(CNN) Wrigley Field is second only to Fenway Park as the oldest stadium in Major League Baseball.  But until recently, it's been a pretty lonely place in October. 

The 102-year-old ballpark known as the "Friendly Confines" has never seen its home team -- the Chicago Cubs -- win the World Series. 

That could change in the next few days.  On Friday, Wrigley will be back in the spotlight, as the ballpark is the venue for Game 3 of the 2016 World Series between the Cubs and Cleveland Indians.  It will be the first World Series game there in 71 years. 

Finally, title-starved Cubs fans can pack Wrigley during the Fall Classic.  And some may be lucky enough to be there in a clinching scenario.  The best-of-seven series is tied 1-1.  Should the Cubs win the next three games in a row, they could win the title at home in Game 5 on Sunday night and their first since 1908. 

"It's going to be an absolute blast," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "( My mother) Beanie (Albina) is coming in.  My kids are coming.  Everybody's coming in.  It's going to be great. 

"So I know that people have been waiting for this for a long time are going to savor it, and hopefully on our part we can do something to really make it even better." 

Photos: What's happened since the Cubs won a World Series?  It's been a long time since the Chicago Cubs won a World Series.  It was 1908, and the president was Theodore Roosevelt, an advocate of speaking softly and carrying a big stick.  Taking a cue from Roosevelt, the Cubs hit hard for a 4-1 series win over Detroit, outscoring the Tigers 24-15 over those five games.  Hide Caption 1 of 11 Photos: What's happened since the Cubs won a World Series?  Much has happened since the Cubs' win.  Take the first expedition to reach the South Pole.  A team led by Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen arrived in 1911.  Hide Caption 2 of 11 Photos: What's happened since the Cubs won a World Series?  Never mind the Titanic's sinking (1912) and discovery at the ocean bottom (1985).  The ship wasn't even around when the Cubs won in 1908.  Construction didn't start until 1909, and it wasn't launched until 1911.  Hide Caption 3 of 11 Photos: What's happened since the Cubs won a World Series?  America's skies weren't so spacious when the Cubs were champs -- the United States had only 46 states then.  But President William Taft signed New Mexico and Arizona into statehood in 1912.  Hide Caption 4 of 11 Photos: What's happened since the Cubs won a World Series?  The Cubs' famed Wrigley Field is the second-oldest Major League ballpark still in use -- and it didn't even exist when the Cubs last won the series.  Weeghman Park, given its current name in 1927, was completed in 1914.  Hide Caption 5 of 11 Photos: What's happened since the Cubs won a World Series?  Women weren't able to vote throughout the country until 1920 -- 12 years after the Cubs won the series.  Hide Caption 6 of 11 Photos: What's happened since the Cubs won a World Series?  For a time, Cubs fans couldn't legally buy alcohol to drown their sorrows.  Prohibition started (1920) and ended (1933) during a dry spell for the team.  Hide Caption 7 of 11 Photos: What's happened since the Cubs won a World Series?  Jazz was in its infancy in 1908.  Here's jazz pianist Jelly Roll Morton and his band, the Red Hot Peppers, around 1926.  Hide Caption 8 of 11 Photos: What's happened since the Cubs won a World Series?  US sports broadcasts wouldn't come to radio (1921) or TV (1939) until well after the Cubs' title.  Here's inventor Philo Farnsworth with an electronic television receiver in 1930.  Hide Caption 9 of 11 Photos: What's happened since the Cubs won a World Series?  The Soviet Union both came (1922) and went (1991).  Hide Caption 10 of 11 Photos: What's happened since the Cubs won a World Series?  By the time man reached the moon in 1969, memories of the Cubs' last title were about as distant.  Hide Caption 11 of 11

World Series history at Wrigley

The last time the Cubs played a World Series game in this ballpark was on October 10, 1945, when they lost the series to the Detroit Tigers in Game 7. 

To add to the misery, a curse was put on the club just a few days earlier.  On October 6, a Chicago tavern owner named William "Billy" Sianis went to Wrigley Field, intending to attend Game 4 with his pet goat, Murphy. 

But, according to the Billy Goat Tavern website , while both had tickets, the goat was denied entry.  No animals were allowed in the ballpark, plus Murphy smelled bad. 

Sianis, according to legend, threw up his arms and proclaimed, "The Cubs ain't gonna win no more.  The Cubs will never win a World Series so long as the goat is not allowed in Wrigley Field."  Until this year, the Cubs hadn't been back since. 

Before the Cubs were hexed, the ballpark was the site for several Fall Classic games. 

In addition to 1945, the Cubs reached the World Series in 1918, 1929, 1932, 1935 and 1938.  In fact, one of the most famous moments in baseball history happened at Wrigley, when Babe Ruth allegedly pointed to a bleacher spot during Game 3 of the 1932 World Series.  On the very next pitch against Charlie Root, Ruth hit a home run after his supposed "called shot." 

This group of Cubs doesn't seem to buy into curses, though.  The current roster was built by team president Theo Epstein, and he's helped kill a curse before.  Epstein's previous job?  General manager of the Boston Red Sox.  In 2004, the team roster he built won its first World Series since 1918, ending the Curse of the Bambino. 

"It is what it is," shortstop Addison Russell said. " I think we're here in the position that we are because of one, for the guys upstairs.  But it's just, I think, honestly, the people that we have in the clubhouse.  We push each other.  Without that, I don't think that we get better each day, and without that I don't think that we're here." 

Photos: The life and times of Wrigley Field The life and times of Wrigley Field – Chicago baseball park Wrigley Field celebrates its 100th birthday on April 23 in 2014.  CNN iReport asked Chicagoans, baseball fans and travelers to share their memories and photos of the major league's second oldest ballpark behind Boston's Fenway Park.  Hide Caption 1 of 14 Photos: The life and times of Wrigley Field The life and times of Wrigley Field – Deb Gordils lived in Wrigleyville and grew up loving the Cubs.  Her two daughters, now 12 and 16, also have a passion for baseball.  This is an older photo of one her daughters batting up for Little League in her Cubs gear.  Hide Caption 2 of 14 Photos: The life and times of Wrigley Field The life and times of Wrigley Field – This 100-year-old pennant was made for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales.  The Chi-Feds, as they were known, were the original occupants of Wrigley Field, which was called Weeghman Park when it opened in 1914.  It was named Wrigley Field in 1926.  Peter LaSorsa purchased the rare pennant for his baseball memorabilia collection.  Hide Caption 3 of 14 Photos: The life and times of Wrigley Field The life and times of Wrigley Field – Peter Bella has vivid memories of working as an usher at the ballpark while in high school.  The 61-year-old remembers watching games for free from the best spots in the stadium.  Hide Caption 4 of 14 Photos: The life and times of Wrigley Field The life and times of Wrigley Field – Robert Ondrovic , far left, has been touring baseball parks for 25 years.  Here, he visits Wrigley in 2006 with friends.  Hide Caption 5 of 14 Photos: The life and times of Wrigley Field The life and times of Wrigley Field – Ondrovic's favorite thing about Wrigley field? " The classic ivy on the outfield walls," he says.  Hide Caption 6 of 14 Photos: The life and times of Wrigley Field The life and times of Wrigley Field – Ondrovic took this photograph during a game at Wrigley Field.  A lot of new features have been added to the stadium in the last 100 years.  Hide Caption 7 of 14 Photos: The life and times of Wrigley Field The life and times of Wrigley Field – Ondrovic also photographed houses in Wrigleyville, the neighborhood that surrounds the ballpark.  Several residential buildings surrounding the park have bleachers on their rooftops Hide Caption 8 of 14 Photos: The life and times of Wrigley Field The life and times of Wrigley Field – Lifelong Cubs fan Matthew Briddick says the best part of Wrigley Field "is watching the game, eating a hotdog, peanuts and drinking lots of beer."  He says the fans love the stadium as much as the team itself.  Hide Caption 9 of 14 Photos: The life and times of Wrigley Field The life and times of Wrigley Field – Wrigley Field is one of the last parks to maintain a hand-turned scoreboard.  No batted ball has ever hit the 1937 scoreboard, though pro-golfer Sam Snead hit it with a golf ball from home plate on Opening Day 1952.  Briddick shot this photo while on a tour of the park.  Hide Caption 10 of 14 Photos: The life and times of Wrigley Field The life and times of Wrigley Field – Briddick says everyone knows about the urinal troughs at Wrigley Field. " They are an odd feature that most men's rooms don't have," he said. " I took the photo because it was the only time I've been in the men's room when there wasn't a huge line with a ton of dudes."  Hide Caption 11 of 14 Photos: The life and times of Wrigley Field The life and times of Wrigley Field – This is a behind-the-scenes photo of the hallway leading to the Cubs locker room.  Hide Caption 12 of 14 Photos: The life and times of Wrigley Field The life and times of Wrigley Field – Herschel Pollard and his friend do an annual baseball trip around the country.  They visited Wrigley Field in 2012.  He says it was well worth the 8-hour drive from Nashville to Chicago.  Hide Caption 13 of 14 Photos: The life and times of Wrigley Field The life and times of Wrigley Field – One of Swathi Sridhara's favorite spots in Chicago is Wrigley Field.  She was born and raised as a Cubs fan, and this year, for the first time, she has season tickets.  Hide Caption 14 of 14

'Friendly Confines' long history

When the Cubs last won the World Series 108 years ago, Wrigley Field didn't exist. 

Originally known as Weeghman Park, the stadium was built in 1914 on grounds that once had a seminary.  At the time, it cost $250,000 to build, but it wasn't originally for the Cubs.  It was for another baseball team based in the Federal League, a club known as the Federals and the Whales, that was owned by Charles H. Weeghman. 

The first major league game at the park was held April 23, 1914, with the Whales defeating the Kansas City Packers 9-1. 

After the Federal League folded in 1915, Weeghman purchased the Cubs from Charles Taft and moved the club to the 2-year-old park.  In 1920, the stadium changed names to Cubs Park after the Wrigley family purchased the team from Weeghman, before being renamed Wrigley Field -- after chewing-gum magnate William Wrigley, Jr. -- in 1926. 

The famous bleachers and scoreboard were constructed in 1937.  That same year, the ivy vines were planted by Bill Veeck , and the tradition began of hanging up a flag with "W" or "L" on top of the scoreboard after each game.  Lights weren't added until 1988. 

The Ricketts family bought the team from the Tribune for $700 million in 2009.  Today, Wrigley is in the middle of a massive restoration project.  The multi-year plan, called The 1060 Project , began at the end of the 2014 season.  It includes structural upgrades and improved player facilities while retaining the park's history and charm.  Renovations are expected to be finished in 2018. 

Photos: The Cubs' last World Series visit Chicago Cubs players hoist manager Charlie Grimm on their shoulders as they celebrate in the clubhouse after clinching the National League pennant on September 29, 1945.  That year would be the last Cubs appearance in the World Series until 2016.  Hide Caption 1 of 12 Photos: The Cubs' last World Series visit The Chicago Cubs pose for a team portrait prior to the World Series against the Detroit Tigers on October 1, 1945. 

Hide Caption 2 of 12 Photos: The Cubs' last World Series visit Detroit Tigers manager Steve O'Neill and Chicago Cubs manager Charley Grimm shake hands on the field at Briggs Stadium prior to the first game. 





Hide Caption 3 of 12 Photos: The Cubs' last World Series visit Cubs' Mickey Livingston scores a run past Detroit catcher Paul Richards during game three of the 1945 World Series.  Hide Caption 4 of 12 Photos: The Cubs' last World Series visit Cubs catcher Mickey Livingston, left, and pitcher Claude Passeau react after game three of the 1945 World Series. 





Hide Caption 5 of 12 Photos: The Cubs' last World Series visit Chicago Cubs players pose outside of the dugout prior to game four.  Hide Caption 6 of 12 Photos: The Cubs' last World Series visit Cubs players Phil Cavarretta, Hank Borowy, Andy Pafko, and Bill Nicholson pose for a photo during game four.  Hide Caption 7 of 12 Photos: The Cubs' last World Series visit A general view of Wrigley Field during game five of the 1945 World Series.  Hide Caption 8 of 12 Photos: The Cubs' last World Series visit Roy Hughes of the Cubs slides head-first into third base during game six. 

Hide Caption 9 of 12 Photos: The Cubs' last World Series visit Cubs manager Charlie Grimm, center right, hugs third baseman Stan Hack in the clubhouse after he hit a game-winning double in extra innings to tie the series at three games apiece.  Hide Caption 10 of 12 Photos: The Cubs' last World Series visit Fans wait outside Wrigley Field for the decisive game seven of the 1945 World Series on October 10.  The attendance inside the stadium was 41,590.  Hide Caption 11 of 12 Photos: The Cubs' last World Series visit The Detroit Tigers celebrate after defeating the Chicago Cubs in game seven of the 1945 World Series.  Hide Caption 12 of 12

What makes Wrigley special

With the bleachers wrapping around most of the park, Wrigley, located in the middle of a neighborhood, is an intimate experience for the fans. 

And they come in droves.  The Cubs haven't drawn fewer than 32,000 fans per game , on average, in any season since 1997.  The only other teams that can boast that are the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals.  The Cubs are the only baseball team with a long waiting list to buy season tickets. 

"When you're out there, everybody's watching, and they're watching you very closely," Maddon said, when asked what makes Wrigley a special place. " They're very close to you.  That is a big part of it. ... Our fans have been there through thick and thin, and they've hung in there really well.  And when you interact with them, they're just here to support their Cubs." 

Those fans feel a connection with the players outside the stadium as well. 

"It's pretty evident if you go out and you're a player that they feel a connection," catcher David Ross said. " I've gotten people just without asking coming up and hugging me and putting their arm around me.  I think they feel part of this group. 

"It makes me laugh sometimes after they walk away.  Who walks up to strangers and hugs someone without permission?  It just shows the type of group we have in here and the connection between front office and coaching staff, fan base.  It's a big family.  And I think why it's called the "Friendly Confines" is because you feel like you're part of the group and the family." 

For the first time this late in the year, the lights will be on at Wrigley on Friday night, with first pitch at 7:07 p.m. local time (8:08 p.m. ET). 

And for the fans and the players, the game can't get here soon enough. 

"I'm pretty excited," Russell said. " We get to be back here in Chicago, in our home town.  Our fan base that has been with us for a very, very long time is diehard.  Almost have a sellout every single game, so we're going back to our comfort zone, and it feels really good.  We know what to expect.  We know how the field plays.  We know just how the whole atmosphere is going to be, so it's a good thing."