Future of Wrigley Field

[NCCubFan]

There's a lengthy discussion of this in Baseball Discussions, so I thought it would be interesting to put it to a vote. After all, we're electing the new Cubs' owner, so we also should decide where they play. :D

[texascub]

I voted for Wrigley Field in its current form, with repairs as needed. I also wouldn't mind seeing Wrigley turned into a public museum still owned by the Cubs, and have a brand new ballpark built somewhere in the suburbs. It would be different, but it may be best for everyone.

[Sarcastic]

Eventually, Wrigley will need serious renovation to stay in use. I don't care so much about interior renovation, as long as the essential parts of it which give the park its character (the field, bleachers, and outer appearance) remain untouched. I wouldn't actually mind if they upgraded the facilities inside, like the restrooms, for instance.

[sunnydoo]

One of the only bright spots i have seen in this deal for the Cubs so far is that Zell is seriously considering breaking up the organization and the ballpark. I think that is wonderful b/c it will eventually cause a conflict of interest.

 

Your #2 option isnt really plausible. Several years ago the City of Chicago forced Wrigley Field to become eligible for Natl Historic Landmark Registry status (around 87). When the overall federal measure failed, the City slapped a local Landmark designation on it meaning they have to approve all changes/demolitions above even the City Planning commission by some sort of special election/vote. Considering how votes usually go in Chicago and that the "mayor" would probably be against it, it aint happening.

 

In doing so they ended any legitimate shot at expansion or a major facelift ever being done to the place. All of the changes and renovations that have to be done now have to be certified and signed off on by numerous people. To me that was the last straw between the City of Chicago and the Cubs organization.

 

Yes Wrigley has been a wonderful place to play for 93 years. However, we have never won a Series in it. The Series we have played in in it have all been memorable in very bad ways. I have witnessed many games there and there is a ton of memories with the place, but even Yankee Stadium is going by the way. Time to let go and move on to a better place.

 

I for one am sick of the people like Murphys and the neighborhood and the others who are complaining all the freaking time about the Cubs, their fans, and starting trouble with the City Council. The Cubs where there before just about any of them and its time to just be done with the headaches and the mess associated with the Neighborhood association.

 

So relocation it is to a northern suburb and away from the corrupt organization disguised as the City of Chicago, that is nothing but a front for the White Sox loving mob boss...i mean "mayor."

[BleedCubbieBlue81]

I've said it before and I'll say it again, they are called the CHICAGO Cubs. Not the Schaumburg Cubs, not the Evanston Cubs, etc. Moving the team out of the city would be very damaging, and would make a lot of true Chicagoans angry. I know a lot of teams do it, and it might work for them. But trust me, Chicagoans wouldn't stand for it, myself included. And then many people would also see the White Sox as Chicago's true team because they'd be the only ones actually located in the city of Chicago. Stay in Wrigley, fix what you have to when it needs fixing.

[E.J.]

Eventually, Wrigley will need serious renovation to stay in use. I don't care so much about interior renovation, as long as the essential parts of it which give the park its character (the field, bleachers, and outer appearance) remain untouched. I wouldn't actually mind if they upgraded the facilities inside, like the restrooms, for instance.

 

These are my feelings as well. As long as the bleachers, ivy, scoreboard, and marquee are still there I don't care how they fix the rest of the park. The park definitely is due for renevations though.

[10man]

I'd love to see Wrigley with a big ole Jumbrotron scoreboard with fancy things like that Kent Mercker in the Hot seat feature. :lol:

[Derwood]

I've said it before and I'll say it again, they are called the CHICAGO Cubs. Not the Schaumburg Cubs, not the Evanston Cubs, etc. Moving the team out of the city would be very damaging, and would make a lot of true Chicagoans angry. I know a lot of teams do it, and it might work for them. But trust me, Chicagoans wouldn't stand for it, myself included. And then many people would also see the White Sox as Chicago's true team because they'd be the only ones actually located in the city of Chicago. Stay in Wrigley, fix what you have to when it needs fixing.

 

I sorta disagree. Reinsdorf would have been smarter to build New Comiskey somewhere in the SW Suburbs than next to Old Comiskey. THe cliche is that the Sox are a "south side" team, but really, their fans are all in the burbs.

[NewUserName]

Its new park time. I prefer in the city but if the burbs make a better offer so be it. Wrigley is really a terrible place to see a game. Yes I like the atmosphere and all, but parking, getting there, concessions, bathrooms, seats all suck.

 

Atmosphere could be had anywhere. I think it would be hard to replace all the things I mentioned at Clark and Addison.

[Post Count Padder]

Wrigley as is. Can't beat a classic.

[J.R.]

Wrigley is really a terrible place to see a game. Yes I like the atmosphere and all, but parking, getting there, concessions, bathrooms, seats all suck.

 

Ridiculous post.

[Derwood]

Wrigley is really a terrible place to see a game. Yes I like the atmosphere and all, but parking, getting there, concessions, bathrooms, seats all suck.

 

Ridiculous post.

 

people say the same crap about Fenway. Its part of the experience. I've seen dozens of games at Wrigley and have never had a poor experience that didn't involve crappy on field play

[Jon]

Don't touch the restrooms.

 

And by touch I mean renovate.

 

Objectives 1-9 of ballpark restrooms are to get people in and out as quickly as possible. I've never had to wait in Wrigley except for a few times immediately following a game when everyone is trying to get in.

 

Maybe the women's restroom need some work, but the men's are just fine the way they are.

 

Also worth pointing out is that while some of the terrace reserve seats are obstructed, those pillars support the best upper deck in the country.

[J.R.]

those pillars support the best upper deck in the country.

 

How do people miss this?

 

To elaborate on my earlier post:

 

parking — Why?

 

getting there — Ride the damned train.

 

concessions — Vastly improved, and prepared by the same folks who do the Cell, home to supposedly superior game food.

 

bathrooms — See Davis' post.

 

seats all suck — Wrigley boasts the best sightlines and the most intimate seating arrangement in all of baseball.

[NewUserName]

those pillars support the best upper deck in the country.

 

How do people miss this?

 

To elaborate on my earlier post:

 

parking — Why?

 

getting there — Ride the damned train.

 

concessions — Vastly improved, and prepared by the same folks who do the Cell, home to supposedly superior game food.

 

bathrooms — See Davis' post.

 

seats all suck — Wrigley boasts the best sightlines and the most intimate seating arrangement in all of baseball.

 

 

Most ridiculous post ever!

 

 

edit: Sorry about the misquote make it just plain "ridiculous post"

 

also to elaborate

 

parking: why not

 

getting there: do not live in city. hopping on train would still involve me driving there and parking at a train terminal and then hopping on train. I would also say that more than 50% of the people at any given game do not live in the city

 

concessions: I will concede that they are better than they used to be in quality. Still long lines though

 

bathrooms: I am going to disagree with this one. Better bathrooms could be had that would still give everything that Davis mentioned. In better I mean the ability to wash hands and think they are cleaner after washing.

 

seats: Are uncomfortable and by saying intimate I am guessing you mean crammed in. I agree about the sightlines though.

 

I like Wrigley field. I have gone to games there since the early 70s. Truth be told right now its "trendy" this could easily be "dump" in 5 years though. Like any old house the upkeep will soon become more and more of a price drain. So either major renovations need to be done or a new stadium needs to be built. If I owned the team I wouldnt spend money on renovations when about equal money with cities competing could get a new stadium that would cover all of the problems that cannot be covered in Wrigleyville

[Mark_R]

It took me nearly 15 minutes to take a leak today in the bleachers.

 

BRING BACK THE TROUGHS!

 

The urinals were slowing down my need to stream.

[NCCubFan]

Wrigley is really a terrible place to see a game. Yes I like the atmosphere and all, but parking, getting there, concessions, bathrooms, seats all suck.

 

Ridiculous post.

Totally uncalled for comment. You're certainly entitled to disagree with him, but he's entitled to his opinion just as much as you are.

[J.R.]

I like Wrigley field. I have gone to games there since the early 70s. Truth be told right now its "trendy" this could easily be "dump" in 5 years though.

 

That's a long way from "terrible place to see a game."

 

Totally uncalled for comment. You're certainly entitled to disagree with him, but he's entitled to his opinion just as much as you are.

 

I slandered the post, not the poster.

[jersey cubs fan]

baseball is a public transportation sport. If you can't wrap your head around taking a train, learn.

 

that being said, I've driven to Wrigley some of the time and it's not nearly as hard as some people are making it out to be. No, you can't park in some 50 acre lot next to the park, but in places where you can, Yankee Stadium, Shea, Philly, it's a disaster getting into and out of the lots.

 

Suburban stadiums are as bad as the cookie cutter nonsense from the 70's.

[CubinNY]

baseball is a public transportation sport. If you can't wrap your head around taking a train, learn.

 

that being said, I've driven to Wrigley some of the time and it's not nearly as hard as some people are making it out to be. No, you can't park in some 50 acre lot next to the park, but in places where you can, Yankee Stadium, Shea, Philly, it's a disaster getting into and out of the lots.

 

Suburban stadiums are as bad as the cookie cutter nonsense from the 70's.

 

I don't know about baseball being a public transportation sport, I think that statement is nonsense. In addition, you can't park at a big lot around Yankee stadium either (the lot around the stadium is pretty damn samall). And both Shea and Phiadelphia are pretty easy to get in and out of as major highways are located by the ballpark.

 

That said, the only reason to move a ballpark from the city to the country is becuase of diminishing attandence. The Cubs don't have that problem.

 

I think they could *try* and play their home games at the cell for a year and build a new Wrigley right on the same spot, if they wanted to get a nice new park.

[jersey cubs fan]

baseball is a public transportation sport. If you can't wrap your head around taking a train, learn.

 

that being said, I've driven to Wrigley some of the time and it's not nearly as hard as some people are making it out to be. No, you can't park in some 50 acre lot next to the park, but in places where you can, Yankee Stadium, Shea, Philly, it's a disaster getting into and out of the lots.

 

Suburban stadiums are as bad as the cookie cutter nonsense from the 70's.

 

I don't know about baseball being a public transportation sport, I think that statement is nonsense. In addition, you can't park at a big lot around Yankee stadium either (the lot around the stadium is pretty damn samall). And both Shea and Phiadelphia are pretty easy to get in and out of as major highways are located by the ballpark.

 

In theory it's easy, but traffic destroys it. It's much easier to do Shea via public transportation. Yankee Stadium had several different parking options. There's a regular lot, and a multi-story large garage. But the best way to get in and out is still the train. That's the way it should be for a sport played everyday. Quit driving everywhere and take the darn train.

[Derwood]

baseball is a public transportation sport. If you can't wrap your head around taking a train, learn.

 

that being said, I've driven to Wrigley some of the time and it's not nearly as hard as some people are making it out to be. No, you can't park in some 50 acre lot next to the park, but in places where you can, Yankee Stadium, Shea, Philly, it's a disaster getting into and out of the lots.

 

Suburban stadiums are as bad as the cookie cutter nonsense from the 70's.

 

I don't know about baseball being a public transportation sport, I think that statement is nonsense. In addition, you can't park at a big lot around Yankee stadium either (the lot around the stadium is pretty damn samall). And both Shea and Phiadelphia are pretty easy to get in and out of as major highways are located by the ballpark.

 

In theory it's easy, but traffic destroys it. It's much easier to do Shea via public transportation. Yankee Stadium had several different parking options. There's a regular lot, and a multi-story large garage. But the best way to get in and out is still the train. That's the way it should be for a sport played everyday. Quit driving everywhere and take the darn train.

 

what if you're in a city with bad/no public transportation options (ie, Los Angeles)?

 

btw, nothing is cooler than parking your car and then taking a ferry across the river to get to PNC in Pittsburgh.

[jersey cubs fan]

baseball is a public transportation sport. If you can't wrap your head around taking a train, learn.

 

that being said, I've driven to Wrigley some of the time and it's not nearly as hard as some people are making it out to be. No, you can't park in some 50 acre lot next to the park, but in places where you can, Yankee Stadium, Shea, Philly, it's a disaster getting into and out of the lots.

 

Suburban stadiums are as bad as the cookie cutter nonsense from the 70's.

 

I don't know about baseball being a public transportation sport, I think that statement is nonsense. In addition, you can't park at a big lot around Yankee stadium either (the lot around the stadium is pretty damn samall). And both Shea and Phiadelphia are pretty easy to get in and out of as major highways are located by the ballpark.

 

In theory it's easy, but traffic destroys it. It's much easier to do Shea via public transportation. Yankee Stadium had several different parking options. There's a regular lot, and a multi-story large garage. But the best way to get in and out is still the train. That's the way it should be for a sport played everyday. Quit driving everywhere and take the darn train.

 

what if you're in a city with bad/no public transportation options (ie, Los Angeles)?

 

btw, nothing is cooler than parking your car and then taking a ferry across the river to get to PNC in Pittsburgh.

 

well, LA is the exception. Everybody in Cali drives everywhere. I've only walked across the river in Pittsburgh. How far did you park to make a ferry trip necessary? I think there's nothing better than meeting up before a game on foot, then walking around the park afterward and taking in the sites and the bars/restaurants. Driving to a game, parking, and then driving home, is Wal-Mart like dull. Wrigley is the best place for that, but I've done it in Denver, San Diego and Pittsburgh as well. The lack of viable neighborhoods around the get-in and get-out NY stadiums sucks, same with Philly.

[Derwood]

there was some free place to park across the river.....can't remember what it's called, but it had a bunch of bars and stuff

[Jon]

It took me 80 minutes to get out of the parking lot at Miller Park once. It was terrible.

 

Walking to the el and getting on the platform only takes a few minutes.