Wrigley Field Bleachers to Re-Open Monday

Alright, let’s just get this out the way early: the featured image above is perhaps not the best Photoshop work I’ve ever seen. That said, it’s way better than what I could do and I’m not going to get all pedantic on the quality of it. I am, however, going to shake my proverbial fist at the Cubs business department yet again. Why?

NO ONE IN THE PICTURE IS WEARING CUBS GEAR! Sorry, I didn’t mean to yell, but it appears that my Caps Lock key was stuck for a bit. I guess some people are wearing blue, including the guy checking his phone right in the middle and his identical twin seated a few feet away. There are triplicate people for days elsewhere as well.

I know some of you have already tuned me out on this, but I believe the devil is in the details and the non-baseball arm of this organization continues to fall short when it comes to the little things. I guess I also expected more after seeing all the fantastic infographs and other content the team has been promoting through social media.

But enough of my rant, let’s get on to the story here, which is that the bleachers in left and center will be open for business this coming Monday, May 11th. I would imagine they’ll have a few more fans that what we’re seeing in the image above as well. The bleachers in right are expected to be completed by June 11th and the entire project is slated for completion in early July.

According to the official release on Cubs.com:

A combination of portable and fixed concessions and vendors will be available in the bleachers starting Monday. The new Platform 14, an outdoor concession area located behind the scoreboard in center, is scheduled to open in early July and will offer expanded food preparation spaces and a larger variety of freshly prepared food items.

In addition to general admission seating, there will be new and enhanced spaces available in the bleachers.

Budweiser Bleacher Group Spaces

Budweiser Patio: The Budweiser Patio offers standing room and reserved seating below the right-field video board with all-inclusive food and beverage, and is suited for large groups of 50-150 fans. Beginning this season, the Budweiser Patio will feature an expanded footprint and additional concessions options. The Budweiser Patio will open June 11.

Budweiser Bleacher Suite: The enclosed Budweiser Bleacher Suite offers a premier gameday experience for groups of 50-100 guests. Located in center field, guests can enjoy a food and beverage package and easy access to the bleachers. The suite will open Monday.

Left Field Porch: This large group space offers a mix of standing room and bleacher seating options beneath the left-field video board for groups of up to 100 people. Featuring an all-inclusive beverage package, the Left Field Porch will open Monday.

Right Field Porch: Similar to the Left Field Porch, this space offers a mix of standing room and bleacher seating options for groups of up to 100 people. It will be open to all Budweiser Bleacher guests on select dates this season, starting June 11.

Left Field Well: The new Left Field Well features space in the first two rows above the left field wall with designated standing room and limited seating for groups of 15 to 50 fans. It will open Monday.

No longer will we have to feel depressed when a home run is launched into the bleachers only to sit untouched. No longer will the comments that follow a Cubs highlight be littered with ignorance about how the team can’t draw fans.

I’m actually pretty excited about this, probably more than I should be. I love sitting out in the bleachers and I think some of these additions, particularly the upgraded food options, are going to work out really well.

Since I opened this by kind of bashing biz ops, I do want to close by reiterating how well I feel they’ve done in a couple other areas, namely social media and general fan interaction. I really believe that the Cubs’ heart is in the right place when it comes to things like Clark and the extra events and trying to make Wrigley fun for families.

When it comes to that stuff, I’m not a “get off my lawn” guy in the least. My kids were really excited to meet Clark last year and they always love running the bases when we attend Sunday games. That said, it’s the way these things are and have been marketed that just rubs me the wrong way; it all just feels kind of awkward and overwrought.

But the Cubs have shown that they can learn and improve, as evidenced by the changes in the team’s Twitter account. Just take a look at this exchange from a couple days ago:

https://twitter.com/manuclearbomb/status/594515145562443776

@ManuclearBomb Yes.

— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) May 2, 2015

https://twitter.com/manuclearbomb/status/594515942480191488

@ManuclearBomb You know where to find us. #Manuster

— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) May 2, 2015

Congrats, Manu and Cubs, I’m sure you’ll be very happy together. I just hope you’re down with polyamory, because I’m not sure being married to one fan is going to work out. But I digress.

It’s been a tough few days for the Cubs here, but they can easily turn things around before heading back home to a larger crowd on Monday night against the Mets. For me, this news about the bleachers comes at a good time. What does everyone else think about the upgraded outfield seats? Share your thoughts below.