Wrigleyville or Bust - Curahee's Blog

Curahee's Blog

Wrigleyville or Bust

Posted on May 1, 2013 at 08:10 PM.

I dont understand the infatuation with Wrigley.
What has Wrigley ever done for the Cubs? Theyve never won the WS in that stadium. Its old and run down and in the middle of a neighborhood filled with snobs who apparently didnt know there was a stadium there when they moved in.
Some "fans" want the Ricketts to leave Wrigley as it is to "preserve the legacy & traditions".
What legacy & traditions? Of losing? Because thats all the Cubs have ever done in that stadium.... LOSE!
Its the second oldest stadium in MLB and it has never seen a WS winning game...... NOT ONE.

If they knew anything, theyd know that updating the stadium will attract better players that will help win a pennant. As of now, the only way to get a "decent" player on the Cubs is to pay them an insane amount of money, ie Bradley, Soriano, Zambrano.
Everyone wanted Pujols & Fielder & A-Rod. Do you honestly think those guys want to come and play in a dump like Wrigley for a losing team? Not if they aint gettin paid top dollar.

The Cubs have ever only had 3 types of players; The Has-been's, The Not-yet's and the Overpaid.
The Has-been's are players that once upon a time were good players, but are washed up and past their prime.
The Cubs usually get these players cheap from Free Agency because no one else wants them and the Cubs think their names will be a ticket draw. Good examples are Fred McGriff & Jim Edmonds.

The Not-yet's are players that come up through the system that no one has really ever heard of and once they begin to make a name for themselves, we trade them away or let the go to Free Agency.
Example, Greg Maddux. The second tenure for Maddux is also a good example of a Has-been.

Then you have the Overpaid. These are guys that probably had one good year somehwere just before they were with the Cubs or were a good ticket draw, so the Cubs spend an insane amount of money on them.
As stated before, good examples of these players are Bradley, Soriano & Zambrano.

Every year, the Cubs seem to drop the ball in the Free Agency market when attracting good players in their prime.
The Ricketts are the first owners to actually care enough about the team to spend THEIR OWN money fixing them and not just try and dump the bill on the city or just play with the team as is or waste money on perceived talent.
Do you think The Tribune Company wouldve done that? Hell, "wouldve"? They DIDNT! They let the team suck and the stadium die as long as 3M fans filled it every year.

Fixing up the stadium with amenities for the players and fans will not only help draw better players, but will be more attractive to advertising to give the Cubs the opportunity to pay those players.
I have been to a number of new stadiums in the past 10 years and each one I visit just reminds me of how much of a dump Wrigley really is.
I say if Ricketts cant get a deal with the neighborhood, then screw em and leave.

Wrigleyville without the Cubs, is just another neighborhood.

Comments

# 1 wrigleyville33 @ May 1

I agree with a couple of things in your post. The renovation needs to happen, and I've been hoping Wrigley would get an upgrade for a while now for the sake of the players and attractiveness for free agents. However, the rooftop owners need to realize they are screwed if the Cubs pack up their bags and go somewhere else. Personally as a Cubs fan, the Cubs wouldn't be the same if they left Wrigley. If they played in a new stadium with a huge parking lot, that just wouldn't be the same. I am not quite sure if I would still have the passion I have now as a Cubs fan. I am all for tradition, but the Cubs need a video board. As for the players signed in the past, I would put a lot of blame on Jim Hendry, the Cubs' former GM. Wrigley and Cubs fans will forever be intertwined. It's similar to Fenway and Red Sox fans. Could you make the argument about Yankees fans and the old Yankee Stadium? Perhaps. The bottom line is this renovation needs to happen, similar to what was done to Fenway a couple years ago.

# 2 Curahee @ May 1

@wrigleyville33 - I agree. Something needs to be done. Fenway is a great example of how to do it. Unfortunately, Fenway didnt have to deal with the rooftop owners that the Ricketts do. Again, if the owners wont budge, I dont see that the Ricketts have a choice but to move. They made the investment with the intention of running it the way they want and not with the permission of mommy & daddy rooftop owner.
Those owners are keeping the Ricketts from not only capitalizing on their investment, but also from creating an atmosphere that is attractive to better players.

# 3 Curahee @ May 1

The one thing I can say about Wrigley, is that if the Cubs leave and move to Rosemont or wherever, their new stadium will never fill out like Wrigley so long as theyre a bad team.
70% of fans in attendance at Cubs games are there to see Wrigley.
The true Cubs fans are there in April when its 40* out and the Cubs suck!