In addition to both Sheffield and Waveland being close to re-opening, the former Captain Morgan Club has been re-branded. The first 31 photos in this gallery are from Thursday, August 13; the last 19 are from Saturday, August 15, and you can see how much work was done on Waveland & Sheffield in just those two days. BCB's David Sameshima has more details:
I had an appointment nearby, so I did make a visit to Wrigley before Thursday's game. I noticed that they painted all the pavement markings on Sheffield Avenue. They have to be close to opening up the street now. There was work taking place in the plaza. This made for a bit of a traffic mess, as concrete trucks had to maneuver through gameday traffic.I must comment about what I witnessed while walking around the ballpark. I was most amazed by the pedestrians not paying attention to traffic around the ballpark. I have seen this before, when they walk right in front of cars. I was surprised to see pedestrians not yielding to fire engines, ambulances and police cars. I saw pedestrians walk out into the street in front of a concrete truck. A work site flagman had to come out to stop pedestrians from walking in front of one concrete truck.I happened to be on Waveland when workers were securing the left field video board protective net. I was able to switch to a long lens, to see that they are now using a C-clamp to secure the net.I did hang around to see the Blue Angels do their fly by. I got a couple of decent photos from outside the ballpark, posted here.On Saturday, Al let me know that that they were planning on making a change to Captain Morgan Club. I had to be downtown so I made a quick stop. Al was right. They have changed the signage. The Captain Morgan logo was still on the awnings and on the building. I was able to return later in the afternoon, to walk around the ballpark.I was surprised to see that they appear to have completed Waveland Avenue. Waveland has been so far behind Sheffield, that it is hard to believe that both streets could open at the same time. Waveland has been paved, the sidewalks done, and the pavement markings have been painted.When I walked by the front of the ballpark during the Under Armour All-America Game Saturday afternoon I noticed that they set up a temporary corral inside of Gate F. They set up an area where bicycles and strollers could be checked. This just looked funny. They did not have their normal bicycle check set up across the street.I have to report that the marquee display is again not fully functioning. It must be more than burned out bulbs. There must a real problem with the board. I hope it will be replaced soon, in one of the upcoming renovation phases.
Here's the scoop on the re-branding of the Captain Morgan Club, via press release from the Cubs:
When fans return to Wrigley Field, they will be able to visit the new DraftKings Fantasy Sports Zone, formerly the Captain Morgan Club, at the corner of Addison Street and Sheffield Avenue. DraftKings, the Official Fantasy Sports Partner of the Chicago Cubs and Official Daily Fantasy Baseball Game of Major League Baseball, will expand its presence at Wrigley Field and offer ballpark experiences as prizes to game participants. The DraftKings Fantasy Sports Zone will sport a new look but continue to serve fans’ favorite foods and beverages, including new drink specials and traditional favorites at the Captain Morgan Bar inside. Guests ordering the DraftKings-themed signature drink special during the grand opening this Tuesday, August 18, will receive a DraftKings Cubs koozie with their order.
So, Captain Morgan still has a branding presence there ("the Captain Morgan Bar"), but Draft Kings, which has become a major partner of MLB, also now has a significant presence at Wrigley Field.