.22Building a New Tradition in the Friendly Confines.22 .281981.E2.80.93present.29 History of Wrigley Field

1 building new tradition in friendly confines (1981–present)

1.1 night baseball (1988)
1.2 bleacher expansion , renovation (2005–2006)
1.3 giving wrigley new field (2007–2008)
1.4 remain wrigley field? (2007–2008)
1.5 sale of cubs (2009)
1.6 daktronics video screens , bleacher reconstruction (2014–2017)

building new tradition in friendly confines (1981–present)
night baseball (1988)

wrigleyville under lights during game 6 of 2003 nlcs

the cubs had been run hobby wrigleys, tribune company interested in cubs strictly business. new owners started talking lights , began stirring debate on matter. 1 of p. k. wrigley s stated reasons not installing lights upset neighborhood, , initial negative reaction tribune company s intentions validated p. k. s prediction.

resistance installation of lights not limited lived nearby , opposed lights on practical grounds of bothersome brightness or noise , crowds night games. many cubs fans lived outside wrigleyville opposed idea due fact cubs stance last team resist night baseball point of pride, seen vestige of baseball s heritage pastoral game, played in natural sunlight. cubs fans had fond associations gabby hartnett s famous homer in gloaming, in hartnett hit crucial home run in bottom of ninth of game on verge of being called darkness, helping cubs win 1938 pennant.

the city of chicago had passed ordinance banning night events @ wrigley field, due presence in residential lakeview neighborhood, tribune unable install lights unless ordinance repealed. compromised scheduling significant number of 3:00 starts, typically carried games evening did not require lights games completed within 3 hours or so.

this debate continued several years, , became more intense cubs returned competitiveness during 1980s. when cubs won national league eastern division title in 1984, then-commissioner bowie kuhn announced cubs lose home field advantage should advance world series (home field advantage alternated between champions of national league , american league until 2003), since time world series games played @ night in eastern , central time zones. after winning 2 scheduled home (day) games in national league championship series, cubs lost 3 games in san diego, kuhn s threat became moot. following year, new commissioner peter ueberroth announced because wrigley field had no lights, cubs have play future postseason games @ ballpark, comiskey park, soldier field, or possibly st. louis busch stadium, or milwaukee county stadium. cubs fell out of contention next several years, however, , possibility of playing post-season home games in other cities did not arise.

the cubs, under team president dallas green, changed issue lights or no lights wrigley field or move out of town. typical bluntness, green said, if there no lights in wrigley field, there no wrigley field. green considered shuttering wrigley , playing @ comiskey park tenants of white sox year, in hopes neighborhood feel loss of revenue , down. cubs explored moving several suburban locations, including site adjacent arlington park in arlington heights , in schaumburg. there talk of drastic move involved selling stadium local college depaul university, tear down wrigley field host indoor sports or convert full-time football stadium in hopes of returning football campus. cubs build new ballpark near rosemont horizon (now allstate arena, depaul plays home games currently) in suburban rosemont.

the cubs new stance changed context of debate, adamant opponents of adding lights didn t want see cubs leave suburbs. interestingly, schaumburg officials convinced cubs coming land purchased investors hoping build new ballpark off elgin-o hare expressway west of i-355. when cubs , city of chicago came agreement keep team on north side, site spawned ballpark anyway, field dimensions , shape identical wrigley field, mimicking wells along outfield wall, , dogleg in visitor s dugout along first base line. stadium, alexian field, home (non-affiliated) minor league schaumburg boomers.

in fall of 1987, chicago mayor harold washington proposed compromise ordinance chicago city council allowed cubs install lights, limited number of night games. washington died week after compromise proposed, city approved compromise in february 1988 under interim mayor eugene sawyer. major league baseball responded awarding cubs 1990 all-star game.

lights, bleacher expansion, , exterior ivy

the first major league night game @ wrigley attempted on august 8 against philadelphia phillies, rained out after 3½ innings. during rain delay, several cubs players, imitating scene in recent film hit, bull durham, played slip-and-slide on tarp. 1 source says group included greg maddux, al nipper, les lancaster , jody davis. manager don zimmer not amused, , fined $500 apiece.

the first official night game played following night, august 9 against new york mets (in front of nationally televised audience watching vin scully , joe garagiola call game on nbc), ending streak of 5,687 consecutive home day games. however, not first night game of kind @ wrigley, in 1940s, aagpbl night games played in wrigley field using temporary lighting structures; specifically, all-star game held in july 1943, first night baseball game there, according lowry book , movie league of own.

starting first full season lights, in 1989, part of compromise city, cubs limited 18 night games within 81-game regular season schedule, plus post-season games might have played @ night tv scheduling reasons. timing of lights installation proved fortuitous, cubs reached post-season in 1989. first 2 post-season night games first 2 games of nlcs, on october 4 , 5. lost first game against san francisco giants 11-3, , won second game 9-5.

the cubs post-season appearances since 1988 (as one-game regular-season playoff san francisco in 1998) have featured night games, exceptions (as of 2007) being fourth game of 2003 nlds matchup atlanta braves , third game of 2007 nlds against arizona diamondbacks, both of saturday afternoon contests.

in recent years, cubs have lobbied additional regular-season night games (up potential 30 per year, of 2007). however, per agreement city, still play of games during day. due limited night schedule, night games @ wrigley field considered event , sold out in advance. observers compare atmosphere of wrigley field night game of rush , division streets, longtime epicenter of chicago s nightclub scene.

wrigley field has continuously evolved on 90-plus seasons. there relatively little left of original visible casual viewer. 1 of more obvious originals brick portions of outer bleacher wall, visible in of wrigley field photo. cubs bleacher expansion resulted in removal of bricks, later sold public individually @ garage sale @ start of 2006 season.

bleacher expansion , renovation (2005–2006)










chris young in bullpen located in playable foul territory, remodeled center field area in background.

after lengthy debate, reconstruction , expansion of bleachers (by 1,900 seats) began after close of 2005 season, although opposed chicago mayor richard daley. first part of process remove outer brick wall, 1 of last vestiges of 1914 structure. additionally, of 1937 construction behind inner ivy-covered wall removed (except steel supports , center field upper tier) , former sidewalk excavated. work progressed throughout winter, aided relatively mild midwestern january.

the original concept called bleachers extend out on sidewalks, supported open steel columns in cantilevered design, connecting new steel existing steel supported old bleachers. plan altered when feared area become impromptu homeless shelter. vertical part of supporting structure new bleachers encased in wall constructed of new bricks, in style reminiscent of original wall, , sidewalk (repaved in brick) became few feet narrower. part hanging on sidewalk flat walkway behind bleachers. upper part of formerly vacant center field area occupied large luxury suite, fronted darkened, slanted windows not interfere batters sight lines, , lower part juniper plants had been temporarily removed. notable change configuration replace solid door in right field corner chain-link fence gate, passers-by can see part of ballfield (an idea borrowed at&t park).

various internet sites displayed photos tracking progress of construction. results support management had stated, changes not depart radically previous structure.

on march 30, 2006, cubs announced bleachers renamed bud light bleachers. sign effect posted on bleacher entryway contrasts previous look. cubs management announced plant ivy on rebuilt exterior walls, in soil trough provided part of construction. conventional boston ivy planted on east-facing sheffield wall, gets fair amount of sunlight during morning hours. north-facing wall along waveland, receives little direct sunlight in summer , none in winter, have evergreen variety, english ivy, thrives in shade.

the bleacher expansion project designed hok architecture, of kansas city missouri osborn engineering of cleveland, ohio serving engineer.

on january 4, 2008 cubs got permission add 80 new seats ballpark. cubs got permission add new signs. wrigley field hold 41,198 people after adding seats.

giving wrigley new field (2007–2008)

the turf replacement in progress through wrigley s right field fan window.



after view of turf replacement.

at end of cubs 2007 season, 2 different efforts undertaken upgrade playing field @ old ballpark. few years earlier, sports illustrated poll found players considered wrigley s playing field 1 of poorest in major leagues. renovations should go long way toward fixing situation.

first, reported on cubs official website , reported , pictured in november issue of chicago cubs vine line, cubs official fan magazine (p. 4), outfield , portions of infield replaced turf purchased oswego, illinois, firm. accomplished in 13 days between last home regular season game , first (and last, turned out) post-season game year. project supervised roger bossard, head groundskeeper chicago white sox.

then, following post-season, reported on cubs website , reported , pictured in december issue of vine line , more ambitious project began, install state-of-the-art drainage system. entire playing surface @ wrigley removed, required digging down 14 28 inches. underlying base material replaced system of 6,000 feet of piping buried in special clay. drainage system capable of holding 60,000 gallons of water installed, on top of new playing surface of colorado-grown sod unrolled. renovation, replacing system installed in 1935, makes wrigley last major league field move away crown-based water management system. infield had been @ raised elevation relative shallow part of outfield , far edge of foul ground around infield, hence gutters in front of box seat railings.

as of 2008, infield sits lower did, 14 inches, eliminating slight downhill slope runners had contend upon rounding third base, , allowing managers in dugouts see opposite-field outfielder in full, not top half . system allows shorter rain delays, while controlling flow of water toward storm sewers. ballpark sits on block has noticeable downhill slope northwest corner southeast corner. left field (northwest) corner of playing field several feet below street level. natural drainage direction toward right field (southeast) corner, , new system directs water through outlet under right field corner.

as part of excavation, crew found , removed foundations of goal posts bears playing days. crew reported left time capsule buried somewhere under new turf. lowering infield 14 inches raises outfield barrier 14 inches, standpoint of batter. remains seen whether factor have effect on home run production.

will remain wrigley field? (2007–2008)

tribune owner sam zell announced consider selling naming rights wrigley field in order reduce tribune company s $13 billion debt. based on recent sponsorship deals @ time, estimated naming rights park worth @ least $10 million per year. many chicago baseball fans though park historic have name changed , experts projected naming rights have commanded lower cost in comparison newer parks because of anticipated fan backlash, zell stated in interview crain s chicago business:

even if name of stadium had changed, famous wrigley field marquee have stayed same. marquee protected chicago city council, , declared local landmark.

sale of cubs (2009)

with tribune s sale of cubs (and wrigley field) thomas s. ricketts in 2009, further improvements park developed, including construction of long-discussed triangle building west of park @ intersection of clark street , waveland avenue, house of team s offices retail concourse , weight room players. ricketts has stated, don t have naming-rights discussions going on @ all. think wrigley name going go with.

daktronics video screens , bleacher reconstruction (2014–2017)

in october 2014 demolition began on 3-year renovation project under ownership of ricketts. bleacher expansion, pair of daktronics video boards in left , right field, respectively, , 5 outfield signs slated debut opening day 2015, hampered winter weather, , construction extended 2015 season. construction crews laid foundation 30,000-square-foot underground clubhouse, opened in time 2016 season. other major changes, such installing new gate on west side of ballpark, relocating bullpens along foul-lines underneath bleachers, , building new visitor s clubhouse, in works completion 2017. additional significant renovations planned include: bunker suites — suites have no view of field, instead lead seating areas — beneath concourse down third-base line; restoration of groundskeeper s house (which 1923 1957 home of stadium groundskeeper) along waveland avenue; of ramps upper deck replaced stairs; new elevators comply americans disabilities act regulations; , additional signage on grandstand facade, include ribbon-style board.

construction of video screens controversial , met resistance fans oppose putting video screens @ wrigley in deference tradition , strenuously opposed rooftop owners association, owners of 15 rooftop clubs overlooking wrigley have contract cubs runs through 2023 requiring them pay team 17 percent of gross annual revenue. association said new signs cut down view of ballpark , “would absolutely violate our 20-year contract, violate spirit of wrigley’s long-standing landmark status.” owners of rooftop clubs sued city in august 2014, seeking block expansion. however, many of association owners have sold properties ricketts family, paving way completion of bleacher project.

news report voice of america ticket prices @ 2016 world series, first world series game @ wrigley field in 71 years.