Wrigley Field is 90 years older than Petco Park. The Chicago Cubs have done some renovating over the years, but their ballpark has maintained its nostalgic feel. Many fans and players seem to appreciate that. San Diego Padres pitcher Andrew Cashner does not.
The Cubs are seeking to start a major renovation to Wrigley Field in the near future, but legal action from owners of local rooftop apartments has presented a few hurdles. Cashner pulled no punches when comparing Wrigley to Petco Park this week.
“We’re spoiled here,” Cashner said of the Padres’ home ballpark, via Mark Gonzales of The Chicago Tribune. “We have some of the best facilities in baseball. And Wrigley is a dump.”
Cashner, who played for the Cubs in 2010 and 2011, was happy to elaborate.
“It’s bad,” he added. “Here (at Petco), we have one of the nicest weight rooms in all of baseball, a big locker room and things are spaced out. You go about your business and make the most out of what you need to get out of your day.”
Cubs outfielder Ryan Kalish, who used to play for the Boston Red Sox, knew where Cashner was coming from.
“Fenway is historical and old, but it’s more upgraded,” Kalish said. “They obviously have taken steps to make improvements like the one the new plan is showing. I know there’s controversy that goes with it, but it’s awesome for us as players and will be good for the fans. Wrigley is awesome, but it’s outdated for the players.”
Fenway Park has also been described as a “dump” by certain players, so this is nothing new. The bottom line is some MLB players are worse than the Princess and the Pea. It’s not enough to make $10 million a year. They also want nice big lockers and state-of-the-art equipment. Normal people like us (well, I’m not normal) get tired of hearing it.
