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J.R.

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  1. J.R.
    Harry was a human being. He had his flaws, certainly - the reason he wasn't a Cardinal for life was that he burned his bridges in the organization and capped his run by having an affair with the owner's daughter-in-law. That's why he was effectively blackballed and could only find work with mavericks like Charlie O. and Veeck, years before he was rehabbed as the lovable Cubbie sage. Cardinals insiders from back in the day would not have been at all shocked to read accounts of him as a two-faced master manipulator, unlike Cub fans who only knew the new persona. However, we also know that he had an extremely difficult childhood. That he fought demons of excess and anguish all his life. That he actually was very insecure. I have read many accounts of and personally witnessed him going out of his way to talk to strangers, to sign autographs, to make a fan's day. He was a flawed human being who brought joy to millions - and me in particular.
  2. J.R.
    http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2004-01-12/news/0401120220_1_rooftop-buildings-cubs-deal-cost-owners That's the Tribune's report on the January 2004 agreement.
  3. J.R.
    He really shouldn't have remained in the lead role after the second stroke in 1994. Of course, by all accounts he was so protective of his spot that he would have walked away before ceding his position.
  4. J.R.
    The mayor wants this to happen. Every other Wrigleyville business besides the rooftops wants this to happen. It stands to reason that a plurality of Lakeview residents want this to happen. The Cubs will get 80% of their demands, Tunney will be able to declare victory and we'll all move on.
  5. J.R.
    http://lakeview.patch.com/articles/tunney-talks-wrigley-field-lists-his-demands Seriously, [expletive] that [expletive] guy and that [expletive] neighborhood with regard to the night game limits. Tunney is a hack, but the family can't expect to just issue demands and walk away from the negotiations. In the neighborhood's defense - the Cubs (under Tribune control) agreed to build the Triangle Building and a signalized intersection at Clark/Waveland in exchange for the extra night games ... neither have materialized. Sheffield is a residential street and the residents' rights do count for something. Fans do trash the neighborhood after night games, so the extra police presence would be welcomed. An upgraded Sheridan stop could conceivably take pressure off the Addison station. The impacts of 40,000+ streaming into Lakeview stretch beyond Clark, Addison, Waveland and Sheffield, beyond the glow of the light standards. Much as I want Tunney to back down, I would argue that he does have legitimate interests to protect.
  6. J.R.
    i was at the 11-10 game. i had 11th row seats behind the reds dugout, but a friend of mine bought 12 seats in section 140. i gave the two tickets i had to my parents. my dad said that was the most enjoyable cubs gave he's been to during his 60 years of going to wrigley. put a smile on my face. Chip's call from that finish was my voicemail greeting for weeks after. It was especially sweet given that I am surrounded by Cincinnati fans. Of course, they would play a huge role in the collapse a few months later. I will always be fond of the 1995 team. They played terrifically for the first month or so, flatlined from Memorial Day to Labor Day then went on a long winning streak to finish in the playoff conversation at the season's last weekend. It was absolute bliss in comparison to the disastrous 1994 MLB season.
  7. J.R.
    It just seems wrong to throw up new walls in the fans' faces while prices creep ever higher. Contrary to popular belief, there are people out there who pay to see the game. Having said all that, I don't think anyone will cancel their tickets over this.
  8. J.R.
    That's not terribly creative. The static boards won't bring in near the revenue that the current LED board provides - and the current setup, while ugly, only obstructs a few benches under the scoreboard. Ridiculous statement. Bleacher tickets are terribly overpriced as it is without inventing further impediments to the view. Unless they are going to discount the whole upper tier (a la the Denver Rockpile) this is nothing less than an affront to the paying customer.
  9. J.R.
    http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20130121/SPT04/301140041/Baseball-sources-All-Star-Game-coming-Cincinnati?nclick_check=1 Cincinnati will be handed the 2015 All-Star Game. The Mets get it this year, and the Nationals are expected to host in 2017. So the renovations should be long finished when Wrigley's next shot comes in 2019.
  10. J.R.
    http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20130121/BLOGS02/130129990/ricketts-moves-rahm-on-wrigley-but-not-rooftops#ixzz2Ie2t5m5n Actually, your facilities are humongous eyesores. Neighborhood blight built up to take advantage of a parasitic relationship. I really like the idea of a modern Wrigley remaining under team ownership with more subtle signage (I have gotten used to the Toyota board) and the slow return of the buildings across the street to the status of quaint residences.
  11. J.R.
    I really don't see the point of the new signage that would run the length of the upper bleacher sections. http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y225/southfork76/1357590239064943_zpsfd131de6.jpg Using the obstruction introduced by the current camera box as a guide - if something of that height were built as indicated by the renderings, the view of the warning track and significant portions of the CF grass would be obstructed from every vantage point in the upper bleachers.
  12. J.R.
    I agree that certain aspects of the ordinance are a competitive hindrance and need to be done away with, such as the Friday ban. It's been a while since I've actively traded tickets, but I recall that tickets for Friday and Saturday afternoon games were always an easier sale than the Sunday night starts. Regardless of general demand from day-to-day, there is no denying that more kids are exposed to the ballpark through day games. These are the people who will buy tickets and beers in the future. NBA or NHL games that start at 8 p.m. do not conclude close to or past Midnight. The finish is the killer, not the start.
  13. J.R.
    I am obviously biased by my own experiences. In addition, I have long felt that MLB is crippling itself by playing most all of its games of consequence (and a most of its games of no consequence) at hours that young fans (and plenty of early risers) will never see conclude. However, there is no bias in the observation that the Wrigley crowd is more of a family crowd in the daytime. I would argue that the Cubs are "special" with regard to day baseball if for no other reason than that they have been very successful at the gate under these restrictions. It is built into the fandom DNA - I cannot fathom other teams being nearly as well received with such a heavy daytime start mix.
  14. J.R.
    I agree to a certain extent - it is ridiculous that the Cubs cannot schedule a Friday night game to allow some rest after flying in from the road on a Friday morning. However, complete dismantling of the night games ordinance would inevitably result in day games becoming strictly a Sunday and getaway day phenomenon - TV money would see to that - and I think that would be a shame. Previous discussions were limited to merely loosening the restrictions. There's no reason for the Cubs to play more day games than other MLB teams, imo. They'll still play plenty of day baseball on the weekends. Day baseball during the week means little to me. In fact, I rather prefer night baseball during the week. I have a couple of reasons - day games are better for families, and more kids are exposed to the game both in person and on television when the games are played during their waking hours. Day baseball during the week is the reason I became a fan in the first place, and I'd wager it is the same for many here who have watched since youth. Not because of old-timey romanticism, but simply because I could see the games. I'll add that frigid early spring Wrigley is less so in the daytime.
  15. J.R.
    More ... http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y225/southfork76/17_PROPOSED_RESTORED_FACADE_gallery_post_zps62dc0f94.jpg http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y225/southfork76/20_PROPOSED_FAN_CROSS_SECTION_gallery_post_zps4169b5e4.jpg http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y225/southfork76/13_PROPOSED_CLUB_PATIO_LOUNGE_SEATS_gallery_post_zpsf19bb691.jpg This represents a complete reconfiguration of the concessions, press facilities and seating behind home plate in the upper deck. Sections 419-422 would become premium club seating and the concessions below press level would be closed in favor of a club lounge. http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y225/southfork76/9_PROPOSED_CENTER_FIELD_gallery_post_zps15d2c277.jpg http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y225/southfork76/10_PROPOSED_CENTER_FIELD_CLOSEUP_gallery_post_zpsd2fb0688.jpg I really like the changes to the CF bleachers. The removal of the LED board would really open things up, but I do question the apparent loss of many good seats along the current front rows in favor of static ad boards.
  16. J.R.
    Sounds like all of the above. I think they have been very astute with this latest move - these plans represent their wildest dreams, which aren't all that wild from a landmark perspective given that they won't drastically change the character of the park, and the demand for more night games will play leagues better in the Lakeview of 2013 versus the Lakeview of 1988. The offer to pay their own way also plays very well politically.
  17. J.R.
    There are also too many pairs of cargo shorts. More reading: http://espn.go.com/chicago/mlb/story/_/id/8859965/chicago-cubs-owner-wants-restrictions-eased-improve-wrigley-field http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago/cubs/post/_/id/14539/cubs-announce-proposed-wrigley-field-renovations
  18. J.R.
    The rest: http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y225/southfork76/3fba6492fd4db8f79b29c8545224f245_zps4cc42b72.jpg http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y225/southfork76/e32ba44412ee0c029acb2b87331c9235_zps7c2eec2f.jpg http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y225/southfork76/62ee62053ac20394bf9264979f124efa_zps52fcdc47.jpg http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y225/southfork76/dcdb467fff55e400737c10c58f16d441_zps05ba4750.jpg http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y225/southfork76/b6917ce4e42a1984c8f00fbe331f9161_zps09289962.jpg http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y225/southfork76/c3f251bc3c62d39a3d13b5bbbe7f14c1_zps329c8720.jpg http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y225/southfork76/7beb41b2decc6b79f59f1b6599a9f937_zpsae57bcf4.jpg http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y225/southfork76/74ffca3026c790e29de56eab7659da18_zpseffde557.jpg http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y225/southfork76/4c46f183d6c7eeece9a8cb032e3db0b6_zps06524b05.jpg http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y225/southfork76/b8544dc8bba6e8d19e20d5c64f5e50e_zpsadc901ac.jpg http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y225/southfork76/bf0ef5ad26a1ea7e6a8c91dd68e6394c_zps7054dfa2.jpg http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y225/southfork76/8c781b0e9ac9db6b7ddae136a4b5101d_zpsaa49f190.jpg http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y225/southfork76/e4c279d6924797bcb5475f17da086bdf_zpse0911258.jpg
  19. J.R.
    Here's where that extra $200 million is going: http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y225/southfork76/285237369_c1a81c052c_zps1df7e552.jpg http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y225/southfork76/81ded5f07fc37e482cadbc567a50e290_zpscc908cf3.jpg The changes will allow public spaces to be located where only support steelwork exists today. So you have not only the cost of establishing the public spaces, but also the expense of reconfiguring the decks so that they continue to stand without the existing support steelwork. I'm blown away by the Ricketts' willingness to spend so much on the current configuration. That upper deck is an absolute jewel because of the proximity it allows, and I was convinced that it would be lost in these renovations. The family owns a great ballpark, and they apparently "get it."
  20. J.R.
    Most interesting to me is what the illustrations omit - the facilities planned for the "triangle" parcel on the 3B side, which would conceivably be the location of the Cubs' new management offices. Space currently used by management would be occupied by the new restaurant.
  21. J.R.
    I agree to a certain extent - it is ridiculous that the Cubs cannot schedule a Friday night game to allow some rest after flying in from the road on a Friday morning. However, complete dismantling of the night games ordinance would inevitably result in day games becoming strictly a Sunday and getaway day phenomenon - TV money would see to that - and I think that would be a shame. Previous discussions were limited to merely loosening the restrictions.
  22. J.R.
    Looks like they want another party "deck" in the upper CF bleachers. I love the "marquee restaurant" concept. Fighting words?
  23. J.R.
    http://lakeview.patch.com/articles/photos-wrigley-renovation-to-cost-300m-take-5-years#photo-13025832 Clear pics.
  24. J.R.
    Way overdue.
  25. J.R.
    I welcome the addition of an LED board in left - it will be nice to restore relative symmetry to the design. It is surprising that they would start with the lower deck, given the crumbling risers in the upper deck and the fact that demolition upstairs will endanger the levels below. They clearly believe that the team facilities and physical plant on the third base side are in need of more immediate work than the upper levels. Reworking the 3B side would also allow them to be ready for a regulation football grid sooner, but offseason construction might make that moot. I have posted my disgust with the negative aural and visual impacts of a potential jumbo video board so many times that I'm tired of writing about it. A corner-to-corner ribbon board across the upper deck facade would be more useful to fans (since MLB video boards never show replays of consequence,) would be a cash cow and would not disturb the outfield view.
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