Among many other things – lots of them bad – today marked the return of fans to Wrigley Field. It was a “sellout” crowd of just 10,343 at the limited capacity ballpark, but I can say it was really wonderful to see and hear on the broadcast. From the too aggressive OOOOHHHHH that accompanied Joc Pederson’s early 300-foot fly ball, to the crystal clear, “HEY BLUE YOU SUCK!” I could hear on a close call, the game was much closer to something approximating normal.
Not that you can forget our current situation, but the fans being there as part of the ambiance made it a heckuva lot easier than last year to completely sink yourself into a baseball game.
As for the Cubs, they also appreciated finally being back in front of Cubs fans at Wrigley Field. It was a moment unlike any other at a ballpark that has seen almost everything: the return of a crowd after a season without them because of a pandemic. I mean, the players were the ones who actually played there at that giant empty stadium last year.
“That was incredible,” Anthony Rizzo said of being back at Wrigley with fans, per NBC. “I took an extra moment when I took the field to appreciate [fans] being here and their cheers and being able to play in front of them. It was definitely something I’ll never forget, taking the field today.”
Ditto from Kyle Hendricks, who was not at his best, but still appreciated the special moment.
“Walking out there on the field and seeing the fans in the stands again, that was such a huge positive of today,” Hendricks said. “Just feeling that energy. You could tell how excited [the fans] were, how happy they were just to be there. I was able to soak it in for a second when I walked out on the field. And it was really, really cool.”
It was. I don’t want to lose sight of that in the wake of the otherwise ugly loss. We still aren’t back in full gear in the country, and the Washington Nationals are dealing with a COVID-19 outbreak right now. But this type of thing – being together at a distance outside at a baseball game – can happen safely, and it’s so great to see. Today was an important step in the recovery from the pandemic, even as there are many steps yet to be taken.
I can’t wait to be back at Wrigley Field, myself.