Paul Sullivan: Cubs play rare Friday night game at Wrigley Field ― and it’s time the outdated city ordinance is changed

CHICAGO — The Chicago Cubs played a rare Friday night game at Wrigley Field after getting cooperation from the city to relax the ordinance that limits weekend night games.

Manager David Ross said the Cubs' plane from New York landed around 3 a.m. Friday and he arrived at his home around 3:30 a.m.

“That was actually at my request, so I appreciate that,” he said.

The Cubs came home hoping to get back on track against the Miami Marlins after losing three of four to the Mets. They had won their last six home games and nine of their last 10, and their 24-10 home record was the third-best in the majors.

The Marlins beat the Cubs in last year’s postseason, sweeping both games at Wrigley.

The weekend night rule is an outdated part of the city ordinance on lights put in place in 1988. Wrigleyville residents didn’t want to have to search for parking when they got home from work on a Friday night, and the Cubs were willing to agree to the provision to allow lights for the first time in the ballpark’s history.

Wrigleyville has changed quite a bit over the years, and residential parking permits have made the Friday night ban unnecessary.

Still, the rule has stood in place for 33 years, much to the dismay of the Cubs, who can charge more money for advertising on night games on their Marquee Sports Network.

The rule has been relaxed nine times since 2017, including six times during last year’s shortened season when no fans were allowed inside the park.

Former manager Joe Maddon was the first to complain, citing the wear and tear on players returning from a Thursday night road game and playing on a Friday afternoon. Maddon brought up the idea of players getting a chance to do their laundry after a road trip, which drew some raised eyebrows.

That led to the exception being granted on Sept. 17, 2017, the first regular-season Friday night game at Wrigley.

“I think 107 years indicates it wasn’t such a good idea,” Maddon said of rule, referencing their epic championship drought.

The second Friday night game was on Sept. 14, 2018. Cubs sources have indicated residents aren’t the ones in favor of the Friday night ban so much as the local businesses who rely on revenue from the start of the weekend and don’t want to compete with a Cubs home game.

Ross said it was not difficult getting the change for Friday’s game.

“I just ask,” Ross said of the process.

But it has to go through the city council to get approval, right?

“I don’t go through the city,” he said with a grin. “I don’t have the mayor’s number. I call our business side and say to (business President Crane Kenney) and those guys ‘This is a tough turnaround coming from New York and getting in late. Is there any way we could ask and see if we could work something out?’

“I’m thankful for a lot of things that these guys do adjust at times. Looked at the schedule and this one stood out, being a day game. ... The fact we identified that in spring training and everybody had enough time to wrap their brain around it just helps the players in recovery.

“It’s really a player-safety issue and how hard it is in that turnaround. I got up at 10:30-11 o’clock today and I was tired, and I don’t have to play.”

Ross sat Jason Heyward on Friday against Marlins right-hander Cody Poteet, giving his struggling right fielder a rest and inserting Kris Bryant in right with Patrick Wisdom at third base.

Heyward is hitting .168 and only .103 since returning from the injured list in early June.

“Trying to find the positives when guys are scuffling and trying to get those numbers back up,” Ross said. “We’re trying to balance that.”

Ross talks to his players all the time and laughed when asked when he knew when to pull back and leave them alone.

“When they start telling me to shut up or start rolling their eyes,” he said. “I treat it like my kids — ‘OK, they’re not listening to me now.’ I err on the side of (saying) too much and let them filter it themselves.”