The silliness over the economics of Wrigley Field reached a new low with Rosemont Mayor Brad Stephens offering Chicago Cubs ownership 25 acres free of charge for a Friendly Confines replacement. The land, located at Balmoral and the Tri-State Tollway, is actually a pretty attractive site for a developer: it’s next to busy stretches of […]
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Royals bring back Buck’s Seat for 2013
This is one of the better promotions in Major League Baseball: the Kansas City Royals are continuing the Buck O’Neil Legacy Seat program in 2013, in conjunction with Fox Sports Kansas City. Buck O’Neil was one of the pioneers of baseball, making the transition from the Negro Leagues to the majors, becoming the first African-American […]
White elephant on Cubs ledgers? Debt service, not Wrigley Field imperfections
ESPN’s Rick Reilly proves why sportswriters should never write about business, penning an utterly insane argument on why Wrigley Field prevents the Chicago Cubs from winning a World Series. You can read Reilly’s screed here. Reilly’s basic argument is that the Cubs’ payroll could be increased by $73 million a year if the team could […]
Cubs asking whether Wrigley Field should be more kid-friendly
We’re a little skeptical: the Chicago Cubs are debating whether to change operations at Wrigley Field to make the proceedings more kid-friendly, including the possible introduction of a mascot. Now, one of the great things about Wrigley Field is that it is an unabashedly adult experience: yeah, a true baseball fan under the age of […]
Oakland, Mesa reach final agreement on HoHoKam Park move
It’s close to official: the city of Mesa and the Oakland A’s have reached agreement on a lease for HoHoKam Park beginning in 2015, subject to approval from the City Council on Monday. The deal calls for at least $20 million in renovations for the current spring home of the Chicago Cubs, slated to move […]
More football slated for Wrigley Field
Football is returning to Wrigley Field, as the Chicago Cubs and Northwestern University are expected to announce the scheduling of future games as well as an expansion of a business relationship between the pair. Renovations to Wrigley Field over the next few years are expected to allow for some field reconfigurations, which would give the […]
Chicago mayor: We can work with Cubs on Wrigley Field renovations
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who cut off communications with the Ricketts family as part of a political spat, says the city can work with the Chicago Cubs on a Wrigley Field renovation plan as presented. Over the last two weeks the Cubs have made various announcements on their proposed plan for Wrigley Field renovations, including […]
Capitales to honor two institutions in 2013
The Quebec Capitales (independent; Can-Am League) will mark two anniversaries in 2013: the team’s 15th anniversary and the 75th anniversary of Municipal Stadium. The Capitales were a founding member of what would become the independent Can-Am League, taking up residence at one of baseball’s grand facilities: Stade Municipal, or Municipal Stadium, opened in 1938 and […]
Cubs unveil more details on Wrigley Field renos
As we reported two weeks ago, the Chicago Cubs are in the midst of planning an extensive overhaul to Wrigley Field and the surrounding area, releasing conceptual drawings at this weekend’s fan festival. The Ricketts ownership is proposing a $300-million renovation of the historic ballpark, which opened in 1914, as part of a larger plan […]
Cubs exploring hotel, courtyard as part of Wrigley Field upgrades
The Chicago Cubs are making another run at public support for Wrigley Field upgrades, and as part of the deal are talking a new hotel next to the historic ballpark as well as other area improvements. The team’s manager of community outreach, grants and donations, Jennifer Dedes Nowak, made a presentation to a neighborhood association that […]
How much are Wrigley Field naming rights worth?
Let’s say Tom Ricketts and family decide to complete depart from Chicago Cubs history and seek a naming-rights deal for Wrigley Field. How much are naming rights worth? The answer: $15-20 million a year, according our old college classmate David Kaplan at CSNChicago. That sounds about right: the Cubs are a national team with a […]
ASU, Phoenix sit down to discuss Muni lease
With a partnership with the Chicago Cubs on a facility dead, Arizona State University is turning to Phoenix Municipal Stadium as the future home of the Sun Devils baseball program. ASU was slated to share a new Mesa spring-training facility with the Cubs, but negotiations over who pays what quickly turned sour, with Sun Devils […]
Arizona State walks away from Cubs, will explore Phoenix Muni lease
Arizona State University athletic-department officials say they’re done negotiating with the Chicago Cubs to share the team’s new Mesa spring-training complex and will instead look to other potential homes for the Sun Devils baseball team. The following statement was issued late yesterday: “After many months of negotiation, ASU regrets that the effort to have the […]