He's building a scaled-down replica of Wrigley Field in a public park in his hometown of Freeport, IL. It's got everything from the ivy-covered brick wall (Cubs officials sent him clippings of the actual ivy), to the Harry Caray cartoon over the WGN press box. Lucky little league kids (and anyone who wants to rent it for $35/hour) will get to use it starting next year. Here's my favorite part of the article:
"Like so many ideas - both good and bad - the concept for Little Cubs Field was born in a bar. Five years ago, Garkey and a group of friends took a road trip to a baseball mecca: Rookies Food & Spirits, a sports saloon and restaurant in Mazomanie, Wis., which - as its main attraction - boasts a professional whiffle ball field.
Garkey looked out at the field that day and thought to himself: "It's too bad it doesn't look like Wrigley." Then a thought occurred to him. Why not build a little Wrigley Field? A few days later, he sat down with his wife and said, "Honey, I've got a crazy idea." Judy Garkey - an endlessly patient woman - told her husband, "Go for it." (Five years later, she says she doesn't regret supporting her husband's idea, but she does acknowledge that he has become "obsessed with completing it.")"
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