As we all know, the Chicago Cubs have brand new owners this year — the Ricketts family. And boy, do they have big ideas for the Cubs and historic Wrigley Field. When I say big, I mean eight 19′ x 14′ photos of current players and manager Lou Piniella hanging outside of the ballpark right next to the classic “Wrigley Field” sign. What are they thinking?
Let’s me start by saying this: that red sign is classic. It’s a baseball icon, and it’s a classic in Chicago and especially for Cubs fans. Putting anything around it just seems disrespectful even if they are pictures of Cubs players. Why on earth did they think this was a good idea? They are practically defacing a 100-year-old building. Part of Wrigley Field’s charm is that it is historic. People who aren’t Cubs fans or who aren’t even interested in baseball go there to soak up some history, not to see obnoxious giant photos surrounding the infamous red welcome sign.
All I can say is that I hope that this is just part of their opening week celebration. If they plan on keeping those giant photos in their current location then we may have a riot on our hands. Chicago is a city that is very passionate about its teams and its architecture. What are they going to do next? Take out the classic scoreboard? Remove the ivy from the walls? If you’re going to mess with Wrigley Field you might as well just knock it down, because this feels like the equivalent of doing so.
Sources:
Wrigley Field renovations [Chicago Tribune]
