Ryan Dempster And Stan Mikita Open Wrigley Skating Rink

by Al Yellon on Dec 20, 2009 1:00 PM CST in Chicago Cubs News

The Cubs and the Chicago Park District have teamed up to open "Rink At Wrigley", an outdoor ice skating rink available to the public from now till February. Click on the link for hours and prices.

Yesterday, Cubs pitcher Ryan Dempster and Blackhawks Hall of Famer Stan Mikita teamed up to help open the rink. BCB photographer David Sameshima was there. More photos after the jump.

Click on photo to open a larger version in a new browser window

Click on photo to open a larger version in a new browser window

Click on photo to open a larger version in a new browser window. All photos by David Sameshima

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it almost looks like he's on the mound....(sigh)

A woman's guess is more accurate than a man's certainty.--Rudyard Kipling

by cooliogirl47 on Dec 20, 2009 1:12 PM CST reply actions

Wonder how he could pitch with skates on?

"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra

by Al Yellon on Dec 20, 2009 1:12 PM CST up reply actions

...lol...good pictures BTW

A woman's guess is more accurate than a man's certainty.--Rudyard Kipling

by cooliogirl47 on Dec 20, 2009 1:14 PM CST up reply actions

I found my old hockey-playing pix yesterday.

Seeing those and this makes me want to find a pair of skates.

And some ice.

by San Diego Smooth Jazz Man on Dec 20, 2009 1:15 PM CST reply actions

Great pictures

Dempster has really become a leader and the public face of this team.

Folks can criticize Hendry for plenty, but picking him off the reclamation heap and easing him back to being a solid starter was a great move.

Eamus Ursuli!

by WGNstatic on Dec 20, 2009 1:28 PM CST reply actions 3 recs

+Lebenty Jillion

"When they signed Fukudome, I knew they were trying to get me fired". - Ron Santo, January, 2008

by BeerCub on Dec 20, 2009 1:37 PM CST up reply actions

Agreed.

OK I don't know shit about basketball.

by SoulEater7 on Nov. 5, 2009 9:51 PM CST

by sue369 on Dec 20, 2009 1:49 PM CST up reply actions

+46

"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra

by Al Yellon on Dec 20, 2009 1:58 PM CST up reply actions

Is Dempster

living in Chicago full-time now?

by Not Bruce Froemming on Dec 20, 2009 2:47 PM CST up reply actions

He is this winter...

… primarily because of his daughter’s problems… I think their doctors are in Chicago.

"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra

by Al Yellon on Dec 20, 2009 3:46 PM CST up reply actions

He is looking at possible houses or property in the suburbs though. My town used to be Cubs player heaven. I wonder if it would become it again?

Brennan and Booth their Story Really begins November 2009

by puckishcubsfan on Dec 21, 2009 6:00 AM CST up reply actions

Dempster is a really good guy. I know people who have done work with him on stuff in Chicago. He has taken Kerry Wood’s place in this matter (along with Theriot).

Brennan and Booth their Story Really begins November 2009

by puckishcubsfan on Dec 21, 2009 5:58 AM CST up reply actions

HAVING DEMPSTER .......

around Wrigleyville is something very positive for the ball club . He has really stepped up hope this can continue ……

by cubs north on Dec 21, 2009 10:39 AM CST up reply actions

Rec'd

Dempster lives a few blocks from me and I see him on occasion. He carriers himself as a regular guy and people seem to respect his privacy and treat him as a neighbor.

He’s a great asset to the city and a great Cub.

by Tangled Up In Blue on Dec 21, 2009 9:25 AM CST up reply actions

…sigh. Makes me miss Chicago and my childhood even more. Stan Mikita, Bobby Hull, Kenny Wharram, Dennis Hull, Doug Mohns, Pat Stapleton, Keith Magnuson, Pit Martin, Tony Esposito, those guys were great, kinda like the NHL version of the ’69 Cubs. Best team never to win a title.

"When they signed Fukudome, I knew they were trying to get me fired". - Ron Santo, January, 2008

by BeerCub on Dec 20, 2009 1:36 PM CST reply actions 1 recs

Mikita looks great for being almost 70, too.

"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra

by Al Yellon on Dec 20, 2009 1:58 PM CST up reply actions

Looks a lot like Nimoy's Spock, too. Always sort of has.

"When they signed Fukudome, I knew they were trying to get me fired". - Ron Santo, January, 2008

by BeerCub on Dec 20, 2009 2:01 PM CST up reply actions

He really hasn't changed all that much

I loved the Blackhawks back then. The current bunch has me loving them again.

by Not Bruce Froemming on Dec 20, 2009 2:46 PM CST up reply actions

+21

"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra

by Al Yellon on Dec 20, 2009 3:46 PM CST up reply actions

Wheres Stosh's Skates?

A little bizzarro world there, Demp with skates, Stan without.

And so it goes.

by Luigi on Dec 20, 2009 3:46 PM CST reply actions

Well, like I said...

… Mikita is almost 70 years old.

"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra

by Al Yellon on Dec 20, 2009 4:08 PM CST up reply actions

He didn't have the problems Bobby Hull had

but he skated pretty gingerly at the UC when they brought all the ambassadors back for the home opener.

"You just don't know understand how frustrating this is"- Kevin Borseth

by TkGoUWGB on Dec 20, 2009 4:27 PM CST up reply actions

my thoughts exactly

but if I were 70 I’d want to protect my hips too

Cubs Supreme in Baseball World.

by Emelie on Dec 20, 2009 4:40 PM CST up reply actions

I just noticed this when I looked at the link

but we’ve all been complaining about how expensive it is to skate in the shadow of Wrigley. This is clutch for the Wrigleyville residents but a season pass is $50. I’ll be taking advantage of the half-price monday and tuesdays the monday after the Cubs Convention. Otherwise $10 for a single time is a little steep.

"You just don't know understand how frustrating this is"- Kevin Borseth

by TkGoUWGB on Dec 20, 2009 4:31 PM CST reply actions

$10...

… is far less than the cost of almost any other entertainment these days. A family with two kids can go there and skate for $32, not bad.

"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra

by Al Yellon on Dec 20, 2009 4:32 PM CST up reply actions

Agreed

I don’t know what the cost is to skate at a normal ice rink, but I would think $10 per adult (and $6 per child) isn’t bad given the venue. And since going to the movies can cost a lot more than that nowadays, it doesn’t seem like too bad of a deal.

"Juuuuuuussst a bit outside. He tried for the corner and missed..."
- Harry Doyle

by Rusty in Peoria on Dec 21, 2009 9:36 AM CST up reply actions

You're paying for being by the ballpark

Crystal Ice House out by me has a nice sheet of ice for public skating. It’s not exceptionally fast so its great for kids and beginners. $6 for adults and $5 for kids. It’s a decent environment and indoors, but it’s NOT right next to Wrigley Field.

We’ll be heading down there for a skate on one of the days before ‘Hawks game. Couple that with a sandwich or two at Lucky’s and it’ll be a really nice day for us.

My kids have actually grown to like the outdoor skating more than indoors; though never in the extreme cold. We’ll see how that changes this winter when I want to take them in sub-zero temperatures.

Just win the next game...!

by blackhawk24 on Dec 22, 2009 6:43 AM CST up reply actions

Thanks for the idea.

Crystal Ice House is near me too. It would be fun to go there while the kids are on break. I wouldn’t have thought of it otherwise.

"Fasten those seatbelts"-Pat Hughes

by katie casey on Dec 22, 2009 9:19 AM CST up reply actions

Another photo from David...

… with a better look at Stan Mikita, plus Dempster wearing a custom retro Blackhawks jersey.

"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra

by Al Yellon on Dec 20, 2009 4:32 PM CST reply actions

I'm officially a big fan of Demps

He’s pretty awesome, for living around Wrigley and for supporting the Hawks. At least in this occasion.

Might not seem like much, but considering certain athletes don’t identify themselves with the city they play for (such as LeBron James wearing a Yankees hat to an Indians game), this is pretty sweet.

A LO PROFUNDOOO...NOO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NOO...DIGANLE QUE NO A ESA PELOTA!! GANAN LOS CACHORROS DE CHICAGO!!

by Azul Cachorro on Dec 20, 2009 5:58 PM CST up reply actions

I love how they combined

my two favorite sports – hockey and baseball. Good PR and cool for Demps to be there. He’s a class guy.

"WGN, Channel 9 Cubs Baseball, Excitingly, Importantly, Dramatically Yours." - Jack Brickhouse

by BigJohnAZ on Dec 20, 2009 10:22 PM CST reply actions

Of course they call the resident Canuck.

by mistersite on Dec 20, 2009 10:47 PM CST reply actions

January 3rd

We’re going on January 3rd.

Hey anyone up for a BCB trip to the rink Sunday afternoon after the convention is over?

Brennan and Booth their Story Really begins November 2009

by puckishcubsfan on Dec 21, 2009 5:56 AM CST reply actions

I'll be going the day after the Convention.

Schools are closed for MLK Day and its a Half Price Monday. That spells a nice day for this custodian.

"You just don't know understand how frustrating this is"- Kevin Borseth

by TkGoUWGB on Dec 27, 2009 10:41 PM CST up reply actions

is this

a new way of driving revenue through the ballpark? Just wondering.

follow me on twitter for fantasy sports analysis @http://twitter.com/DrewDinkmeyer

by DartmouthCubsFan on Dec 21, 2009 8:43 AM CST reply actions

Not really.

It’s being run by the park district. I doubt the Cubs are making much on this.

"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra

by Al Yellon on Dec 21, 2009 8:55 AM CST up reply actions

Also...

… this is the only year they’d be able to do this. By this time next year the Triangle Building should be under construction.

"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra

by Al Yellon on Dec 21, 2009 8:56 AM CST up reply actions

Could they not...

…do it on the field itself? Make it the centerpiece of a ‘holiday’ market like the Christmas Markets of Europe.

"With Chance on first, and Evers on third,
Great things from the Cubs will soon be heard."

by LeSaboteur on Dec 21, 2009 9:33 PM CST up reply actions

They could, but...

… like last year, they’d have to resod the field after they took the rink down.

Last year, the NHL paid for the resodding. If the Cubs did that in the future, they’d have to make enough from that “market” to pay for the resodding themselves.

"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra

by Al Yellon on Dec 22, 2009 9:08 AM CST up reply actions