Chicago Cubs: "Saving Wrigley Field" was a victory lap for Tom Ricketts

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After two weeks of procrastination and wavering feelings of if I really wanted to watch this or not, I decided to pop some corn, sit back, and watch the Saving Wrigley Field documentary the Chicago Cubs put out, recapping all the work done to keep Wrigley Field running for the next century of baseball on the North Side.

Although it’s housed on the team’s YouTube channel and Marquee Sports Network, I can’t say it was the Cubs who put it out as much as the Ricketts family probably commanding it be done so people see just how much time, thinking, manpower, and (more importantly) money the owners of the team put into restoring the now federal landmark.

I really want to get into the what the documentary was at face value before I get into what I believe to be the motivations behind its creation.

The scene was set early on, with an entire section dedicated to how dire of straits Wrigley was in prior to the 1060 Project. There were games that needed to be suspended because of power outages. On multiple instances, the stadium had to be cleared because of falling debris around the ballpark. There was even a story recalling a Jimmy Buffett concert where the upper deck could visually be seen shifting back and forth. Imagine the disaster that awaited if something wasn’t done sooner rather than later.

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The documentary covered the two biggest beefs the organization and neighborhood had with each other, the lights and the video boards. It did a really good job of convincing people that A) they did what they needed to do for the good of the stadium and the game and B) proving they did nothing legally wrong.

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They dissected the agreement the Cubs and the rooftop owners had and showed where they were not breaking the agreement by building the jumbotrons because they had approval from the city. If you’ll recall, there was a lawsuit, but eventually it was dropped.

There was a large segment about beefing up the resources and spaces available for the players to come and be better ballplayers. In the documentary, Tom Ricketts and Theo Epstein partially credited the World Series championship to the renovations done in the clubhouse and facilities. It lays out, in detail, all the preparation and thought that went into the new and improved player facilities.

This included a bigger clubhouse, round in shape to show how there were no corners and no man more important than the guy next to him. The renovation also brought larger training rooms, an entertainment area and even a soundproof sleeping room. Most improved, they installed an actual batting cage. Theo Epstein himself recalled a time seeing pinch hitters warming up in the locker room with a tee and wood panels covering television screens so they did not break.

The whole idea with the improvements to the players’ amenities was to show current players they would spare no expense to give them the tools needed to succeed, and recruit outside players (free agents) to want to come play here.

Spare no expense. Remember that.

Chicago Cubs: You’ve got to spend money to make money

They went through redoing the bleachers, where they had to take down the outfield wall, preserve the ivy, relay the bricks, and replant the same ivy. They expanded the spaces for the fans to move around and added bathrooms/concessions to the upstairs. They added an outdoor entertainment area next to the stadium – that is now known as Gallagher Way. These are all things you know if you’ve been to Wrigley in the last five years.

The timeline and history lesson you get about the corner of Clark and Addison is really cool. You really get to see how Wrigley was back in the early 1900s compared to how it is now in 2021, and how even through expansion and addition the overall construction and feel of going to a game at Wrigley Field as a fan hasn’t really changed in a dramatic way.

Throughout the entire production, the Ricketts and others were speaking of this probably costing more than a new stadium, but they felt they had to do it. Tom specifically mentioned too that the new revenue Wrigley would provide would lead to a bigger budget to bring together a winning and competitive team year after year. At the end it is said that all the renovations cost an upward of $750 million.

Chicago Cubs: Was there ever any doubt why this film was produced?

Look. This documentary wasn’t made to educate fans on the process of renovating and rebuilding Wrigley Field – even though that aspect was definitely cool. The point was for the Ricketts family to take full credit for making it possible to restore and preserve the Friendly Confines for generations to come and shine the light on themselves. They wanted another victory lap, aside from giving themselves a plaque on the wall.

Do they deserve a lot of the credit? Absolutely. They put up the funds and brains to make it happen, and there is no doubt that it needed to happen to save Wrigley. But the timing of this all is oh so visible. But they also just spent years telling us there was no room in the budget to re-sign a core that really led the Cubs to a championship. Now they released a documentary showing how much money they spent on Wrigley in order to generate more revenue.

The Ricketts did indeed use their deep pockets to fix the stadium, and they accidentally (and luckily) stumbled upon a World Series in the process. However, if you think this all was done as a service to us for our gameday experiences and to bring a better team together to put on the field, it’s time to wake up and see the writing on the wall.

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The Ricketts do not care about winning, they only want your money. I dare them to prove me wrong this offseason and beyond. A friendly reminder: Chicago is the third-largest market in sports. The money is there.

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