You may have heard that the initial stages of the Wrigley Field renovation were going to be unfinished for the start of the season.
Well, it sounds like "unfinished" is an understatement.
For the opening game of the season (on Easter, against the Cardinals), scores of fans had to.... well, how do I say this.... urinate in their beer cups.
Nice, Cubs. Real nice.
The 2 Chicago papers sure tore into the Cubbies......
from Rick Morrissey (Chicago Sun-Times):
Why oh why are the Cubs playing at Wrigley Field this season?
A couple great lines:
- Wrigley Field is an ancient ruin, and the problem with ancient ruins is that it’s always something.
- It's not just the Wrigley Field bathrooms that are a problem for Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts. It’s the entire look and functionality of a bombed-out ballpark that has no business hosting baseball games this season.
- When you plunk down money to watch a major-league team, you shouldn’t have to look down into a black hole filled with somebody else’s waste. I think that’s written on the back of your ticket.
- Wrigley is more of a dump now than it was before. That will change, in time, and the renovated ballpark should be a good thing.
and from Paul Sullivan (Chicago Tribune):
Some modest proposals to solve a few Wrigley Field issues
He writes:
- Even for a team with as much metaphysical baggage as the Cubs, having a plumbing catastrophe on opening day at Wrigley Field after selling the naming rights of your spring training home to a plumbing valve manufacturer is a weird coincidence.
- The problem is some areas of Wrigley can hardly hear the sound system, while it's way too loud in other parts. Fortunately, the Cubs can afford to go Costco and buy a few hundred boxes of earplugs and distribute them at the gates to anyone who needs them.
- Now the Cubs have to seek "temporary lavatory solutions" (their terminology) that don't make the concourse look like port-a-potty row at a Lollapalooza.
What a mess.
A beautiful and historic ballpark having to be seen and ridiculed like this.
Why did management subject the ballpark and loyal Cubs fans to this?
Why not play the first 20-25 home games at Comiskey until Wrigley is presentable?
Maybe they looked into that -- who knows?
Regardless, they owe a replacement ticket to everyone who was at the opening day game.
Why?
Having to walk by Solo Cups full of urine is nasty, disgusting, and furthers the poor management track record of the lowly Cubs.
This is professional baseball?
Out for now......
Matt