Could the Chicago Cubs Leave Wrigley Field?

Could you imagine the Chicago Cubs not playing at Wrigley Field? Almost sacrilegious to say it, but it is possible if owner Tom Rickets doesn’t get his way in a major renovation deal. If the proposed $500 million deal doesn’t include a huge outfield video display, the team could be playing somewhere else for the first time in almost 100 years.

The video screen is the biggest deal breaker in the renovations because Ricketts says without it they can’t generate revenue in the Cubs' own outfield. The video screen would be 6,000 square feet, the same type of screen that is used in most Major League ballparks, but the problem at Wrigley is the privately owned clubs with rooftop views would be blocked if the new scoreboard is installed.

The Cubs haven’t won a World Series in 104 years and most experts think Ricketts is bluffing because it’s the attraction of Wrigley Field that keeps people coming to the game, not the Cubs' winning. Plus, the fan backlash would be tremendous if the Cubs left Wrigley Field and Ricketts did back step a little after his first announcement saying he was committed to working things out.

Theweek.com