New Wrigley? Let's Negotiate...

In Wednesday's Sports section of the Chicago Tribune, Rick Morrissey outlined his true feelings towards Wrigley Field. And you know what, I tend to agree with what he had to say. I mean, let's be honest, anyone who has been to Wrigley Field knows that it is basically a dump. Sure, a lot of you will look at what I just said as committing blasphemy, but in all reality, it is.

Now don't get me wrong, I love the Friendly Confines that have resided on the corner of Clark and Addison since 1914 (I even won a regional speech contest in 8th grade with a speech on why Wrigley Field is "An American place worth a visit"!!). I have spent roughly 30 games in the past six years with my fellow bleacher bums. I've lined the Wrigley walls two hours before the gates open so I could sit front row. I even accomplished a lifelong dream of mine by catching a Bobby Abreu homerun and throwing it back (to Nomar nonetheless).

However, I've been saying (along with my Dad) for years now that something needs to be done with Wrigley. Morrissey outlines basically what I've been saying for a while now:

"If I were king for a day—Thursdays work for me—I would keep the beautiful scoreboard, the outfield bleachers (including the ivy walls) and the field intact. I would salvage the red Wrigley Field sign on Addison Street. I would tear down the rest of it and rebuild, even if that meant fewer seats."

I agree basically 100% with what he says. If you think about it, those are the best parts about Wrigley. With this plan, you keep mostly everything that makes Wrigley Field what it is. Wrigley stays in the middle of neighborhood on the North side of Chicago. I believe it is even possible to redo the grandstand area, and not lose any seats. Upgrade it so there are no poles in the way and make it a much more pleasant place to watch from the 200 and 500 level seats.

There's one thing I feel Morrissey left out, and it's somewhat of a big deal when you think about it. Let me ask you, how many World Series Championships have the Cubs won since moving to Wrigley Field? When was the last time they were in a World Series? Well, if you guessed 0 and 1945, you'd be right. Don't you think it's about time that we shake things up a bit? We don't need a brand new ballpark; we just need a little bit of a new look and feel.

So let's do what the Bears did. Let's move the Cubs out to Naperville or somewhere for a year. Tear down the grandstands and rebuild. Move them back a year later and let's get back to a World Series!