BCB's David Sameshima had a walk around Wrigley outside, just around the time Friday's game began, and captured some of the atmosphere around the ballpark as well as some construction work going on outside and inside:
I arrived just before game time. It was an interesting mix outside Wrigley. Crowds were still heading to the ballpark, and there were bits of construction activity as well. The first thing I saw was a street sweeping truck working on Addison Street along with ballpark traffic. When I was taking photos along Sheffield Avenue, the national anthem began. During the anthem, I could hear loud hammering coming from under the right field bleachers. I don't think it was any sign of disrespect. The workers probably couldn't hear the anthem, with no speakers down there. Along Sheffield Avenue, there was also quite a bit of work going on, considering the game had just started. There were tarps still hanging down from the back of the left field bleachers. The ballhawks' home turf was partially obstructed. There were barricades blocking off part of their intersection, and there were two trucks parked at their corner. With the drizzling rain, that canceled batting practice and there were no ballhawks out on the street anyway.There was also the excavation work still being done on Waveland Avenue. Further west on Waveland there was also a dump truck parked. I don't think I've seen a dump truck working on any of my previous visits during a game. I also spotted plain clothes security staff standing near the firehouse, along with a line of "unmarked" cars parked along Seminary Avenue. As I was leaving, traffic was stopped along Clark Street, and this motorcade pulled up to the front of the ballpark. I do not know who this motorcade was for.I also noticed something that I didn't catch on Thursday. There appears to be a cooking station in the middle of the right field patio concession stand. I know that was one of the improvements being touted. They would put in more food preparation spaces in the new bleachers.
David will be in the bleachers for Saturday night's game so we'll have photos from both outside and inside the park tomorrow.
At 1 p.m. today we'll have another photoset, pictures taken by Mike Bojanowski, of the new arrangement of the basket in the right-field corner, above Gate Q.