The World Series Champion Chicago Cubs (I’m somewhat surprised I don’t start every blog post with that phrase) have had another busy offseason. I’m not referring to the various roster moves they’ve made, but rather to the ongoing renovations in and around Wrigley Field.Renovations have been ongoing for a few years now, and the stadium is changing bit-by-bit. When all of the work is done, the differences between the before and after photos will be stark. Parts of the stadium will be brand new, yet we’ll still think of it as being more than a hundred years old.The current round of renovations include relocating the bullpens from foul territory down the third base and first base lines, to a space beneath the left field and right field bleachers. Of all the recent changes at Wrigley, moving the bullpens annoys me most.One of the reasons fans have always loved Wrigley Field is because of the many unique features. The ivy, the scoreboard, the marquee, and the bleachers help make Wrigley unique compared to the twenty-nine other ballparks in baseball. And none of the changes to Wrigley have disrupted any of those things. Extra rows were added to the back of the bleachers, and the concourse at the back was widened, but that didn’t change the character of the park at all.However, the bullpens are a classic feature of Wrigley Field as well. Only four other stadiums have their bullpens located along the foul lines. Three of them (Minnesota, Oakland, and Tampa Bay) have no choice because the stadiums were built for non-baseball use, and there’s no place else to put them.The fourth stadium is AT&T Park, home to the San Francisco Giants. It opened for the 2000 season, and not only does it have bullpens in foul territory down the lines, but the bullpens were designed that way to specifically emulate Wrigley Field!Yet next season, Wrigley’s bullpens will disappear beneath the bleachers, and AT&T’s bullpens remain down the lines.From what I’ve read, the Cubs made the decision to relocate the bullpens for two reasons. One, player safety. Having ten-inch mounds of dirt just a foot from fair territory has always been an accident waiting to happen, I suppose. And two, money. Eliminating the bullpens allows the addition of a few rows of (very expensive) seats.Moving the bullpen and adding seats changes the angle of the wall down the lines, so more of the foul line will now rest just inches away from the wall, so that does add slightly more character, but it probably also negates any gain in player safety, as it’s easy to imagine more player-wall collisions as outfields charge toward the stands for fly balls.
Wrigley's old and new left field lines. pic.twitter.com/5GzCzbTIts
— Wrigley Aerials (@WrigleyAerials) March 2, 2017
But even if it is safer for players, brings in more money in ticket sales, and protects bullpen pitchers from the elements (the saddest argument in favor of moving the bullpens), I think it’s the wrong thing to do.Wrigley Field is Wrigley Field because the Cubs player, and because of its character. It’s one thing to make Wrigley more like other parks by adding things (jumbotron, large advertising signs), but it’s something else to make Wrigley more like other parks by subtracting things.Moving the bullpens from foul territory ruins the unique proximity to the action that fans have previously experienced. I sat in box seats next to the Padres bullpen in 2008, and I think my ears are still ringing from the popping of the catcher’s glove with every pitch as Trevor Hoffman warmed up.Sure, there was the incident during a game in 2000 when a drunk fan stole a Dodgers’ player’s hat, and the player climbed into the stands, followed by a dozen of his teammates, but you’ve got to take the good with the bad!The positives of having the bullpens down the line far out numbered the negatives. And the Cubs will lose much more by moving them than they will gain.Part of me also thinks that maybe they should leave well enough alone. I mean, they just won the World Series (how is that still unbelievable!?) with the bullpens down the line, so why not leave them?Tom Ricketts didn’t ask for my opinion before they moved the bullpens though, so all we have left is memories of how Wrigley used to be, before all the renovations.Well, memories and a World Series Championship!Wasn't that well-written and fun to read? You should subscribe to my blog and we'll send you an e-mail every time I write a new one. Type your email address in the box and click the "create subscription" button. My list is completely spam free, and you can opt out at any time.
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