CHICAGO — Hours before the neighborhood around Wrigley Field grew feverish with expectation and excitement on Tuesday, it was like many areas around the city. The rows of bars along Clark Street were empty except for a few stragglers around lunchtime. Mothers pushed strollers, and twentysomethings walked their dogs past brick rowhouses that were dotted with Halloween décor and Cubs flags. The rumbling of trains along the elevated tracks provided a soundtrack, and the trees, whose leaves have turned yellow, orange and red, provided the backdrop.
That would all change as the day rolled on, as fans converged at the intersection of Clark and Addison Streets in anticipation of what in this city is a rare treat, late October baseball — Game 3 of the National League Championship Series between the Mets and the Cubs.