How does the ivy at Wrigley Field affect baseball games?

Batted balls used to be in play when they went into the ivy. So naturally, the longer an outfielder took to locate and retrieve the ball, the more time the runner(s) has to get around the bases and score runs. read more

Consequently, balls in the ivy are now considered ground rule doubles (the same as a ball that lands in fair territory, then bounces off the field of play and into the stands). But this is ONLY the case if the outfielder immediately signals to the umpires that the ball is unplayable. read more

Wrigley Field went through a renovation primarily to the bleachers in 1937, but that is also when the ivy was added to the outfield walls at Wrigley. The ivy was added primarily to make the stadium look better which it certainly does, but also an attempt to cushion the outfield wall made out of brick. read more

So, the Cubs and Wrigley Field can keep those ivy walls, for now. If the team ever builds a new stadium, just like the Indianapolis ivy, the Chicago ivy will likely also be gone. Unless the Cubs can convince the MLB that the history and nostalgia of that 79-year-old greenery is worth breaking the padded-walls rule. read more