Cubs' gift to season ticket holders draws fire online from a frustrated fanbase

Chicago Cubs season ticket holders will, on average, pay 3% more for their seats in 2025. What do they get in return for their investment? The hope is the end of a postseason drought that dates back to 2018 (excluding the 2020 season) - and a season ticket holder gift that's drawing ridicule from many fans online.

The team sent out its end-of-season gift to season ticket holders this week - a plastic replica of the Wrigley Field lights that clips onto a block of wood and lights up in a 'W', one of the features of the historic ballpark's recent LED lighting upgrade. It's fine, but it lacks the punch you see from some other franchise's STH gifts across professional sports.

It's been hit-or-miss when it comes to the Cubs' season ticket holder gifts in recent years. In 2022, fans received a season ticket holder Cubs pennant and hat. Ahead of the 2016 season, fans received a box featuring lanyards, a 'W' pin, a car flag and replicas of seven authenticated lineup cards from some of the most memorable games from the prior year.

Season ticket pricing for 2025 will increase, on average, by about 3% - despite the team playing two of its 81 home games on the road as part of the season-opening series in Japan. The expectation, much the same as it was heading into this season, is the team will contend and bring home its first NL Central title (again, outside the shortened 2020 campaign) since 2017.

In 2023, the Cubs' infamous season ticket holder waiting list became a thing of the past - a dark sign for a franchise that had some fans waiting for years to get the chance. The rising costs, paired with the sub-par on-field product since 2020, have driven down interest. It's safe to say that, while a nice gesture, this year's season ticket holder gift will do little to lure disenchanted fans back into the fold.