Wrigley's Field

[Wilson A2000]

Has anyone heard if the Tribune Co. is tearing the field it up, lowering the surface, putting in new drainage, and resodding or seeding it or are they waiting for the new ownership to OK the retrofit meaning it would happen next fall?

[ZMovieman]

Has anyone heard if the Tribune Co. is tearing the field it up, lowering the surface, putting in new drainage, and resodding or seeding it or are they waiting for the new ownership to OK the retrofit meaning it would happen next fall?

 

I could be wrong, but I was under the impression that they had hired the White Sox groundskeeper to do the job (he previously did Fenway among others). I was under the assumption that he was going to work on the field this winter, but haven't heard anything since.

[Cubbies2238]

This is from the live Wrigley cam you get for being in the Cubs club....It doesn't look like they've done anything yet. It's sad to see that NLDS in the grass though.

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v419/Cubbies2166/wrigley.jpg

[dougdescenzo]

Has anyone heard if the Tribune Co. is tearing the field it up, lowering the surface, putting in new drainage, and resodding or seeding it or are they waiting for the new ownership to OK the retrofit meaning it would happen next fall?

 

I could be wrong, but I was under the impression that they had hired the White Sox groundskeeper to do the job (he previously did Fenway among others). I was under the assumption that he was going to work on the field this winter, but haven't heard anything since.

 

That guy is supposedly the greatest thing to ever happen to grass. He even has a nickname "The Sodfather".

[Wilmo]

That guy is supposedly the greatest thing to ever happen to grass. He even has a nickname "The Sodfather".

 

lol :afro:

[d_money]

FWIW, Bruce Levine said on Talking Baseball on Sat. that an announcement will be coming within a week. Mgmt. is said to approve the makeover worth $2M. They may lower the field by a foot or two which would allow for some new front row seating. Yes, the Sodfather will be doing the job.

[B]

FWIW, Bruce Levine said on Talking Baseball on Sat. that an announcement will be coming within a week. Mgmt. is said to approve the makeover worth $2M. They may lower the field by a foot or two which would allow for some new front row seating. Yes, the Sodfather will be doing the job.

 

So how will the fences look with the field being lowered 2 ft.? I doubt the bricks go 2 ft. into the ground. I'm anxious to see how this works out.

[Garwilly]

FWIW, Bruce Levine said on Talking Baseball on Sat. that an announcement will be coming within a week. Mgmt. is said to approve the makeover worth $2M. They may lower the field by a foot or two which would allow for some new front row seating. Yes, the Sodfather will be doing the job.

 

So how will the fences look with the field being lowered 2 ft.? I doubt the bricks go 2 ft. into the ground. I'm anxious to see how this works out.

 

 

As the brick is covered, that doesn't concerm me too much. I see the ivy as the more pressing issue. I don't even know how they would move it down.

 

Of course, the "crown" of the infield may be the only part of the field that is lowered substantially. The warning track may already be at the desired height.

[danonwaveland]

No crown on the infield, huh? Hey, does this mean Dusty will actually be able to see what's happening to his Reds on the field this year?

__________________________________________________

Sandberg>Mazeroski>Morgan

[Irrelevant Dude]

Call me an idiot, but how does lowering the field allow for more seating? The playing field area is the same regardless of how high or low it is.

[jersey cubs fan]

Call me an idiot, but how does lowering the field allow for more seating? The playing field area is the same regardless of how high or low it is.

 

Each row of seats is slightly lower than the one behind it, if the current front row is as low as you can go before fans suddenly can't see what's going on, they need to go lower to fit another row. At least, that's what I've been understanding.

[Brendan]

Has anyone heard if the Tribune Co. is tearing the field it up, lowering the surface, putting in new drainage, and resodding or seeding it or are they waiting for the new ownership to OK the retrofit meaning it would happen next fall?

 

I could be wrong, but I was under the impression that they had hired the White Sox groundskeeper to do the job (he previously did Fenway among others). I was under the assumption that he was going to work on the field this winter, but haven't heard anything since.

 

that's what i thought too .. at least that's what the word was after the concert (police? dmb?) reportedly tore up the field.

[NCCubFan]

Has anyone heard if the Tribune Co. is tearing the field it up, lowering the surface, putting in new drainage, and resodding or seeding it or are they waiting for the new ownership to OK the retrofit meaning it would happen next fall?

 

I could be wrong, but I was under the impression that they had hired the White Sox groundskeeper to do the job (he previously did Fenway among others). I was under the assumption that he was going to work on the field this winter, but haven't heard anything since.

 

that's what i thought too .. at least that's what the word was after the concert (police? dmb?) reportedly tore up the field.

It was the cops. :D

[Irrelevant Dude]

Call me an idiot, but how does lowering the field allow for more seating? The playing field area is the same regardless of how high or low it is.

 

Each row of seats is slightly lower than the one behind it, if the current front row is as low as you can go before fans suddenly can't see what's going on, they need to go lower to fit another row. At least, that's what I've been understanding.

But they still have to go further out into the field of play and at some point they have to run out of room. Eventually it will be like arena football and there will be no foul territory at all.

[BleedCubbieBlue81]

how much can you really do over the winter though? the ground freezes, thus making any sort of work difficult.

[Guest]

how much can you really do over the winter though? the ground freezes, thus making any sort of work difficult.

 

 

only a few inches of ground really freezes. they should be able to work.

[CubinNY]

how much can you really do over the winter though? the ground freezes, thus making any sort of work difficult.

 

 

only a few inches of ground really freezes. they should be able to work.

Depends on how "hard" the winter is. However, when I was in college and working for a landscaper he had us bury the water pipes 18 inches. I think the frost line is 12 inches, but I could be wrong.

[Moonlight Graham]

Just waiting on city approval

[fibro]

Bruce Levine is reporting that the renovation starts tomorrow 10/24.

[Cubbies2238]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v419/Cubbies2166/untitled.jpg

 

And the field renovations have begun...

[E.J.]

Haha. They paid all that money for new sod that was played on for 1 game.

[C.C.]

Here's a bunch of pics of Wrigley sod project. I can't believe how fast it's going...

 

http://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/story/2007/10/24/122756/14#commenttop

[moorecg]

I don't know why...but it cracks me up that they've got bulldozers all over and the entire field has been plowed, yet they still have the mound and home plate covered with tarp...

 

It looks like they may be dealing with the fact that the new field will be lower than the ivy/outfield wall by doing a very slight angle up to the wall....

 

 

Very cool pics though...I'm looking fwd to the new field, it should be nice...now, if they could work on the club house.

[jersey cubs fan]

It looks like they may be dealing with the fact that the new field will be lower than the ivy/outfield wall by doing a very slight angle up to the wall....

 

The new field will not be lower than the ivy/outfield wall. The new field will do away with the old crown, which means the middle of the infield and pitchers mound will be lower in relation to the stadium, but the new field will hit the wall at the same height after they put in the new drainage system.

[Pushfrog98]

I don't know why...but it cracks me up that they've got bulldozers all over and the entire field has been plowed, yet they still have the mound and home plate covered with tarp...

That made me laugh as well... they also have the bullpen mounds tarped... any reason why? I mean, they are redoing the whole field... is it that much trouble to redo the mound too?