A version of this post originally was published late last year.
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The Cubs and Reds are scheduled to play tonight at the Field of Dreams ballpark in Dyersville, Iowa.
According to my research, that will be the 119th different park in which the Cubs have played a regular-season game or a post-season game that was part of league playoffs or the World Series.
The post-season provision excludes exhibition games following the regular season, including the City Series between the Cubs and White Sox, which took place 25 times between 1903 and 1942.
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That would seem to exclude the original Comiskey Park on the South Side of Chicago.
The only time the teams met in the World Series was in 1906, 4 years before Comiskey opened. The Sox played at Southside Park III that year, as they had since 1900.
They never have met in the World Series again, and regular-season interleague play did not begin until 1998, which was 7 years after the Sox moved to their current facility, first named Comiskey Park II and currently called Guaranteed Rate Field.
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But the Cubs did play 3 meaningful games at Comiskey I: the first 3 games of the 1918 World Series, in which they hosted the Boston Red Sox.
Weeghman Park, today's Wrigley Field, had a seating capacity of 15,000 that season, while Comiskey could seat nearly twice as many fans, 28,000.
The 3 Series games, played Thursday-Saturday, Sept. 6-8, attracted 19,274, 20,040 and 27,054, for an average of 22,123, or 47 percent more than could have bee accommodated on the North Side.
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PARKS BY LEAGUE AFFILIATION
In all, the Cubs have played in 27 parks that were the homes of American League teams when they played there, 99 that were the homes of National League teams and 2 that were neither.
That adds up to more than 118, because they played games at parks that were:
1. Shared by AL and NL teams (Fenway Park in Boston, Hilltop Park in New York and Shibe Park in Philadelphia)
2. The home at different times to teams in both leagues (County Stadium in Milwaukee and Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in Washington).
3. The home to the same team that at different times played in both leagues (Minute Maid Park in Houston)
The 2 that were neither were the Tokyo Dome, where they played 2 games against the Mets to open the 2000 season, and BB&T Park in Williamsport, Pa., where they played the Pirates in 2019. The Field of Dreams will be the third.
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PARKS IN CHICAGO
The Cubs have played games that mattered in a total of 9 parks in Chicago, the 3 that belonged to the White Sox and 6 of their own.
Here are those 6, in chronological order, with the years they were used and, in parentheses, the Cubs' won-lost record at each park:
23rd Street Grounds, 1876-77 (42-18)
Lakefront Park, 1878-84 (225-86)
West Side Park, 1885-91 (288-131)
South Side Park II, 1891-93 (85-75)
West Side Grounds, 1893-1915 (1,042-664-32)
Weegham Park/Cubs Park/Wrigley Field, 1916-2021 (4,426-3,861-40)
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42 CITIES
Dyersville will be the 43rd different city in which they have played.
The list of 42 cities to date includes Brooklyn, long-time home of the Dodgers, whom the Cubs first played in 1890, which was 8 years before Brooklyn was incorporated as a borough of New York City.
The same year, Staten Island became part of the city. The Cubs played games there against the Giants in 1889, 9 years earlier, so Staten Island is among the 41 cities, too.
So are Jersey City, N.J., where the Cubs played the Dodgers in 1956 and 1957, as well as East Albany and Watervliet, N.Y., the actual locations of 2 of the parks where the Cubs played NL rival Troy in 1882.
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East Albany, Watervliet and Troy itself are 3 of 10 cities where the Cubs played games only against teams that no longer are in the Major Leagues.
The others are: Buffalo, Hartford, Indianapolis, Louisville, New Haven (Conn.), Providence and Syracuse.
The Cubs played games at 36 total parks that were home to defunct teams.
The 27 other parks were in 9 cities that still have big league teams: Baltimore, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit, Kansas City, Milwaukee, New York, St. Louis and Washington.
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MOST PARKS? NOT CHICAGO!
You may be surprised to learn that the Cubs played at more parks in 1 city than they have in Chicago.
They have played at 10 parks in New York, against 4 different franchises. Here are those parks, in chronological order, and the teams they played at each:
1. Union Grounds, 1876 (Mutuals)
2. Polo Grounds I, 1883-88 (Giants; all further entries also are Giants unless noted otherwise)
3. Polo Grounds III, 1889-90
4. Polo Grounds IV, 1891-1911
5. Hilltop Park, 1911
6. Polo Grounds V, 1911-57 (Giants) and 1962-63 (Mets)
7. Yankee Stadium I (1932 and 1938 World Series)
8. Shea Stadium, 1964-2008 (Mets)
9. Yankee Stadium II, 2005 and 2014
10. CitiField, 2009-21 (Mets)
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Hilltop Park was the home of the Highlanders, today's Yankees, in 1904-12.
In 1911, after the Giants played their first 2 games at Polo Grounds IV, it was destroyed by a fire. Between April 15 and May 30, while a new park was being constructed at the Polo Grounds, the Giants played 38 games at Hilltop Park, including 4 against the Cubs, May 9-12.
The Cubs lost the first 2 games, 5-3 and 11-4, then won the next 2, 9-3 and 6-3.
So, while the Cubs never have won a game at New York against the Yankees, going 0-4 in 2 World Series and 0-5 in regular-season games, they HAVE won 2 games at an American League park in New York -- against a National League opponent!
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CITY WITH 9 PARKS
The Cubs have played at 9 parks in St. Louis, against 3 different teams. Here are those parks, in chronological order, and the teams they played at each:
1. Grand Avenue Park, 1876-77 (Brown Stockings)
2. Union Grounds, 1885-86 (Maroons)
3. Sportsman's Park I, 1885 (in World Series vs. Browns. All later parks were home to same team, which was called Perfectos in 1899, then became Cardinals in 1900)
4. Association Park or Union Park, 1892-97
5. League Park, 1898
6. Robison Field, 1893-1920
7. Sportsman's Park III/Busch Stadium I, 1920-52/1953-65
8. Busch Stadium II, 1966-2005
9. Busch Stadium III, 2006-2021
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CITY WITH 8
The Cubs have played at 8 parks in Cincinnati.
The first was the Union Grounds, where the Cubs, then known as the White Stockings, famously defeated the all-but-invincible Red Stockings, 10-6, on Sept. 7, 1870.
Those "Reds" disbanded after the season.
The Cubs battled a second iteration of Reds at the Avenue Grounds in 1876-79 and the Bank Street Grounds in 1880, when the host team sometimes was referred to as the Stars.
They took on the current Reds franchise for the first time in 1890, when Cincinnati joined the NL after 8 seasons in the American Association.
Today's Reds have played at these parks:
1. American/League Park, 1884-1901
2. Palace of the Fans, 1902-11
3. Redland Field, then Crosley Field, 1912-70
4. Riverfront Stadium/Cinergy Field, 1970-2002
5. Great American Ballpark, 2003-21
(There has never been a better name for a park than "Palace of the Fans"!)
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CITY WITH 6
Next on the list is Boston, with 6 parks:
1. South End Grounds I: 1871-1887 (today's Braves)
2. South End Grounds II: 1888-1894
3. Congress Street Grounds, 1894
4. South End Grounds III: 1894-1914
5. Braves Field, 1915-52
6. Fenway Park, 1915 (Braves), 1918 World Series and 2011, 2014 and 2017 (Red Sox)
When the opening of Braves Field was delayed in 1915, the Braves played games at Fenway Park, including a pair of 4-game series against the Cubs, May 20-24 and June 22-26. They played at Braves Field for the first time Aug. 25-27.
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CITIES WITH 5
The Cubs have played at 5 parks in 3 cities.
Brooklyn:
1. Union Grounds, 1877 (Hartfords of Brooklyn)
2. Washington Park I, 1890 (today's Dodger are all entries)
3. Eastern Park, 1891-97
4. Washington Park II, 1898-1912
5. Ebbets Field, 1913-57
The Hartford (Conn.) Dark Blues were charter members of the National League in 1876. Before the next season, they were bought by a new owner, who moved their games to Brooklyn, but kept Hartford of their names.
In 1898, when Sunday baseball was banned in New York, the Dodgers played some games on the Sabbath at the West New York Field Club Grounds in Weehawken, N.J. None were against the Cubs.
In 1956 and 1957, hoping to pressure Brooklyn into building them a new park, the Dodgers played 15 games at Roosevelt Stadium in Jersey City -- 1 against the Cubs and each of their 6 other rivals in 1956, then 1 against the Cubs, 2 against the Phillies and 1 against the 6 other teams in 1957.
The Cubs won both of their games, 3-2 and 4-0, and remain undefeated in New Jersey to this day.
Philadelphia:
1. Recreation Park, 1883-86 (today's Phillies are all entries)
2. Baker Bowl, 1887-1938
3. Shibe Park/Connie Mack Stadium, 1938-70
4. Veterans Stadium, 1971-2003
5. Citizens Bank Park, 2004-21
The Cubs also played games at Shibe Park against the Athletics in the 1910 and 1929 World Series.
Pittsburgh:
1. Recreation Park, 1887-90 (today's Pirates are all entries)
2. Exposition Park, 1891-1909
3. Forbes Field, 1909-70
4. Three Rivers Stadium, 1970-2000
5. PNC Park, 2001-2021
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5 TEAMS, 4 PARKS, 1 CITY
The Cubs have played 5 teams at 4 different parks in Milwaukee.
They played the Braves at County Stadium in 1953-65, then the Brewers at the same park in 1998-2000.
Since 2001, they have played the Brewers at Miller Park/American Family Field.
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But way back in 1878, the third year of the National League, Milwaukee had its first NL team. It was called the Grays and they lasted only that 1 season, finishing last of 6 teams with a record of 15-45-1.
Their home field was the Milwaukee Base-Ball Grounds, where they defeated the White Stockings, 7-6, in the future Cubs' first visit to Milwaukee on June 18.
The Whites won the next 2 games of that series, then the first 2 on July 15-16. A third game scheduled for Milwaukee the next day was moved to Chicago, at the suggestion of the Grays, whose attendance had been dismal.
They relocated other home games, too, and wound up playing 36 on the road and 25 at home, including the 5 against the Whites.
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The fourth Milwaukee park where the Cubs played was the Wright Street Grounds. They played 2 games there in 1885 -- neither against a club based in Milwaukee.
They had games rained out at Buffalo and Providence during their final Eastern swing of the season. Neither the Bisons nor the Grays wanted to make up the games during subsequent trips to Chicago, but agreed to play 90 miles to the north.
So after the Whites beat the Bison at Chicago on Sept. 1-3, they beat them at Milwaukee on the 4th, then returned to Chicago and beat them there again the next day to sweep the 5 games.
They followed the same back-and-forth schedule against the Grays 3 weeks later, playing 3 games at Chicago, 1 at Milwaukee and 1 more at Chicago. This time, they won 4 of 5, losing only the third of the consecutive games before the quick trip to Wisconsin.
Those wins proved crucial, as the Whites lost their final 3 games, at home to the Phillies, but still finished first by 2 games over the Grays.
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OTHER CITIES WITH 4
The Cubs also have played at 4 parks in 3 other cities.
Cleveland:
1. National League Park I, 1879-84 (Blues)
2. National League Park II, 1889-90 (Spiders)
3. League Park I, 1891-99 (Spiders)
4. Jacobs/Progressive Field, 1997-2021, including 2016 World Series (Guardians)
In 1890, the Spiders played some home games at Indianapolis, but none against the Cubs. In 1898-99, they played home games at Euclid Beach Park, near Cleveland, and at parks in Philadelphia, Rochester, St. Louis -- and Chicago, at the Cubs' West Side Grounds.
Detroit:
1. Recreation Park, 1881-88 (Wolverines)
2. Bennett Park, 1907-08 World Series (Tigers, also in all later entries)
3. Navin Field/Briggs Stadium/Tiger Stadium, 1935 and 1945 World Series, then 1998 regular season
4. Comerica Park, 2001-2021
Washington:
1. Swampoodle Grounds, 1886-89 (earliest Nationals)
(Another utterly delightful name!)
2. Boundary Field, 1892-99 (earliest Senators)
3. Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, 2005-07 (Nationals)
4. Nationals Park, 2008-21
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CITIES WITH 3
These are the 7 cities in which the Cubs have played at 3 parks:
Atlanta (Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, 1966-96; Turner Field, 1997-2016; SunTrust Park/Truist Park, 2017-2021)
Houston (Colt Stadium, 1962-64; Astrodome, 1965-99; Enron Field/Minute Maid Park, 2000-21)
Indianapolis (South Street Park, 1878, vs. Blues; Seventh Street Park II, 1887, and Seventh Street Park III, 1888-89, vs. Hoosiers)
Kansas City (Association Park, 1886, vs. Cowboys; Exposition Park, 1892, vs. St. Louis Cardinals; Kauffman Stadium, 1998-2020, vs. Royals)
Los Angeles (Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, 1958-61; Dodger Stadium, 1962-2021; Angel Stadium of Anaheim, 2004, 2013, 2016)
Louisville (Louisville Baseball Park, 1876-77, vs. Grays; Eclipse Park I, 1892-93, and Eclipse Park II, 1893-99, vs. Colonels)
San Francisco (Seals Stadium, 1958-59; Candlestick Park, 1960-99; Pacific Bell/SBC/Oracle Park, 2000-21)
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CITIES WITH 2
The Cubs have played at 2 parks in 8 cities:
Baltimore (Oriole Park III, 1892-99; Oriole Park at Camden Yards, 2003, 2017, 2022)
Buffalo (Riverside Grounds, 1879-83, and Olympic Park I, 1884-85, vs. Bisons)
Denver (Mile High Stadium, 1993-94; Coors Field, 1995-2021)
Miami (Joe Robbie Stadium/Pro Player Stadium, SunLife Stadium, 1993-2011; Marlins Park/LoanDepot Park, 2012-21)
Minnesota (Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, 1998, 2000, 2006; Target Field, 2012, 2015, 2021)
Montreal (Jarry Park, 1969-76, and Olympic Stadium, 1977-2004, vs. Expos)
San Diego (San Diego Stadium/Jack Murphy Stadium/Qualcomm Stadium, 1969-2003, and Petco Park, 2004-21, vs. Padres)
Troy, N.Y. (Putnam Grounds, 1879, and Haymakers' Grounds, 1880-81, vs. Trojans)
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CITIES WITH 1
And here are the 18 cities, more than 40 percent of all 42, in which the Cubs have played at only 1 park:
Arlington, Texas (Ameriquest Field/Rangers Ballpark/Globe Life Park, 2007, 2010 and 2019, vs. Rangers)
East Albany, N.Y. (Riverside Park, 1882, vs. Trojans)
Hartford (Hartford Ball Club Grounds, 1876, vs. Dark Blues)
Jersey City (Roosevelt Stadium, 1956-57, vs. Dodgers)
New Haven, Conn. (Howard Avenue Grounds, 1877, vs. Hartfords of Brooklyn)
Oakland (current Coliseum, 2013 and 2016, vs. Athletics)
Phoenix (Bank One Ballpark/Chase Field, vs. Diamondbacks)
Providence (Messer Street Grounds, 1878-85, vs. Grays)
St. Petersburg (Tropicana Field, 2008 and 2017, vs. Rays)
San Juan, Puerto Rico (Hiram Bithorn Stadium, 2003, vs. Expos)
Seattle (Safeco Field/T-Mobile Park, 2002, 2010, 2013 and 2019, vs. Mariners)
Staten Island (St. George Cricket Grounds, 1889, vs. Giants)
Syracuse (Star Park I, 1897, vs. Stars)
Tokyo (Tokyo Dome, 2000, vs. Mets)
Toronto (Skydome/Rogers Centre, 2003, 2008 and 2014, vs. Blue Jays)
Watervliet, N.Y. (Troy Ball Club Grounds, 1882, vs. Trojans)
Williamsport, Pa. (BB&T Ballpark, 2019, vs. Pirates)
Worcester, Mass. (Agricultural County Fair Grounds I, 1880-82, vs. Ruby Legs)
