Zellingout Wrigley

April 2nd, 2008 at 10:25am Gareth Sleger

So, Sam Zell, who bought-out the Tribune Co. in December, wants to sell Wrigley Field’s naming rights. I say let him (not that my mocking permission will influence him). In all honesty, it’s not as if the masses of dedicated Cubs fans will ever refer to Chicago’s north side landmark as anything but Wrigley Field; its name is too deeply rooted in to the Cub Nation institution. Don’t get me wrong, I’m certainly not advocating his quest…er, “business decision”…to rename Wrigley. In fact, my lack of respect for Zell matches his lack of respect for Cubs—check that—all of baseball. 

White Sox and Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf was quoted by the New York Times: “He actually dislikes baseball. He never would have bought the Cubs if they didn’t come with The Tribune. It’s just another asset to him.” 

OK, so Zell (who was actually born in Chicago) isn’t a fan of America’s pastime. No problem, go right ahead and sell it to someone(s) who, at the very least, has a desire to see the on-field product succeed (cough-Mark Cuban-cough). But why muddle with a product like Wrigley Field, which is already a booming cash cow and becoming more lucrative every year virtually on its own? It’ll be a selfish decision that could backfire with the boycott of disgruntled fans. The sad thing is that it won’t matter to Zell, who is only concerned with the depth of his pockets. 

Let’s not forget that in 1927, Wrigley Field (formerly Cubs Park, but originally Weeghman Park when built in 1914) was actually one of the first ballparks to be named after a corporation, it just so happened that the name stuck. Well, now might be a good time for the Wrigley Company to dust off its checkbook.

Entry Filed under: Wrigley name buyout, Sam Zell