The Cubs on Saturday held a groundbreaking ceremony for Wrigley Field's expansion and restoration, which they are now calling "The 1060 Project." In addition to team Owners the Ricketts family, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, MLB Commissioner Bud Selig, and former Cubs players Milt Pappas and Kerry Wood were on hand. The event was attended by more than 350 people (Cubs). Cubs Chair Tom Ricketts said, "The fact is there were a lot of days I was concerned that we would never get to here." In Chicago, Mark Gonzales noted the ceremony "was dotted with humor and concluded with ceremonial digs with shovels" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 10/12). Also in Chicago, Brian Sandalow wrote it was "one of the more jubilant days of Ricketts' ownership." Ricketts "delivered a speech, shoveled some ceremonial dirt and shook plenty of hands." It was "a day he has been waiting for." Ricketts said, "Were there ever any doubts? Yeah, absolutely. Are you kidding me?" He added that he "hoped for a mild winter that would allow the first phase of the renovation to be completed by Opening Day" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 10/12). Ricketts: "We’d love to host an All-Star Game when the renovations are done. It’s been about 30 years since our last All-Star Game" (CSNCHICAGO.com, 10/11).
TALKING SHOP WITH FANS: CBSCHICAGO.com's Bruce Levine noted Cubs President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein and President of Business Operations Crane Kenney at an event Friday "spent an hour thanking" 2,000 season-ticket holders at Chicago's Oriental Theater. Video segments "lauded the improved facilities the Cubs have established in Mesa, Ariz. and the Dominican Republic" (CBSCHICAGO.com, 10/10). ESPN CHICAGO's Jon Greenberg wrote the Cubs will have more money "in the pot once the new outfield signs and video board go up." But Epstein said, "We haven’t reached that next level yet where the payroll is going to significantly increase. The TV deal is really the magic bullet there, the paradigm-shifter that’s going to put us in a whole new level." Greenberg wrote the "real money ... likely won’t start" until the '20 season, after the team's rights deal with Comcast SportsNet Chicago expires (ESPNCHICAGO.com, 10/10). The TRIBUNE's Gonzalez noted Epstein and Kenney "expressed strong confidence they will land a lucrative television deal by the end of the year." Kenney said that multiple potential TV partners "have surfaced and are interested in long-term deals covering 15 to 30 years." Kenney "admitted he misgauged the market when he negotiated a deal with Fox SportsNet in Chicago in 1999 and stressed patience with the regular season less than five months away and no TV deal." He said, "We're not going to short-arm the negotiations. I also want to say we're very confident that we're going to have a very good outcome on the television deal" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 10/11).
