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Chicago Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts remains determined to work with Mayor Rahm Emanuel on renovations to Wrigley Field despite a controversy involving Rickets' father that drew the ire of Emanuel last week.

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Chicago White Sox slugger Adam Dunn seemed destined to play in Chicago at some point in his career, but not necessarily on the south side.

“(Former Cubs general manager) Jim Hendry and I had a great relationship,” Dunn said. “At some point I wanted to play in Chicago before my career ended, whether it would be here (Sox) or there (Cubs). I definitely wanted to play in this city. “

Hendry considered signing Dunn as a free agent but did not think the slow-footed outfielder could play right field. At the time the Cubs had Derrek Lee at first base and Alfonso Soriano in left field. Dunn signed with the Washington Nationals and the Cubs went the way of Milton Bradley in a decision that contributed to Hendry’s firing in 2011.

“I stayed out of talks between my agent and Jim,” Dunn said. “I stayed close with Jim and everything worked out for me.”

Hendry was pushed again to sign Dunn by his players after the 2010 season, but was already in the mode of paring down his payroll when the Sox signed him to a four-year, $56-million contract in December 2010.

Playing at Wrigley as the Sox left fielder will be exciting and challenging for the 32-year-old, who has not played the outfield since 2009. “The fans are right there with you and it’s fun when they come up with original stuff,” Dunn said. “They are right on top of you but they don’t get an acknowledgment if it isn’t original or funny.”

Dunn hasn’t really had a chance to grow on Sox fans due to his awful season in 2011, however he likes what both fan bases bring to the ballpark.

“At Wrigley each game is more like an event -- not really a party, but a happening every night,” Dunn said. “People go for before and after the game as much as the game itself. Sox fans come because they really enjoy baseball.”

Dunn leads all active opposing players in home runs at Wrigley with 25.

“I always see the ball well at Wrigley,” he said.

CHICAGO -- Chicago White Sox designated hitter Adam Dunn will play left field for the first time since 2010 when the Sox visit the Chicago Cubs this weekend, manager Robin Ventura said Tuesday.

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With his Chicago Cubs set to open their 98th season at Wrigley Field, team chairman Tom Ricketts said the iconic park was under-invested in by previous owners and needs renovations to get it “up to speed.”

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel confirmed this week that city officials are in the “final stages” of talks on a renovation plan for Wrigley that could include public funding. Ricketts declined Thursday to put a timetable on the renovation, but said he is confident it will get done.

“I don’t know (when it will get done). What I do know is that all the elected officials, we’re talking,” Ricketts said on “The Waddle & Silvy Show” on ESPN 1000. “Everybody is kind of going in the same direction. It’s a lot of work to come up with something that’s a great win-win for the city and the team so we’re working with not only the city but the state and the county. Everybody has got to come up with something … it’s got to work for everybody or it doesn’t work. We’ve got a great conversation going and hopefully we’ll have something pretty soon that everybody agrees is the right answer.”

Ricketts said years of under-investing in the park have caught up to it.

“The big picture is the park has got to stand for 50 more years. It’s been really under-invested in over time,” Ricketts said. “The Tribune was a good owner, but it was an ROI (return on investment) kind of decision as to whether they put money in the park. I think before the Tribune baseball teams didn’t make a lot of money. It was hard to put a lot of money into an old park even in the ‘70s. It’s been under-invested. We need to get it up to speed. We need a lot of money to re-do electrical, sewage, all the stuff that is 100 years old. We’ve got a lot on our plate, but we’re going to get it done.”

The Cubs will introduce several new features at Wrigley Field this season, including the Budweiser Patio in right field and an LED board underneath. Ricketts said he wants to continue to try to improve the fan experience.

“When fans get to their chair at Wrigley they’re all right,” Ricketts said. “They go up the ramp, they see the field, they get to their chair, they’re OK. It’s when they get up to go back down and have to stand in line for a washroom or stand in line for food or there’s limited food options because we don’t have any space. That’s a big priority. We’ve got to improve the gameday experience not just the service on food and beverage but things for families and more stuff in the park for people to do.

“The second thing is we have to make it better for the players. There’s no batting tunnel. They literally put a batting tee in the clubhouse and drop a net so you don’t break the television when you’re getting loose to pinch hit. I mean, this is the 21st century. We should be beyond that.”

If the renovation project moves forward, Ricketts said the work likely will be done incrementally during several offseasons, mirroring the model the Boston Red Sox followed during Fenway Park’s makeover. Ricketts acknowledged the plan takes longer and is more costly, but at this point he is not interested in re-locating the Cubs to another park for a season during construction.

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Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts joined "Carmen, Jurko & Harry" to preview the season, Starlin Castro, the status of Wrigley Field renovations and more.



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CHICAGO -- The Chicago Cubs, one of the most popular and lucrative sports franchises in the United States despite their unmatched record of failure, may be getting financial help to renovate historic Wrigley Field from its cash-strapped city.

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MESA, Ariz. -- While revealing nothing new regarding rumors that Wrigley Field will undergo a major renovation in the near future, Chicago Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts was clear on one point.

"There's no plans for us to play anywhere else but Wrigley Field," Ricketts said Friday, during a nine-minute session with reporters to address the state of the Cubs.

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CHICAGO -- Since taking over the Chicago Cubs, the Ricketts family has expressed a strong desire to keep Wrigley Field affordable and family friendly.

“It’s everyone’s house,” Tom Ricketts told ESPNChicago.com at Wrigley Field when the Cubs opened single-game ticket sales in Feb. 2010.

Now, the Cubs are also inviting bigger-spending fans to “experience exclusivity.”

While they haven’t formally announced the pricing of the new exclusive aspects of the Wrigley Field experience, the Cubs have unveiled a pricing scale for the new right field patio, along with a new ultra-premium suite, on their website.

It’s tough to find, but it’s there.

The new Budweiser-sponsored patio in the right field bleachers, which was announced at Cubs Convention last month, is being marketed as “the Wrigleyville rooftop experience inside the ballpark,” and the Cubs are charging rooftop-like prices.

There are four pricing tiers for the section: $125 a ticket (silver), $150 (gold), $190 (platinum) and $250 (marquee). But as of now, fans can’t buy solo tickets. This is aimed solely at large groups, from bachelor parties to corporate outings.

Tickets can be purchased in blocks of 50, 100 or 150 and include food and drinks -- alcoholic and non-alcoholic. Each block of 50 contains 32 seats and 18 standing-room tickets. This is also where the Cubs are debuting a new 70-foot LED board that looks to some like a harbinger to a JumboTron.

The Cubs are focusing extra attention on high-end group sales and have organized their offerings on a page on the website that says, “Experience Exclusivity.”

Last month, the Cubs accidentally posted pricing for the patio section before they decided to make it a group section. Tickets ranged from $31.36/$52.64/$76.16/$87.36/$117.60. The Cubs pulled these prices off the website after a reporter alerted them to their existence.

One new addition to the offerings is the “Legends Suite.” Located on the first base side of the suites level, the suite offers 14 tickets, an “upgraded gourmet menu,” a pregame tour and most importantly, the company of a former Cub, who will autograph a “unique gift.”

The Cubs listed on the website range from Hall of Famers Ernie Banks, Billy Williams and Fergie Jenkins to fan favorites such as Dave Otto, Randy Hundley and Doug Glanville.

Of course, this being the Cubs, there is a variable, four-tiered pricing aspect to this suite, depending on which Cub you’re paired with. “Cubs Alumni” pricing ranges from $5,500 to $10,000, while “Cubs Hall of Fame” pricing goes from $7,500 to $12,000.

The Cubs also have the recently renamed Budweiser Bleacher Suite (formerly the Bud Light Batter’s Eye), which still sells all-inclusive tickets between $165 to $295 and the PNC Club of Chicago.

Another change for the Cubs is the availability to rent out the Cubs Trolley, which the team created last season. The decked-out trolley holds as many as 30 people and can be added as a “VIP suite upgrade” for $1,200. That’s a round-trip price of no more than 10 miles each way. The Cubs are also renting it out for weddings, bachelor/bachelorette parties and pub crawls.

After a protracted negotiation, the Ricketts family, under a separate company called North Clark Street LLC, has purchased the property that has housed a McDonald's and adjacent parking lot at 3600 N. Clark.

The price was between $20-$23 million, according to a source familiar with the situation.

The investment will be used to eventually develop a plan of either housing a new facility for the Chicago Cubs front office and employees or a larger scale building that could incorporate different businesses which may include a hotel and other retail ventures. According to the sales agreement, regardless of what is built on the property, McDonald's will be given a space to continue to do business in the new building.

There are a number of different plans to use the property in the future, according to sources. The same source said the purchase should not be confused with the eventual remodeling of Wrigley Field planned by Cubs ownership in the future.

The sale closed in the last two days after a negotiation took place over the past year. One of the existing parking lots will be used in selling baseball merchandise during the 2012 season in a temporary tent location. The Cubs will also use one of the lots for gameday parking. The other lot will remain open for McDonald's customers.

The Ricketts family has been active in the Wrigleyville area in its attempt to purchase parcels of real estate since acquiring the Cubs in October 2009. The family owns 15 percent of a rooftop building on Sheffield down the right field line, which they bought into 2010.

The McDonald's at that location is one of the busiest McDonald's in the Chicagoland area, and no deal would have been done without the owner getting a retail spot for continued business, according to sources.

The marketing department already has moved to a separate building the Cubs own on Clark Street a few doors north of the park. Other departments including media relations and public relations are housed in trailers next to the west side of Wrigley Field.

Crain's Chicago Business was first to report the sale.

A statue of "Mr. Cub" is back home at Wrigley Field after getting a makeover at Bradley University.

The bronzed likeness of Chicago Cubs legend Ernie Banks had been outside Wrigley Field since March 2008. But artist Lou Cella told the (Peoria) Journal Star that the statue was turning green because the metal was oxidizing too fast.

To restore it, Cella turned to artists in central Illinois. So, the 7-foot, 400-pound statue was loaded onto a truck and driven to Peoria.

The statue was brought to the Heuser Art Center, where they refinished it. After being waxed and buffed, the Banks statue was returned to Wrigley Field on Friday morning.

Banks is a two-time MVP and 14-time All-Star who logged 512 home runs and had 1,636 RBIs in 19 seasons with the Cubs.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

CHICAGO -- Ferris Bueller has returned to Wrigley Field, though this time he didn't have to cut class. And he helped set a world record.

The 1986 film "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," about three truant teenagers' adventures around Chicago, was screened Saturday night at the historic baseball field. In one scene, the trio attends a Chicago Cubs game at the park.

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It's been talked about almost as much as who will be the next general manager. Could Old Style really be leaving Wrigley Field?

After a memo was leaked saying that Pabst wanted to end the 61-year run of serving suds at the iconic park, the team and brewer released a statement Wednesday saying that the relationship will be extended two more years.

“For more than six decades Cubs fans have been drinking Old Style beer at Wrigley Field and it has always been part of the game day experience at this legendary ballpark,” said Daren Metropoulos, co-owner of Pabst Brewing Company in a statement. “It was important for us at Pabst Brewing Company to continue this long-standing tradition.”

According to a published report, billionaire Metropoulos fired off a memo to senior staffers shortly after he bought Pabst last year that he wanted to "exit the Cubs deal" in favor of spending more to market Old Style Light.

Pabst's chief marketing officer Bryan Crowley declined to acknowledge the memo exists as the Chicago Tribune first reported this summer. However, he told The Associated Press in a telephone interview this week that a contract was set to expire after this season between the Cubs and the company, which also makes Old Milwaukee and Schlitz.

Now, Old Style fans won’t have to cry in their Buds. Pabst is even going to host a fan appreciation day Sept. 16. Metropoulos will throw out the ceremonial first pitch, and 62 fans will be selected to receive Cubs Cash and Old Style gifts.

“Cubs fans have grown accustomed to enjoying a refreshing Old Style while catching Cubs baseball at Wrigley Field,” said Cubs owner and board member Todd Ricketts. “I’m excited as a fan of both organizations that the Old Style tradition at Wrigley Field will continue.”

The deal includes increased Old Style signage in the park and additional fan events.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

BREAKING NEWS: The biggest draw for the Chicago Cubs will always be Wrigley Field.

I know this. You know this. The Cubs know this. The seagulls know this.

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CHICAGO -- Chicago Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts made news today as he supported his GM Jim Hendry and manager Mike Quade while also saying that the Cubs will have the option of being buyers in the offseason. However, those weren’t the only subject Ricketts had thoughts on.

Members of the national media have, of late, have directed critical comments toward Wrigley Field. Ricketts defended the ballpark.

“Wrigley Field is the third largest tourist attraction in the state, generates over $600 million for businesses in the area, and it’s an economic engine of the city,” Ricketts said. “It’s not a dump.”

Ricketts admitted that Wrigley can be improved and that there is a lot of work to do to preserve the historic ballpark.

“We’ve had a team on that since day one,” Ricketts said. “We’re still working toward the right answer to make Wrigley Field even better and to save it for the next generation of fans.”

The Boston Red Sox recently completed a 10-year project to renovate Fenway Park that reportedly cost $240 million. Ricketts said that they’ve hired the same firm as the Red Sox, but was unsure if the Cubs would do a similar incremental year-by-year improvement or one big project.

“[Doing it incrementally] is a lot more expensive, but we don’t know how much more expensive,” Ricketts said. “We’ll have to really understand that better before we make another proposal.”

Along with investing in the ballpark, Ricketts mentioned that they’re spending money to ‘build a better organization’. Included in that is recommitting resources by upgrading the spring training and Dominican training facilities as well as investing in the draft and the international free agent market.

Ricketts also addressed pitcher Carlos Zambrano’s comments in which he said the team was playing at a Triple-A level and criticized closer Carlos Marmol for his pitch selection.

“I saw [Zambrano’s comments] and frankly there were a couple things in there that I didn’t like,” Ricketts said. “Calling out an individual teammate is probably not the way to handle such things. But to be honest I didn’t think it was that bad.”

Zambrano’s comments about his team’s poor play weren’t too off base, as the Cubs have scuffled their way to a 27-39 record, among the worst in the league. However, Ricketts wouldn’t blame the poor play as the sole reason for recent low attendance numbers.

“There are a couple factors, obviously the economy and the weather. But I think the most important thing is I’m not worried about attendance because if we win, we’ll be full,” Ricketts said. “Everything we’re doing is to win, so in fact we’re addressing any perceived small attendance issue that we have right now. Tickets sales were off a little bit this year, but I’m not worried about it.”

Ricketts said he walks around the park nearly every game talking to fans. According to him, 9 out of 10 fans are generally positive and supportive, although they’d obviously like to see better results. Ricketts takes great pleasure in his interactions with the Wrigley Faithful and it’s surely one of the many reasons he doesn’t have second thoughts about buying the team.

“I don’t have any regrets,” Ricketts said. “It’s still very, very fun, obviously it’s more fun if you have a better record, there’s no question about that. But this is still a dream job, I don’t think it ever won’t be.”

In a compromise with Wrigleyville and alderman Tom Tunney's office, the Chicago Cubs will host a Wrigleyville Block Party on their property during three key weekends this season, beginning with this week's series against the New York Yankees.

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