Results tagged ‘ Wrigley Field ’
4/4 Welcome to Wrigley
The Cubs players worked out Wednesday at Wrigley Field under sunny skies and temperatures slightly cooler than mornings in Arizona. It was a day for many to get settled — Shawn Camp didn’t know where the home clubhouse was and there is a new soft toss hitting area under the left field bleachers to explore. We’ll have photos later, otherwise check out my Twitter account for some sights from a tour. The new LED scoreboard is installed in right field and workers were putting the finishing touches on the area. The right field area will seat 150 people, and you can either purchase the whole section or a part of it. There are new corporate sponsors — there’s a Target logo on an outfield door, for example. The Cubs front office has consolidated to a building on Clark Street, which has space for 155. The staff was using trailers outside Wrigley Field to handle all the staff. Said Crane Kenney: “This space has been energizing for everybody.”
Opening Day is less than 24 hours away.
– Carrie Muskat
3/31 Sveum hopes to find niche in Chicago
When Dale Sveum was named manager, one of the first things he did was tour Wrigley Field to get a feel for the facilities. What he discovered is there isn’t much room. For example, when the Cubs want to hit during the game, there is no batting cage near the clubhouse as there is at Miller Park or most of the modern facilities. The Cubs have a net in the clubhouse that they use, hitting into it off a batting tee.
“We searched a lot of little places and there was just nothing where you could get a full swing unless you went out on the concourse,” Sveum said.
That would be something to see during games. But Sveum said the players should be able to adjust.
“I think most of that stuff is a little over-rated, too,” he said. “This game went on a long time without batting cages and flip screens and all that. Sometimes when you get ready, you dry swing and you’re doing it visually. It’s nice to have, don’t get me wrong. We will here in a couple of years.”
There are plans to improve the facilities at Wrigley Field and hopefully add areas for the players to swing without having to worry about balls bouncing off walls or breaking the clubhouse TV.
When Sveum does get to Chicago, he’ll have to deal with a lot more media attention than the five writers who have followed him all spring.
“I understand there’s going to be tougher questions on a daily basis and after tough losses or on things I screwed up in the game or people think I screwed up,” he said. “When you have more people, you’re going to have more frustrating questions and questions that second guess you on a daily basis. That’s the nature of the business. I can sit here and say everything I want about it but I haven’t been in that hot seat yet.”
Sveum doesn’t like talking about himself but understands he has a commitment to talk to the media.
“It is what it is, it’s part of our jobs,” he said.
– Carrie Muskat
2/14 Cubs not going to the Cell
Let’s squelch the “Cubs to the Cell” rumors now. There are no plans for the Cubs to play their 2013 home games at U.S. Cellular Field; that report was false. The team does not have a renovation plan in place yet for Wrigley Field. Any work to be done will be completed in the offseason.
– Carrie Muskat
2/10 Cubs offer six-game ticket package
Want to be at Wrigley Field for Opening Day? What about guaranteeing a seat for the Cubs’ series against the Cardinals or White Sox? You can take advantage of the Cubs 6-Game Pack, featuring tickets to Opening Day, April 5, rivalry matchups, and Interleague games against the Red Sox and Tigers.
Sales for the six-game packages begins on Feb. 17 at 10 a.m. CT on www.cubs.com/6packs. Tickets must be purchased online.
The Cubs 6-Game Pack provides a choice of 10 different pre-selected, six-game plans, with each option headlined by some of the schedule’s most popular games. The Cubs 6-Game Pack is available in both the Budweiser Bleachers and reserved seating bowl of Wrigley Field. Prices start at $112 before taxes and fees for a package in the Upper Deck Reserved Outfield section.
Fans also may still purchase the Cubs 9-Game Pack, featuring tickets to Opening Day, weekend series with the Red Sox, Cardinals and White Sox, plus matchups with the Marlins, National League East Division Champion Phillies and Central Division rival Brewers and Reds.
Single-game tickets for Cubs’ regular season games go on sale March 9.
– Carrie Muskat
1/17 New LED sign expected to be OK
A Cubs official said the team will ask the Chicago landmarks commision for the go-ahead to install a 75-foot LED sign in right field at Wrigley FIeld if the city insists approval is required. In 2004, the Chicago city council landmarked historic elements of Wrigley, which included the exterior and marquee sign at Clark and Addison streets, the center field scoreboard, and ivy-covered brick walls, and the uninterrupted sweep of bleachers and grandstand. Technically, the new LED sign does not require the commission’s approval.
“It doesn’t affect any of the historic features. It does not change the bleacher height or the outfield wall. It’s a way to continue to modernize the park but keep within the historic tradition of Wrigley Field,” Mike Lufrano, the Cubs executive vice president of community affairs, told the Chicago Sun-Times on Tuesday. “We’re happy to work with the city if they believe it does [require approval].”
– Carrie Muskat
1/12 Cubs introduce 9-game ticket package
12/28 Small fire at Wrigley extinguished
A small electrical fire at Wrigley Field was quickly extinguished Wednesday. The Chicago Fire Department received a call at 6:30 a.m. CT, and one hour later, fire fighters had packed their gear, department spokesman Will Knight told the Chicago Tribune. The fire was in an office at the ballpark at 1060 W. Addison Street. No injuries were reported.
– Carrie Muskat
12/1 Cubs tree lighting ceremony Saturday
The Cubs will welcome the holiday season at Wrigley Field with a tree lighting ceremony on Saturday at 5 p.m. CT. Hall of Famer Ernie Banks and Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts will light the tree near the marquee at Clark and Addison Streets. The 30-foot decorated holiday tree, donated by Patch Landscaping and Snow Removal Inc., will welcome guests to Wrigley throughout the holiday season. The ceremony will be followed by a free hour of ice skating at The Rink at Wrigley. The rink is open to the public in the Cubs’ parking lot at the corner of Clark and Waveland.
– Carrie Muskat
10/31 Ernie update
If you drive by Wrigley Field next week and notice the Ernie Banks’ statue is missing from the corner of Clark and Addison streets, do not panic. The bronze is being removed for maintenance and will be taken to sculptor Lou Cella’s studio. The work was expected to take about 10 days.
– Carrie Muskat
10/14 Cubs announce 2012 ticket prices
For the first time since 2007, Cubs season ticket holders will pay less for their tickets when compared to individual game ticket buyers. Cubs season ticket holders were sent a letter on Friday, outlining the pricing for 2012, and the prices will either be flat or reduced when compared to this season. On average, a Cubs season ticket will be $1 to $2 less per game than individual game tickets in the same location.
Bleacher season ticket prices at Wrigley Field will decrease an average of 14.3 percent per ticket, the team said Friday. Individual game bleacher tickets will be, on average, lower by 10.3 percent.
The 13 designated “marquee games” will result in higher bleacher prices, but the 68 platinum, gold, silver and bronze bleacher prices all will decrease in price for season ticket holders.
There will be fewer marquee/platinum bleacher games in 2012 (30 in 2011; now 22 in 2012) and there will be more lower priced bronze/silver/gold bleacher games in 2012 (51 in 2011; 59 in 2012).
For the rest of Wrigley’s tickets in the seating bowl, season ticket inventories will remain flat compared to 2011. The team said individual game tickets in the seating bowl may show an increase or decrease — or remain the same — from last year based on the game category.
There are 13 designated marquee games in the bowl area, individually priced from $114 to $29, depending on location; 16 platinum dates ($102-$25); 26 gold games ($92-$19); 16 silver ($74-$12); and 10 bronze ($57-$8).
The bleachers will feature 13 marquee dates, priced individually at $78; nine platinum games ($52); 21 gold dates ($38); 27 silver ($27); and 11 bronze ($17). Last season, bleacher general admission prices ranged from $72 for marquee games to $20 for bronze.
The 13 marquee games include the season opener April 5 against the Nationals; May 18-20 against the White Sox; June 15-17 against the Red Sox; June 30 against the Astros; July 14 against the Diamondbacks; July 27-29 against the Cardinals; and Aug. 11 against the Reds.
– Carrie Muskat
mlblogsmuskat1
Recent Comments