Is It Time To Send The Wrecking Ball To Wrigley?

They are baseball’s lovable losers, but there’s nothing to love about the Cubs terrible record. They have lost 6 in a row and are now 11 games below 500.

Cubs Shut Out By White Sox

Chicago is once again dead last in the National League Central with a .366 winning percentage:  The Standings

If you think this year is bad, consider this: the Cubs haven’t won a World Series since 1908. That was 104 years ago. But hey, anyone can have a bad century.

Yet ironically, the Cubs used to be good. Very good.

In 1906 the northsiders were 116-36, with a .736 winning percentage that still ranks as the best ever. Then in 1907 and ’08 they won back-to-back World Series.

So what happened? They moved.

Into Wrigley Field.

Built in 1914, the Cubs took possession in 1916 and ever since that point – they have been terrible. How bad are they?

Consider this: pre-Wrigley, the Cubs had 2,971 wins against 2,152 losses. Since 1916, the Cubs have 7,382 wins with  7,708 losses and counting. That’s why some are calling for the destruction of Wrigley Field, calling it cursed:

Why Wrigley Field Must Be Destroyed

The critics say Wrigley Field is “so pleasant” the game has become secondary. I’ve been to Wrigley several times. It’s a great place to see a game – the fans are passionate about their team, especially when they’re drunk, which is usually the case by the 2nd inning. It’s a rowdy place that’s old-school and nostalgic, but never “pleasant”.

I don’t think Wrigley is the problem. Rather it’s been years of bad trades, inept management and the failure to develop a competitive farm system. But now that Theo Epstein is on board as GM, you can expect he’ll make the Cubs competitive again, just as he did with that other historic franchise he ran: the Boston Red Sox. The Cubs just need a little time to get better.

Maybe 2100 will be “their” century.

About Mike

Mike Luery is an award-winning journalist with 25 years on TV and radio. Currently, he is the political reporter for KCRA-TV, the top-ranked station in Sacramento. This is Luery's second tour of duty with KCRA, where he was also a reporter from 1984 - 2000. In between, he was NBC's Capitol Bureau Chief in California and a reporter for CBS 13 in Sacramento. Luery lives in northern California with his wife Carol. Baseball Between Us is his first book.
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