Madness! Stupid! Sacrilegious! Just plain DUMB!
This is the thought that people used to have when someone talked about tearing down Wrigley Field. The tides, as it seems, have began to turn. With as much heated debate the Ricketts family has had over renovating Wrigley over the past several years, it seems fans are warming to the idea that the Cubs can play baseball anywhere.
But isn't Wrigley a historical landmark? Yes it is, but there isn't a contract which guarantees that the Cubs play their home games in Wrigley. The fact that Wrigley is a landmark has limited the Cubs, and the Ricketts, ability to make necessary stadium upgrades, repair minor damages, and make changes to generate additional revenue and in today's game of baseball, teams with revenue have an upper hand. Imagine the ability to grow players internally, have the ability to keep and resign the good players, as well as go out and sign the best free agents on the market.
I know the Cubs make a ton of money already, but the Cubs are limited in terms of revenue. They solely rely on ticket revenue to fund team needs. Free Agents - ticket revenue. New pitchers rubber - ticket revenue. New stadium announcer - ticket revenue. 3 more bags of peanuts a game - ticket revenue. All of their needs are from ticket revenue, which the city of Chicago and the local Alderman have handcuffed the Cubs ability to generate more through more seats and other attractions.
Speaking of Alderman Tom Tunney, this is the guy that Mayor, Rahm Emmanuel, refers all Cubs business to, and as the 44th Ward's Alderman possibly rightfully so. The mayor should be able to delegate business to others, that is what they are there for. However in this case it just doesn't work. Tunney time after time refuses or fights the Cubs in most everything they want to do. Add a couple of rows of bleacher seats, NO! Can't do that, it will interfere with the rooftops and their business. Make minor changes internally and, NO! Wrigley is a landmark. However, Tunney reportedly came to Cubs brass recently and told them that he would approve the Cubs plans for the triangle building, hotels, stores, restaurants and bars if the Cubs agreed to tear down the Centerfield scoreboard (a landmark in itself), to generate more business through rooftops. Nothing like dirty business in Chicago politics...
Outside of the rooftops and scoreboards and historical landmarks, Wrigley field is the ONLY reason Wrigleyville exists. Let's say that again, the ONLY REASON WRIGLEYVILLE EXISTS. Sure there would be a neighborhood, perhaps some bars and a couple of fast food joints, but the Cubs and Wrigley Field have created that neighborhood. Why would Rahm, and the Alderman cause issue with one of the cities largest cash cows and builder of so many other businesses in the area? I think they underestimate the real power the Cubs have, and their complete ability to pack up and move to a suburb.
The Cubs has generated millions of dollars for the city of Chicago, in tax revenue, and well as in tourism and additional businesses. The White Sox, the Bears (through the parks department), Bulls and Hawks have all used tax dollars for stadium upgrades or building new stadiums. I understand that the city and state of Illinois is broke, however, the Cubs should have been given some of the same possibilities with tax assistance. Regardless, team owners have said that they will privately fund all of the renovations and expansions the Cubs have planned, yet Tom Tunney has still denied their plans, handcuffing the Cubs with ultimatums and preferring to grow other local business over the sole purpose for those other businesses.
I know that Rahm and other democrats still have some issues with the Ricketts family, but holding them back from being able to grow and compete will eventually bite them. Here it is pure and simple. The Cubs are spending more now than ever before in international scouting, scouting here at home, spending more than ever in their minor leagues, creating a winning culture and a culture for growth and improvement from the lowest levels to the highest levels. They have been creating in-depth personal improvement plans for every player in the organization, and training programs which will assist them in that growth. Their minor league system has improved incredibly, and have legitimate players in most positions which could be Major League ready in a couple of years. If the team also has additional revenue from the hotels, shops, tickets, and other upgrades they have planned they will also be able to go out and outbid any team out there for free agents when the need presents itself.
I am a huge Cubs fan, and I could not imagine the team playing anywhere else, but you could not ignore the opportunities that would exist if the Cubs did in fact move. In fact I would be heartbroken if the Cubs moved from Wrigley, but that would end if it meant the Cubs could compete year in and year out. Again, how is that possible? Easily... more money means more skilled players here. Loosened regulations means more night games here, which are more conducive to winning. Ability to make changes to your stadium which allow for more revenue, allows them affordability to sign and resign players. Upgraded training facilities mean better prepared players. You can recreate the ivy, you can move the scoreboard, you can mimic the field, and you can do it in a way which adds value, revenue, and more ability to win.
The city can keep Wrigley Field, high profile high school and collegiate baseball games can be held there, summer league tournaments can come to Wrigley, and it could be used to help entice minor league teams or even future MLB teams to come here. Chicago can keep Wrigley, while the Cubs win elsewhere.
