Wrigley Renovation Thread

[Banedon]

http://www.bleachernation.com/2013/05/01/for-the-first-time-tom-ricketts-acknowledges-the-possibility-of-cubs-leaving-wrigley-field/

 

UPDATE: In the breakout session with the media, Ricketts walked it back a little bit:

 

“We are very confident in the legality of our signage plan. We are not making a threat to move. The fact is we want to win in Wrigley Field.

 

— David Kaplan (@thekapman) May 1, 2013

 

Keep my talk about moving in context. We want to win at Wrigley. We also need to run our business.”

 

— David Kaplan (@thekapman) May 1, 2013

[WrigleyField 22]

The threat to move should have been done long ago, in my opinion. Not that I think they would(or even could). It just seems empty to me. If they can't dip into their own pockets for an extra 20-30 mill in payroll, what makes anyone think they've got the ability to pay for a new stadium? The way this has been handled, allowing these negotiations to linger on this long, just means we're likely to see everything get pushed back.

Can you not see the difference in dipping 20-30 million in payroll verse the same amount or substantially more in a long term revenue generating project like stadium upgrades?

 

 

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[Guest]

I don't think he was really threatening to move. He answered a question based on a hypothetical suggesting their signage wouldn't be allowed.

 

They continue to speak confidently that the rooftops can't throw a wrench into the works regarding signage and I don't really think they're all that worried about them.

 

Until given reason to actually worry about the rooftops, I won't be. They've been all talk so far and I'm confident in saying that that if everyone involved in the agreement (Cubs, City, alderman) isn't worried about the rooftops, neither am I.

 

The deal was announced for a reason. I think there are probably details to be hashed out and minor things that might change after everything goes through the processes (having more to do with neighborhood concerns than any rooftop stuff), but I'm not worried about this falling through or something.

[jersey cubs fan]

I don't think he was really threatening to move. He answered a question based on a hypothetical suggesting their signage wouldn't be allowed.

 

They continue to speak confidently that the rooftops can't throw a wrench into the works regarding signage and I don't really think they're all that worried about them.

 

I think it's pretty clear they are concerned about various entities throwing a wrench into the process. They wouldn't be going through this deliberate and time consuming of an effort if they were as supremely confident as they are attempting to project. The talk of moving, and then backing off, is something that is completely purposeful and coordinated, or at least should be by the head of an entity such as the Cubs. It was a threat. Probably empty, but he knows that others probably view it as empty, which is why he couldn't just say, "do it or we'll move." He has to keep playing the friendly neighbor routine with the threat being as innocuous as possible, while still seeming theoretically conceivable.

[davell]

The threat to move should have been done long ago, in my opinion. Not that I think they would(or even could). It just seems empty to me. If they can't dip into their own pockets for an extra 20-30 mill in payroll, what makes anyone think they've got the ability to pay for a new stadium? The way this has been handled, allowing these negotiations to linger on this long, just means we're likely to see everything get pushed back.

Can you not see the difference in dipping 20-30 million in payroll verse the same amount or substantially more in a long term revenue generating project like stadium upgrades?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Of course I can. My point is if they call the Trib's payroll "unsustainable" and act as though every cent is going back towards the club, have a huge amount of Cub-related debt-it doesn't very well lend one to thinking they've got the cash laying around to actually build a new stadium. I'm perfectly fine with(agree with actually) that the baseball ops renovations being mentioned are more important than having one more 15-20 mill type player on our roster currently. That said, it still sucks if it actually IS an either/or situation.

[Guest]

Sullivan is just the absolute worst.

 

@thekapman: "We anticipate increasing spending on the baseball side as soon as we know what we can do with this plan."

 

Fantastic.

[davell]

Tunney hasn't said one word on anything since the plans were unveiled, correct?

[davell]

Sullivan is just the absolute worst.

 

@thekapman: "We anticipate increasing spending on the baseball side as soon as we know what we can do with this plan."

 

Fantastic.

At least they gave us something we can hold them to.

[ConstableRabbit]

Where'd the cursive script come from? Not very "Wrigley"

 

 

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VIvJcuV6FME/UYEtg3AV3II/AAAAAAAABw8/ZnHiRo-toz0/s1600/Jumbotron_Wrigley.jpg

 

[SouthSideRyan]

Interesting, so they don't have to actually realize the revenue, just know that it's confirmed to be coming in.

 

Not sure I buy that when the TV contract money is virtually guaranteed to be coming in and we're not spending a dime of it.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Interesting, so they don't have to actually realize the revenue, just know that it's confirmed to be coming in.

 

Not sure I buy that when the TV contract money is virtually guaranteed to be coming in and we're not spending a dime of it.

 

Yeah, I'll believe it when I see it. Ricketts is way past getting the benefit of the doubt with me on stuff like that.

[jersey cubs fan]

Where'd the cursive script come from? Not very "Wrigley"

 

 

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VIvJcuV6FME/UYEtg3AV3II/AAAAAAAABw8/ZnHiRo-toz0/s1600/Jumbotron_Wrigley.jpg

 

It's just there to show you where the ads are going to be. That isn't going to be a cursive Wrigley, it's going to sake Coke or Budweiser or United or something.

[Guest]

Where'd the cursive script come from? Not very "Wrigley"

 

 

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VIvJcuV6FME/UYEtg3AV3II/AAAAAAAABw8/ZnHiRo-toz0/s1600/Jumbotron_Wrigley.jpg

 

It's just a placeholder for ads.

 

Did give me a Walgreen's vibe, though.

[Guest]

Interesting, so they don't have to actually realize the revenue, just know that it's confirmed to be coming in.

 

Not sure I buy that when the TV contract money is virtually guaranteed to be coming in and we're not spending a dime of it.

 

I still worry about how much we're actually going to get given that it's less than half their games that will be available and that it's almost two years away. If MLB changes the TV rules in that time frame, we're screwed.

[SouthSideRyan]

Interesting, so they don't have to actually realize the revenue, just know that it's confirmed to be coming in.

 

Not sure I buy that when the TV contract money is virtually guaranteed to be coming in and we're not spending a dime of it.

 

I still worry about how much we're actually going to get given that it's less than half their games that will be available and that it's almost two years away. If MLB changes the TV rules in that time frame, we're screwed.

 

The Dodgers didn't wait until March 30th, 2014 to sign their TV deal.

 

ETA: The Rangers, whose new deal begins the same year ours would signed their deal in 2010.

[Guest]

Interesting, so they don't have to actually realize the revenue, just know that it's confirmed to be coming in.

 

Not sure I buy that when the TV contract money is virtually guaranteed to be coming in and we're not spending a dime of it.

 

I still worry about how much we're actually going to get given that it's less than half their games that will be available and that it's almost two years away. If MLB changes the TV rules in that time frame, we're screwed.

 

The Dodgers didn't wait until March 30th, 2014 to sign their TV deal.

 

ETA: The Rangers, whose new deal begins the same year ours would signed their deal in 2010.

 

Good point.

 

I wonder if we'll be hearing something about something relatively soon, then.

[jersey cubs fan]

Interesting, so they don't have to actually realize the revenue, just know that it's confirmed to be coming in.

 

Not sure I buy that when the TV contract money is virtually guaranteed to be coming in and we're not spending a dime of it.

 

I still worry about how much we're actually going to get given that it's less than half their games that will be available and that it's almost two years away. If MLB changes the TV rules in that time frame, we're screwed.

 

The Dodgers didn't wait until March 30th, 2014 to sign their TV deal.

 

ETA: The Rangers, whose new deal begins the same year ours would signed their deal in 2010.

 

Good point.

 

I wonder if we'll be hearing something about something relatively soon, then.

 

I'd guess they will wait until the stadium stuff is more concrete, so they can keep crying poor.

[GammonsPocketTweets]

Where'd the cursive script come from? Not very "Wrigley"

 

 

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VIvJcuV6FME/UYEtg3AV3II/AAAAAAAABw8/ZnHiRo-toz0/s1600/Jumbotron_Wrigley.jpg

 

It's just there to show you where the ads are going to be. That isn't going to be a cursive Wrigley, it's going to sake Coke or Budweiser or United or something.

 

Or Jeff Vuuuuuukooovich.

[Guest]

I can understand being skeptical, but one of the theories all along about the lack of spending is that ownership wanted more concrete details/contract in hand on both the huge upcoming expenses(renovation) and the huge upcoming revenues(renovation revenues, TV deals) that were likely to come. Especially at the dollars being talked about, I don't think it's all that unreasonable that they'd want things on paper first.

[Guest]

Starlin needs to be better than that

 

Clearly it's late in the season, given the RBI numbers. Needs more HRs. Needs more OBP.

[CubColtPacer]

Starlin needs to be better than that

 

Clearly it's late in the season, given the RBI numbers. Needs more HRs. Needs more OBP.

 

Those are Starlin's stats from last year.

[Guest]

Starlin needs to be better than that

 

Clearly it's late in the season, given the RBI numbers. Needs more HRs. Needs more OBP.

 

Those are Starlin's stats from last year.

 

Ha. Good catch.

 

Stupid scoreboard is showing at least 2 year old stats.

[UMFan83]

I know this is just a mockup, but I hope they don't waste jumbotron space with the inning-by-inning linescore when the same thing is up on the actual scoreboard. Unless they take the Cubs off the original scoreboard so that they can fit another game on it, since I believe the scoreboard doesn't have enough space for a full slate of games. Edited May 1, 2013 by UMFan83

[jersey cubs fan]

He also needs to fix that pinkeye

[BeerHere]

I love the changes to Wrigley and can't wait for it to be finished. The "move" threat to me seemed to be made out of some level of frustration. It should have been made months/years ago. Did anyone notice that Rosemont Mayor Stevenson was in the audience? Screw the rooftop owners. This needs to move forward now.