Depression Deja Vu all over again? (NYTimes article)

Interesting article in today's NY Times about baseball in the '30s during Great Depression. Several mentions of the Cubs. Cool pictures too. Loved this part:

"Despite the need for new sources of revenue, many of baseball’s hidebound owners continued to resist allowing live radio broadcasts of their games, fearing fewer fans would attend in person. This attitude persisted even though radio had helped generate interest in, as well as money for, minor league teams."

Now we know where Dollar Bill Wirtz got his ownership acumen from... ;-)

about 3 years ago ballhawk 3 comments 0 recs |

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Many baseball owners felt this way about TV, too.

P. K. Wrigley, who nearly ruined the Cubs by 1960, was in the forefront of televising games — he knew it would help bring people to the park.

In New York, they refused to televise the teams’ home games until the late 1950’s. When the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles, they didn’t televise more than a handful of home games until the 1980’s.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al Yellon on Jan 7, 2009 8:39 AM CST reply actions

1979 - Superstation WGN

How much smaller would the Cubs fan base be, if WGN had not become a superstation broadcasting the Cubs in 1979? The 1984 NL East division championship contributed a lot to the fan base, when cable was getting to be big.

"The big possum walks late." - Harry Caray

by memphiscub on Jan 7, 2009 10:21 AM CST up reply actions

Didn't the Cubs pretty much give away radio rights early on?

I seem to recall reading something about how the Wrigley in charge realized much the same thing with radio in the mid ’20’s. I know all home games were on WMAQ by 1925. And I also know Ronald Reagan did recreations of Cubs games based on telegraph reports for WHO here in DSM in the mid ’30’s.

Bleed Cubbie Blue: Like Drāno for your internet tubes.

by znohitter on Jan 7, 2009 11:06 AM CST up reply actions