Mr. Ricketts writes back

On Feb. 12, I wrote a letter to Tom Ricketts, the new owner of the Chicago Cubs. In this letter, I suggested the Cubs need a complete ballpark renovation and a full night-game schedule to compete on even terms with their rivals. On June 7, Mr. Ricketts wrote back. Here is his letter:

As you can imagine, the past year has been a busy one for the Ricketts Family. Words cannot describe how excited we all are to finally be a part of this great franchise. Because of all the activities involved with taking ownership of the Cubs, I have been unable to answer my personal mail as quickly as I would have liked. Now that the season is well under way, replying to this mail has become my next priority.

I read with great interest your suggestions on improving Wrigley Field. After meeting with various structural engineers, we have been assured that Wrigley has 'good bones.' It is our goal to reinvest the profits back into the stadium to preserve the Wrigley experience for the next generation. We have already begun some of these upgrades such as improved restrooms, a batting tunnel arcade, a new and expanded weight room, kitchen and nutrition center as well as a players' lounge. But, because it is a 100-year-old park, it will take time to implement all the changes that are desired.

At the current time, there are no plans to add more night games to our schedule. We want to be good neighbors and part of the community so we need to be respectful of the neighborhood we 'live' in. However, we have not ruled out possibly adding more night games in the future.

Thank you so much for taking the time to write. It is always a pleasure to hear from a fellow Cub fan.

Sincerely,

[signed: Tom]

Tom Ricketts
Chairman