Cubs, city prepare for game 6 at Wrigley Field Saturday

CHICAGO (WLS) -- The Cubs are on the edge of the World Series. One more win puts the team into the fall classic for the first time since 1945.[br /][br /]Ronny Wolff attended the 1945 World Series game when the Cubs lost. This year, he hopes to watch them win under the Wrigley lights.[br /][br /]He was 15-years-old during that game seven. Years later, Wolff has gotten married, raised a family, had grandchildren, and worked an entire career. At 86, he is the living embodiment of a patient fan base.[br /][br /][media ID="1567578" /][br /][br /]Fans are Wrigley Field are already lined up for tickets to go on sale for Saturday's NLCS game six against the Los Angeles Dodgers.[br /][br /]With one more win till they are World Series bound, the Cubs now have home team advantage. According to longtime Cubs announcer Pat Hughes, that's huge.[br /][br /]"The fans are going to be there and I think many times this year the fans have been the difference at Wrigley Field," said Hughes.[br /][br /]But Dodgers player Adrian Gonzalez is not sweating. He told a Chicago Tribune reporter exactly what he thought about Cubs fans.[br /][br /]"They can't cheer any louder," said Gonzalez. "It's not like it's a loud stadium to begin with. They're going to try their best, and we're going to tune them out like we always do."[br /][br /]Fans who were waiting in line for tickets begged to differ with Gonzalez.[br /][br /]"I don't want to say what I want to say, but Adrian is wrong. Cubs fans are real loud - Go Cubs!" said Hollis Hutchins, who was in line for tickets.[br /][br /]"He said Wrigley doesn't get that loud and he's going to tune us out. That's a lie. We are going to be hollering tomorrow - straight to the top baby!" said another Cubs fan.[br /][br /]One man, Dwight Matthews, has been camped out since 3 p.m. yesterday to try and score tickets to Saturday's game against the Dodgers.[br /][br /]"We're all in line we all know what numbers we are," said Matthews, who is first in line. "Number one!"[br /][br /]Workers won't know how many tickets will be available until Saturday. The box office opens at 10 a.m.[br /][br /]Going through the box office is the best way to ensure authentic tickets. As the stakes get higher, more people are likely to be scammed by counterfeit tickets.[br /][br /]Steve Buzil of Sit Close Tickets, knows the horror stories.[br /][br /]"If you are - and I'll say it - stupid enough to buy tix on the street you deserve it. There's no such thing as Santa Claus," said Buzil.[br /][br /]Buzil said the best bet is to buy from a licensed broker. Right now a seat at Saturday's game is upwards of $300. But Buzil believes that number could go down, because fans are saving their pennies for the World Series.[br /][br /]Businesses are also catching Cubs fever. The restaurant Freshii said it will give away a free franchise worth $30,000 if the Cubs win the World Series.[br /][br /]"We've been getting 30 entries a week since we released this, that we were going to be giving away a $30,000 franchise fee," said Alex Blair, Freshii Franchise Partner.[br /][br /]The only catch? The franchise winner has to prove he or she is a true Cubs fan. Just another reason to show your Cubbie pride![br /][br /][b]INCREASED SECURITY AROUND WRIGLEY SATURDAY[/b][br /][br /]City officials say residents, businesses and visitors should be prepared for increased security around the ballpark.[br /][br /]There are metal barriers already set up along the streets. To prepare for the onslaught of fans, officials are adding more Red Line trains for the game on Saturday night. Additionally, they will be shutting down streets to trucks two hours ahead of time to ease congestion. Officials say they are urging fans not to drive to the area.[br /][br /][media ID="1567571" /][br /][br /]More eyes will be watching Wrigleyville Saturday night than almost anybody knows.[br /][br /]"We'll have additional law enforcement people around the stadium, some will be visible, some won't," said Rich Guidice from the Office of Emergency Management and Communications.[br /][br /]The Office of Emergency Management won't specifically say how many, but uniformed police, undercover officers, and CPD's mounted patrol will be guiding the crowd clogging Clark Street.[br /][br /]"You're probably going to see one large line going down Clark Street that goes from curb to curb," said Zack Strauss from Sluggers Sports Bar.[br /][br /]The sea of Cubs fans won't stop at the sidewalk either.[br /][br /]"If you counted people going through the door, if it was a revolving door, several thousand. But we can only hold about 800 of our closest friends and family," said Strauss.[br /][br /]That means more security inside Sluggers and every one of Clark Street's famed sports bars.[br /][br /]Outside the stadium, barricades will dictate how and where fans can get around.[br /][br /]The number of fans in that crowd will dictate where and when car traffic can move.[br /][br /]"Celebrate, but do it safely. Be mindful that there are children out there that are watching you, so let's be role models. Celebrate, get it in, but get it in respectfully," said Chicago Police Supt. Eddie Johnson.[br /][br /]"People have celebrated before, and they've done it appropriately. And we have public safety and the plan in place to do that," said Mayor Rahm Emanuel.[br /][br /]Chicago's accustomed to big time sports celebrations, but not one 108 years in the making.[br /][br /][b]SHOULD ALDERMEN ACCEPT TICKETS FROM THE CUBS?[/b][br /][br /]While fans hope to get a ticket to a playoff game, many Chicago aldermen are taking the Cubs up on their offer to purchase a precious face value ticket.[br /][br /]But, should aldermen be allowed to buy Cubs tickets offered to them by the team at face value or should they pay market price to brokers or stand in line like everybody else?[br /][br /][media ID="1567172" /][br /][br /]"I don't think that just because you hold a public office, you should be entitled to tickets that other people couldn't get on their own," said Ald. Brendan Reilly (42nd Ward).[br /][br /]"Nobody said anything when I bought a hundred tickets when the tickets were worthless...so," said Ald. Nicholas Sposato (38th Ward).[br /][br /]The Cubs are selling aldermen playoff and possible World Series tickets at face-value. Ald. Roderick Sawyer of the 6th Ward was offered a Saturday night pair for $145 each.[br /][br /]"At face value they're expensive. So I don't know yet," said Sawyer.[br /][br /]The city's Ethics Board suggested aldermen who buy attend the game and at least be announced or have their names flashed on the scoreboard.[br /][br /]The 42nd Ward's Brendan Reilly, a 14-year season ticket holder, said accepting the face-value deal presents potential conflict of interest.[br /][br /]"We do have issues across our desks that involve the Chicago Cubs from time to time," said Ald. Reilly.[br /][br /]"I think it's just a little incentive that they give back," said Ald. Emma Mitts (37th Ward).[br /][br /]ABC 7 asked if this was quid pro quo.[br /][br /]"Not necessarily because I'm paying the same amount as everyone else is paying for it," said Ald. Mitts.[br /][br /]Many aldermen refused to discuss the issue because of the controversy around it.[br /][br /]The 11th Ward's Patrick Daley Thompson, a lifelong White Sox fan, says it would not make sense to waste a ticket on him.[br /][br /]"I have a lot of friends who are Cub fans and hopefully they can get in and watch the game," said Ald. Thompson.[br /][br /]For now, the Ethics Board has only issued guidelines or suggestions for how aldermen should manage the ticket offer. The full board will not issue a hard fast rule until November, conveniently after the World Series.[br /][br /][b]WRIGLEYVILLE HOME TO A LOT OF HISTORY[/b][br /][br /]There's a lot of history in the neighborhood where the "W" is flying everywhere.[br /][br /]Clark and Addison is now mecca for Cub fans. But what did this now priceless parcel of real estate originally look like?[br /][br /][media ID="1567106" /][br /][br /]"It was mostly farmland, maybe a few Indians who tilled farms themselves and that was about it," said Pat Butler of the Ravenswood-Lake View Historical Association.[br /][br /]Fast forward to 1891, when a Lutheran seminary was built by Reverend William Passavant.[br /][br /]Almost 20 years later the property was sold for $175,000 to Charles Weeghman, who built a ball park on the land.[br /][br /]Designed by the same architect who did Comiskey Park, Weeghman Park is built for the owner's Federal League team, the Chicago Federals, later named the Chicago Whales.[br /][br /]"[The neighbors] were afraid that this was going to bring congestion, noise, rowdy people and drunken people," said Butler.[br /][br /]Many of those neighbors lived in the still standing homes on Sheffield.[br /][br /]A few years go by, the Federal League disbands and gum magnate William Wrigley, Jr. and the former Chicago White Stockings, now the Chicago Cubs move in. Soon Wrigley built a stadium of his own and neighbors complained again.[br /][br /]"They objected to the ivy, which, most people if they look at the ivy today it adds a nice touch," said Butler.[br /][br /]In 1919, lights were brought into Wrigley Field for a visit from Eamon de Valera, the Irish republican president.[br /][br /]"They brought in temporary lights, in here, where he spoke at a rally that attracted reportedly about 40,000 people," said Butler.[br /][br /]One more piece of trivia about this historic place: in 1971, Chicago faced maybe its first uprising since Fort Dearborn in 1812.[br /][br /]Native Americans were protesting poor housing conditions in Uptown and they set up their teepees right outside Wrigley Field.[br /][br /][b]WORLD SERIES GAME TIMES ANNOUNCED[/b][br /][br /]The MLB announced game times for World Series 2016 Friday morning.[br /][br /]World Series Game 1 will be held in Cleveland on Tuesday, Oct. 25 at 6:30 p.m. First pitch will be at 7:08 p.m.[br /][Ads /][br /]World Series Game 2 will be held in Cleveland on Wednesday, Oct. 26 at 6:30 p.m. First pitch will be at 7:08 p.m.[br /][br /]World Series Game 3 will be held in either Chicago or Los Angeles on Friday, Oct. 28 at 6:30 p.m. First pitch will be at 7:08 p.m.[br /][br /]World Series Game 4 will be held in either Chicago or Los Angeles on Saturday, Oct. 29 at 6:30 p.m. First pitch will be at 7:08 p.m.[br /][br /]If necessary, World Series Game 5 will be held in either Chicago or Los Angeles on Sunday, Oct. 30 at 7 p.m. First pitch will be at 7:15 p.m.[br /][br /]If necessary, World Series Game 6 will be held in Cleveland on Tuesday, Nov. 1 at 6:30 p.m. First pitch will be at 7:08 p.m.[br /][br /]If necessary, World Series Game 7 will be held in Cleveland on Wednesday, Nov. 2 at 6:30 p.m. First pitch will be at 7:08 p.m.[br /][br /]All of the games will air on FOX. For more information, visit [url HREF="http://m.mlb.com/postseason-schedule" TARGET="" REL="NOFOLLOW"]m.mlb.com/postseason-schedule[/url].[br /][br /][b]CUBS RETURN TO WRIGLEY VICTORIOUS, LEAD NLCS 3-2[/b][br /][br /]One win away. Two chances at home. Seven decades of waiting.[br /][Ads /][br /]Chicago Cubs fans kicked off their weekend on a high note. The team leads the National League Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-2 and have a chance to clinch a spot in the World Series at home.[br /][br /]The boys are home. The Cubs took a red eye from Los Angeles and arrived at Wrigley Field around 6:30 a.m. Friday. Cubs Manager Joe Maddon led the team off their buses with Game 6 on their minds.[br /][br /][media ID="1566269" /][br /][br /]Cubs Announcer Pat Hughes spoke to the media outside the Friendly Confines.[br /][br /]"It's my 34th year in Big League baseball announcing. This will be my first World Series, if we get there. I'm extremely excited. I'm trying to stay calm," Hughes said.[br /][br /]A handful of faithful fans came out to welcome the team back to Chicago. They watched Addison Russell, one of the heroes of Thursday night's victory, quietly making his way home. Anthony Rizzo was not far behind.[br /][br /]"I want to congratulate them on bringing it home for our city. We're so proud. I can't even believe it. I'm speechless, really," said Brittney Hernandez, a Cubs fan.[br /][br /]It's been an emotionally draining week, but fans woke up smiling Friday. They know the Cubs are in the driver's seat for the NLCS with two games left. One win separates them from a World Series appearance.[br /][br /]Fans are concerned about Clayton Kershaw, star pitcher for the Dodgers. He is expected to pose a big challenge for the Cubs.[br /][Ads /][br /]"They know it's going to be hard against a good pitcher. Clayton Kershaw. But the Cubs have beaten good pitchers all year long," Hughes said.[br /][br /]"They can take it. We can get to Kershaw. We can get to Kershaw. Cleveland. Sorry Cleveland. It's ours," said Chris Patino, another Cubs fan.[br /][br /]The ballpark buzzed with activity Friday, as the team prepared for Saturday's big home game.[br /][br /]Julie Schuman, and her daughter, Addison, live in Wrigleyville. Schuman said they were happy to be a part of all the excitement.[br /][br /]"It's just crazy. We just love being in it and experiencing it. Trying to soak up every last minute of it," Schuman said.[br /][br /][i]The Associated Press contributed to this report.[/i]]