8-8-88: An Idea for the 25th Anniversary of the First Night Game at Wrigley Field

I know that the first night game at Wrigley Field was not on August 8, 1988.  It was on August 9, 1988.  The first game was scheduled for August 8, 1988 (i.e., 8-8-88), but the game was rained out, which is the point.

During the rain delay, something happened you don’t normally see at a major league baseball game.  Four Cubs players, Jody Davis, Les Lancaster, Al Nipper, and Greg Maddux, ran out onto the field and turned the tarp into a giant slip and slide.  Needless to say, Cubs management has not happy.  Don Zimmer said, “I thought it stunk. … I’ve got one guy with astiff elbow [Nipper], one guy with an appendectomy [Lancaster], one with a stiff foot [Davis] and another who’s one of the best pitchers in the league.”*  As Mark Grace, I believe, tells the story, when each of the guys was called into the front office to get scolded, they were told about how they could have hurt themselves and – more importantly – Maddux could have gotten hurt!

So here is my idea for 8-8-13:  Bring back Jody, Les, Al and Greg, and if it’s not raining, put out the tarp anyway.  Wet it down good, and let them take one last run and slide.  When he was with the Cubs in 2006, Maddux said that he wanted to do it one last time.  Well, this would be his chance.

I am sure there will be all kinds of 25th anniversary celebrations next year for the installation of lights.  If Cubs’ management would be willing to have some fun and not take themselves too seriously, this would be a great way to celebrate it.

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* Joel Bierig, “Bash a bath to some Cubs,” Chicago Sun-Times, August 9, 1988.

Comments

[Jennie]

I thought you were going to suggest we send out some of our current players -- and hope they got hurt!