Wrigley Nights under the Lights
Statistics thru 2004 Season
The data for this page comes from the retrosheet.org data files. There are almost assuredly some inaccuracies, but the general trends are correct. Furthermore, Al Yellon who writes the absoulutely fantastic Bleed Cubbie Blue was instrumental in filling in some of the gaps in the retrosheet data. Specifically, Al retrieved the dates of the night games played in 1991 and 1992. If you have questions/comments/concerns/suggestions please don't hesitate to email me: byron@thecubdom.com
Chicago Cubs all-time Night Game Record:
147-135 (.521)
NOTICE: I recently found out that the Cubs Media Guide lists the Cubs record in night games as 147-131.
The Cubs were the last team in Major League Baseball to get lights for their stadium. While former owner P.K. Wrigley had originally purchased lights to be installed in the late 1930's, the steel was donated to the World War II effort.
In 1988, the Tribune Company, which had purchased the team from Bill Wrigley (P.K's son) in 1981 installed the lights and was given clearance by the City of Chicago to play night games. The first night game was scheduled for August 8, 1988 (8-8-88), but it was rained out before the game became official. The next night, August 9, 1988 (8-9-88) the Cubs defeated the New York Mets in the first night game ever played at Wrigley Field
Cubs Home Records, Night and Day:
Year |
All Cubs Games |
All Home Games |
Home Day Games |
Home Night Games |
1988 |
77-85 (.475) |
39-42 (.481) |
36-39 (.480) |
3-3 (.500) |
1989 |
93-69 (.574) |
48-33 (.593) |
38-26 (.594) |
10-7 (.588) |
1990 |
77-85 (.475) |
39-42 (.481) |
34-30 (.531) |
5-12 (.294) |
1991 |
77-83 (.481) |
46-37 (.554) |
36-29 (.554) |
10-8 (.556) |
1992 |
78-84 (.481) |
43-38 (.531) |
33-30 (.524) |
10-8 (.556) |
1993 |
84-78 (.519) |
43-38 (.531) |
31-33 (.484) |
12-5 (.706) |
1994 |
49-64 (.434) |
20-39 (.339) |
16-31 (.340) |
4-8 (.333) |
1995 |
73-71 (.507) |
34-38 (.472) |
29-25 (.537) |
5-13 (.278) |
1996 |
76-86 (.469) |
43-38 (.531) |
31-33 (.484) |
12-5 (.706) |
1997 |
68-94 (.420) |
42-39 (.519) |
33-29 (.532) |
9-10 (.474) |
1998 |
90-73 (.552) |
51-31 (.622) |
37-26 (.587) |
14-5 (.737) |
1999 |
67-95 (.414) |
34-47 (.420) |
31-33 (.484) |
3-14 (.176) |
2000 |
65-97 (.401) |
38-43 (.469) |
27-38 (.415) |
11-5 (.688) |
2001 |
88-74 (.543) |
48-33 (.593) |
39-26 (.600) |
9-7 (.563) |
2002 |
67-95 (.414) |
36-45 (.44) |
25-37 (.403) |
11-7 (.611) |
2003 |
88-74 (.543) |
44-37 (.543) |
34-29 (.540) |
10-8 (.556) |
2004 |
89-73 (.549) |
45-37 (.549) |
36-27 (.571) |
9-10 (.474) |
2005 |
|
|
|
|
Total |
1306-1380 (.486) |
693-657 (.513) |
546-521 (.512) |
147-135 (.521) |
Wrigley Field Night Game attendance comparison:
Year |
Avg Night Attendance |
Avg Day Attendance |
1988 |
30,000 |
25,454 |
1989 |
32,875 |
30,204 |
1990 |
31,418 |
26,714 |
1991 |
29,170 |
27,526 |
1992 |
28,997 |
25,472 |
1993 |
34,336 |
32,345 |
1994 |
32,013 |
31,086 |
1995 |
26,671 |
26,633 |
1996 |
29,391 |
26,867 |
1997 |
26,460 |
27,219 |
1998 |
34,284 |
31,298 |
1999 |
36,471 |
34,279 |
2000 |
33,803 |
34,595 |
2001 |
36,222 |
33,845 |
2002 |
33,008 |
33,322 |
2003 |
37,779 |
36,232 |
2004 |
39,036 |
38,547 |
A listing of the night dates as I have them, the Cubs PR department and I are working to eliminate a discrepancy.
1988: Record of 3-3
Aug: 8, 22, 23
Sept: 6, 7, 20
1989: Record of 10-7
April: 5, 12, 25, 29
May: 10, 17
June: 5, 8, 26
July: 5, 20
Aug: 7, 21, 30
Sept: 12, 13, 18
1990: Record of 5-12
April: 21
May: 7, 21, 29
June: 7, 11, 25
July: 12, 16, 31
Aug: 4, 7, 13, 30
Sept: 9, 10, 18
1991: Record of 10-8
April: 15, 30
May: 13, 14, 25, 28
June: 4, 10
July: 1, 11, 23
Aug: 11, 13, 26
Sept: 10, 14, 23, 24
1992: Record of 10-8
April: 20
May: 4, 7, 26
June: 1, 13, 15, 30
July: 6, 9, 11, 27
Aug: 6, 9, 13, 31
Sept: 14, 29
1993: Record of 12-5
April: 20
May: 4, 10, 15, 27
June: 1, 14
July: 6, 10, 15, 26
Aug: 19, 22, 30
Sept: 2, 20, 21
1994: Record of 4-8
April: 19
May: 2, 16, 31
June: 2, 27
July: 5, 7, 10
Aug: 1, 6, 8
1995: Record of 5-13
May: 2, 25
June: 8, 13, 26, 27
July: 2, 13, 15, 17, 24
Aug: 8, 22
Sept: 11, 12, 21, 25, 26
1996: Record of 12-5
April: 15, 22, 30
May: 4, 13
June: 3, 8, 13
July: 6, 11, 15, 30
Aug: 5, 19
Sept: 9, 10, 15
1997: Record of 9-10
April: 24, 28
May: 13, 17, 20, 29
June: 2, 10, 26
July: 14, 19, 31
Aug: 3, 5, 25, 26
Sept: 2, 15, 16
1998: Record of 14-5
April: 21, 30
May: 5, 19, 31
June: 1, 15, 20, 22, 30
July: 22
Aug: 3, 4, 18, 24, 31
Sept: 1, 10, 28
1999: Record of 3-14
April: 20
May: 3, 24, 25, 30
June: 1, 29
July: 15, 19
Aug: 2, 3, 8, 9
Sept: 7, 20, 21, 23
2000: Record of 11-5
May: 2, 8, 9, 16, 30
June: 5, 6, 13
July: 19, 31
Aug: 14, 28, 29
Sept: 25, 26, 27
2001: Record of 9-7
May: 1, 2, 15, 16, 22
June: 5, 25
July: 16, 24, 29
Aug: 7, 28, 29
Sept: 10, 27
Oct: 2
2002: Record of 11-7
April: 23, 24
May: 6, 7, 21, 22
June: 18, 23, 24
July: 15, 30
Aug: 12, 31
Sept: 3, 9, 10, 24, 25
2003: Record of 10-8
April: 14, 22
May: 5, 6, 27
June: 3, 4, 8, 24
July: 7, 23, 29
Aug: 11, 12
Sept: 2, 15, 16, 27
2004: Record of 9-10
May: 4, 5, 18, 19
June: 1, 7, 8, 29
July: 4, 15, 19
Aug: 10, 11
Sept: 7, 8, 13, 14, 27, 28
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