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The High Drama Of The Wrigley Rat

SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

Cheers rolled through Wrigley Field Tuesday night. The Cubs lost that night to the Pittsburgh Pirates, though they've clinched a playoff spot. Another drama unfolded above right center field. Photographer Will Byington was rolling as a large rat kept trying to leap from the shallow fencing, just above the fabled outfield, onto a wall into a small patch of grass next to the bleachers. Cubs fans, who, to be blunt, have cheered on quite a few rats over the years, clapped and shouted as the rat jumped once but missed, then twice but fell short, kind of like the Cubs always used to. Then finally, jumped a third time and...

(SOUNDBITE OF CHEERING)

SIMON: All right. The video of his leap was soon winging around the Internet. A number of people have commented that Wrigley Rat had to jump several times because he looks especially well-fed Well, Rick Bayless has a green chiles taco stand in the right field seats. Wrigley Rat may just need a little exercise.

(SOUNDBITE OF THE BOOKS' "CLASSY PENGUIN") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

Scott Simon is one of America's most admired writers and broadcasters. He is the host of Weekend Edition Saturday and is one of the hosts of NPR's morning news podcast Up First. He has reported from all fifty states, five continents, and ten wars, from El Salvador to Sarajevo to Afghanistan and Iraq. His books have chronicled character and characters, in war and peace, sports and art, tragedy and comedy.

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

Federal funding is gone.

Congress has eliminated all funding for public media.

That means $2.1 million per year that Connecticut Public relied on to deliver you news, information, and entertainment programs you enjoyed is gone.

The future of public media is in your hands.

All donations are appreciated, but we ask in this moment you consider starting a monthly gift as a Sustainer to help replace what’s been lost.