It took to the end of the season for many media types to realize
that on a cool, clear September Sunday afternoon, they were watching
the last Cubs day game at the old Wrigley Field.
By the time next season rolls around (injunctions not withstanding),
the press box, box seat, reserved terrace and upper deck views to the north-northeast
will be totally different.
I expect next year's opening day game stories to include "shocking" "surprised" "gaudy,"
and "overcommercialized" eye pollution when the Cubs put up the large Jumbotron and the
six (6) other outfield signs. Some will snicker that it is appropriate that the Cubs take a historic
landmark major league Field of Dreams and slap enough billboard signage to make even minor league ball yards blush.
It is not a "sky is falling" riff. The mayor and the city all said in bending over backwards for the Ricketts grand real estate development projects that Wrigley Field was one of the biggest tourist attractions in the city. But they never considered why Wrigley Field was the top tourist venue: it certainly could not be because of stellar baseball teams. It was a major draw because it was different, unique, and "old." The sight lines to the rooftops of the neighborhood, the large last of its kind manual center field scoreboard which mimics the lush green grass of the field. The iconic features will be buried by the flashing lights of electronic signage.
Purists still cringe at the small video board and the mini-Green Monster in the right field bleacher corner. By most accounts, the party deck has been a poop deck - - - an expensive gimmick that was not worth changing the character of the park. Purists will have cranial explosions when first viewing the final "modern" Wrigley lay out. The first 2015 promotion should be brain splatter ponchos.
So this week will have the sentimental columns by older writers who may slither nostalgic sentiment towards the company lines about the need for new revenue sources in order to build a championship team. That the old ways have to be part of the new way in order to get out of the old rut of not being a World Series champion for 107 years. Change is progress. But people don't have to like it.
As with many major tourist attraction changes, there will be the curiosity seekers who want to see what is different. It will be interesting to determine a year later whether the new park has any lasting draw on the next generation of paying fan.
