I'm disappointed it took me so long to come up with this.
The Cubs need more night games--eventually up to 55 home games at night per season, up from their current limit of 30. The Cubs' neighbors who forced through the city ordinance banning night games at Wrigley Field, with the help of former Ald. Bernie Hansen, want the Cubs to stay in the neighborhood. (The Cubs receive permission from the city to play a limited number of night games per season, but the ordinance does ban night games at Wrigley Field. That limited number stands at 30.) So the Cubs call Ald. Tom Tunney (44th) for a friendly meeting. Then the Cubs, in a respectful, polite way, will tell the alderman: If we don't start playing as many night games as we want, whenever we want (including Fridays and Saturdays), beginning with the 2011 season, we won't play a full schedule in Wrigley Field anymore.
With a little planning, the Cubs could probably implement this plan this season. Owner Tom Ricketts places a call to his crosstown colleague, White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf. Would it be all right if we used your ballpark for a few games? Uncle Jerry would be delighted. The decision wouldn't really be up to him; it would be up to the government agency that runs the taxpayer-financed and -owned ballpark. It would also need MLB commissioner Bud Selig's rubber stamp. But I'm sure everyone would be agreeable. Reinsdorf would love to show off his ballpark to a fresh audience of Cubs fans, most of whom would only venture to Bridgeport to see the Cubs anyway. With the current interleague schedule of just three Cubs games per season at U.S. Cellular Field, very few Cubs fans have ever visited the South Side ballpark because those tickets are in such high demand. Reinsdorf and the White Sox would enjoy additional revenue from Cubs games, which they would share with the Cubs.
Happily, several White Sox road trips and Cubs homestands coincide in the heat of the summer this season. Here's a sample itinerary:
Thurs. July 15 - Sun. July 25: the Cubs add another two night games to their schedule.
Tues. Aug. 2 - Mon. Aug. 9: the Cubs add another two night games to their schedule.
Mon. Aug. 16 - Mon. Aug. 23: the Cubs add another three night games to their schedule.
In three stretches, that's an increase of 7 night games--23 percent over the Cubs' permitted limit of just 30 night games in that dump Wrigley Field. But moving these games 8.1 miles south poses serious consequences for Wrigley's Lakeview neighborhood, commonly known as Wrigleyville. Moving so many games in the heat of the summer--which is the whole point, to give the players respite from the brutal sunshine. This is also the most profitable time of year for businesses that depend on Cubs fans spending time and money in the neighborhood. If the Cubs aren't home for this critical period, that would be devastating for numerous bars and restaurants.
And I think the Cubs should go right ahead and do it. The night-game limit is keeping the Cubs from their goal of bringing a World Series championship to Wrigley Field. If the Cubs convince their Wrigley neighbors the night-game limit makes it impossible for them to be competitive, and that they will seriously consider and act upon alternatives, the neighbors will knock down Ald. Tunney's door, demanding that he give the Cubs the night games they want.
Working this out with the fans is really a minor issue. The Cubs could provide bus service to U.S. Cellular Field from Wrigley Field and the Wrigley night parking lot (Lane Technical High School). Fans could convert their Wrigley seats to U.S. Cellular seats at the Cubs' website. Once Cubs fans visit Sox Park for the first time and enjoy the wide concourses, plentiful concessions, plentiful on-site parking, and unobstructed views of the action, they may not want to go back to Wrigley Field.
Then Uncle Jerry would have the last laugh.
Showing posts with label U.S. Cellular Field. Show all posts
Showing posts with label U.S. Cellular Field. Show all posts
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Detroit 1, Chicago 6
What a game last night (June 8) on a picture-perfect June evening! I was so concerned about the weather because the forecast was quite dire. I had purchased tickets in advance for my small group (six of us), and I was afraid either the game would be washed out, or we would need to sit through intermittent showers while the White Sox played in the rain. Instead, the clouds broke by noon, and it turned out to be a dreadfully beautiful day, albeit a tad warm and humid. It was 76 degrees at first pitch.
I think the three variables that determine whether one has a great time at the ballpark are: (1) weather; (2) fast game; and (3) home team win, in that order (in my opinion). I like hanging out and having a nice time without a jacket and without endless pitching changes that break up the game's rhythm. José Contreras was on fire last night, pitching a one-hitter through eight. The White Sox' only pitching change came between innings, and the game lasted a crisp 2:18. Compare that to the game earlier that afternoon (the first of a day-night doubleheader), which ran a tedious 3:01. Ugh!
Other factors that impact how much fun one has at the old ballpark are fans in one's own section. We smelled the faint whiff of cigar all night but could not locate the perpetrator, so we couldn't ask the usher to ask him to put it out. Since we couldn't find him, it wasn't so bad that it ruined the night for us. Behind us were a quintet of philo-Semites who just loved my White Sox kipah. One wanted to convert to Judaism, and another was very fond of Jewish comedians, especially Larry David. It's fun meeting and talking to friendly strangers at games. We have something in common: rooting for the home team.
In its 19th season, Sox Park still seems new and is a great place to watch a ballgame, especially when compared to that North Side dump Wrigley Field. Yes, it's too bad the Chicago skyline that lies four miles north of the ballpark is not visible from the seats. However, breathtaking views of that skyline are available from the Gate 5 ramp, and plenty of fans take advantage of that photo opportunity.
The White Sox continue to upgrade their taxpayer-funded ballpark. They replaced the black-and-white out-of-town scoreboard with a new full-color video board. Out-of-town scores bounce in the middle of the screen, four at a time, with the White Sox' and opponent's lineups on either side. There's also time and temperature, plus pitch speed and count. Very informative. It's a nice addition to the main video board and the black-and-white stat board. Serious fans must be completely baffled by Wrigley Field's scoreboard that dates from 1938. It has a one-line digital board below it, but that's hardly enough to make up for its deficiencies.
The White Sox enclosed the escalators in Gate 5, although I'm not sure why. What was the point? It would really be great to enclose the 500-level concourse, making it climate-controlled so fans relax indoors during very cold or very hot weather. Of course, the White Sox would enclose the 100-level concourse first. The 300 (club level) concourse is already enclosed.
The ballpark was three-fourths full last night, and still there was plenty of room on the upper-deck (500 level) concourse to walk around and take in the scene. I easily bought a Tollhouse Cookie Sandwich and Diet Pepsi and returned to my seat without worrying about squeezing through crowds of people. It's quite a contrast to the terribly crowded Wrigley Field concourses. How quickly could Wrigley Field be evacuated in an emergency? That dump Wrigley Field has been a serious safety hazard for longer than the Cubs care to admit.
I don't quite understand how the White Sox get away with charging $23 for parking, and from some of those spots it's still a considerable hike to the gates. A family of four could park a mile away and take the #35 bus roundtrip for less than $8. I parked on Aberdeen Street, just outside the White Sox ticket/tow zone. I had some time to kill, so I walked a half-mile to the library and then another half-mile to the ballpark.
To be fair, the Cubs night-game ticket/tow zone extends a mile to the west and north of the ballpark. The eastern and southern borders are closer, but the street parking in those directions is full anyway, so the point is moot. I know I can always find a spot on Aberdeen in Bridgeport. With Lakeview's congestion, parking for a night game is a much dicier proposition.
I think the three variables that determine whether one has a great time at the ballpark are: (1) weather; (2) fast game; and (3) home team win, in that order (in my opinion). I like hanging out and having a nice time without a jacket and without endless pitching changes that break up the game's rhythm. José Contreras was on fire last night, pitching a one-hitter through eight. The White Sox' only pitching change came between innings, and the game lasted a crisp 2:18. Compare that to the game earlier that afternoon (the first of a day-night doubleheader), which ran a tedious 3:01. Ugh!
Other factors that impact how much fun one has at the old ballpark are fans in one's own section. We smelled the faint whiff of cigar all night but could not locate the perpetrator, so we couldn't ask the usher to ask him to put it out. Since we couldn't find him, it wasn't so bad that it ruined the night for us. Behind us were a quintet of philo-Semites who just loved my White Sox kipah. One wanted to convert to Judaism, and another was very fond of Jewish comedians, especially Larry David. It's fun meeting and talking to friendly strangers at games. We have something in common: rooting for the home team.
In its 19th season, Sox Park still seems new and is a great place to watch a ballgame, especially when compared to that North Side dump Wrigley Field. Yes, it's too bad the Chicago skyline that lies four miles north of the ballpark is not visible from the seats. However, breathtaking views of that skyline are available from the Gate 5 ramp, and plenty of fans take advantage of that photo opportunity.
The White Sox continue to upgrade their taxpayer-funded ballpark. They replaced the black-and-white out-of-town scoreboard with a new full-color video board. Out-of-town scores bounce in the middle of the screen, four at a time, with the White Sox' and opponent's lineups on either side. There's also time and temperature, plus pitch speed and count. Very informative. It's a nice addition to the main video board and the black-and-white stat board. Serious fans must be completely baffled by Wrigley Field's scoreboard that dates from 1938. It has a one-line digital board below it, but that's hardly enough to make up for its deficiencies.
The White Sox enclosed the escalators in Gate 5, although I'm not sure why. What was the point? It would really be great to enclose the 500-level concourse, making it climate-controlled so fans relax indoors during very cold or very hot weather. Of course, the White Sox would enclose the 100-level concourse first. The 300 (club level) concourse is already enclosed.
The ballpark was three-fourths full last night, and still there was plenty of room on the upper-deck (500 level) concourse to walk around and take in the scene. I easily bought a Tollhouse Cookie Sandwich and Diet Pepsi and returned to my seat without worrying about squeezing through crowds of people. It's quite a contrast to the terribly crowded Wrigley Field concourses. How quickly could Wrigley Field be evacuated in an emergency? That dump Wrigley Field has been a serious safety hazard for longer than the Cubs care to admit.
I don't quite understand how the White Sox get away with charging $23 for parking, and from some of those spots it's still a considerable hike to the gates. A family of four could park a mile away and take the #35 bus roundtrip for less than $8. I parked on Aberdeen Street, just outside the White Sox ticket/tow zone. I had some time to kill, so I walked a half-mile to the library and then another half-mile to the ballpark.
To be fair, the Cubs night-game ticket/tow zone extends a mile to the west and north of the ballpark. The eastern and southern borders are closer, but the street parking in those directions is full anyway, so the point is moot. I know I can always find a spot on Aberdeen in Bridgeport. With Lakeview's congestion, parking for a night game is a much dicier proposition.
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