6 minutes ago, southsider2k5 said:

 

If only this happened.

I'm sure it was never seriously considered, perhaps only as a ploy to try and convince the city to help.  If a team does move to the burbs at some point, you've gotta think it'd be more likely us than them.

18 minutes ago, bschmaranz said:

I'm sure it was never seriously considered, perhaps only as a ploy to try and convince the city to help.  If a team does move to the burbs at some point, you've gotta think it'd be more likely us than them.

You sure? Portland Cubs has a really nice ring to it.

Just now, Dam8610 said:

You sure? Portland Cubs has a really nice ring to it.

 Oh yeah, like MLB would ever let them move out of the market.  White Sox?  They'd help us pack probably, assholes.

I will be honest here, the most likely thing wasn't leaving the area, it was taking up a place like Rosemont who tried to attract them.  That would screw the City of Chicago and still leave the Cubs the market of Chicago.

57 minutes ago, bschmaranz said:

I'm sure it was never seriously considered, perhaps only as a ploy to try and convince the city to help.  If a team does move to the burbs at some point, you've gotta think it'd be more likely us than them.

No doubt. They weren't going anywhere. That place is the basis for their cashcow..

Just now, ptatc said:

No doubt. They weren't going anywhere. That place is the basis for their cashcow..

Right.  No Wrigley Field?  Bye bye drunk yuppies.

Why the fuck should the city have to pay for anything re: Wrigley Field?  Stop subsidizing the rich.

“I believe that billionaires should pay for their own fucking stadiums” - Bill Simmons 

100% total bullsh/t ... Team values = markets and TV contracts. TOTAL horsesh/t

21 minutes ago, chetkincaid said:

“I believe that billionaires should pay for their own fucking stadiums” - Bill Simmons 

This. 

Lol no they didn't.  They had no interest in moving the Cubs.  They just wanted to get what they wanted.

1 hour ago, southsider2k5 said:

I will be honest here, the most likely thing wasn't leaving the area, it was taking up a place like Rosemont who tried to attract them.  That would screw the City of Chicago and still leave the Cubs the market of Chicago.

Honestly, I think that if they’re going to leave Wrigley, they’d be better off leaving the city. 

Can you imagine how angry the fan base would be if they moved to the suburbs?

8 minutes ago, Eminor3rd said:

Honestly, I think that if they’re going to leave Wrigley, they’d be better off leaving the city. 

Can you imagine how angry the fan base would be if they moved to the suburbs?

Portland Cubs sounds like the best thing ever.

1 hour ago, Real said:

Why the fuck should the city have to pay for anything re: Wrigley Field?  Stop subsidizing the rich.

If you were a in the business wouldn't you try? Just like amazon or Boeing.

A threat is only a threat if the other side believes you will act upon it.  Unlike Joe Ricketts, Rahm's momma didn't raise no fools.

In fairness the other teams got public funding. My issue with the Wrigley project is that most of it was for commercial development and I assume the owners were invested in that as well. I have really grown to despise developers. The idea of the public good or public trust is basically a fraud on taxpayers. Chances are when public officials support a development they have a finanical stake in it. It is rarely for the public good or altruistic. 

I would have moved the Cubs 30 years ago to a new yard built in the Woodfield Mall parking lot. Leave Chicago to the Sox. 

3 hours ago, ptatc said:

If you were a in the business wouldn't you try? Just like amazon or Boeing.

It was pretty obvious I was coming at this from the viewpoint of the city.  Not an owner.  Should an owner try to get the city to foot the bill?  Sure why not?  But the city should tell the Ricketts to fuck off.

5 hours ago, chetkincaid said:

“I believe that billionaires should pay for their own fucking stadiums” - Bill Simmons 

The rich know that stadiums are a bad investment.  They hold cities hostage by saying "pay up or we'll leave".  Maybe their bluff needs to be called.  There's always the bribe that other events would help pay for a stadium. That rarely happens.

There was zero chance the Cubs would leave Wrigleyville. And taxpayer funded stadiums are going to be tough to get from here on out. They did redo Soldier Field, but that was already owned by the park district. The United Center was privately funded. Just some infrastructure around there was all that was public. JR got his sweetheart deal. He probably is the last.

13 minutes ago, Dick Allen said:

There was zero chance the Cubs would leave Wrigleyville. And taxpayer funded stadiums are going to be tough to get from here on out. They did redo Soldier Field, but that was already owned by the park district. The United Center was privately funded. Just some infrastructure around there was all that was public. JR got his sweetheart deal. He probably is the last.

Presumably you mean "The last in Chicago", because the Raiders are getting a fortune from Las Vegas. The previous governor of Wisconsin dismantled higher education in that state so that he could afford a better stadium for the Bucks for some reason.

9 minutes ago, Balta1701 said:

Presumably you mean "The last in Chicago", because the Raiders are getting a fortune from Las Vegas. The previous governor of Wisconsin dismantled higher education in that state so that he could afford a better stadium for the Bucks for some reason.

Yes, Chicago. The only way these teams get a new stadium is if they build it themselves. 

59 minutes ago, kitekrazy said:

The rich know that stadiums are a bad investment.  They hold cities hostage by saying "pay up or we'll leave".  Maybe their bluff needs to be called.

This happens all the time.  I think Reinsdorf was somewhat serious about Addison since the current stadium was designed to fit the street grid there.

 

I don't think Reinsdorf (or McCaskey) ever seriously considered moving to NW Indiana.  By making that threat, he held the City of Chicago AND  the State of Illinois hostage.

 

Steinbrenner once threatened to move the Yankees to Jersey, and the Cardinals threatened to build their new stadium in EAST St. Louis.  The city of Cincinnati is adjacent to TWO other states.  I don't know for sure, but I imagine they played that card too.