Wrigley Field is Taking a Step Towards Modern Day
There’s a debate that will never die. History vs. modern technology. Preservation vs. renovation. It’s a debate that seems to carry more weight on the north side of Chicago. Read one article last season and Wrigley is a “dump.” Read another article and Wrigley is “the ultimate statement that some semblance of tradition is more important than the money.” The ivy-covered walls and the ancient press booths have overseen so much wonderful baseball, it’s hard to argue the stadium’s place in baseball history. Yet that does not mean changes can’t be made. That does not mean the park can’t be updated. And that’s exactly what’s happening for the 2012 season.
According to MLB.com, the Cubs are adding a roof-top-like setting in right field. They will add a patio that can accommodate up to 150 fans. In addition, they will be adding a 75-foot LED scoreboard above the right field wall. It looks like the basket will remain to catch those just-barely-far-enough home runs, but fans will be sitting a little higher and unable to reach them. The scoreboard is a major improvement to a ballpark that has been left behind technologically.
Baseball has changed, both on the field and in the stands. Executives analyze players differently now than they did 20 years ago. Fans watch the game differently than they did 20 years ago. Take for example the successes in Tampa Bay and Boston and Oakland and other places. With non-“baseball” people filling up Major League front offices, there are literally thousands of kids sitting in college classrooms fighting through statistics classes in order to keep their slim hopes of cracking a team’s analytics department. There are kids sitting at home playing endless loops of YouTube video in order to breakdown a player’s swing. These kids are the future of baseball. There’s no denying it.
Beyond those actually involved in the day-to-day decision making for each MLB team, the fans have changed as well. No longer is it enough to sit at a game with a pencil and a scorecard. Now, fans demand instant video replay access, state-of-the-art video screens, a constant flow of statistics, and simply more access. And for baseball teams to keep up with television, they have to provide this. Last season, the Arizona Diamondbacks debuted an interactive WiFi portal for fans to access during games. Fans with a smartphone or a tablet computer were given the unique ability to view in-game statistics, video replays, and additional content. All while watching the game from the Chase Field seats. This is becoming a necessary upgrade in the ever-changing world of sports.
Even the way fans watch games at home is changing. Last season, I had access to every single Major League game without the use of a cable or satellite provider. MLB.tv streams games to a customer’s computer, iPhone, iPad, and even to their digital video players at home. No longer are fans required to watch ESPN or Fox in order to get their fill. Games can be viewed live over the internet. And as fans change, so must the sport. Teams must adapt, they must innovate, and they must be prepared to sacrifice certain tradition in order to satisfy the masses.
Even with all that said, I don’t want to see the changes to Wrigley. I know I’ve laid out a compelling argument above as to why it must be done, and I truly believe it must be done. Yet, I think back to my trip to Wrigley Field with my Dad. I think about how it felt seeing the ivy up close for the first time or walking through the concourse and just watching it drip history. The scoreboards were perfectly fine for me, and the park was perfectly fine for me. The reason was simple. I was watching a game in a historic ballpark with my Dad, and I could easily relate to the days my Dad watched the games at Wrigley with my Grandfather. Not much had changed, and that was something special. Wrigley Field is a time machine. It allows you to step back and watch a game not just with your son or daughter, wife, husband, sister, or brother, but with your father, your grandfather, and your great-grandfather. The plain, old history of Wrigley is what makes it special. And while I understand the need for change, it saddens me.