MLB Chicago Cubs

Chicago Cubs Needlessly Changing Wrigley Field

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Dennis Wierzbicki - USA TODAY Sports

Dennis Wierzbicki – USA TODAY Sports

The statue of Mr. Cub, Ernie Banks, was recently returned to Wrigley Field following a week in downtown Chicago. Banks, the Chicago Cubs‘ best known player and elder statesman, was known for his famous phrase “let’s play two”. I wonder what he would have thought about the place he played being ripped up and made to look nothing like it used to be.

As you may have guessed, there is a part of me that is against the Wrigley Field renovation work. Having been to Wrigley many times, I can honestly say it is one of the classic ballparks in the major leagues. Yet, owner Tom Ricketts has sold his fans a whopper – let me rebuild this park and the Cubs will win a World Series.

Boy, he better hope it works.

I should add I am not against some of the things being done. Let’s face it, the bathrooms needed repair and the concessions are cramped. And the seats? Well, they’re classic Wrigley seats with not a lot of room. It’s acceptable to do some renovation work.

The hot-button issue for many has been the installation of more signs and a video board. Many people fear the “Jumbotron” will take away from the appeal of the hand-operated scoreboard, the ivy, the bricks and everything else that makes Wrigley Field special.

I get why Ricketts thinks he has to do wholescale renovations. He wants to bring a more updated experience to the new generation of baseball fans, to groom the game for the next generation that comes to Wrigley. But you don’t want to turn the current customers away. There is a chance that some fans may look at the renovations when finished, shake their heads and walk away from Wrigley saying it now looks like any other ballpark in the big leagues.

Some fans have already said that they lament not being able to take their kids to see Wrigley as they experienced it when they went with their fathers. And that is a shame for a sport that prides itself in passing down love between the generations. Most of the supporters of the Wrigley renovation have wanted to stick it to the rooftop owners across the street. They have had a free view of the game for years, and now it’s time to pay – block their views.

It’s a fair assessment, but why make everyone inside the park pay for it? These are the fans who love the grand sweep of the bleachers, the old-fashioned feel of the park.

The Cubs actually have shown signs of waking up. Their farm system is among the best in the major leagues; young talent like Jorge Soler, Kris Bryant, Addison Russell, Anthony Rizzo and others may yet bring the Cubs years of success in the playoffs.

The question no one wants to ask is, what if it doesn’t happen?

What if this is all a pipe dream? What happens five years from now if the Cubs haven’t won? Will the current generation of fans demand the hand-operated board be torn down? Will the ivy be ripped out? Where does it stop?

Take a step back and think about it. This renovation will produce a different Wrigley Field. If the Cubs win in the postseason, then everyone will breathe easy.

If the team doesn’t win a World Series, the renovation may go the way of the Billy Goat and Steve Bartman.

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