Before Wrigley Field, Cubs Had West Side Grounds-- Part 3:

"I just thought that there should be a marker commemorating the ballpark and, more importantly, the success of the '06. '07, '08 teams, said Brian Bernardoni, 49.  "I mean, the Cubs were one of the great teams of the era, like the 1927 Yankees."

The West Side Grounds opened in 1893.  The ballpark sometimes has a II after its name to distinguish it from a predecessor stadium near Congress Parkway that was usually referred to as West Side Park but occasionally was labeled with "grounds" in the title.

Built for $30,000, the park had a capacity of 16,000 and was the name of the same ballclub that used different names:  Colts, Orphans and, finally, Cubs.

Despite playing games in four World Series matchups at the park, including a loss to the Philadelphia Athletics in 1910, the Cubs never clinched a championship at home.

The Cubs played their last game there October 3, 1915, a 7-2 win over the Cardinals in front of 2,800 fans.  The next season, they moved to Weeghman Park, later renamed Wrigley Field and have played there ever since.

--CootCubs