Back in 1985 Ferris Bueller took a day off from school and it turned out to be one helluva day. Â Baseball Prospectus blogger Larry Granillo knew he could narrow down the exact day by analyzing the game being played at Wrigley Field.
The movie “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” was released on June 11, 1986. The ballgame then must have been filmed either real early in the 1986 season or sometime during 1985. Looking at game logs from those seasons, we see that there was no game in 1986 in which Lee Smith (#46) faced the Braves at Wrigley Field. There were four such games in ’85, though Smith left the Braves hitless in one of those. Of the remaining three games, it isn’t hard to find the game we’re looking for.
With his awesome baseball statistical analysis skills Larry narrowed it down to the Cubs and Braves game on June 5, 1985.  Now we can celebrate the day each year by playing hooky and having an epic adventure.  Danke Schön Larry.  Check out Larry’s post to see exactly how he came up with the day and also an update from the assistant director on “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”.
What’s the score?
0-0.
Who’s winning?
The Bears.
The key to faking out the parents is the clammy hands. It’s a good non-specific symptom; I’m a big believer in it. A lot of people will tell you that a good phony fever is a dead lock, but, uh… you get a nervous mother, you could wind up in a doctor’s office. That’s worse than school. You fake a stomach cramp, and when you’re bent over, moaning and wailing, you lick your palms. It’s a little childish and stupid, but then, so is high school.
I’d like to know what attendance was that day at Wrigley. Looks like the upper deck was empty.
I know someone that calls me Ferris Bueller, it’s strange.
“I think I broke my thumb.”
HEYYYBATTABATTABATTABATTABATTA SA-WING BATTA!
HeCan’tHit HeCan’tHit HeCan’tHit Sa-Wing Batta….
I’d have thought the SAINT PATRICK’s Day Parade might have narrowed the date enough for most.
The parade scene was shot during the Von Steuben Day parade.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Von_Steuben_Day
if school were in session, it would be very close to the end of the semester. at my highschool we usually got out during the first week of june.
Seems like school wouldn’t be in session on June 5.