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Old 12-25-2007, 01:18 AM
 
Location: Chicago
15,586 posts, read 27,641,092 times
Reputation: 1761

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Quote:
Originally Posted by bklynchapin View Post
First off, who's flying across the country to see a Braves game? Look, you seriously just don't get it if you want to demolish Wrigley. I have gone out of my way to see games at Wrigley and Fenway, and this is coming from a New York born and raised Yankee fan. The reason- I love baseball. If you want to demolish Wrigley, you can't possibly love baseball.
I have never been to a game anywhere other than the old Comiskey and new Comiskey and Wrigley. Yankee Stadium and Fenway are really the only places I feel an urge to go to...
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Old 12-25-2007, 01:27 AM
 
138 posts, read 513,578 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Avengerfire View Post
I have never been to a game anywhere other than the old Comiskey and new Comiskey and Wrigley. Yankee Stadium and Fenway are really the only places I feel an urge to go to...
I would have liked to go to the Old Comiskey. The new one isn't really at the top of my list. Again, I'm a Yankee fan, but there is really nothing comparable to the Wrigley and Fenway experience. Yankee Stadium would probably be a distant 3rd because it's been remodeled so many times. Still, the history there is unbelievable, but it's about to be torn down. 2008 is your last chance to see a game at Yankee Stadium before it is demolished for a new stadium going up right next door to open for the 2009 season.
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Old 12-25-2007, 05:52 AM
 
Location: Jonquil City (aka Smyrna) Georgia- by Atlanta
16,259 posts, read 24,777,470 times
Reputation: 3587
Quote:
Originally Posted by Avengerfire View Post
They never play at home on the same day? Where have you been, on Mars?


SOX--------------------------------------------------------------------------------CUBS
Tue, 4/15 Athletics TBD MLB.TV -----------------------------------------------------Reds 7:05p MLB.TV
Tue, 4/22 Yankees TBD MLB.TV------------------------------------------------------Mets 1:20p MLB.TV
Tue, 8/5 Tigers TBD MLB.TV----------------------------------------------------------Astros MLB.TV
Wed, 8/6 Tigers TBD MLB.TV---------------------------------------------------------Astros MLB.TV
Fri, 8/8 Red Sox TBD MLB.TV---------------------------------------------------------Cardinals 1:20p MLB.TV
Sun, 8/10 Red Sox TBD MLB.TV-------------------------------------------------------Cardinals 1:20p MLB.TV
Tue, 8/19 Mariners TBD MLB.TV-------------------------------------------------------Reds 7:05p MLB.TV
Wed, 8/20 Mariners TBD MLB.TV------------------------------------------------------Reds 7:05p MLB.TV
Fri, 8/22 Rays TBD MLB.TV-----------------------------------------------------------Nationals 1:20p MLB.TV
Sat, 8/23 Rays TBD MLB.TV----------------------------------------------------------Nationals TBD MLB.TV
Sun, 8/24 Rays TBD MLB.TV----------------------------------------------------------Nationals 1:20p MLB.TV
They didn't used to play at home on the same day- or very rarely. Seems like lots of August games and none in May, June, July... wonder why
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Old 12-25-2007, 06:05 AM
 
Location: Jonquil City (aka Smyrna) Georgia- by Atlanta
16,259 posts, read 24,777,470 times
Reputation: 3587
Quote:
Originally Posted by bklynchapin View Post
First off, who's flying across the country to see a Braves game? Look, you seriously just don't get it if you want to demolish Wrigley. I have gone out of my way to see games at Wrigley and Fenway, and this is coming from a New York born and raised Yankee fan. The reason- I love baseball. If you want to demolish Wrigley, you can't possibly love baseball.
I don't love baseball. Never has been my sport although I have attended games in Wrigley, Comiskey (old and new), Turner Field and Royals Stadium (KC). I am just looking at it from a business point of view. Wrigley field is too small and too old. People now days want new, big and flashy and lots of income from luxury box seats and suites. Plus the fact is that, although some people in Lakeview like the Cubs I would submit that many, if not most, would like to see the Cubs gone. When I lived there in the 80s and 90s, they constantly bitched and moaned about the Cubs and the traffic, rowdiness and vendors. For the Cubs to get just a few night games a year- which are crucial for TV ratings- the Cubs were forced to beg and Mayor Eugene Sawyer finally was able to get it only after the team said it would leave town if they didn't. At some point, if you run a business and the neighbours around you are hostile and you can no longer grow in your current location, you look elsewhere. I am not suggesting that the Cubs leave town. I am sure a parcel of land can be found in or near Chicago for a nice shiny new ballpark for them. But if I owned them, I would have to say goodbye to Wrigley Field. May it rust in piece!
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Old 12-25-2007, 06:36 AM
 
Location: Chicago
38,707 posts, read 103,243,287 times
Reputation: 29983
Quote:
Originally Posted by teshorr View Post
I fully agree! I don't see how anyone--ANYONE, even non-sports fans--could even consider living in Wrigleyville if they weren't fully prepared to deal with the traffic, lights, vendors, noise, etc.
Well there are some complaints that are legit. For one, when the city first permitted night games, it was only supposed to be a handful of games. Since then the Cubs have managed to steadily increase the number of night games to the point where they now outnumber the day games. Someone who just moved into the area has no room to complain because they went in with their eyes wide open. But those that have been there a while have watched the Cubs continually change the terms to their advantage.

Additionally, the neighborhood had to fight the recent bleacher expansion plans that would have basically eliminated the stretch of sidewalk along the right field wall. The Cubs eventually relented and cantilevered the new bleachers over the sidewalk. So the bottom line is sometimes the Cubs can be pushy neighbors and the neighborhood has to push back.
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Old 12-25-2007, 06:46 AM
 
Location: Chicago
38,707 posts, read 103,243,287 times
Reputation: 29983
Quote:
Originally Posted by KevK View Post
I don't love baseball. Never has been my sport although I have attended games in Wrigley, Comiskey (old and new), Turner Field and Royals Stadium (KC). I am just looking at it from a business point of view. Wrigley field is too small and too old. People now days want new, big and flashy and lots of income from luxury box seats and suites. Plus the fact is that, although some people in Lakeview like the Cubs I would submit that many, if not most, would like to see the Cubs gone. When I lived there in the 80s and 90s, they constantly bitched and moaned about the Cubs and the traffic, rowdiness and vendors. For the Cubs to get just a few night games a year- which are crucial for TV ratings- the Cubs were forced to beg and Mayor Eugene Sawyer finally was able to get it only after the team said it would leave town if they didn't. At some point, if you run a business and the neighbours around you are hostile and you can no longer grow in your current location, you look elsewhere. I am not suggesting that the Cubs leave town. I am sure a parcel of land can be found in or near Chicago for a nice shiny new ballpark for them. But if I owned them, I would have to say goodbye to Wrigley Field. May it rust in piece!
We too are looking at it from a business perspective. The stadium is not "too old and too small." It has a capacity of 43,000, which is pretty standard for a MLB stadium. If they sell out, they can always raise ticket prices, which they've continually done for the last 20 years now. Second, they've already added luxury suites, a long time ago. Ever notice that whole row of glass hanging from the upper deck starting at one baseline, going around home plate and then up the other baseline? There's your luxury suites. Third, you still don't seem to understand just how much business the Cubs do precisely because they play in Wrigley Field. I fail to see the business sense in killing the goose that's laying the golden egg. It's about the only thing saving a franchise that otherwise keeps laying rotten eggs. Finally, there's been a whole lot of turnover in Lakeview since the late 80s and early 90s. The hostile crowd has moved on or been completely overwhelmed by people who have since moved to the area precisely because of Wrigley Field and everything else that it has brought to the neighborhood -- in essence, turned it from a collection of seedy sports bars into a premier nightlife destination. That whole section of town bleeds blue now, and they form a substantial part of the crowd on any given evening. You move their stadium out to DuPage County and they're not going to follow.
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Old 12-25-2007, 06:55 AM
 
Location: Chicago
38,707 posts, read 103,243,287 times
Reputation: 29983
Quote:
Originally Posted by Georgia View Post
Words cannot describe my thoughts.
I never noticed that the last time I was there. Geez
And that's exactly why people have let this one slide -- because you don't have to notice it. Sports announcers never have to reference "The Bud Light Bleachers." Nobody ever has to say "I want two tickets for the Bud Light Bleachers." The only thing that's really changed is there's now a relatively small sign that says "Bud Light Bleachers." Changing the name of the whole stadium, however, is something people won't be able to ignore. I still refuse to call White Sox Park by its official name, or even its new nickname, "The Cell." I never called it White Sox Park before (though many did), but I do now because it's better than the alternative.
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Old 12-25-2007, 07:17 AM
mdz
 
Location: Near West Burbs, IL
622 posts, read 2,620,889 times
Reputation: 199
Quote:
I would have liked to go to the Old Comiskey. The new one isn't really at the top of my list.
Old Comiskey was a neat park, I did love the coziness of it and the roof over the upper deck in the outfield, especially when Ron Kittle would knock one over. The bad part about it was that it was falling apart, some of the sight lines were brutal (especially if you were behind a post), and it really did smell like urine and stale beer. I think Bill Veeck had the bathrooms cleaned out once a decade. The new park is soulless but it's a nice place to watch a game, especially if you're in the lower bowl.

The sight line problem is the only issue I've got with Wrigley (other than the fact the Cubs play there). If you're in a lousy seat it's not as much fun to watch.
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Old 12-25-2007, 07:21 AM
 
Location: Chicago
38,707 posts, read 103,243,287 times
Reputation: 29983
Quote:
Originally Posted by mdz View Post
Old Comiskey was a neat park, I did love the coziness of it and the roof over the upper deck in the outfield, especially when Ron Kittle would knock one over. The bad part about it was that it was falling apart, some of the sight lines were brutal (especially if you were behind a post), and it really did smell like urine and stale beer. I think Bill Veeck had the bathrooms cleaned out once a decade. The new park is soulless but it's a nice place to watch a game, especially if you're in the lower bowl.

The sight line problem is the only issue I've got with Wrigley (other than the fact the Cubs play there). If you're in a lousy seat it's not as much fun to watch.
Yeah, Wrigley is a mixed bag like that. If you're behind a pole it can suck (though there's always a sightline to the bases), but everywhere else the sightlines are among the best in the league because you're practically on top of the field. It's definitely not like White Sox Park and lots of other newer stadiums where in the upper deck you feel like you're watching the game from geosynchronous orbit.
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Old 12-25-2007, 01:35 PM
 
138 posts, read 513,578 times
Reputation: 43
Quote:
Originally Posted by KevK View Post
I don't love baseball. Never has been my sport although I have attended games in Wrigley, Comiskey (old and new), Turner Field and Royals Stadium (KC). I am just looking at it from a business point of view. Wrigley field is too small and too old. People now days want new, big and flashy and lots of income from luxury box seats and suites. Plus the fact is that, although some people in Lakeview like the Cubs I would submit that many, if not most, would like to see the Cubs gone. When I lived there in the 80s and 90s, they constantly bitched and moaned about the Cubs and the traffic, rowdiness and vendors. For the Cubs to get just a few night games a year- which are crucial for TV ratings- the Cubs were forced to beg and Mayor Eugene Sawyer finally was able to get it only after the team said it would leave town if they didn't. At some point, if you run a business and the neighbours around you are hostile and you can no longer grow in your current location, you look elsewhere. I am not suggesting that the Cubs leave town. I am sure a parcel of land can be found in or near Chicago for a nice shiny new ballpark for them. But if I owned them, I would have to say goodbye to Wrigley Field. May it rust in piece!
I guess I can understand what you are saying about people nowadays wanting newer shinier stadiums, but I don't think you understand that Wrigley and Fenway are the exception to that rule, for the simple reason of nostalgia. They are like living museums of the way baseball used to be and feel like. Most people are not going to cry over knocking down stadiums built in the 1960s, which are the oldest stadiums excluding Fenway, Wrigley and Yankee stadiums. Yankee Stadium is about to be torn down, but it has been renovated a number of times to the point where it does not feel like the same stadium that opened in 1923. Fenway and Wrigley were built in 1912 and 1914 respectively and haven't changed all that much since. They are living monuments to baseball's grand history. When you hear people make a list of baseball stadiums they want to see a game in, Wrigley and Fenway are always on that list. Again, it's the stadiums, not the teams. And so many of those newer stadiums that are being built are actually paying homage to the stadiums of the past. I don't know how many new stadiums have tried to incorporate aspects of Ebbets Field into their design- because of the nostalgia factor. Do you have any idea how many people would love to have that classic stadium still in Brooklyn. Sorry to go on for so long, but it really seems like you are missing something. Do a google search on the best baseball stadiums and Fenway and Wrigley will be at the top almost every time. Seriously, you are out of touch on this one.
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