The loud ovation Cubs President Andy MacPhail got when he first spoke Monday night at a neighborhood forum suggested that most of the 200 people in attendance supported a proposal to add more night games at Wrigley Field.
Attorney Chris Woll said he has lived in Wrigleyville for 10 years and decided to attend the discussion out of concern that only people who are vehemently opposed to adding night games would turn out.
He doesn’t know anybody, including himself, who is against the proposal, which also would cost the Cubs more than $1 million in neighborhood initiatives.
“It’s 10 more minutes for me to get home,” said Woll, 31. “That’s the big difference.
“If you’re surprised someone’s peeing on your lawn, what’s the difference if you’re mad about it if they did it at 3 o’clock in the afternoon or 10 o’clock at night?”
But after aldermen finished their comments and the Cubs completed their presentation, opponents made their presence known.
They complained about neighborhood congestion and other problems associated with adding more night games–up to 30 by 2006.
“Thirty games are too many, and no matter what protections, there are negative effects on the quality of our lives,” said Charlotte Newfeld, the head of Citizens United for Baseball in Sunshine.
Many of those who spoke up at the meeting were members of community groups, including Amy Karatz, who is on the East Lake View Neighbors’ board of directors. Ald. Tom Tunney (44th) warned speakers that the evening’s discussion was about the neighborhood protection proposal and that the Cubs’ desire to expand Wrigley Field was not on the agenda.
Karatz, 55, said it’s impossible to separate the two issues.
“Once they get 30 games they’ll go ahead and expand the stadium and we’ll have absolutely no recourse,” she said.
Giving up a bargaining chip was an issue many speakers mentioned, as was a general mistrust for the Cubs. Some attendees accused the Cubs of planting supporters in the audience.
“The Cubs have never cared one wit about the neighborhood,” Karatz said. “I think they’re lying, I think they’re opportunistic, I think they’re duplicitous. I don’t think they’re to be trusted.”
One woman in the audience, who declined to give her name, rejected the argument made by MacPhail that the Cubs need more night games for economic reasons and to remain competitive. One theory behind the Cubs’ lack of success over the years has been that fatigue sets in from alternating between day and night games all season.
“Our concern is for the neighborhood, not a professional for-profit sports team,” she said. “We’re not responsible for their profitability, we’re not responsible for whether they win or lose, we’re not responsible for whether they get up at 1:20 in the afternoon or they get up at 7 o’clock in the evening.”
Not everybody in attendance had firmly staked out their position.
Matt Crane, 26, heard about the meeting through a neighborhood e-mail and hoped to hear the Cubs and officials answer questions from neighborhood residents. He didn’t make it through the whole meeting, however.
“I’m leaving early because they’re not addressing the questions,” Crane said.
Sarah Cortright, 33, moved to Wrigleyville knowing that the Cubs and night games are part and parcel of the neighborhood. She said she has no issue with 30 night games by 2006 but beyond that would take some coaxing.
“Going from 18 to 30 is reasonable, but I’d want them to ease in to going up to 50,” she said.
The Cubs are owned by Tribune Co., which also owns the Chicago Tribune.
Phasing in more games
The Cubs are allowed to play 18 night games a year, far below the league average. Under their proposal, the team would slowly add night games until 2006, when they would play 30 games a year under the lights.
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How the schedule would change
Night games now allowed: 18
Proposal for 2004: 22
Proposal for 2005: 26
Proposal for 2006: 30
MLB average: 54
What’s at stake for the Cubs and the community
The Cubs hope to add more night games to their schedule, which would allow them to increase their income. But some residents oppose the idea, saying night games create too much traffic and trash.
To offset those concerns, the Cubs have proposed several measures to ease traffic congestion and other problems around Wrigley Field.
Plan highlights
– The Cubs would provide free parking for all night games and all weekend games next season at remote lots.
Shuttles would take fans to and from
the games. The team could begin charging for parking in 2005, but only if the remote facilities averaged at least 500 vehicles a game.
– The team would contribute up to $100,000 for a study to determine if there should be an Addison Street entrance to Lake Shore Drive. The Cubs would also give up to $48,000 to buy three traffic boards that would flash messages to motorists approaching the ballpark.
– On game days, the Cubs would help empty public trash cans on major streets as far west as Damen Avenue, north to Buena Avenue, east to Halsted Street and south to Belmont Avenue. On non-game weekends, the team would empty public cans on major streets around the park.
– As night games are added, an equal number of Friday games would be moved from 2:20 p.m. starting times to 1:20 p.m. to ease traffic before rush hour. No Friday or Saturday night games would be scheduled, unless required by Major League Baseball.
– The team also has offered to start a $1 million CubFund for the area. Money in the CubFund would be disbursed at the rate of $67,000 annually for the 15 years of the agreement “to address new and ongoing neighborhood issues not addressed” in the team’s current proposal.
