Wrigley Resodding Project - Saturday 11/17 Update

by Al on Nov 17, 2007 12:20 PM CST in 2007 Wrigley Resodding Project Comment 18 comments

On my other visits the ballpark this week, I was the only person there taking photos. Today, a small crowd of about a dozen people gathered near the knothole to watch the final few rolls of sod transported inside Wrigley Field. The new field should be completed sometime this afternoon.

Photos by Al

No captions necessary today -- photos are pretty self-explanatory. Note, however, in the first photo you can see the new building on Sheffield nearly completed. I also find it amusing that the forklift, as you can see in the second photo, appears to be called a "Donkey".

(as always, click on thumbnail to view full-size in new browser window. If you are using IE, you may have to click the lower-right corner of the image in the new window to expand it to its full size; in Firefox click anywhere on the image.)

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Dang, Al, I must have just missed you

Woke up, checked the CubCam, saw that they were getting close to finishing, so I got over there about 9:00 am. I was the only civilian there for awhile, so I got the "Al" treatment and the guard let me inside to take some pictures. I'll post a link in a little bit. I left about 10:45 to get home in time to watch the Ohio St. Michigan game.

btw - the guy (think his name is John) driving the "donkey" is originally from Ohio. It's just killing him that he's missing the big game, he said all his buddies will be texting him updates. But at the same time, he's very proud of the job they're doing at Wrigley, and from what I can see, justifiably so. The sod supplier, Graff's Turf Farms, not only sells it, but installs it too. A lot of the workers there are from Colorado, and came along to help with the install.

Much like Roger Bossard is very hands-on, walking around with a shovel in his hands, Marty Thiel, one of the co-owners of Graff's, was driving one of the forklifts, moving sod rolls around. Gotta love folks who take pride in their work and care enough to do it right the first time.

Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."

by ballhawk on Nov 17, 2007 12:49 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

I got there about 11:15.

Look forward to seeing your pics. Today there were too many people around when I got there, so I guess he felt he couldn't let anyone in at that time.

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

by Al on Nov 17, 2007 1:12 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Fukudome..

Hey Guys,

Sorry this is a little off topic of the sod, but just read this on MLB.Com...

According to foxsports.com, Kosuke Fukudome may decide not to leave Japan. The 30-year-old outfielder, whom the Cubs have scouted, met Tuesday with representatives from the Tokyo Giants, and received a contract offer. A left-handed-hitting corner outfielder, he has played the last eight seasons for the Chunichi Dragons, and has a career .397 on-base percentage. His decision was expected after Thanksgiving, according to foxsports.com's source.

Don't like the sounds of that!

Cubs chances in '08? Beats the FUK-U-DO-ME!

by Hugest Canadian Cubs Fan on Nov 17, 2007 2:02 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Note...

... that says "Tuesday". We discussed this earlier in the week. I think he's coming here. I wouldn't worry about a breathless report like this.

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

by Al on Nov 17, 2007 5:05 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

You're right Al

oops, my bad on the date issue. I really hope you're right about him coming here...I think it's the best option for the Cubs, so they don't have to sell the farm to get Crawford.

Cubs chances in '08? Beats the FUK-U-DO-ME!

by Hugest Canadian Cubs Fan on Nov 17, 2007 6:23 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

"Sod-urday, in the park..."

Sorry - couldn't resist...

Here's a link to some pictures I took from the knothole this morning at Wrigley Field. Click on the "Slideshow" button, open up a cold one and pretend you're "supervising" the project...

http://picasaweb.google.com/kenvangeloff/WrigleyFieldSodUpdate111707

Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."

by ballhawk on Nov 17, 2007 2:13 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Great pics!

Thanks for posting them!!

by LT on Nov 17, 2007 3:10 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Sod Pictures

Thanks for sharing your pictures. Liked your clever captions too.

A baseball game is simply a nervous breakdown divided into nine innings. ~Earl Wilson

by tucsoncubsfan on Nov 17, 2007 5:46 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

web cam

Would somebody mind posting pics from the stadium web cams? I'd like to see it from the top. thanks!

by SantoHOF on Nov 17, 2007 3:22 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

This might help

I haven't mastered the art of inserting picture files into my posts, but here's a link to the CubsCam site.

http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/chc/fan_forum/seats_truelook.jsp

Hurry up and click on it while there's still some daylight, but at the same time, be patient because sometimes it takes awhile to load. If you get a "camera off line" error message, try to select Camera 1 (center field view); there's usually less traffic on that one.

I do have quite a few CubsCam images that I've saved over the last couple weeks, so I'll put together a photo 'album' of them and post a link once the project is finished.

Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."

by ballhawk on Nov 17, 2007 3:52 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

btw - looks like all the sod has been laid

they still have some work to do around the edges, as well as grading and finishing up the warning track and other open areas, but I'm sure they'll be done in time to make it home for a well-deserved Thanksgiving feast.

Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."

by ballhawk on Nov 17, 2007 3:55 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

btw (part II) - anyone else notice...

...that with just a little transposing of upper and lower case, CubsCam turns into CubScam? ;-)

Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."

by ballhawk on Nov 17, 2007 3:57 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Looks good

A million bucks well spent.

by Mordecai on Nov 17, 2007 4:37 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

TIme Lapse

I put together a time lapse video using pictures from the webcam. See the whole project from start to finish.

by 08 Cubs on Nov 17, 2007 4:50 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Very cool!

n/t

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

by Al on Nov 17, 2007 5:04 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I didn't notice

until now that there is a discoloration between 2nd and 3rd. Wonder what that was about?

"There are no curses here...Games are won and lost on the baseball field" - Lou Piniella

by El Borto on Nov 17, 2007 5:23 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Fresh off the press...

of the Sun-Times web site...

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/baseball/cubs/index.html

It doesn't answer any questions about Fuke, but interesting nonetheless...

I wish this guy would make a quick decision, but I guess it's all part of the posturing.

Cubs chances in '08? Beats the FUK-U-DO-ME!

by Hugest Canadian Cubs Fan on Nov 18, 2007 12:33 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

Sure, it answers questions.

First, the link you gave is to the Sun-Times main Cubs site. Here's the direct link to the Fukudome article, which is Carol Slezak's column. Here's what I found interesting:

"He's not at the superstar level like Ichiro, by any means," said ESPN analyst Orestes Destrade. "That guy [Ichiro] is in another world. But Fukudome will play an exceptional outfield, and he can produce offensively at the major-league level. He also has very good speed. He could steal 25-30 bases and be disruptive on the base paths. And he'll score a lot of runs."

Sounds fine to me, for those of you who worry about how Fukudome would do in the major leagues.

Most of the rest of the article is about how he's feeling a lot of pressure to stay in Japan, but at the same time, he has been "grooming" himself to come to the US for several years.

I say he comes, and I say the Cubs get him.

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

by Al on Nov 18, 2007 4:02 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs