400 pound replica Wrigley Field cake found in dumpster
By Aaron Somers
Mandatory credit: USA Today Sports.
Celebrating the 100th anniversary of Wrigley Field was meant to be a joyful day for the Chicago Cubs, up until the team’s bullpen elected to have a very Cubs-like meltdown which ultimately cost the team a win against the worst team in Major League Baseball. Add in an injury that will keep outfielder Justin Ruggiano on the shelf for 3-4 weeks and an evening of being the butt of nearly every joke on Twitter and it was hardly a day worth remembering for the Cubs organization.
Things took another turn Thursday morning.
Part of the team’s celebration included commissioning a 400 pound cake replica of Wrigley Field, made by Carlo’s Bakery in Hoboken, New Jersey. The same Carlo’s Bakery made famous by the reality TV show “Cake Boss”. The cake was placed on display at Wrigley during the game before it was taken over to a charity event at the Field Museum of Natural History following the game. Portions of it were edible, but apparently there were no plans to consume the massive dessert.
Photos of the cake appeared Thursday morning on Reddit, quickly going viral. Uneaten and seemingly untouched, the cake had simply been tossed in a dumpster.
Late Thursday morning, Cubs spokesperson Julian Green released a statement on the matter, courtesy of Jon Greenberg at ESPN Chicago:
"The Chicago Cubs are disappointed in how our Wrigley Field display cake was disposed of by the Field Museum following our successful charity event last night. The team made a decision not to serve the edible portion after the cake was on display outside Wrigley Field for most of the day. Though the cake was mostly made up of non-edible material, it certainly does not excuse how a celebratory display cake artfully created by Buddy Valastro and Carlo’s Bakery was handled."
While there appears to have been some sort of communication problem between the Cubs and the museum (they’ve released their own statement, simply stating that they are taking steps to mend their relationship with the team and nothing more), the photo has circulated for much of the day as a symbol of the Cubs immediate future and much of their past. There is some reason for optimism in Chicago, as there are prospects working their way towards the Major Leagues who have given the fan base hope for seasons to come. Cubs fans wait patiently for a winning product on the field, partly so they’ll stop being a joke off it.