Cubs cleared for rare Friday night game

The Chicago Cubs will play a Friday night game at Wrigley Field on June 18 to accommodate the team’s travel schedule.

SHARE Cubs cleared for rare Friday night game
merlin_97205046.jpg

Chicago Cubs Anthony Rizzo (44) and Chicago Cubs Matt Duffy (5) celebrate the Cubs 16-4 win over the New York Mets Wednesday, April 21, 2021, in Chicago.

AP Photo/Mark Black

The Chicago Cubs got the go-ahead to play a rare Friday night game on June 18 against the Miami Marlins because the team returns to Chicago late the night before after playing the Mets in New York.

Normally, Friday and Saturday night games are off-limits because they exacerbate parking and congestion problems in Wrigleyville on nights when restaurants and nightclubs draw their biggest crowds.

But at the behest of local Ald. Tom Tunney (44th), the City Council’s Committee on License and Consumer Protection agreed to make the one-time exception due to the Cubs’ travel schedule, hoping a better-rested home team would be more likely to defeat the Miami Marlins.

“It’s a pretty simple ask. This is to move a day game that was scheduled for Friday, June 18 to a night game. ... We’ve done it in the past on a very limited basis to help accommodate tight travel schedules in the hopes that a well-rested team might get us in the playoffs,” Tunney said.

“The Cubs, traditionally by the night game ordinance, were not allowed Friday or Saturday night games without this kind of exception. ... This was done historically because generally, in Lake View and other communities, Friday and Saturday night are the busiest nights for restaurants, theater and other uses that really are necessary to keep these businesses alive. When there’s a game around Wrigley Field, there’s too much congestion and parking issues for other businesses to really survive.”

The Latest
A look back at last year’s transfer portal rankings shows Domask wasn’t even among the top 50 transfer prospects on many lists. Lucky for the Illini, coach Brad Underwood doesn’t recruit based on college basketball pundits’ rankings.
In 1983, Gossett became the third Black Oscar nominee in the supporting actor category. He won for his performance as the intimidating Marine drill instructor in “An Officer and a Gentleman” opposite Richard Gere and Debra Winger.
Chances are, if you live in an American city, particularly in the South — the most violent part of the country since forever — these things are familiar to you.
For the first time since 2019, the water taxi will offer daily service between Ogilvie and Union stations, Michigan Avenue and Chinatown.
Busch found an unconventional way to score in the loss to the Rangers.