Gammons on Wrigley

[Banedon]

“The problem that (Ricketts) has, and the Ricketts family has a serious issue, is they’re going to have to understand it’s not only rebuilding personnel,” Gammons said Friday on "The Mully and Hanley Show" on WSCR-AM 670. “They got to make that ballpark livable, it’s a dump, Wrigley Field. They’re going to have to spent $200-and-something million on re-renovating Wrigley Field, do what the Boston owners did with Fenway Park. And the investment is far greater than, I think, maybe they realize. That the amount of work that Wrigley Field needs is, there’s a ton of money that has to go into rebuilding that place.”

 

“So they’ve got it on both ways,” Gammons said. “You know, they have to figure out: ‘OK, we’re assuming unmovable contracts in Soriano, [Carlos] Zambrano, a couple of other guys, and we need to invest somewhere between $100 and $250 million in the ballpark.’ And that’s a lot of investment ... The Cubs are a gold mine and they are one of the three or four national teams, but at the same time, they require a lot of work.”

 

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/chi-gammons-wrigley-dump-tying-ricketts-hands-20110610,0,701998.story

[SouthSideRyan]

“You know, they have to figure out: ‘OK, we’re assuming unmovable contracts in Soriano, [Carlos] Zambrano, a couple of other guys

 

No.

[dew1679666265]

“You know, they have to figure out: ‘OK, we’re assuming unmovable contracts in Soriano, [Carlos] Zambrano, a couple of other guys

 

No.

 

People keep talking about these "immovable" contracts, but can never list them. Soriano is one obviously, but there's really no reason to want to move Z unless the return is really good and there's no other contracts that need to be moved. All the big money guys besides those two are off the books after the season, but people just seem to assume the Cubs have all these huge, long term, immovable deals weighing them down when in reality, they don't.

[soapy]

Soriano is the on "unmovable" contract, and really, probably the only problematic one at all moving forward.

 

The point that Wrigley needs updated is very valid, but isn't that something Ricketts has talked about extensively? I don't pay really close attention to some of that stuff but it don't get the impression that is something the Ricketts family overlooks.

[jersey cubs fan]

I don't get how he can say they didn't realize what it needed. We've been hearing about the need for years and they have specifically talked about the willingness to make those investments for years.

 

Peter knows what he knows but when he tries to get into specifics of non-Boston teams he doesn't know much at all.

[SouthSideRyan]

The Red Sox world series combined with his stroke have really marginalized what Gammons can give you. It's sad.

[davearm2]

the investment is far greater than, I think, maybe they realize. That the amount of work that Wrigley Field needs is, there’s a ton of money that has to go into rebuilding that place.

Fascinating that Peter Gammons thinks he has a better handle on these issues than the owner of the team.

[BeerHere]

For the record, I agree that Wrigley is a dump. I'll get slammed for this but it's terrible compared to other parks. Recent change have been good and certainly steps in the right direction but it's still garbage.

[jersey cubs fan]

For the record, I agree that Wrigley is a dump. I'll get slammed for this but it's terrible compared to other parks. Recent change have been good and certainly steps in the right direction but it's still garbage.

 

Part of it is garbage-like. But overall it's not that bad. Citi Field is brand spanking new and a complete pile of junk.

[Exile on Waveland]

I love Wrigley and would hate to see the Cubs move, but you'd have to be a completely ignorant moron not to realize it doesn't need some renovation. Somehow I think the owner of the Cubs might have a decent understanding of this.

[Tarver]

Besides the fact that it's approaching 100 years without any major rehab efforts, it's just too limited for today's MLB needs. It's going to need major renovation sooner rather than later.

 

Have no idea how profitable some of these reality shows are, but I'd think one based on the rehab process of a national landmark that happens to house of the most popular franchises in American sports would be a marketable venture. That could help allay the costs.

[Old Style]

I love Wrigley and would hate to see the Cubs move, but you'd have to be a completely ignorant moron not to realize it doesn't need some renovation.

Agreed, but it is far from a dump IMO.

[KingCubsFan]

I love Wrigley and would hate to see the Cubs move, but you'd have to be a completely ignorant moron not to realize it doesn't need some renovation.

Agreed, but it is far from a dump IMO.

From the player's perspective, it's a dump

[javy knows my name]

The Red Sox world series combined with his stroke have really marginalized what Gammons can give you. It's sad.

 

Did he have a stroke recently? I guess I hadn't seen him in a while, but he was really struggling on the live draft coverage. Totally sad.

[jersey cubs fan]

The Red Sox world series combined with his stroke have really marginalized what Gammons can give you. It's sad.

 

Did he have a stroke recently? I guess I hadn't seen him in a while, but he was really struggling on the live draft coverage. Totally sad.

 

It was probably 5 years ago. Those things have lasting effects.

[ManEatingTarp]

I love Wrigley and would hate to see the Cubs move, but you'd have to be a completely ignorant moron not to realize it doesn't need some renovation.

Agreed, but it is far from a dump IMO.

From the player's perspective, it's a dump

 

 

I thought it was charming, then I took a trip to Fenway. Now I think it's a dump.

 

You mentioned the players, and that is true because they see a side of Wrigley we rarely do. The clubhouses and general underbelly of the place is apparently a major mess.

[jersey cubs fan]

I love Wrigley and would hate to see the Cubs move, but you'd have to be a completely ignorant moron not to realize it doesn't need some renovation.

Agreed, but it is far from a dump IMO.

From the player's perspective, it's a dump

 

 

I thought it was charming, then I took a trip to Fenway. Now I think it's a dump.

 

You mentioned the players, and that is true because they see a side of Wrigley we rarely do. The clubhouses and general underbelly of the place is apparently a major mess.

 

I went to Fenway before their renovations, and it was much more of a dump than Wrigley currently is.

[ManEatingTarp]

That's what I've heard. A lot like old Tiger or old Comisky.

 

The renovated Fenway is fantastic. And I generally hate both the Red Sox, and New England...

[dmcbrady]

In my opinion, tear down everything in the grandstands and rebuild it. The bleachers are relatively new and are more than adequate.

[jersey cubs fan]

In my opinion, tear down everything in the grandstands and rebuild it. The bleachers are relatively new and are more than adequate.

 

If it were possible I could get behind that, as it would maximize the potential usage of the triangle building area. Although I don't think it's completely necessary.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Sell it to the White Sox, build new suburban park with easily exploitable dimensional quirks, spend the difference on Pujols.

[javy knows my name]

I love Wrigley and would hate to see the Cubs move, but you'd have to be a completely ignorant moron not to realize it doesn't need some renovation.

Agreed, but it is far from a dump IMO.

From the player's perspective, it's a dump

 

 

I thought it was charming, then I took a trip to Fenway. Now I think it's a dump.

 

You mentioned the players, and that is true because they see a side of Wrigley we rarely do. The clubhouses and general underbelly of the place is apparently a major mess.

 

I got to tour the clubhouse a couple weeks ago, and it's really gross. Bare slab concrete, smells musty and you can hear water dripping. And the press room is the size of my studio. Hilarious.

[SouthSideRyan]

Sell it to the White Sox, build new suburban park with easily exploitable dimensional quirks, spend the difference on Pujols.

 

A suburban park is the worst idea ever and people who bring up the idea should be banned from life.

[javy knows my name]

Sell it to the White Sox, build new suburban park with easily exploitable dimensional quirks, spend the difference on Pujols.

 

A suburban park is the worst idea ever and people who bring up the idea should be banned from life.

 

Or invited to live in Chicago and forced to commute to the suburbs

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Sell it to the White Sox, build new suburban park with easily exploitable dimensional quirks, spend the difference on Pujols.

 

A suburban park is the worst idea ever and people who bring up the idea should be banned from life.

 

Fine. Just take the Cell as a trade-in.