Here we have a nice view of the iconic Wrigley Field scoreboard, with the simple (non-digital) message board below it, a board that existed from 1982 until the Ricketts family bought the team in 2009. This photo was sent to me by BCB reader Cary Noren — and again, a reminder, if you have any Cubs/Wrigley photos you want me to sleuth, send ‘em along!
My first instinct was that this was in the later parts of that era with the “46” as the Cubs starting pitcher, which would be Ryan Dempster. Dempster started
eight games against the Pirates at Wrigley Field during his Cubs career. But none of those eight games match the innings we see on the board.
So, I had to look at some other pitchers.
There were two other Cubs starting pitchers who wore 46 during this time frame: Steve Trachsel (1993-99) and Jason Bere (2001-02). (Trachsel also returned briefly to the Cubs in 2007, but did not start any games against the Pirates at Wrigley that year.)
Bere started four times against the Pirates at Wrigley in his two years with the Cubs. None of those games match what we see here.
Okay, so the Cubs No. 46 pitcher is Trachsel.
Trachsel started 186 games for the Cubs between 1993 and 1999. Oddly, only five of them were against the Pirates at Wrigley Field.
Only one of the five games matches what we see here. This game was played Tuesday, June 3, 1997. We are about to enter the bottom of the second inning and there’s no score. You can tell it’s an inning break — there’s a non-baseball message on the board and no batter, ball, strike or out is indicated.
The Cubs lost this game 3-1. The Pirates scored a run in the top of the third and the Cubs matched it with a solo home run by Scott Servais in the bottom of the inning. But that’s all the Cubs could score. Trachsel threw eight solid innings, allowing two runs on eight hits and striking out seven, but the Cubs did not muster any more offense, with just four other hits, all singles, apart from Servais’ home run. Mel Rojas, who had a terrible half year for the Cubs before being traded, allowed a run in the ninth that wrapped up the scoring. Attendance was 17,317, which pretty much matches the half-full bleachers we see. The No. 34 who started for the Pirates that afternoon was Steve Cooke.
What I find interesting is that in 1997, there were still very few people in the bleachers wearing team gear — just one Cubs T-shirt that I can see and just a few Cubs caps. It would take another few years before people regularly wore team gear to Wrigley Field.
Just another slice of history from our favorite ballpark, now from nearly 30 years ago.
