MLB: Wrigley Field Tour

[Cyclone90]

Took the family on a Wrigley Field tour Sunday. $25/person and well worth the money. I'd highly recommend it. You get to go into the mezzanine suites, press box, visitors clubhouse, Bleachers, part way into the Cubs clubhouse, and then through the home dugout onto the field. Just the warning track dirt between the dugouts, but onto the field nonetheless. I could have just stood there for the whole afternoon taking it all in.

However (dramatic pause) quite frankly the place is an absolute dump, which is tough for this Cub fan to admit, but really a horrible place to work. For the fan who shows up a game or two a year, the stadium is a lovely way to spend the night or afternoon. If you work there, for the club, press or a player, it has to be awful especially after you compare it to all the other new stadiums. The press rooms are small, crowded and falling apart and the locker rooms are one of, if not the smallest in the majors. And that's after you go through this cramped, crowded dirty space to get there. They really need to tear everything down between the foul polls and start from scratch leaving nothing but the view, ivy and Bleachers. Build toward Clark and over Addison. Most people like Wrigley Field because of the history, neighborhood and atmosphere and probably wouldn't miss the obstructed view, walking a mile to get a hot dog, or long lines at the bathroom. It would still be the same field where Babe Ruth supposedly called his shot and Ernie Banks played, you'd just enjoy your expensive seat all that much more.

(Cyclone90 now prepares for the horrendous backlash from irate Cubs fans calling him sacrilegious)

 

[cytech]

gotta say I agree with you, something needs to be done. I think they should try to make the exterior a replica of the old one too.

But the thing with the bleachers is, could they add more seats at all leaving that alone? Atleast seats that are worth anything.

I imagine if they did anything they would want to increase capacity.

 

[IcSyU]

As a Yankee fan, I have the same sentiments about Yankee Stadium. Phenomenal history, I don't think anyone can argue with that, but the facility itself just needed a lot of work. The new Yankee Stadium won't be the House that Ruth Built, but unfortunately it was a necessary step. Wrigley for me was a great place to watch a game, but just a hell hole for anything other than watching the game. Sad day if it goes but you have to do something.

 

[clone2011]

$25?!?! I've toured Busch (old and new), The Jake (i can't bring myself to call it Progressive), and Petco for $10, $7, and $9 respectively. And we got to see just as much of those places....maybe not the same areas, but same amount of things and all went on the field/in dugout, into the pressbox, suites, special seating areas (hr porches, etc.).

Must be the name "Wrigley"

 

[acrozier22]

My wife and I have tickets for the Wrigley tour in June. Glad to hear that it's worth the money. I told her I would pay a lot of money to be able to go on the field at Wrigley.

I agree with you on the stadium renovations. The only thing I would hate is watching the cubs play at "The Jail Cell" for a year. That would be terrible. I would rather they play their home games in Minnesota.

 

[Tornado man]

I also took the Wrigley tour with a few buddies a couple of years ago - agree that it is really a dump. As stated, I could not believe how small and cramped the dressing rooms were. Wow. We had a great tour guide, though - funny, entertaining, and very informative. The best part of the tour was the view of Wrigley looking in from the outfield bleachers and underneath the scoreboard. The park looks breathtaking if you don't look too close!
IMO, any real remodeling/expansion would require closing down Addison or Clark so they woud have more room. I doubt that happens.

 

[superdorf]

I have to say... that all the things you don't like about Wrigley field are what make it special.

I have followed the Cubs my whole life, and never heard a player complain about the facilities... All you ever here is how much they love to play at Wrigley.

If they ever do remodel Wrigley I would sincerely hope that they keep the overall look and feel of the stadium the same.

 

[sodakjoe]

I've been a Cubs fan my whole life, as has been my father, who wholeheratedly agrees with my view. I really think that the main grandstand is in dire need of some modernization. In a few years, the facility is just not going to be structurally sound enough to continue to function the way it currently does. If they gutted the inside of the main grandstands and rebuilt it, I think it would do some real good. Even if they pushed the outer walls back a ways, there would still be plenty of room to expand, as the stadium has space to expand near Addison, and LOTS of room to expand toward Clark. One area that isn't covered on the tour that is critiqued the most is the visitor's clubhouse. Apparently that place is a complete dump, worse than most of the rest of the stadium. All that being said, there are some things that should never be changed. The marquee at the front of the stadium should be left intact, as should the manual scoreboard. Obviously, the ivy must stay, since it is as much a part of Cubs history as the stadium itself.

 

[Cyclone90]

$25?!?! I've toured Busch (old and new), The Jake (i can't bring myself to call it Progressive), and Petco for $10, $7, and $9 respectively. And we got to see just as much of those places....maybe not the same areas, but same amount of things and all went on the field/in dugout, into the pressbox, suites, special seating areas (hr porches, etc.).

Must be the name "Wrigley"

I'm sure that has something to do with it. I believe most, if not all, of the proceeds go to Cubs Care however which is the Cubs charity arm. The team doesn't pocket much if any of it.

I have to say... that all the things you don't like about Wrigley field are what make it special.

I have followed the Cubs my whole life, and never heard a player complain about the facilities... All you ever here is how much they love to play at Wrigley.

If they ever do remodel Wrigley I would sincerely hope that they keep the overall look and feel of the stadium the same.

That would be ideal and fairly easy to do I'd think considering what architects have done to other ballparks. The biggest hurdle would be getting Mayor Daley, Mr. White Sox fan, to approve anything that would help the Cubs. They have room toward Clark. Addison is the monkey wrench in the spokes.

 

[Rogue52]

I use to be a somewhat progressive Cub fan that held the opinion that Wrigley Field is nothing more than a shrine to losing, poor management, etc.

In recent years, I've changed my tune. The grandstand does need work, but it's not going to be easy to expand. There's hardly any space as it is and the neighborhood is a ***** to work with.

 

[acs4isu]

I took the Yankee Stadium tour a few years back, and it was the best $10 I have ever spent. It was truly a wonderful experience to be in the press box, in the dugout, and making the walk around the warning track to the memorials in the outfield. To be in the same dugout as the Yankee greats gave me chills. If you're a fan of baseball in general, touring the grand old dames of the game is well worth the trip.

 

[kuney1]

Have there ever been discussions to build a new stadium at Clark and Addison? Wrigley is designated a historic landmark so it may be hard to demolish it.

 

[mustangcy]

How do you get hooked up with the tour? I'm going in August.

Man, ISU AND Cubs fans...you are all my kind of people!:notworthy:

 

[CYdTracked]

As a Cubs fan I hope they can at least win a World Series in the current Wrigley before thinking of doing anything. I do think 2 things MUST happen when it gets to the point that structurally something has to be done.

1. The "new" stadium needs to have the look and field of the current Wrigley. Just too much tradition just to throw the whole concept out the door for some new state of the art facility.
2. Keep it in the same location. I like the idea of just leaving the bleachers and field intact and rebuilding over the exisiting grandstands. Would probably mean at least 1 season of play at the White Sox stadium while the renovations go on which would be a weird thing to see.

Fenway and Wrigley are the 2 remaining old school stadiums with rich tradition and a fan base that would be very vocal about a switch to a "high tech" modern stadium. I like the old school scoreboard in centerfield and I would hate to replace it with a big video screen just like Red Sox fans would be upset to see the green wall gone. I think both teams will build replicas but bring some modernization to them when it comes time to rebuild.

 

[Bader]

I toured Fenway a few years back, that was a good time, until we lost the tour guide and then he went off on a 5 minute schpiel when we found him again about how we were in serious trouble. He then went on to forget he had said anything, but wandering around Fenway was sweet

 

[Tornado man]

How do you get hooked up with the tour? I'm going in August.

Man, ISU AND Cubs fans...you are all my kind of people!:notworthy:

If you know the exact dates you're going, you can buy tour tickets online at chicagocubs.com. Click on the Wrigley Field tab and then Tours. That's how I bought mine. I think tours take place when the Cubs are out of town.

 

[jbing]

Even as a White Sox fan, I am a baseball fan and would LOVE to get my picture taken on the field at Wrigley. I toured Lambeau Field in Green Bay and Wrigley Field and Fenway Park are the only other sports landmarks that could come a close second to that experience.

 

[cloneaholic]

As far as I'm concerned, nothing beats Fenway. I was there for two games last week and had a blast.

 

[Cyclone90]

Have there ever been discussions to build a new stadium at Clark and Addison? Wrigley is designated a historic landmark so it may be hard to demolish it.

They had a tussle this year over putting CBOE on the brick wall near the dugouts near the premium seating as the brick wall is designated as a landmark by the City of Chicago. I think the marquee, scoreboard and possibly the entire bleachers have the same designation. If they leave all that along and essentially tear down everything west and south of the brick wall that encompasses the field they should be ok. Putting the marquee back up of course.