The Cubs faithful flocked to Wrigley Field en masse on a gorgeous Easter afternoon to watch their club open the season against the mighty St. Louis Cardinals.
But unlike years past, many fans expressed cautious optimism that new ace pitcher Jon Lester, along with waiting-in-the-minors slugger Kris Bryant and new manager Joe Maddon, may lead the team out of its storied streak of misery and back toward respectability during this 2015 campaign.
The crowd roared when the players took the field. Anything seemed possible, just shy of 7:30 p.m.
Then the Cardinals scored the season’s first run.
Yeah, but still. Lester. Bryant. Maddon. A plan.
In addition to looking forward to play, many fans praised the giant video screen now glowing animatedly in left field, the first tangible sign of a multiyear renovation taking place at the North Side park.
Hours before Ernie Banks’ son threw out the first pitch, Jerry “The Bleacher Preacher” Pritikin stood outside Wrigley and recalled asking his dad to take him to the Cubs’ last World Series appearance, in 1945.
“He said I was too young, he’d take me the next year,” the 78-year-old Near North Sider said. “And I’ve been waiting to get to that promised land.”
Pritikin said he was optimistic about the Cubs’ prospects this year but thought it was a shame that the bleachers remained closed Sunday.
The bleachers imbue the Cubs with a special power over their visiting adversaries, he said.
“No one can re-create the sounds of the people in the bleachers,” he said.
Pritikin said he knows how to get under the skins of visiting outfielders and once had the Phillies’ Von Hayes laughing uncontrollably during a game in the 1980s.
But things weren’t always congenial in the bleachers of old, he noted.
“A Cardinal fan once burned my propeller,” he said, pointing to the accouterment on his safari-style hat. “That’s why I’ve got a sign: (Expletive) the Cardinals.”
As the fans started streaming in around 4:30 p.m. and the Cubs Dixieland Jazz Band played beneath the benevolent face of the Ernie Banks statue, Johnsburg resident Sy Young said he was a tad skeptical about the giant video screen and other modern amenities being erected at the iconic ballpark.
“It’s a defacing of the classic Wrigley,” the 28-year-old said.
His buddy, Todd Robel, also came down from Johnsburg and had a sign reading, “Holy Cow It’s Huge! (The Scoreboard).”
Still, the season ticket holder said he was legitimately hopeful for the team.
“We’ve got Jorge (Soler), we’ve got (Miguel) Montero, we’ve got (Dexter) Fowler,” Robel said. “‘Excited’ is an understatement.”
Brass band member Eric Schneider was bold in his predictions for the Cubs.
“162 and oh, baby,” said the 61-year-old, who has played with the band for the past 25 years. “Maybe 161 and 1.”
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Mike Grisco, a longtime fan, began his third year as a season ticket holder Sunday.
Like many Cubs fans, he likes the old-school aesthetic of Wrigley and was pleasantly surprised by how seamlessly the video screen fit into the outfield.
“I don’t think it distracts from the classy view of the park,” Grisco said, noting that he liked the Wrigley green of the video display. “The other (video screen) is not up yet, so we’ll see when they’re both up.”
He also had no qualms with the big Budweiser sign in right field.
“Advertising is a major part of baseball,” he said.
Grisco was taking a wait-and-see approach with this year’s team.
“As a longtime fan, it’s a double-edged sword,” the Roselle resident said. “You’re feeling good, but we’ve felt good before.”
He likes how the team is building a perennial contender, not just bringing in patchwork vets as he said the team has done in the past.
Grisco pegs the Cubs to win more than 90 games this year.
About an hour before the first pitch, Aurora resident Mike Timm stood outside the park behind West Waveland Avenue and craned his neck to take in the mammoth new video board.
As construction workers milled beneath it, the 61-year-old said he understood the need to modernize Wrigley.
“I’m realistic to the fact that it’s not 1970 anymore,” Timm said. “You need signs and revenue.”
Timm said he got rid of his stake in some season tickets a few years ago, “when you have the tickets and can’t give them away.”
He was cautiously excited for the season.
“Maybe not a long ways to go, but it might be early to print World Series signs,” Timm said.
DeKalb resident Matt Braasch was also taking a wait-and-see approach to the 2015 Cubs.
“Can we let you know in nine innings?” he asked.
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