The Cubs yesterday "scored a major victory" in the organization's long-running battle with the nearby Wrigley rooftop businesses when a federal judge "dismissed a lawsuit brought against the team by two of the businesses," according to Hopkins & Sachdev of the CHICAGO TRIBUNE. U.S. District Judge Virginia Kendall "dismissed all nine counts within the suit filed in January by Skybox on Sheffield and Lakeview Baseball Club." Among their allegations were that the team "had violated its decade-old revenue-sharing agreement and that the 2,250-square-foot right field video board would block their views into the historic stadium and destroy their businesses." Kendall "did not side with the rooftops in their interpretation of a key sentence within the contract -- one dealing with 'any expansion' of Wrigley Field." She wrote that the new videoboard installed in Wrigley "met the definition of expansion" and that the sign "was permitted because a government body had granted its approval, another provision outlined in the agreement." The rooftop businesses had argued that signs "aren't an expansion of the ballpark." The ruling "was the first significant action in the case since April, when Kendall denied the preliminary injunction request." Kendall also dismissed the allegations that Cubs Chair Tom Ricketts "defamed the rooftop businesses from comments he made at a Cubs Convention." The decision "could spell the end for the rooftops opposing the Ricketts' efforts to renovate Wrigley or block any of their views" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 10/1). In Chicago, Danny Ecker noted Kendall's "dismissal with prejudice means the rooftop owners cannot amend and file a new complaint on the issue, though they could still appeal Kendall's ruling" (CHICAGOBUSINESS.com, 9/30).
ON SECOND THOUGHT...: In Chicago, Mark Gonzales reports the Cubs "have scratched plans" to show their Oct. 7 NL Wild Card game on Wrigley Field's videoboards. The team's original plan "was to make the telecast available at Wrigley to their season ticket holders, as well as make a limited number of tickets available for the public." Proceeds from the showing "were going to be earmarked for charity, but the event had to be approved" by MLB (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 10/1). Meanwhile, a CHICAGO TRIBUNE editorial states the Cubs are "trying to write a new ending" to the team's recent postseason history, which includes losing nine consecutive playoff games. The editorial: "That's how it went this summer: Instead of coming to Wrigley Field to soak in the ambience of a crumbling urban ballpark, people came to watch the Cubs win. The longer it went on, the harder fans braced themselves for the collapse that never came. Holy cow. This season's going to extra innings" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 10/1).
TIME TO PAY UP? In Chicago, Paul Sullivan noted Cubs President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein has built the team "into contender status," as the organization "hired him to do." Now it is "just a matter of how big of a raise he deserves." Cubs Chair Tom Ricketts is "not in a good bargaining position, so he is going to have to hope Epstein’s demands aren’t insane." Ricketts "can’t let Epstein go through the 2016 season unsigned, a scenario that would create a huge distraction." The "starting point" should be $35M over five years, "which was Andrew Friedman’s reported deal" to become Dodgers President of Baseball Operations. It can be assumed that Epstein "will get at least as much as Friedman, and probably" $5M or so more (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 9/30).
