Residents who live around Wrigley Field yesterday complained that game-related noise during Sunday night's season-opening loss to the Cardinals "was louder than usual, making public address announcements and organ music clearly audible more than a mile away from the ballpark," according to Patrick O'Connell of the CHICAGO TRIBUNE. Cubs VP/Communications & Community Affairs Julian Green said that the team is "redirecting two of the larger speakers on the left-field video board Monday to address the sound issues outside the park." About 48 new speakers atop the board are the ballpark's primary sound system for now, but Green said that the current setup "will not be the permanent arrangement." Speakers in the grandstand "eventually will be replaced during a later phase of the ballpark renovation project." Green: "We knew that the new system would increase the volumes in and around the ballpark, but last night was the first time, with the full crowd, that we were really able to understand what the impact was. We will be adjusting the volume and we will be monitoring and adjusting as we go forward. This will be a work in progress over the next few games." Green added that Wrigley's new sound system "includes better equipment and speakers attached to the top of the video board, which may contribute to how sound flows from the ballpark." East Lakeview Neighbors Association Chair Jim Spencer said that the new videoboard "also made the surrounding neighborhood brighter in addition to the increased noise levels" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 4/7).
TOILING ON THE ISSUE: In Chicago, Barry Rozner writes the issues that arose during Sunday's opener at Wrigley amounted to a "bad scene, fans waiting in line for bathrooms, urinating in cups or simply bolting early for better and more comfortable climes." Such mismanagement is "inexcusable, and the Cubs admitted as much Monday morning with an apology to their fans and a promise of better service" today when the Cubs face the Cardinals again. Even without the added issue of toilets "going out of service in the upper deck, sending thousands downstairs and making lines even longer, the conditions throughout the park would have been unpleasant" (Chicago DAILY HERALD, 4/7). YAHOO SPORTS' Israel Fehr wrote the issues that arose Sunday are "obviously something that needs to be dealt with immediately and it sounds like the right steps are being taken to ensure the bathroom conditions will be at least improved" for today's game (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 4/6). Also in Chicago, Steve Rosenbloom asked, "The Cubs didn’t realize that the ballpark would be filled on opening night? The Cubs didn’t realize that people go to the restroom between innings? The Cubs didn’t realize that all the overpriced beer they sell has to go somewhere, and quickly?" (CHICAGOTRIBUNE.com, 4/6).
