Artist depiction of new Wrigley Field bleachers. (Courtesy Chicago Cubs)
Reporting Adam Harris
By Adam Harris-
(CBS) There are many indications of change taking place at Wrigley Field that show Tom Ricketts’s dedication to winning.
The pursuit and signing of now President Theo Epstein was the first and the most significant move that indicates Ricketts wants to change the Cubs organization for the better, even if it disagrees with the vast history and tradition of the club.
Another, and more recent, measurable change is the plan to add a 70-foot LED scoreboard to the right field wall, thus changing the structure of Wrigley Field using the beloved ivy as a launching point.
I love this idea. I love this idea for many reasons.
Not only does this give the fan a more modern way to watch the game while at Wrigley, but it is a statement that the Cubs organization is not afraid to change even the most precious of images it possesses, Wrigley Field’s bleachers resting on the landmarked wall.
The plan raises the bleachers to allow the scoreboard to run below the newly constructed seats. This shows that nothing is untouchable in the Cubs organization.
Major changes still need to be made with how this organization operates though. Remember, the Cubs have not won a World Series in 103 years. Everything is susceptible to change. Even the ballpark.
If I had my way, I would blow up the entire grand stand and construct a modern stadium where the players would have the amenities needed to perform at a high quality, and the fans would have the correct facilities to watch a game comfortably.
It doesn’t look like this is going to happen. Even the proposed plans Ricketts has to change the grandstand will not eliminate it completely, so I am forced to be content with the slight modernization to the right field wall and bleachers.
For right now, that is all I need. The installation of a modern 70-75 foot scoreboard in right field represents a new era in Cubs baseball. If the outfield bleachers aren’t untouchable, nothing is untouchable on the north side.
When Theo Epstein took over baseball operations for the Cubs this off-season, he promised to implement a new way of doing things.
“The way to see the player most accurately, to get the truest picture of the player, is to put both those lenses together [both sabermetric analysis and visual scouting] and look through them simultaneously,” Epstein said at his introductory press conference last October. “You will get a pretty darn accurate depiction of the player.”
Theo is working toward changing the baseball side of things, with the trading of Carlos Zambrano, the signing of lefty Paul Maholm, the signing of outfielder David DeJesus, the trade for Padres first base prospect Anthony Rizzo, and the signing of Reed Johnson.
Now it is Ricketts’ turn to show his commitment to a new “Cub way,” and what better way to show that commitment than to change one of the most sacred and recognizable things in Cubs history: the bleachers.
Cub fans should be excited with this change to the ballpark. Hey, at least now when the person sitting next to you asks, “What did Soriano do last at-bat?” You can answer by simply looking toward Sheffield Avenue.
6 Comments
Adam,
May I suggest you ask they person sitting next to you to ‘watch the game’. Lets go all out and do whatever it takes to bring home the hardware, but don’t forget that the primary goal of a modern scoreboard is to distract the baseball fan from the on-field action. I go to the ballpark to watch baseball and LED boards make that more difficult, not easier.
January 17, 2012 at 3:36 pm
KNOCK DOWN THAT OLD PILE OF CRUMBLING BRICKS, BEFORE THEY HURT SOMEONE. YOU BOUGHT MC DONALDS ACROSS THE STREET, NOW REBUILD THAT STADUIM.
“YOUR ADDING A CD/DVD PLAYER TO A FORD MODEL T”
IT JUST AIN’T RIGHT!
January 17, 2012 at 4:18 pm
I agree that the cubs need to modernize their stadium and I like the proposed idea. the idea would not take away from the the concentration on the on-field action. if you are truly there to watch the game you should not be distracted from the game… a lot of the time you will be at the game wanting to see the replay, but instead you wait for the reaction from the ppl in the stadium suites. or instead as adam stated all you will have to do is look towards right field. this is instead of being distracted from the game for a long period of time by asking ppl around your seat or looking up the answer to whatever question on your phone
January 17, 2012 at 4:29 pm
PUT ONE IN LEFT FIELD TOO…IF IT WAS LEFT UP TO ME…I WOULD RE-DO THE WHOLE BALLPARK…
January 17, 2012 at 4:42 pm
Most of the people who used to go to wrigley did so because of the closness to the game you felt as you watched whatever was happening on the field. Fortunately, for most people, that is not good enough anymore as evidenced by the many no-shows the past two years. The Ball Park needs change, however, as long as the team changes as well, I’m all for it!
January 17, 2012 at 7:50 pm
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January 25, 2012 at 6:44 am