favorite part was the chapter on the Ball Hawks, the people who shag fly balls hit out of the stadium, he spends a weekend with them.

The is everything joyful and melancholy that being a baseball is about. A must for any fan of Baseball Books .

[Nick · Rating 1 out of 5]

p. 82: "We last until the eighth inning and then retire to a television with pints of Bass in the warm confines of the Shilling."

p. 86: "Every so often a jackass will rise from his seat and announce to his section that he'll be watching the rest of the game from Murphy's or Slugger's or wherever, even if it's only the fifth or sixth inning!...Not even baseball can keep him from bellying up to the bar!"

Hate to break it to you, Mr. Kaduk, but I think you might be that jackass.

[Bill · Rating 1 out of 5]

If Bill Simmons decided to write a book about the Cubs it would be this book. Accordingly, I hated just about every page. Kaduk's baseball is not my baseball. I don't view drinking as inexorably tied to enjoying the game. Nor do I find numerous pages devoted to how "hot" the women are at Wrigley to be of any value. This is frat boy sports nonsense, the sort that deserves a place on a trash heap to be forgotten about as soon as you are finished with it.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting look at a baseball season focused on the Chicago Cubs and the culture surrounding the team.

[Gregory O'Neill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read Wrigleyworld by Kevin Kaduk on a flight to Belgium. Boy, was that the fastest flight to Europe I've ever had. His book is positioned right at the intersection of the variant disciplines of writing for books in long form and writing for a blog in short form entries. He basically quit his job as a sportswriter in Kansas to go home to Chicago and follow the 2005 season. It wasn't a prosperous season for the Cubs, but he found a way to make the every day goings on at Wrigley seem extraordinary. He talked about the ballcatchers outside the stadium. The bars. Restaurants. Drunk fans. Hot girls. The victories. The losses. The taunting. The friends and relatives he brought with him as he sought to go to every single home game, without the benefit of a season ticket. He got in on the good fortune of scalpers for the majority of the games, buying tickets in advance if his sister, a parent, or a college friend or lady was accompanying him. Ever since reading this book in 2008, I've been inspired to write just such an essay about each trip I've made to Wrigley Field. Every day, win or loss, something incredible happens at a Cubs game. Unexpected, frustrating, jawdropping, triumphant, humorous, on all levels from the field to the stands to the broadcasting booth. Wrigley Field is a special place, and Kaduk gets it across in his dry, self-deprecating, witty, stream of consciousness, relatable prose. I would subscribe to whatever newspaper he writes for.

[Read1000books]

After reading this book you should be able to:
-name the year the Cubs last won the World Series (hint: it was before you were born)
-name the 4 streets that border Wrigley Field
-identify the following: Ronnie Woo, "Wild Bill" Holden, ballhawks, Steve Bartman, and what announcer has a statue just down the street from Wrigley's main entrance
-name at least 3 or 4 famous Cubs players.
The author took a year off to do almost nothing except watch Cubs games. Baseball fans will enjoy it and for interesting Cubs info, it gets 4 stars. For bad language, crude humor, and alcoholism-on-parade it gets 1 star. The author will be a much better writer when he dries out and gets married.

[Mickey Mantle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an absolute truthful portrayal of the whole atmosphere surrounding the phenomenon that is the Chicago Cubs and the area that has gentrified into a Summer playpen.
It is an absolute joy to read, and I am sure fans in other areas of the Nation still can not comprehend what all this hoopla is all about.
Certain books give the reader an absolute feel for what transpires in some facet of the world where they may never go or have little desire to experience....upon reading a book such as this, someone may just want to check out this Bourbon Street North Summer party.

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you're not a Cubs fan, don't read this book. You'll hate it. Even if you are a Cubs fan, I would be wary. The writer is immature and thinks he's witty, but really is far from it. He bemoans the fact Wrigleyville is such a party place, yet he chronicles just about every drink he had over the summer of 2005. Plus, he's a Cubs fan who says he likes the White Sox. That's like liking both the Yankees and the Red Sox; people like that can never be trusted.
But all in all, as a Cubs fan, it was a quick, easy read that was mildly entertaining.

[Tlt · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book so bad, but the book fell flat. Unlike other successful guinea pig tales, I never found myself liking the author or caring one iota about him or his life. He seemed entirely distant about everything, except for the Cubs. I did enjoy the many characters he introduced, but would have liked him to introduce himself in the process. The only commonality I found with him was watching him fulfill one of my life's ambitions. His feeling about the White Sox also did nothing but alienate me even further.

[Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fairly accurate book on living in Wrigleyville during the summer. Perhaps sadly accurate, as the author was unemployed for the entire summer. The biggest problem with the book is that the author picked a season where nothing happened in regards to the Cub team. 2005 was a pretty tame year where the Cubs finished under .500. Several of the more exciting instances on the field were skipped over to describe how much alcohol was drank instead. Which, in a way, makes it more accurate.

[Ken · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of the books I bought at the used bookstore on Dickson St. in Fayetteville. Good read although I didn’t like the author’s crude humor and snarkiness. I liked it because I’m such a Cubs fan. Had some good stories about the Cubs teams of the mid ‘90s. The author took the 2005 season off work to attend every game usually by buying a ticket on the street. Interesting timing to read the book this year when the Cubs made the playoffs. 285 pages.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

See, everyone's talking about this book from the perspective of being a Cubs fan. To me, this isn't a book about the Cubs. This book isn't about the Cubs any more than Gatsby is about the 1920s. This is a book about Chicago. And as a born and bred Chicagoan, displaced in Philly, this book made me homesick. Loved it.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book by a young sportswriter who quit his job to spend a whole season in wrigleyville. Great read for a Cubs fan. I've read it twice and it never gets old. Not a baseball book, talks more about the experience.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

To all the baseball fans out there read this book!!! A fun and humorous look into the world that surrounds the Chicago Cubs and the neighborhood the stadium is in.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must read for any true Cubs fan

[Dustin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great foray into the neighborhood surrounding Wrigley. Any baseball fan, regardless of what team you cheer for, should read this book.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book especially since just moved to Chicago / wrigleyville very cool to read about all the bars / players.

[Micilin O'donaghue · Rating 3 out of 5]

a *must* read during my summer in wrigleyworld! i picked up the lingo and some interesting cubs trivia.

[Rob Harris]

As a Cubs fan, it gets no better than this.

[Lindsay Eanet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Worth a read if you're a Cubs fan, a Chicagoan or just interested in the way neighborhoods and local cultures evolve.

[Lexy · Rating 3 out of 5]

CAN IT BE BASEBALL SEASON YET?

[Edward Morton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This, is a great job. It painted an great picture of Wrigley field and what it would be like to be at the ball player daily.