A Cubs Brick Over Troubled Waters

Remember my friend Scott whose Cubs brick paver lay outside of the Wrigley Field ticket offices as a testament to his failed marriage? I told the tale of his predicament in 2013 in "Another Cubs Brick in the Wall." Then, Scott's brick was ripped up in the Wrigley renovations, giving Scott new hope that his "divorce brick" could be replaced. I wrote about our attempt to have the brick switched out in 2014 in "Follow the Cubbie Brick Road."

With recent news of the Brick Pavers being relocated to outside of the Bleachers this Spring, and Scott getting married again to a wonderful woman named Jill at the end of February, we figured we'd make a final attempt at making sure Wrigley Field won't be tainted with the memory of a union gone belly up.

I called the Cubs, pretending to be Scott, and asked if it was possible to get the brick switched or removed. The Cubs representative said she didn't have any information regarding the Brick Pavers. I asked if other fans had called with this issue. She was funny. "Oh yes, honey! Some people call and say they don't want anything to do with the person whose name is on the brick with theirs!" To my ears, it sounded as if she's heard a lot of sob stories from people concerning bricks that commemorate times they'd rather forget. The representative told me to write a letter to Fan Services.

So Scott wrote a letter.

Dear fan services,

My ex-wife had purchased a brick paver for me commemorating our wedding date, which at the time, seemed like the most sentimental thing anyone had ever done for me, it even brought me to tears, being a lifelong Cub fan.  As circumstances would have it, things didn't work out and I strongly believe that my failed marriage engraved upon that very brick is the reason why the Cubs have not won the series, or at the very least, it isn't displaying a positive message.

Fast forward to 2016, once again I am walking down the aisle and marrying the right girl this time! So I was curious if there was any way that I might be able to rewrite history and change the message on my brick, bringing a more positive vibe to our home away from home, Wrigley Field, and help the Cubbies bring home a winner.

Let's keep it simple,

"Scott Freeman

This is the year!"

Here is a copy of an article written about my story, hope you take the time to read it.....

http://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2013/11/23/5128204/another-cubs-brick-in-the-wall

Sincerely,

Scott Freeman

Knowing Scott, he would gladly pay double what the brick originally cost to change the message. The fee would be a fraction of what the divorce probably cost him! But to no avail. Fan Services wrote back 2 weeks later.

Dear Scott,

Congratulations on your new engagement! That’s wonderful you’re bringing those positive vibes into what promises to be a very exciting year. We cannot change the pavers, unfortunately, but we’d love to send you out a letter congratulating you on your new engagement. If that’s something you’d be interested in, just let us know.

Go Cubs!

A letter of congratulations? There better be some upper deck reserved tickets in that letter! Scott wrote back.

Hey,

Thanks for getting back to me, that's a real bummer about the brick, but I appreciate the congrats!  Not gonna lie, the Cub geek I am, I would love a letter congratulating me and my fiance Jill. Anything in associated with the Cubs, actually from the Cubs, I would frame and put up on my wall of Cub memorabilia!  I can't tell you how excited I am for this upcoming season, I am really hopeful "This IS the year"!!!

Go Cubs!

Scott

So there you have it, for the next unknown amount of "this is the year," Scott's brick will lay in testament to the finite boundaries of love and a failed relationship. Commemorative bricks don't really matter in the long run. Scott's a lucky man and has found the right woman. Even though Jill is a Tigers fan, she cheers on the Cubs at Wrigley Field with Scott every summer! At Scott's bachelor party, I told his father, "I have a good feeling about these two." Mazel Tov!

So, I guess that's the end of the brick story. Unless of course something bad "accidentally" happens to the brick. That would be a darn shame wouldn't it? A darn shame....