Cubs and Chicago Come to Agreement to Allow Wrigley to Be Less Shitty, More Expensive

In Commentary And Analysis by aisle42475 Comments

When the Ricketts family first took over the Cubs, some of the first words out of their mouths were expressions of unbridled love of Wrigley Field. They were going to win and they were going to win in Wrigley Field. That was their story. Tom went around telling anybody who would listen that he once lived across the street from Wrigley. He skipped classes at University of Chicago to attend games, ultimately ending up taking five years to graduate as a result. He met his wife in the Wrigley bleachers.

The love Tom Ricketts felt for Wrigley was almost unnatural. I think part of the reason Joe and Pete so vehemently oppose gay marriage is that they fear the slippery slope that would eventually allow Tom to divorce his wife and marry Wrigley Field. 

Around these parts, we criticized this because it essentially removed all leverage the family had in negotiating with the city. They would ask for public funds. The city said no. They asked again and almost had a deal, then Joe fucked everything up with his Super PAC and hate of the President, who was coincidentally the Mayor's buddy.

Then the Cubs came out and said they'd pay for the whole thing themselves on the condition that they be allowed some wiggle room on the restrictions placed on it by city ordinances and landmark designations that turn every remodel of a urinal trough into a six month ordeal of community meetings and posturing in the media. Shockingly, the idea was met with scorn by Wrigley's neighbors and Tom Tunney, who tore himself away from counting the money in his pockets from the rooftop owners long enough to tell the Cubs to just replace the manual scoreboard with a videoboard if they want one that badly.

It was a Sisyphean ordeal all because there was never really an alternative for the Cubs. Rosemont offered them a crappy piece of land that nobody wants because it's practically on an O'Hare runway, so that wasn't ever really an option. So the Cubs were negotiating with people who basically kept poking them in the chest, kicking sand in their face, and asking, "What are you gonna do about it?"

So the agreement announced late last night that the Cubs and the City of Chicago have come to an agreement to allow the Cubs to spend $500 million of their own money on the crumbling ballpark is something of a minor miracle. Somewhere along the line, the city moved a bit, the Cubs moved a bit and they all ended up shaking hands with each other. And it only took three and a half years to add a couple of signs and a few more night games. Progress!

The agreement allows a number of changes that will help the Cubs separate us from even more of our money in the near future, per Carrie Muskat:

  • A 6,000 square foot video board will be placed in left field pretty much where the Toyota sign is now. They may place it further back over Waveland to decrease the impact on rooftop sightlines.
  • An additional sign will be added to right field that will be in the same kind of semi-see-through style as the current Toyota sign.
  • Those will be the only two additional outfield signs place instead of the original proposed seven signs.
  • They can play 10 more night games, bringing the total to 40.
  • There can be up to five more night games if national broadcasts dictate changes to the original schedule.
  • They can start Friday games at 3:05pm now.
  • They can close off Sheffield Ave. from 2 hours prior to the game until the 2nd inning.
  • The Captain Morgan Club will be rebuilt to be two stories to allow the visitor clubhouse to be expanded into that space plus additional space for a souvenir shop.
  • The corners of the park will be renovated to be more fan-friendly (translation: more places to sell stuff) along with upgrades to the existing crappy restaurant, The Sheffield Grill.

This is good news for the organization. It will allow them to sell their TV rights for more money when they get to that point because night games are more valuable. They'll hopefully have more space within the park to add some decent food and beverage options. As of right now, the closest thing to craft beer that they carry is Bud Light Lime-a-Ritas and Labatt's Blue (it's Canadian!). At least they aren't trying to call those "craft" beer like some teams. *cough* Yankees! *cough*

So while we will eventually be forking over larger amounts of our money to the Cubs, this allows them to sink the millions they need to into renovating the player facilities to bring them at least into the 20th century of modernization. It also provides them with the revenue capable of sustaining a larger payroll in the event they ever have players that actually require larger salaries.

So though I may be snarky about it because it is the Cubs and they have always shown an amazing capacity to fuck things up for themselves, this is a good day to be a Cubs fan. Finally.

***UPDATE***

The full approved proposal can be found here.

Tom Ricketts will hold a press conference today at 11:00am. Live streaming here.

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Comments

  1. dmick89

    About this whole Tom meeting his wife at Wrigley Field, does anybody find that a bit odd and not believable? I’m sure some people have met their future husbands or wives at a sporting event, but doesn’t that sound tailored to appease a fan base you’re trying to win over?

    I’m not criticizing him. I just don’t believe it. I might even say the same thing if I just bought the team. Met my wife there. My first kid was conceived there and my wife gave birth to our second in the bleachers. Why not say that? I just find it to be highly unlikely that the Cubs owner actually met his wife in the bleachers. We’re talking about a very wealthy child. The odds of this happening are probably slim to none.

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  2. Author
    Aisle424

    @ dmick89:

    That’s on the land across the street with the McDonald’s on it now. Essentially, they threatened to not make the other upgrades in the neighborhood (bringing in the jobs and tax revenue the city really needs) unless they were also allowed more night games and signs and stuff.

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  3. Berselius

    @ dmick89:

    Yeah, they also got permission to build a hotel on the McDonald’s site, as well as permission to build on the Triangle Building lot. Not sure if that will be the same Triangle Building that’s been kicked around or not. I think they’re supposed to build a parking garage on their secret lot north of the stadium too, though I haven’t seen anything about that today.

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  4. josh

    @ dmick89:
    He probably literally met her there, but after the date was set up by their parents, or after they were already legally married, or however rich people do things.

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  5. Xoomwaffle

    Forgive me if I am missing something obvious, but what’s the deal with 3:05 starts on Fridays? What is significant about that to anyone involved?

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  6. dmick89

    @ josh:
    I could see that. There’s just little chance it’s as “cute” a story as he likes to make it. He may have met her in person for the first time after their parents reached some sort of agreement on compensation.

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  7. dmick89

    Is there any catcher in baseball who couldn’t even stop some of the those 5 wild pitches yesterday? Navarro barely tried. It was like he closed his eyes on some of them and just put the glove where he hoped it would go. There is probably someone who reads this site who would be a better catcher than he is.

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  8. dmick89

    @ Xoomwaffle:
    It’s the same reason they used to start Friday games at 2:20 (extra hour of sleep on travel days). I’m not sure there’s any more money in it, but the Cubs and the opposing teams will be happy when they get in Chicago on early Friday morning after a late game on Thursday.

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  9. josh

    @ dmick89:
    I would scream, then cry for four hours. After the first warmup pitch.

    Navarro is fat and slow. Anyone else catch JD’s Freudian slip yesterday when Navarro was onscreen and he said “the fat of the order is coming up,” then spent 2-3 minutes of airtime pretending like he hadn’t just called the catcher fat?

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  10. Rice Cube

    @ dmick89:
    It might not actually be that hard to say, “Hi, I’m Tom Ricketts, and my dad is worth a billion dollars” and subsequently get to bed some single female bleacher bummette.

    /cynic

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  11. Mucker

    @ dmick89:
    I used to catch. I was really good in my early little leagues and 13-15 but I stopped playing baseball after that. I wish I would’ve played more and regret not continuing into 16-18 and Legion.

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  12. Myles

    dmick89 wrote:

    @ josh:
    I could see that. There’s just little chance it’s as “cute” a story as he likes to make it. He may have met her in person for the first time after their parents reached some sort of agreement on compensation.

    Probably for a Blowjob to be Named Later and Ass Considerations, perhaps a major league catcher.

    Thus passes the worst joke I’ve ever made

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  13. J.J.

    @ Xoomwaffle:

    In addition to the better ad revenue, it also gives the team a little extra rest when coming back from a road trip late on Thursday night and then having to play on Friday. I’ve worked the gate when the team has gotten back from the airport at 11 pm or midnight and then had to play an 1:20 game the next day. I’m sure the players will appreciate having an extra 2 hours of sleep (if they so choose to do so instead of going out on the town) on those occasions. I at least know that I will appreciate the extra two hours of sleep on those days!

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  14. WaLi

    josh wrote:

    Navarro is fat and slow. Anyone else catch JD’s Freudian slip yesterday when Navarro was onscreen and he said “the fat of the order is coming up,” then spent 2-3 minutes of airtime pretending like he hadn’t just called the catcher fat?

    Yeah, unfortunately I was watching the game. That was pretty amusing though.

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  15. Author
    Aisle424

    dmick89 wrote:

    It’s the same reason they used to start Friday games at 2:20 (extra hour of sleep on travel days). I’m not sure there’s any more money in it, but the Cubs and the opposing teams will be happy when they get in Chicago on early Friday morning after a late game on Thursday.

    That’s the reason they’re giving. I don’t know if it makes any difference in revenue.

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  16. Author
    Aisle424

    dmick89 wrote:

    I read it’s only 175 rooms so I’m not really sure what they’re going to do with. That’s pretty small for a hotel.

    They are calling it a “boutique hotel,” which is code for “really fucking small, but expensive hotel.”

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  17. dmick89

    @ Rice Cube:
    No that would probably wouldn’t be that hard, but it’s not like his wife wasn’t busy at that time. She’s a dermatologist, isn’t she? I’m assuming she had to do her fair share of studying. Even the odds of them actually meeting at Wrigley Field the first time is slim in my opinion. You’re drinking. It’s loud. It’s not the ideal place to meet a woman. Who knows?

    I don’t believe it. Never have and never will. It’s just a lot more likely they met elsewhere and didn’t happen to be sitting close to one another at one game at Wrigley Field. And then fell in love. Don’t buy it. (dying laughing)

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  18. dmick89

    @ Aisle424:
    I don’t see how it would. It’s not like a 3:05 game extends into prime time or anything. If anything, the 3:05 start may even be less valuable to advertisers (most people will be preparing dinner and/or eating prior to the end of the game and therefore not watching). The 1:20 starts are kind of perfect for full game viewing. I remember as a kid I didn’t like the 2:20 starts because I wouldn’t be able to see the end of the game. Didn’t have time to do the few chores I had to do around the house before my parents got home from work so I had to do it before it was over.

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  19. josh

    @ dmick89:
    Yeah, that’s a good point. I usually miss the ends of games that span 5:00. I get busy after work and forget, unless the game is really exciting and toward the end.

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  20. Rice Cube

    @ dmick89:
    If all he said was that “I met my wife at Wrigley” then it’s possible that as civilized, consenting adults often do, they exchanged contact information and then continued their drunken discourse somewhere else. It could happen. Right?

    To be honest I’ve never hooked up with anyone from a bar, it’s usually from regular contact and then finally saying “hey, wanna go out to lunch?”

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  21. dmick89

    @ josh:
    I start to do other things at 4 pm these days so I prefer it when they’re over by that time. We don’t eat until about 6:30 to 7, but there are always other things that need to get done around that time too.

    I think this move to later Friday games is purely about allowing the players to get a little more sleep. A Friday afternoon game is almost unheard of for other ballparks. A day game on a Monday isn’t a big deal because most teams play Sunday afternoon. Friday is the one day a week in which you most want to have a night game.

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  22. Suburban kid

    Huh. I figured the later start on Fridays was to encourage more of a binge drinking effect, given that it’s easier for jabronis to slip out of work early and start their weekend at 3pm on Friday than 1pm. And since it’s Friday, might as well drink gallons of piss in the hot sun.

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  23. Suburban kid

    Rice Cube wrote:

    To be honest I’ve never hooked up with anyone from a bar, it’s usually from regular contact and then finally saying “hey, wanna go out to lunch?”

    Smooth, RC. Smooth.

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  24. josh

    @ Rice Cube:
    I only really ever had just the one girlfriend. I think we went on one official date before we got married. We just started hanging out and that was that. Although, yes, technically the relationship started with both of us intoxicated at a frat party (yes, I was in a fraternity, no, I wasn’t a very good frat brother or whatever).

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  25. WaLi

    @ dmick89:
    I can buy it. He may have had a group of friends he went out with and one of them knew her and brought her along, and that was the first time they met. The most I’ve heard about this story is what has been reported here so I don’t know what he is actually saying (dying laughing)

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  26. GBTS

    Suntimes ‏@Suntimes 51s
    RT @fspielman #Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts on signage galore in Wrigley & neighborhood: “We have no naked cowboy. It won’t be Times Square.”

    Subtle OV nod?

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  27. SVB

    @ WaLi:
    This is what I thought too. Or maybe she was some friend’s sister or something. Hey, a group of us is going to the game, want to go? Sure.

    Or maybe the Ricketts rented a box and she was there as a guest, then the “kids” went down to the bleachers to slum around a little and discovered they had something in common.

    Or maybe they were actually just seating next to/near each other and started talking. I know dmick thinks this scenario is impossible, because his cynical self is overcoming his optimistic self at the moment. I talk to everyone around me at a game. It starts with “Can you believe that play?” Or, “Miller Field looks so industrial, why do people like it?” Or, “Who did [opposing team] give away when they traded for [ballplayer better than any current Cub]?”

    Ricketts’ line was probably, “It’s so great sitting out here. I don’t know why my old man keeps renting those luxury boxes.”

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  28. Author
    Aisle424

    I buy the story. He hung out in the bleachers as one of the douchebag frat boys that do that and he met a Lincoln Park trixie who was there to meet douchebag frat bros. It happened to also work out.

    It’s not somewhere I would choose to meet someone, but I met a girl at The Gin Mill (when it was called that) and we ended up going on a couple dates. It didn’t work out, but there was always the chance. So meeting some chick while watching Michigan State football at a bro pub doesn’t seem any more plausible than meeting one in the bleachers.

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  29. WenningtonsGorillaCock

    dmick89 wrote:

    Thought for sure it WellingtonsGorillaCock.

    The dudes want to be Bill Wennington and the chicks want to be with Bill Wennington.

    .

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  30. mikeakaleroy

    Sweeney goes deep! He hits a 3R HR to right field and the I-Cubs lead 4-0. B3.— Iowa Cubs (@IowaCubs) April 15, 2013

    FYI: Sweeney was the reason for my Sappelt leash question that got taken down an odd road. Also, he grew up less than 15 minutes from where I live, so I’ve got a little hometown bias, you know, if anyone gives a shit.

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  31. josh

    @ mikeakaleroy:
    One of two cities in the world with the government building on an island. Also, the only place where I’ve ever seen Hulk Hogan in person. She’s not much more attractive in real life.

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