World Series Game Three Scene-Setter

CHICAGO—Cubs manager Joe Maddon left his home earlier than usual to get to Wrigley Field on Friday afternoon, anticipating the large crowds that would fill the streets around the ballpark hours before Game Three of the World Series was set to begin.

It didn’t matter. Maddon still arrived later than he wanted to.

“One of the groups that makes video games could absolutely make a game out of going down Clark Street for the first game of the World Series,” Maddon said during his pregame press conference. “The potential of hitting pedestrians or not. Running lights. Running stop signs. You see the lines everywhere, getting in and out of the establishments. I think it’s great.”

As expected, Chicago is abuzz with excitement over Wrigley Field’s first World Series game since 1945. “W” flags fly from nearly every building on the North Side, as well as from homes as far north as Evanston. The Addison stop on the CTA line was a little more than a crush of blue-and-red clad people by 2 p.m., five hours before first pitch. The streets surrounding the park were borderline impossible to navigate as lines to get into bars adjacent to the park would around multiple blocks. And that was before the police horses showed up to force people onto the sidewalks two-and-half hours before first pitch.

“How about the excitement throughout the industry and throughout game and throughout our city, everybody being engaged this strongly,” Maddon said. “It’s a good moment for everybody. That’s not lost on me either. You’re driving down that street today and you see the involvement, the prices just to get into these places, and the fact that people are flying in just to be at a bar, not even here at the ballpark. That is pretty impressive. It’s different in all the best ways and it should be an absolute blast.”