Crowd noise or not, baseball in Chicago is nearing a return
When you’ve spent half your life working in press boxes in various stadiums, it’s easy to take an iconic ballpark like Wrigley Field for granted.
The cramped quarters aren’t really conducive to writing. You constantly are bumping into fans trying to get to the clubhouse after games. The taped music is so loud that you can’t transcribe your interviews even with headphones on.
These are just a few of the occupational hazards reporters deal with daily while trying to provide information to Cubs fans, which is why some local media are welcoming the new era of covering baseball during a pandemic. You can stay home, watch games on TV and get all your Zoom interviews on a laptop without getting off your couch.
But being there is what counts, and if I’ve learned one thing from the sports shutdown, it’s how much I missed being inside a ballpark, whether it’s Wrigley or White Sox Park.
And after a week of watching the Cubs and Sox work out at their respective parks, my love for the history and traditions of baseball on the North and Souths sides has been reaffirmed. Even as I’m writing this while wearing a face mask at Wrigley, the view is great, and the sounds of baseballs landing in the empty bleachers and bouncing down the rows is music to my ears.
I only wish fans also could come inside to watch summer camp, knowing most of you probably could use a baseball fix right