Paul Sullivan: Like a rat scurrying along the field, the Cubs just keep on streaking

This was a crazy homestand against the New York Mets and Phillies that featured wild swings in the weather and the aforementioned rat sighting.

There was a rumor of another rat in the Wrigley Field press box Wednesday night, but it turned out to be the team mascot, Clark the Cub. I’m not sure which is creepier, but at least the rat that became a viral sensation by scurrying around the Phillies dugout Tuesday night had a real purpose in life.

As the Cubs ended a perfect homestand and sent the Phillies to their eighth straight loss, the news of a rat sighting at the ballpark was merely a blip on Chairman Tom Ricketts’ radar.

Wrigley is referred to as “the Rat Hole” by some people I know, but that’s mostly because they’re White Sox fans who despise all things Cub. But this was one time when a Wrigley rat created such a scene that no one could ignore it, except of course for Marquee Sports Network.

Almost every employee I spoke to Thursday had seen a rat at Wrigley at some point in their careers, and the one on Tuesday was the most brazen yet. At least it wasn’t seen lifting weights, as former Sox manager Ozzie Guillen once remarked about the rats in the old batting cages under the bleachers. That claim led to Cubs President Crane Kenney’s greatest quote: “Ozzie, the rats are part of the Wrigley Field ambience.”

Cubs spokeswoman Jennifer Martinez-Roth told the Tribune the team takes “the health and safety of our guests seriously.”

She wasn’t referring to the many times they’ve shown kids on the video board chugging beers in one gulp.

“As an open venue in a big city, rodent abatement is something we do year-round,” she continued. “We understand how important it is for our fans to have a positive experience, and keeping our ballpark clean and safe is always a top priority.”

There’s not much you can do about rats in Chicago. Members of the grounds crew were at a distinct disadvantage because they could not chase it, as they would a cat or a squirrel during play. They had no choice but to let it escape.

Dealing with rats is nothing new at Wrigley. I saw one in the concourse last year before a game, and it hid behind a lactation pod after seeing me. Mostly they come out late at night when no one is around, but these Gen Z rats are bolder than ever.

Back in 1989, former Cubs closer Mitch Williams took out a rat near home plate, using a baseball bat as a weapon.

“I’ve always been a low-ball hitter,” Williams told the Tribune’s Alan Solomon, estimating the rat to be between 5-foot-11 and 6 feet.

According to the city’s 311 request database — a repository of all kinds of complaints Chicagoans log for help on everything from light outages to potholes to tree trimming — there has been no request or complaint about rats at 1060 W. Addison St., Wrigley’s address, since 2019. Only one rat sighting was reported on the stadium’s block, on the Waveland Avenue side.

Longtime Wrigley workers suspected Ratzilla, the rodent that climbed into the Cubs ball bag Tuesday, scurried over from the construction site across Sheffield Avenue, the former “Eamus Catuli” building.

Contacted by the Tribune on Wednesday, 44th Ward Ald. Bennett Lawson declined to comment, which makes sense. An alderman in the Cubs’ ward wouldn’t want to upset the Rickettses by talking about rats in a ballpark that serves food. Every ward has its own rat issues, and no alderman wants residents to think they’re not doing everything possible to get rid of them.

Counsell told reporters Wednesday that the Wrigley rat has “got a job,” like everyone else at the ballpark.

“He’s cleaning up some garbage, he’s got a job to do,” Counsell said. “Cat’s got a job to do: eat the rat. Everybody’s got a job to do.”

At this rate, Counsell will have the rat pinch-hitting for Moisés Ballesteros against a left-hander, and it no doubt will single up the middle.

That’s the way it’s been going for Counsell and the Cubs.

And it’s still only April.