In semi-related news, Busch and the St. Louis Cardinals revealed today that they signed a 20-year agreement for naming rights to the Cardinals’ new ballpark, opening in 2006, and that it would remain Busch Stadium. The Cardinals announcer said that this is the first time that three different ballparks had had the same sponsor and name. Busch has been a Cardinals sponsor since they bought the team in the mid-1950s.
I believe that Wrigly Field was named after William Wrigley, not the company. I could be mistaken.
You’re not from Chicago, are you?
One very significant factor is that Mayor Daley hates the Tribune Company - he is just crowing about this scandal, downright gleeful about it. He and his cronies are already plotting to fine the Tribune Company - seems they claim to have made millions of dollars in repairs, but there is no record of purchasing permits to do so. Daley apparently intends to either fine them for not purchasing the permits, or penalize them for not making repairs. He’s hasn’t been this happy since he backhoed Meigs Field in the middle of the night.
Daley’s solution would no doubt be to build another Chrome Bedpan, with the contracts going to his good buddies. It’s the way things work in this town. “Cheaper” has nothing to do with it - Daley and his cronies are thinking profit. He doesn’t give a hoot WHAT the tourists want, or what an icon it is - his attitude is that he knows what’s best, he’ll give it to you, and you’ll damn well like it if you know what’s good for you!
Appeal? He* doesn’t care * about the “bleacher creature” fans. He cares about selling box seats to corporate types and currying favor among the powerful and wealthy. Screw the little guy.
AND he’s a Sox fan.
I say jack up Tiger Stadium, wheel it down to the Detroit River, put it on a barge for Chicago and re-erect it there. Of course it’s impossible, but so is the idea of replacing Wrigley.
I watched Comiskey go down and be replaced, not a real big deal. The old place did have some fond memories and a good deal of history embedded in it though. They lobbied to rename the new place to Bill Veeck Park, but there was strict opposition, it was to remain Comiskey Park. What’s it called now? US Cellular Field?
Then I watched the Stadium go down. There was a bit more emotion for me on that one. I spent many a night in the 2nd-bal screaming my lungs out at some North Star goon on the ice. I saw better fights in the stands in that place than I have on the big screen. Ahhh, the good old days. I snuck up to the job site and took a brick from the rubble. The new Stadium reminds me of a hospital, too many lights and terrazzo floors.
If Wrigley goes, I don’t know what I will do. I know it will be harder to take than the demise of Comiskey and the Stadium combined.
If you replaced Wrigley Field with a beautiful new stadium that honors the old with ivy-covered walls, people would bitch for a year and then quietly admit the new stadium was a lot better. That’s human nature.
It would be quite simple to construct a new park with modern amenities but include the architectural charms of the original.
Northsider (now in exile) here.
A) While, yes, it was named ‘Wrigley’ in honor of the owner it is clear ot me that advertising had something to do with the original thought.
B) The place is showing age.
C) A bigger place could lead to more revenue, all star games, more money for players, etc
and one overwhelming issue:
D) It is clear from the record that smaller, more hitter-friendly parks actively work against the team winning. Wrigley, Fenway, Coors Field, Tiger, etc…the more you make your pitchers work the more difficult it is to win consistently. Also, there’s some evidence that hitters who have their home field in hitters parks develop (bad) habits that hurt them on the road. That is, it is easily for a hitter whose home field in pitcher or neutral to adjust to a hitters park on the road than the reverse.
And many of the recent parks have been quirky and have personality. Minute Maid, Pac Bell, Comerica, Camden. All of them look to be good places to go and see a game. AND they have all the cool gadgets and gizmos that make new parks so much more friendly to fans. No reason another one couldn’t be built.
And remember! The Cubs originally played on the West Side! Wrigley was built for the Federal League team in Chicago and when that league folded the Cubs moved into it as a ‘more modern’ facility.
I like the idea of building the ‘Chicago Sports Museum’ there. Lotsa good stuff could go in there.
I’ve lived in Chicago all my life. If you want to post a rant assailing Daley, knock yourself out - but I never mentioned him in this thread. So, if you want to lecture people on Daley’s cronyism, that’s fine - but don’t quote me as if I’m deserving of your condenscension when I never even mentioned the guy.
That’s technically true, but for the Cardinal Nation, the first Busch Stadium will always be Sportsman’s Park (which I wished the new stadium would be named.)
As a slight hijack, have you seen the virtual tours of the future Busch? It’s ok, but I really don’t like the trend away from building a lot of outfield seats. There’s just nothing there.
Yeah, I was just looking at those last night. Pretty amazing, you can see the view from ANY section and all the corporate boxes.
I think the rationale for leaving the outfield relatively empty was twofold:
A) Downtown St. Louis is (supposed to be) being revitalized. People walking and driving along the new Clark Street will be able to see right into the stadium and onto the field. Cool feature, promotes community interest, etc.
B) They specifically wanted to highlight the Arch and if there were tall seats/scoreboards in the outfield, you wouldn’t be able to see it well (it would be like the current Busch).
That said, I don’t really enjoy outfield seats. They’re ok, but I’d much rather sit near the infield.
(Link to page containing link to virtual seat views, it’s pretty cool)
I hope they tear down Wrigley and build a huge new stadium with a dome… yes maybe a retractable dome like in Milwaukee…
And I hope it’s re-named with a corporate name… like AT&T Wireless stadium or Cingular something… to compete with US Cellular on the South Side…
Yes, I hate ‘old-style’ stadiums.
Maybe you didn’t mention his name… but others did.
And that, by the way, was NOT a rant - if you want to see one of those go down to the Pit. There’s quite a difference.
I really do think that Daley is going to milk this for all it’s worth, his vindictive side will come out again, and Wrigley will be replaced - one way or another - with another corporate-style stadium that will run over budget, cooincidentally have Daley buddies involved in the construction, and will be so expensive to attend as to shut out the “little people”.
And forget rooftop views and people waiting to catch homerun balls on Waveland Avenue.
Did Daley kill your puppy or something?
Yesterday, a reporter asked Daley if he though Wrigley should be replaced. Daley responded that he had no intention of committing “political suicide.”
Not my puppy, no, but I have zero respect or good feelings for him.
If he wants to stay in office he might try cleaning up his administration.
However, I do find it vaguely reassuring that there is at least one Chicago landmark he’d consider not leaving his mark on.