Ranking the best in-game experiences for each MLB team

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 29 : Freeze races during game one of the 2019 Major League Baseball London Series between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees on June 29, 2019 at West Ham London Stadium in London, England. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) /

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CHICAGO, IL – JULY 22: Ice Cube sings “take me out to the ball game” during the seventh inning stretch in a game between the Chicago Cubs and the St. Louis Cardinals on July 22, 2017 at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by David Banks/Getty Images) /

Chicago Cubs: Celebrity stretch

Wrigley Field has been the home of the Chicago Cubs for almost as long as Fenway Park has been home to the Red Sox. Wrigley opened in 1914, just two years after the Fens. Wrigley Field has many of the same type of features as its contemporary in Boston. It is also plopped in the heart of an old city neighborhood, has tiny dimensions and its own unique outfield situation with the ivy.

As with Fenway Park, you don’t really need a ton of excuses or a “fan experience” to go watch a game at Wrigley Field. The Cubs have done more than the Red Sox to modernize and update the inside of their stadium, but it still retains most of its original charm and feel. The Cubs do get more involved with their video boards and have seriously upgraded their clubhouses to offer modern amenities. The upgrades have not come without controversy, as Cubs ownership has worked somewhat aggressively to limit views from the rooftops that surround the park. That cottage industry has lost some of its organic feel as the franchise looks to control more of the neighborhood. The Ricketts family now owns 10 of the rooftops.

As a baseball fan, part of me has always wanted to sit and watch a game from the Wrigleyville rooftops, but that’s not really as good as being in the park. Also, why pay over $100 to sit on a rooftop that offers a worse view than being in the upper deck? If you’re going to spend the money to go to a Cubs game, don’t pay the Ricketts family a premium to half-experience the action.

If you are of a certain age, then the most important in-stadium experience is knocking back a few adult beverages in the outfield bleachers and getting a little crazy. If that’s not quite your cup of tea or you’re bringing kids, one of the big highlights of is listening to a celebrity lead “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” in the seventh inning. The Cubs have managed to keep this tradition fresh, and it has given us a number of hilarious, memorable performances over the years.

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