An informal Tribune poll of Cubs player last spring saw much support for installing a JumboTron either at or outside of Wrigley Field.
"You like to see whether the call was right or wrong, or if it was just a sweet play to watch again," pitcher Jeff Samardzija said. "You can kind of look back and see the little TVs up on the balcony. I think it'd be nice.
"I'd say get rid of the Horseshoe Casino (rooftop) sign and put one up on that building. That way it's not even in the field. Or maybe put two up by the lights on top of the awning. Nothing gaudy like Yankee Stadium, where the JumboTron is as big as the whole stadium. You can keep the history and the aura of Wrigley ... but it is 2010."
Now the Cubs are asking their fans if they'd also be in favor of a video-replay board at Wrigley. In a quality assessment survey on the team's Web site, one of the questions asked was whether fans would like a video replay board that doesn't "obscure" the current center-field scoreboard, which is protected by landmark provisions.
The Cubs are believed to be the only team in the four major professional sports without a video-replay board. They were the last team without lights before installing them in 1988.
The Cubs aren't planning on a video board for 2011, but say they are gauging fan interest on a number of topics. Cubs vice-president of business development Alex Sugarman said the team has been doing the survey most of the year, and this is simply an "extension" of that.
"It's a lot of hypotheticals, very much information gathering," Sugarman said.
The survey will be available for another month on the Web site, and Sugarman said the results will be kept internal. That means fans may not know whether most of them are in favor of any of the topics, which also include the possibility of a phone app to view replays and "relevant digital content," and allowing night games to be scheduled for "occasional" Friday and Saturday games.
The Cubs have argued that the team needs some Friday night games after returning late Thursday night from a road trip and having to play on short rest.
As for the phone app, the Cubs brought the idea up at the Cubs Convention last January, where a team spokesman explained they had trouble with wireless access for AT&T in 2009 at Wrigley because squirrels ate through the wires providing access.
The squirrel problem has since been resolved.
I'm tired of listening to people pretend that Wrigley Field is some magical place where the only old fashioned baseball spirit still exists and the "lovable losers" try to break the curse every fall and then the ghost of Johnny Kling shows up every April and craps rainbows in the clubhouse. ...Its a s###hole. Yes, you guys need a videoboard. No, you guys aren't "above it."
It doesn't just tell people to "cheer louder," although a prompt that advises to PAY ATTENTION TO THE GAME wouldn't be a bad idea. It also provides replays, stats, videos, etc. - which like it or not, people love (there is a reason its a million dollar industry). Not updating a crap field isn't convincing anyone that it's special. It just convinces everyone that you have no desire to move forward with your organization.
Wrigley field would absolutely benefit by adding a videoboard.
They can't leave well enough alone? What in God's name is "well enough" with the Chicago Cubs organization???
I'd love to see a video board in left field.Move the bullpens under the left and right field stands.Move the Cubs dugout to the first base side of homeplate.That will change their bad luck for sure.
FIRE LOVIE!
You are a bagholder Jim.
Agree, lets get some veteran players (giants) that will not break the bank.
It's about the experience isn't Susan? Who cares if the Cubbies win right? There lies the problem. There are far too many "Susan" type fans, you know people that love Wrigley Field and couldn't care less how the Cubs do. There always next year right? What a joke. Fans like you (Wrigley Field fan) enable this failure.
Some of us do care (real Cubs fans) and want a championship. We have waited too long. Some of us are starving for a championship. It's too bad fans like myself and others on this board that bleed Cubbie blue have to suffer year after year just so you can enjoy your "experience" I can't wait for that day but fans like you get in the way of progress.
I would love to see the Cubs move into the 21St Century and get a video board; however I would like to see it at a new stadium and not at an antiquated falling apart old dump like Wrigley Field.
Got to give the Rickett's credit. They seem to be pretty smart in regards to trying to get people's concern's and thoughts on issues off the field, and thereby lessening the concerns over the product on the field. Try and make the fan base feel like they're a part of off field concerns, and maybe they'll lighten up in regards to all the losing.
squirrels follow up: they got married and moved to the Cell. build a new stadium and better team and they will come back.
Augh! What happened to the squirrels??!! I'd love a follow up story.
Please, no jumbotron. My grandson, age 13, lives in Seattle and while at a Mariner's game with him he asked me if Wrigley Field was like that stadium. I said, No, at Wrigley Field there aren't jumbotrons that tell the fans to cheer and make noise. Most people watch the game and know when to cheer. To spoil the last great ballpark would be a crime. My grandson is coming for his first Wrigley Field experience next summer. Hopefully he won't have to see a jumbotron.
A wreaking ball.
I drove past Wrigley on Sunday so I decided to park the car and walk around the ballpark a couple of times. It was pretty quiet. No crowds. No tourists. Just the empty ballpark on a Sunday afternoon.
I have been to Wrigley many times but I stopped going years ago so I wanted to see it up close again.
I looked at the structure from an outsider’s view… no emotional attachment… no rose colored glasses.
Just an observation from an architectural point of view and examine the condition of the building. The ironwork … the concrete.
It is not good.
So much shoddy patchwork all over the place.
I looked through the gate that was installed below the right field bleachers.
Through this opening you can see the back of the outfield wall that is hidden from the postcard photos and it looks really bad.
Just crumbling brick that has been poorly tuck-pointed. It is a band-aid on a bleeding wound.
Amateur looking patches on the concrete above the bleacher entrance and the stands down the third base line. Rusty support beams desperately covered in thick paint.
Safety nets to catch any falling concrete?
That alone speaks volumes about Wrigley and the owners concern for making money over the fans well being. Will it take a tragedy before they finally start to make planes for Wrigley’s replacement?
Stadiums are not meant to last for 100 years.
I went to the last game played at Comiskey and it was done at that point. I miss it but it was time.
You can build a great new park you know.
AT&T Park looked really good during the World Series don’t you think?
PNC Park is pretty damn nice. Target Field… Camden Yards…
Take a year to really decide what you want. Work with the city to get an idea location.
The city offered a great location for the Sox new park and they blew it.
Design a real ballpark and not try to make it into a Disney attraction.
Then put a winning team on the field instead of counting on busloads of tourists from Iowa to get your 3 million.
Make Wrigley’s 100th year be the last one.
Ricketts is a smart business man. He knows there are 2 fanbases on the northside. There are the disgrunted Cubs fans and there are the indifferent Wrigley Field fans. The Wrigley Field fans far outnumber Cubs fans. These guys pack the park no matter what. Could care less what the Cubs do during the season. Couldn't name 5 players on the Cubs. They just go get baked, get drunk, and talk on cell phones.
The Cubs fans well we have had enough and have boycotted the product. But as you can see the ballpark continues to fill up because there are more Wrigley fans than Cubs fans.
Good move Ricketts, who cares about winning just keep the turnstlyes turning.
First we have to watch garbage as it actually happens. Then we have to watch a replay of the same garbage on a jumbotron? Don't think so.... Tear down the dump with the garbage still in it
As one Cubs fan I say the only thing Wrigley Field needs is a wrecking ball. Demolish that pos ballpark and build a modern ballpark for crying out loud. I will never go to a Cubs game until they get a new ballbark.
Little_Pig...
Well enough? The place is a dump and the Cubs have never won a world series there. What is so 'well' about that?
stop changing wrigley. first it was the toyota sign, next a jumbotron. ad boards all over the outfield like new yankee stadium are not far away.
I went to my first game in 1944. The park then and now NO resemblence ..... so many changes. For those who want the old ball park.... that has left long ago. Build a new park. Restore Wrigley to what it was - give it to the park district - play high school & college game there, and to pay for it - concerts at night.
Happy 102nd!
Thanks for the laughs!
Nada
why not build another stadium that seats more , say 45,000 and play the night games there and then save the day games for wrigley . to me , the historic and sentimental feeling of wrigley isn't quite as big during night games .it would save the wear and tear on wrigley and as the years go on play a little more games at night .main goal would be when the cubs play home on saturday and sunday it's played at wrigley . all other games are at night from monday through friday . with the new stadium you could name it after the sponser to create new revinue . tear out the lights at wrigley to bring it back to it's historic state and do away with a lot of the stupid signs .
New stadium, that's all I want.
How about building a new stadium for the Cubs! Wrigley Field has BAD LUCK!
How about getting rid of doughnut eating hendry and putting a winning team on the field. But yet ricketts has said it's all about having fun at the ballpark. Oh please.
The changes needed: owners who actually care about the team and not just money and a competent general manager.
You people do know that it is possible to both improve the ballpark AND to try to put a good team on the field, right? Most teams do make minor changes and upgrades at their ballparks during the offseason. Wrigley just needs more changes and upgrades because Wrigley is about 80 years older than most ballparks! If you think that all the Cubs are doing is trying to keep the park up-to-date and they will field a team of third graders for all they care, then maybe you are just not that bright!
If I was a cub fan at the game, watching them screw-up a play once would be enough. Don't need to see it twice.
Get with the 21st Century and install a high-tech video board. Use it various ways (replays, highlights, stats) but have it go back to simulate the current, antiquated scoreboard.
People pay a ton of money to go to a game and show be able to see those kinds of things: LIKE ALL THE REST OF THE MLB PARKS!
PLEAE READ THIS MR. RICKETTS!
Not only a better product on the field and a new radio analyst in the booth to replace that hack Ron santo BUT they are in need of a Jumbotron or video board so they can get with the times. Also, I agree that the night schedule needs to increase to 40 games and a few Friday night games thrown in or an occasional Saturday one as well.
Perhaps they could modify the center field board to provide for the batting orders for both teams, the line score of the Cubs game, and just the scores (as opposed to full line scores) of all other games in the majors, as opposed to the full line scores of only some of the games. All of this could fit inside the current dimensions.
How about skipping the jumbotron and using the money to hire a new General Manager instead?
Can we please just worry about putting a winning team on the field instead of the almighty dollar! Don't the Cubs realize that a winner will produce way more money than a noodle or the Toyota sign? As the Giants have proven you don't need the highest payroll you just have to have the best players. Let's focus on winning and the money side of thing's will take care of themselves!
Here's a radical thought-how about getting to the World Series! I thought Cubs' fans who cared had become critical of the team's performance the last few years. Now I read stuff like this and it's like we're back to "the Wrigley Field Experience", and on the team website you get some idiot suggesting that Micah Hoffpaur is the answer to the power hitting lefty/first-baseman issue. The ownership might want to put things like Jumbotron behind player acquisition/performance, and maybe say good riddance to a pitcher (?) who's seemingly more concerned with video replay than getting hitters out.
"The squirrel problem has since been resolved." My favorite line in the story...
Here's a novel idea - how about putting a better team on the field?
"The will most likely put a megatron on that roof as it would be visible for most fans at the game"
Brillant it can be a billboard in the offseason.
The rickets bought the property/bleacher on Sheifield that was called 'Wrigley Done Right" they now call it "Down The Line"
The will most likely put a megatron on that roof as it would be visible for most fans at the game
Getting new revenue streams, providing Wrigley fans the same ammenities as every other MLB, NFL, NBA & NHL fan gets to see, replays, stats, lineups etc.
Those that don't want modernization are the same as those that hate ticket price increases as salaries & other expenses rise. GET MODERN!!!
They just can't leave well enough alone...