A plan to renovate Wrigley Field and add more signage has drawn pointed opposition from influential Ald. Tom Tunney, who says the interests of surrounding rooftop bleacher owners must be protected. In an interview with the Chicago Sun-Times, Tunney wasn’t particularly subtle in slamming Chicago Cubs ownership in favor of rooftop-bleacher owners, who have hosted […]
Tag Archives | wrigley field
Cubs funding request: $500M in Wrigley Field improvements
A total of $500 million would be spent on Wrigley Field improvements if public funding comes through: $300M for the ballpark itself, $200M for a new triangle building next door. Crain’s Chicago Business is reporting some of the details of the plan. Public funding isn’t part of the so-called triangle building next door to Wrigley, […]
Best beer values in baseball: Angels, Indians, D-Backs
The best places to catch a relatively cheap beer buzz in Major League Baseball? Anaheim, Cleveland and Phoenix, where ballpark beers can be found for less than $5. That’s the result of a study from the SaveOnBrew.com website, which looked at beer prices in MLB ballparks across America. At Angel Stadium, Progressive Field and Chase Field […]
Wrigleyville bomber sentenced
A would-be terrorist targeting fans at a Chicago Cubs game at Wrigley Field with a bomb placed in a trash can has pleaded guilty to charges and will be spending at least 20 years in prison. Sami Samir Hassoun, 24, pleaded guilty in federal court “to attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction and trying […]
The Week That Was: April 22
Historic ballparks, new-ballpark issues in Wilmington, and Earth Day programs at Major League Baseball ballparks made news this week, as we review the most popular stories on Ballpark Digest, as measured in page views. Emanuel plan for Wrigley renovation: set aside landmark status MLB teams plan Earth Day activities Illinois baseball: Changes for 2012 O’Malleys […]
Emanuel plan for Wrigley renovation: set aside landmark status
The Rahm Emanuel plan for Wrigley Field renovations calls for the historic ballpark’s landmark status to be relaxed, allowing the Chicago Cubs to erect massive scoreboards and other signage in the Friendly Confines. The plan from the Chicago mayor and the Cubs ownership also calls for streets around the ballpark to be closed on popular […]
Illinois guv: no public money for Wrigley Field renovations
Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn laid down the law today: no way the state contributes to an effort to spend public money on a renovation of the privately owned Wrigley Field. “Our state has severe fiscal challenges so the very idea of the state of Illinois spending millions and millions of dollars on Wrigley Field, I […]
City, Cubs finalizing terms of Wrigley Field renovations
In a surprising assertion, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel says his city is close to a deal with the Chicago Cubs to help fund renovations to Wrigley Field. Cubs owner Tom Ricketts has repeatedly called for city or state help in renovating the Chicago landmark, which will be 100 years old in 2014. He’s pitched a […]
Ricketts: Time to talk Wrigley Field public funding again
If it’s spring, it’s time for Tom Ricketts to once again call for public funding of renovations to Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs. It’s been a constant theme for Ricketts since buying the Cubs and the historic ballpark: that Wrigley Field needs work, and the public should pick up at least $200 million […]
Summer ballpark concerts: Roger Waters, Madonna, The Boss
It’s shaping up to be an active summer on the ballpark concert front, with Roger Waters, Madonna, Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw slated to play at MLB facilities — with rumors of Bruce Springsteen gigs as well. The most extensive ballpark tour this summer will be undertaken by Roger Waters, who is staging Pink Floyd’s […]
Cubs adding group patio to Wrigley Field
There will be very few bleacher bums in a new right-field Wrigley Field patio in 2012, as the Chicago Cubs emulate nearby roof seating with a new group area that adds signage and capacity. The new Budweiser Patio combines group seating with LED signage, complete with the capability to display pertinent game information such as […]
Twins to pitch for 2014 All-Star Game
The Minnesota Twins plan on pitching for the 2014 All-Star Game and will spend more than a million dollars on improvements to Target Field this offseason. The improvements will mostly be on the unglamorous side — improved WiFi, new carpeting, more photos and team displays — but they will include a new broze statue of […]
Want to buy a chunk of Wrigley Field? Dream on
The Chicago Tribune’s Phil Rosenthal says one way to raise funds for a Wrigley Field renovation is selling shares to the public. There are two huge reasons why this will never happen: Major League Baseball would never allow it and the public doesn’t have $200 million sitting around to benefit the Tom Ricketts family. In […]