WSCR Chicago reporting Wrigley Field to be torn down

[🏀]

Quite possibly as early as 2010, Wrigley could be getting torn down and rebuilt. In the mean time, the Cubs would be looking to play at Hell in the Cell (US Cellular Field).

Sounds like they want to reconstruct the grandstands in the same fashion they reconstructed the bleachers last year. I personally think they should also look to add a couple of home games at Miller Park, along with US Cellular.

This also opens up a very good observation to be made: Will the Cubs still draw without Wrigley Field for a year? Personally, I've been to The Cell 10-15 times for a game, and I've never once felt safe. I bet they could outsell the White Sox in their own park though.

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

Seriously, why would you not "feel safe" at US Cellular Field? That's ridiculous. There are 30,000 people around you! Besides, the area west of the ballpark is nice. It's the other side of the expressway that's bad.

You're just fulfilling a stereotype about Cub fans...and I'm a Cub fan!!

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Seriously, why would you not "feel safe" at US Cellular Field? That's ridiculous. There are 30,000 people around you! Besides, the area west of the ballpark is nice. It's the other side of the expressway that's bad.

You're just fulfilling a stereotype about Cub fans...and I'm a Cub fan!!

Where to start? First, I like the White Sox, and have no hatred towards them, so I'm not being irrational due to being a Cubs fan.

I was there twice as a youngster and saw a violent fight each time. The amount of homeless around the stadium is ridiculous after games.

Last year I was down there for the Cubs v. White Sox game, and saw a T-Shirt vendor have his stand flipped and then chased down the street by another T-Shirt vendor.

I'm sure these aren't isolated situations.

It's only the matter of safety around the ballpark, but driving out as well. CPD doesn't make a strong presence down there.

And let's be honest, the White Sox 30,000 attendance? 

[TallTitan34]

Personally this is the option I have always wanted.  Wrigley Field is the bleachers and scoreboard and marquee and rooftops.  No one cares about the grandstands.

Simply tear the grandstands down and rebuild them to look the same but this time with the modern amenities.

[SaintPaulWarrior]

Seriously, why would you not "feel safe" at US Cellular Field? That's ridiculous. There are 30,000 people around you! Besides, the area west of the ballpark is nice. It's the other side of the expressway that's bad.

You're just fulfilling a stereotype about Cub fans...and I'm a Cub fan!!

Where to start? First, I like the White Sox, and have no hatred towards them, so I'm not being irrational due to being a Cubs fan.

I was there twice as a youngster and saw a violent fight each time. The amount of homeless around the stadium is ridiculous after games.

Last year I was down there for the Cubs v. White Sox game, and saw a T-Shirt vendor have his stand flipped and then chased down the street by another T-Shirt vendor.

I'm sure these aren't isolated situations.

It's only the matter of safety around the ballpark, but driving out as well. CPD doesn't make a strong presence down there.

And let's be honest, the White Sox 30,000 attendance? 

You are right about the 30,000 in attendance.

They actually averaged 33,140 last year, so that means you were even safer.

And if you were there in 2006 it was 36,511.

[Pakuni]

Seriously, why would you not "feel safe" at US Cellular Field? That's ridiculous. There are 30,000 people around you! Besides, the area west of the ballpark is nice. It's the other side of the expressway that's bad.

You're just fulfilling a stereotype about Cub fans...and I'm a Cub fan!!

Where to start? First, I like the White Sox, and have no hatred towards them, so I'm not being irrational due to being a Cubs fan.

I was there twice as a youngster and saw a violent fight each time. The amount of homeless around the stadium is ridiculous after games.

Last year I was down there for the Cubs v. White Sox game, and saw a T-Shirt vendor have his stand flipped and then chased down the street by another T-Shirt vendor.

I'm sure these aren't isolated situations.

It's only the matter of safety around the ballpark, but driving out as well. CPD doesn't make a strong presence down there.

And let's be honest, the White Sox 30,000 attendance? 

For once, PRN and I agree. You fulfill every bad stereotype of Cubs fans.
The area around the Cell is very safe and Chicago police crime statistics prove this. In fact, those statistics (at least the last time I saw them) show that you're more likely to be the victim of a crime walking around Wrigley than you are the Cell. (Generally speaking, they're both pretty safe neighborhoods considering they're in a city of almost three million people).
You saw a scary fight there? Goodness me. Cause we all know there aren't any drunken brawls in or around Wrigley. Nope, no beer muscles on display at the Friendly Confines. Perish the thought.

Why does the CPD need to exercise a "strong presence" around the Cell? Too many dark-skinned folks around for your liking?

If you seriously felt ever felt threatened at the Cell, how the heck did you/do you ever survive at Marquette?

[DegenerateDish]

You've never felt safe at The Cell? Seriously? There are cops everywhere after games. One of the nicest areas in Chicago is literally right near by. Ten years ago it wasn't as good, but you really have to go out of your way to find trouble around there.

As for sightlines, if you're sitting downstairs, it's a great ballpark. Wide open, can see the game from the concourse. Plenty of bathrooms, and some of the best food of any ball park in the major's.

I don't hate the Cubs, but I would LOVE to see how many they draw at The Cell.

[muhoosier260]

Seriously, why would you not "feel safe" at US Cellular Field? That's ridiculous. There are 30,000 people around you! Besides, the area west of the ballpark is nice. It's the other side of the expressway that's bad.

You're just fulfilling a stereotype about Cub fans...and I'm a Cub fan!!

Where to start? First, I like the White Sox, and have no hatred towards them, so I'm not being irrational due to being a Cubs fan.

I was there twice as a youngster and saw a violent fight each time. The amount of homeless around the stadium is ridiculous after games.

Last year I was down there for the Cubs v. White Sox game, and saw a T-Shirt vendor have his stand flipped and then chased down the street by another T-Shirt vendor.

I'm sure these aren't isolated situations.

It's only the matter of safety around the ballpark, but driving out as well. CPD doesn't make a strong presence down there.

And let's be honest, the White Sox 30,000 attendance? 

following this logic, why would anyone ever want to come to Marquette. Your description of the surrounding areas by U.S. Cellular is eerily similar to the MU neighborhood

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

Personally this is the option I have always wanted.  Wrigley Field is the bleachers and scoreboard and marquee and rooftops.  No one cares about the grandstands.

Simply tear the grandstands down and rebuild them to look the same but this time with the modern amenities.

Totally agree. Although I don't think the grandstand is as dumpy as some make it out to be -- Fenway is a MUCH bigger dump -- I think it would be great to rebuild them.

By the way, as I mentioned, I am a Cub fan and I think The Cell is great. I also like Miller Park -- but I hate the slide. Bring back the beer stein!! It's the "Brewers" for goodness sakes!!!!

[MUfan12]

Quite possibly as early as 2010, Wrigley could be getting torn down

So... how much to operate the wrecking ball 

[DegenerateDish]

Personally this is the option I have always wanted.  Wrigley Field is the bleachers and scoreboard and marquee and rooftops.  No one cares about the grandstands.

Simply tear the grandstands down and rebuild them to look the same but this time with the modern amenities.

Totally agree. Although I don't think the grandstand is as dumpy as some make it out to be -- Fenway is a MUCH bigger dump -- I think it would be great to rebuild them.

By the way, as I mentioned, I am a Cub fan and I think The Cell is great. I also like Miller Park -- but I hate the slide. Bring back the beer stein!! It's the "Brewers" for goodness sakes!!!!

Agree 100% on just about everything PRN said. Fenway is a cool place to see a game once, maybe twice, but as much as they try to improve it, that place is a dump.

I think the Brewers should not only bring the stein back, but also have a logo of a beer mug/beer foam in some fashion/form. Done right, I think it would be sweet.

[TallTitan34]

The Red Sox are planning building a new Fenway nearly identical to the current one much like the Yankees are doing with their new stadium looking like the orginal Yankee Stadium.

New Fenway:
http://ballparks.com/baseball/american/bosbpk.htm

New Yankee:
http://ballparks.com/baseball/american/nyybpk.htm

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As Dish said, as a youngster, 10 years ago or so, was when i saw two fights in the middle of the street. I'm pretty sure they weren't there for the baseball game.

I've never seen anything like that at Marquette nor around Wrigley.

Getting that aside...

Redoing the grandstand will be a great idea. They can expand luxury boxes. New structural engineering can remove almost every obstructed view. New TVs in the way back. New concessions, and new look for everything. If anyone has seen the new Bleachers, they can do an outstanding job with the old stadium.

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

Incidentally, I have never heard of a fight at a ballpark that involves an innocent bystander (other than the Royals first base coach.) If there are fights in the stands, it's likely a result of TWO drunken idiots. Therefore, if you're not a drunken idiot, you're not going to get in a fight.

Drunk is fine, preferred even. Angry drunken...not so much.

[DegenerateDish]

The Red Sox are planning building a new Fenway nearly identical to the current one much like the Yankees are doing with their new stadium looking like the orginal Yankee Stadium.

New Fenway:
http://ballparks.com/baseball/american/bosbpk.htm

New Yankee:
http://ballparks.com/baseball/american/nyybpk.htm

I think this info is old, and having looked at this link, it is. This new Fenway is still a pipe dream, and isn't happening anytime soon, if it ever does.

[🏀]

Incidentally, I have never heard of a fight at a ballpark that involves an innocent bystander (other than the Royals first base coach.) If there are fights in the stands, it's likely a result of TWO drunken idiots. Therefore, if you're not a drunken idiot, you're not going to get in a fight.

Drunk is fine, preferred even. Angry drunken...not so much.

Very true, but it still leaves an impression on a young mind. The T-Shirt vendor was somewhat comical, but I don't think the guy running away was feeling great if he was caught.

[CWSKeith]

Getting that aside...

Oh yes, getting your complete ignorance about US Cellular and the surrounding neighborhood aside...  I also love your anecdotal evidence -- "this one time I was there and I saw a fight!  goodness me!"

Yes -- all of us Sox fans and southsiders are William Ligue Jr types who love to get drunk and brawl.  In fact, I think he's being added to the LF wall this season.  Gosh do I love people who make pointless generalizations and completely ignorant, trolling comments.

[🏀]

The Red Sox are planning building a new Fenway nearly identical to the current one much like the Yankees are doing with their new stadium looking like the orginal Yankee Stadium.

New Fenway:
http://ballparks.com/baseball/american/bosbpk.htm

New Yankee:
http://ballparks.com/baseball/american/nyybpk.htm

I think this info is old, and having looked at this link, it is. This new Fenway is still a pipe dream, and isn't happening anytime soon, if it ever does.

Yeah, those plans were abandoned in 2005.

[TallTitan34]

Here is some updated new Yankee Staidum info.  I hate the Yankees but this new stadium looks pretty sweet.

http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/nyy/ballpark/new_stadium.jsp

Of course it should be sweet for $1.3 billion!

Article on the $1.3 billion stadium:
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-newyankeestadium&prov=ap&type=lgns

[🏀]

Getting that aside...

Oh yes, getting your complete ignorance about US Cellular and the surrounding neighborhood aside...  I also love your anecdotal evidence -- "this one time I was there and I saw a fight!  goodness me!"

Yes -- all of us Sox fans and southsiders are William Ligue Jr types who love to get drunk and brawl.  In fact, I think he's being added to the LF wall this season.  Gosh do I love pointless generalizations and trolling comments.

It's not ignorance when you've experience it three times.

I applaud the surrounding areas for getting better if it has. I cannot say I've been down there more than once in the past 8 years.

CWSKeith, please don't attack me with a mini-baseball bat because I've had three bad experiences at Hell in the Cell. Please, that would be so un-White Sox fan like.

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Someone still pissed about this?



Classic! 

[IAmMarquette]

I have a hard time seeing the Brewers allowing the Cubs to play home games at Miller Park.

[NavinRJohnson]

I have a hard time seeing the Brewers allowing the Cubs to play home games at Miller Park.

Nothing 80% of the gate receipts couldn't solve.

[🏀]

I have a hard time seeing the Brewers allowing the Cubs to play home games at Miller Park.

Nothing 80% of the gate receipts couldn't solve.

I doubt the Brewers would have any problem with the Cubs using the place for a couple series. They get concessions, and a take at the gate. I would venture out the Cubs would bring in 40,000+ to a weekend series at Miller Park.

[DegenerateDish]

There isn't even the slightest chance the Cubs will play a home game in Miller Park. Hell will freeze over before this ever happens.

Once the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority (the one's who are pushing these changes) buys Wrigley Field, if you think they'll let revenue get outside of the state or (even moreso) a facility they own, you are insane.

If this does go down, Cubs fans better get used to The Cell.