The Ricketts Family - What Does This Mean For The Cub Fan?

So far, they’ve begun the process of getting a state-of-the-art ST facility, began significant improvements at Wrigley, and committed to maintaining a payroll that rivals the biggest spenders in baseball.

Not too bad, IMHO, seeing how not one pitch has been thrown.

They’re just repackaged. The team has torn down some of the suites and have created a new area. So, instead of being required to rent a suite, you can just buy 2, 4 or 6 of these “new” tickets.

This actually opens up a new customer base for the Cubs. These are business people (and their clients) that potentially are future sponsors and business partners for the organization.

I’m not sure how to make the connection between 80 new seats in a sky box to batting cages and sausage races. I realize what you’re saying and that it’s a slippery slope, but all of the changes made a proposed have all been a step in the right direction if you ask me.

Can I ask how many games a year you go to?I used to think a lot like you, until I moved to Chicago and started going to a lot more games. Wrigley is in need of a lot of cosmetic changes and that’s all I think ricketts is doing at this point.

I believe someone in the Ricketts family already mentioned Boston as a model. In Boston, they have managed to increase revenue smartly yet still kept the basic Fenway experience. What they did there with things like Yawkey Way and the Green Monster seats was smart.

The Ricketts are looking to explore many new revenue models. You can’t blame them for that, especially if you want the Cubs to be in the top echelon of team payrolls going forward.

I do think the Ricketts understand the Wrigley experience and don’t want to turn it into something most people can’t afford.

“Family Friendly?” What does that even mean for Wrigley? I notice that the person that is really driving this point is the mother of the Ricketts family. What does she have in mind?

Is Wrigley going to turn into a place where only the wealthy families can afford to bring their spoiled rich children while Daddy entertains potential clients in the seats that his corporate office is paying for each game? Nobody else is going to be able to afford these annual costs aside from large organizations.

This link shows the average cost per ticket for the mlb teams in 2007 and 2008.

http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/articles/2008/03/28/average_ticket_price_list/

Cubs ranks 2nd. Wrigley is already one of the most expensive places to see a ball game. Part of that cost is the (potentially) great team that has been put on the field hte last few years.

On the other hand the nostalgia is nice, but the structure needs serious upgrades. If skyboxes are part of that – fine. The other things the Ricketts have already done; as noted in this fanpost http://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2010/2/9/1303068/wrigley-field-changes-detailed are on the right track.

because my husband is one of those that occasionally gets his hands on those kind of tickets and once in awhile takes me with :). This is one of the few job perks the guy has. Lately they’ve cut back on that A LOT. I think this new seating option offers some good possibilities for companies.

Just because they are owned by a business or corporation doesn’t mean everyone using those seats is some kind of cell phone using/ wine snob. It kind of bugs me when people assume that stereotype. Maybe some are, but as Mark Prior might put it…he’s just an employee. Well… I can be a wine snob sometimes, but at Wrigley I’m drinking Old Style.

A lot of people have already said this, but what’s to get upset about?

As far as the crowd standing, I quite frankly could do without the crowd standing in the third inning. Some of that gets out of hand.

for under $20, you’re not going to see the place over-commercialized, or only for the rich.

From reading the posts on here, I’m starting to get the feeling that a lot of people are very open to Wrigley being changed and would much rather be in a park like Miller Park with plush seats, jumbo-distrac-trons, and ribbon signs that tell the crowd when to “Make Some Noise.”

I love Wrigley and have always loved Wrigley for its simplicity. It’s all about the game of baseball, sunshine, and cheering for your team. I guess I’m a part of the minority that thinks a baseball game should be entertaining enough without a circus.

I’m okay with some cosmetic changes. I don’t think, at least as of yet, that they’re doing anything dramatic enough to make a hugely noticeable difference in the experience. It’s not like they’re changing the marquee or anything. The park is approaching 100 years old so obviously there need to be some nips and tucks here and there.

Hopefully they’ve heard Eddie Vedder’s words and keep those in mind as they make the changes.

Yes, I want the Cubs to win at almost all costs. Some of those “at all costs items” could include, if they helped us win the trophy:
-Hiring Ozzie Guillen as the Public Address Announcer
-Allowing Hawk Harrelson to stand outside of the bathrooms and yell “He Gone” after every fan exits
-Bringing in Joe Buck to give pre-game pep talks to the Cubs players
-Having streaming audio of Joe Morgan telling the fans of how he would have done it better than Ryne Sandberg after every play
-Giving Ronnie “Woo Woo” Wickers the position of manager

But in the end, I still want the Cubs to be the Cubs I’ve always known. Players come and players go but the one thing about this organization that has remained constant is Wrigley Field. Sure, it would be great to see the Cubs win a World Series at “all costs”, however, I couldn’t imagine the bittersweet feeling I would have if they won it and everything at Wrigley or everything within the organization had changed.

I’m going to get blasted on that and get labeled as the typical Cub fan that doesn’t care about winning. That’s simply not true. I just want to win it as The Chicago Cubs and not the Chicago Cubs brought to you by Acme Brick Company.

To make my point, I quote the great Peter Griffin – "it turns out I’m as useless as that nude Playboy spread of Debbie Gibson. It’s like, “Yeah, she’s naked, but who gives a s**t?” Would he have said the same thing if it was the spread was Debbie Gibson Circa 1988? I think not!

Found this photo of the ballpark, early 70’s?

http://l.yimg.com/g/images/spaceball.gif
Wrigley

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mets1958/1514992499/in/pool-cubs