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When the Chicago Cubs won the World Series, the expectation was raised.
No longer was the goal for Cubs fans to go to Wrigley Field for the mere purpose of watching nine innings of a baseball game at one of baseball's greatest venues. The expectation was that when fans were watching baseball at Wrigley Field, they were going to see one of the best teams in not only the National League but Major League Baseball.
That is why many fans have gradually become irritated at the operation that is Cubs' baseball since 2018. The Cubs went from appearing in National League Championship Series after National League Championship series to rebuilding in 2021 through 2022 and then striving to have the impression of a small-market team getting lucky in 2023 and 2024.
The Cubs and this is a reminder for the front office and Tom Ricketts, are not a small-market team. That is why the Cubs fans begrudgingly accepted the fact that the team was going to move from their television staple, WGN, to their own network. That is why fans have welcomed Gallagher Way and the improvements to not only Wrigley Field but the surrounding area.
But as we barrel toward an offseason in which the Cubs will once again miss the postseason, fans' expectations are being fooled. The Cubs know they can bait the fans, and the latest example of that came through the team's announcement earlier this week.
Cubs season ticket holders got 2025 invoices today featuring price increase by 3% average.
— Meghan Montemurro (@M_Montemurro) September 12, 2024
2025 season tix increase ranges from 1.6% to 6.4% and cover team's loss of 2 home games for Cubs playing in Tokyo.
New perk for STH: can select up to 2 gate giveaways in advance of season
Despite being cautious with their spending and having not reached the postseason since 2020, the Cubs are inexplicably raising prices for season ticket holders next season. Even more shameful is that the Cubs are using the guise of the Tokyo games against the Los Angeles Dodgers as the reason why.
The Cubs do not take their fanbase seriously.
The increase would be easier to accept if the front office gave the impression that they would return to spending in the offseason as if they were the Chicago Cubs. instead, the end of the 2024 season has been met with one cost-cutting measure after another.
Cubs fans deserve better, but the organization views them as just being here for a good time. Wrigley Field will always be great, but if the Cubs plan on that being the draw and not a good baseball team, it would be a regression that they will not recover from anytime soon.