Chicago Cubs Owner Tom Ricketts is through playing nice with the Wrigleyville rooftop owners. He’s going ahead with his Wrigley Field renovation plan. And he doesn’t care what you think about that. Unless you happen to be City Hall. Then he does care about your opinion. Because Ricketts may or may not have the money to do the Wrigley Field renovation by himself. There are reports out there saying he doesn’t.
Anyways, the Cubs keep telling us that this season is “the party of the century” So, ya’ll want this party started right?
Ya’ll want this party started quickly, right?
Here’s Ricketts’ original draft of his message to Cubbie Nation about the Wrigley Field renovation. Not seriously his message, but you already figured that out after you read the first couple paragraphs. But read that letter anyway, it’s the best thing you’ll see online today. And here the author of that piece, CBS Chicago.com’s Tim Baffoe, and I have a frank and productive conversation about these Wrigley Field renovation plans.
Now, as we shift to the serious side. Here’s what Crain’s reporter Danny Ecker tweeted today concerning the Wrigley Field renovation. Lots of artist renderings and inside information:
Rendering of RF bleachers with 3 extra rows of seats and bullpen underneath: pic.twitter.com/GAsaaqKX7A
— Danny Ecker (@DannyEcker) May 27, 2014
Totally new Cubs clubhouse plan. Player lockers, other space will be underneath the triangle plaza area: pic.twitter.com/q24M8OFycl
— Danny Ecker (@DannyEcker) May 27, 2014
Also note new light towers in LF and RF. And no more lights on LF video board: pic.twitter.com/1o8vLIzkSB — Danny Ecker (@DannyEcker) May 27, 2014
Renderings of the new plan for Wrigley’s outfield. 7 signs total including 2 video boards: pic.twitter.com/8Sp7PHt8eq — Danny Ecker (@DannyEcker) May 27, 2014
You’re going to want to read Ecker’s post on all this when it goes live on Crain’s Chicago Business later today. The Cubs now say the Wrigley Field renovation will take four years and cost $575,000,000; up from $500 million, due to the enhanced clubhouse. The Cubs are aiming to break ground on the clubhouse in July and have it ready by the 2016 season. So maybe Theo Epstein really is the smartest man in the room, no matter what room he’s in. Like everybody says he is.
Cubs President Crane Kenney expects a lawsuit from the rooftops, we all do, their statement on Thursday pretty much guarantees it, but Kenney says none of this violates the terms of their agreement.
So now we have actual news to report on the Cubs rebuild. True meaningful news, not silly sideshows and distractions like, well here’s the entire list of the top 7 publicity stunts the Cubs have performed this year, in order to distract you from how bad the team actually is.
Paul M. Banks owns The Sports Bank.net, an affiliate of Fox Sports. He’s also a frequent guest on national talk radio. Banks, a former contributor to NBC Chicago and the Washington Times, has been featured in numerous outlets including NFL.com, Forbes and the History Channel. President Barack Obama follows him on Twitter (@paulmbanks)