MARCH 25, 1985 | COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS. A Cook County, Illinois Judge said no to lights at Wrigley Field on this date in 1985. The judge felt, the Chicago Cubs had gone without lights their entire history, there was no need to change now.
The Cubs had held out decades longer than any other team playing all their games during the day. But they made it to the postseason in 1984, something they hadn’t done since 1945. Major League Baseball had been scheduling night games in the post-season for years. Since Wrigley Field didn’t have lights the Cubs had to give up a home game in the National League Championship Series in ‘84.
The shoe was now on the other foot. The Cubs wanted lights. Former general manager Dallas Green first proposed them in 1982. The neighborhood and the city (the mayor at the time, Richard J. Daley, was lifelong White Sox fan) didn’t, so the Cubs sued which led to today’s ruling that the ban on lights at Wrigley was constitutional – no night games at Wrigley.
It took a few more years of political cajoling and maneuvering for an ordinance to finally be passed allowing night games at Wrigley, but no more than 18 per season. The first night game at Wrigley was played on August 8, 1988 – 8/8/88, but it was called due to rain before it became official (maybe they shouldn’t have put lights in Wrigley).
Contributing sources:
MLB.com: 20 years of night baseball at Wrigley Field
Chicago Tribune, “The Cubs get lights at Wrigley,” August 8, 1988
