Chicago baseball fans have been packing Wrigley and Rate fields this year as the Cubs and White Sox push for the playoffs.
But in some cases, the action on the field has been overshadowed by the hijinks in the stands.
Star Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong had a heated exchange with a female White Sox fan during a Crosstown Classic game at Rate Field in May. Then, a brawl in the Wrigley Field bleachers garnered national attention when the teams faced off in August on the North Side.
But that type of misbehavior is nothing new.
Since the start of the 2021 season, at least 104 people have been arrested during baseball games at Chicago’s two ballparks, according to Chicago police data obtained through a public records request.
Fifty-six of those arrests happened at Rate Field, compared to 48 at Wrigley Field, the data shows. Those arrested have been charged with battering fans and security guards, running onto the playing fields and repeatedly trespassing at Wrigley, among other offenses.
A Cubs spokesperson said the ballclub is “fortunate to have a strong partnership with the Chicago Police Department, whose officers work closely with our security team to provide a safe and welcoming environment for more than 3 million fans each year.”
“We do not tolerate disruptive or illegal behavior, and if an issue arises, our teams work together to address it quickly,” the spokesperson said.
A Sox spokesperson said the organization is “committed to creating a safe and enjoyable experience for every fan who visits the ballpark,” crediting the “diligent gameday staff, security personnel and law enforcement partners.”
Take me out to the brawl-game
Most people arrested during ballgames in Chicago have been charged with misdemeanor battery.
Back in July 2021, a 31-year-old man shoved a security guard who tried to break up a “cup snake” in the Wrigley bleachers, according to a police report. His case was dropped months later.
Later that year, a 26-year-old man hit a woman in the face after she told him to stop peeing on her car in the Rate Field parking lot ahead of an October playoff game, an arrest report shows. When others stepped in to help the woman, the man started fighting them and called for his cousin to join.
The men were charged with misdemeanor battery, according to Cook County court records. They were both sentenced to two years probation and community service.
At least 10 other fans have been arrested for running onto Rate Field in recent years, compared to four at Wrigley.
Security guards arrest a fan who ran onto Wrigley Field during a game in June 2018.
All but one were charged with felony counts of trespassing in a place of public amusement. Eight of them were found guilty or entered a plea deal, two had their charges dismissed and the other cases are ongoing, according to court records.
A 29-year-old man was arrested for running onto both Rate and Wrigley fields during games in June and September 2021, records show. At Wrigley, he held up a religious sign that said “Jesus is Lord.” And at Rate Field, he told security he jumped on the field to “repent his sins for Jesus.”
He was sentenced to 18 months of court supervision in one case, plus community service and a year of probation in the other, records show. He was also banned from attending games at professional sports stadiums during his probation.
Wrigley Field has had a bigger problem with repeat trespassers.
The list includes a 44-year-old man who was arrested at least four times in the past year and a half — despite being “forbidden” from the ballpark, records show. He was sentenced to two years conditional discharge and two years probation.
Crosstown clashes
A two-game Crosstown Classic series generated five arrests at Rate Field in May 2022, the most of any Cubs-Sox series in recent years. Most involved men beating up security guards after being told to leave the stadium, according to police reports.
Last month’s viral bleacher brawl at Wrigley drew a stinging rebuke from the Cubs’ Crow-Armstrong, who called the melee “unfortunate and somewhat nauseating.” The fight made headlines, but no one was charged.
A 41-year-old man was arrested that night for allegedly attacking someone as the game was wrapping up. The victim told police the man “sucker punched” him, bloodying his nose, according to a police report. The alleged instigator was charged with felony cocaine possession and misdemeanor battery.
The most serious ballpark crime in recent years has given way to an enduring mystery.
In August 2023, two women were struck by gunfire as they sat in the Rate Field bleachers during the fourth inning of a game between the Sox and then-Oakland Athletics, according to police. A bullet was found in the hoodie of a third woman.
The White Sox have insisted the gunfire came from outside the park. Still, a 42-year-old woman who was shot in the right thigh has sued the team, its security firm and the Illinois Sports Facility Authority, which owns and operates Rate Field.
The case is set to go to trial in January.