The Cubs unveiled the Catalina Club at Wrigley Field yesterday ahead of their home opener against the Pirates, but the club's creation left some season-ticket holders "priced out of the upper deck," according to Morgan Greene of the CHICAGO TRIBUNE. The Catalina Club is a new premium suite that has 400 "padded upper-deck seats behind home plate." Ticket holders also have "access to the club and outdoor area, which replaced the popular Jim Beam patio." However, former season-ticket holder Gary Dupuis said that his four seats in the section were "set to jump from $18,000 to $106,000, with the average ticket price per game going from $60 to $325." Cubs VP/Communications Julian Green in a statement said that season-ticket holders with seats associated with premier clubs were "provided specific details a minimum of 18 months in advance of each club opening." Greene notes the Catalina Club "effectively divides the upper deck into two separate sides." To navigate between those sides, fans have "to cross a narrow catwalk along the back of the stadium" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 4/9).
SIGN OF THE TIMES: In Chicago, Madeline Kenney noted the Cubs removed a “No Women Admitted’’ sign in the press box at Wrigley Field that was “intended to ‘illustrate and acknowledge’ the past is history after some viewed it as tone-deaf.” After backlash on social media, the Cubs removed it before yesterday's game and “replaced it with a photo of the bleachers from a ‘Pink Out’ game.” That picture later was “switched out for an image of fans celebrating” the ‘16 World Series victory outside Wrigley Field. Green said that the intent of the image was to “acknowledge how far society has come since 1945.” However, he also acknowledged it was in ‘‘poor form’’ for the team to put it on display without context. The sign was part of an “art collection of old press credentials” added to the stairway leading to the press box ahead of the home opener (SUNTIMES.com, 4/9).
