PLAY BALL!

Well, that's why they play 162.

The big story is the continuing drama of the renovation of Wrigley Field. Did anyone really believe that the bleachers could be done- over a Chicago winter- in time for Opening Day? Evidently not. There was no serious consideration by the Cub officials to open and play in Milwaukee or even a little farther south at The Cell. The Cub's didn't even ask to open on the road giving themselves another week or ten days to punch out the new work, if things got dicey. I don't think this was over confidence in the construction folks. I'm here to tell you that jobs of that magnitude rarely come in on time even in good weather. If you've ever had work done on your home, you can probably relate.

So, I think owner Ricketts knew he'd be opening sans bleachers. The videoboard is up and it's good. I think it's a welcome addition to the park. I'm a purist but I'm happily impure when it comes to modernizing my favorite ballpark. There's no hot tub in centerfield, for example, and there never will be. There was never a thought of double-decking the bleachers to seat more fans. The renovation is a direct attempt to modernize a very old structure that desperately needs it. It's more than putty and caulk, which they've been doing for the past few decades. They want the place to last another hundred years. So do I. The players and most fans want that too and, they want that video screen too. I mean- replays! In the old days at Wrigley, if you didn't bring a radio (or later a portable TV) you might have had a fan nearby who did have the benefit of Vince Lloyd or Lou Boudreau confirming that, yes, that was a bad call at first and Adolpho Phillips did beat the throw. As of yesterday, fans at Wrigley can see that Castro beat it out. That, Cub fans, is the new millennium come home. It's a good thing.

Evidently the construction also put some bathrooms out of commission and that caused loooog lines for the bathrooms even for the fellas. Wrigley Field still has the troughs for us penis bearing fans. They may seem archaic- and they are- but there sure are quick and convenient. And they are not the "smorgasbord"  that those silly White Sox fans think they are. Get in, whip it out, get out. Very efficient. Ya only rent beer, ya know.

But, construction brought plumbing issues as in, not the usual number of bathrooms and so, there were lines. Not good for business, but no one was stranded like the 13 Cubs left on base, in line trying to score. Ouch. The hated Cardinals scored three times and the Cubs lost. 161 more to go.

The left field bleachers are set to be completed (I think) May 11. Right field, maybe early June. I guess it's true what left field has said for years- RIGHT FIELD SUCKS! The lack of outfield seating is costing the Cubs @ 5000 fans per game but, I think they'll survive. If that were really a big deal they would have used Miller Park or The Cell. The bleachers weren't built until 1937 (same with the famous, manual scoreboard) so, it's not as if not having bleachers is a new thing. Prior to that fans were seated in the outfield for big games, kinda roped off from the field. I guess people weren't the assholes back then that they are now and no one thought it cool to just run out onto the field of play. Well, there was no TV to get one's 15 seconds of fame at least.  

Never say never but, I may never set foot in Wrigley Field again. It's nothing personal even though I do not care for the Ricketts family's politics. It's more practical and financial. Since the 90's when the Cubs and the park really took off in popularity, its become more of a hassle to go into the city, pay a small fortune to park and pay another small fortune for tickets and concessions. I've probably been to 300, 400 games since I was kid. I long for the old days when the bleacher seats were $5 and on any given summer day you could wake up, call a buddy and go to the game and buy tickets with no worries. Into the 70's the upper deck was only open on the weekends. The Cubs, and baseball itself, just weren't the draw that they are today. I saw Banks, Mays, Rose and Koufax for relatively little money. Well, they played for relatively little money too. Free agency made light-hitting utility players rich and we all paid for that. That's America. We used to be a pretty big deal back then, and a good deal at that back when Ernie, Ron, Billy and Fergie broke my young heart.

Good and bad, I have those memories. They are priceless. They may be subject to renovation as I age but only for upkeep. The integrity of the Ferrerman memories can never be torn down. And I've had the video in my mind for decades now. I like that.