Results tagged ‘ Wrigley Field ’
Cubs announce logo contest to celebrate 100 years at Wrigley Field
(Photo by Stephen Green)
From Hack Wilson to Ernie Banks to Anthony Rizzo—Wrigley Field has seen it all. The celebrated venue turns 100 years old during the 2014 season, and now Cubs fans will have an opportunity to be part of the stadium’s rich history by participating in the “Wrigley Field Turns 100 Logo Contest.”
Fans will be given the opportunity to submit a design they feel best captures Wrigley Field’s century of baseball tradition. The winning design could be selected as the official logo for the yearlong celebration in 2014. It also may be featured at Wrigley Field, on Cubs merchandise and possibly on the 2014 Cubs uniforms.
“Millions of fans have enjoyed historic moments at Wrigley Field for almost a century, including Chicago Cubs and Bears games, college football, hockey, ski jumps, concerts and more,” said Alison Miller, senior director of marketing. “The ‘Wrigley Field Turns 100 Logo Contest’ gives our fans throughout the country a chance to commemorate these special memories, whether they’re a 13-year-old student or a professional graphic designer. We’re excited to see our fans’ creativity and look forward to showcasing the winning design throughout the 2014 season.”
The winning designer and a guest will receive airfare and accommodations to Chicago and will be honored during the logo unveiling before a home game at Wrigley Field. The winner will also receive tickets to the game as well as a personalized jersey.
Participants can upload an original, creative logo design by Feb. 28 at 11:59 p.m. CST. A group of finalists will be posted to http://www.cubs.com for fan voting in April. The final design will be unveiled at a Cubs home game later this summer. Submissions must be in .jpg, .gif or .png file formats, and should not exceed two megabytes in size. Official rules, an upload form and examples of entries are available at www.cubs.com/logocontest.
Cubs and Northwestern are bringing football back to Wrigley
(Photo by Stephen Green)
The Chicago Cubs and Northwestern University Athletics announced a historic partnership on Tuesday that will bring football back to Wrigley Field for the first time since Northwestern and Illinois squared off in 2010. The multiyear, innovative event and reciprocal marketing partnership will showcase a wide range of Wildcats athletic programs—including baseball, lacrosse and five Northwestern football games—at historic Wrigley Field in the coming years.
“We are thrilled to partner with a professional sports franchise as iconic as the Chicago Cubs in an agreement that truly is the first of its kind,” said Jim Phillips, Northwestern University vice president for athletics and recreation. “As Chicago’s Big Ten team, this is a natural fit that will create tremendous opportunities for our student-athletes, our coaches and our fans in the area.”
As part of the partnership, the Friendly Confines will potentially serve as a home venue for many of Northwestern’s 19 varsity programs over the coming years. Two sports programs have set tentative dates to kick off the partnership. On April 20, Northwestern baseball will host the Michigan Wolverines in a Big Ten matchup. In spring 2014, the Wildcats’ women’s lacrosse team, winner of seven of the last eight NCAA championships under head coach Kelly Amonte Hiller, plans to host regional rival Notre Dame.
According to Cubs President of Business Operations Crane Kenney, all profits from these events will go back into the Cubs baseball operations. The dates of the five football games are yet to be determined, as Big Ten schedules are being reworked due to the additions of Maryland and Rutgers. The restoration of Wrigley Field is also a factor.
“To do this on a consistent basis, we have to have a renovation of the park so that the field fits the right way,” said Cubs owner Tom Ricketts. “But we’ve anticipated that in our designs, and we look forward to making sure we get the right renovations in so we can hold a [football] game every year.”
Cubs Convention LIVE: Images of the Proposed Wrigley Field Restoration
Everyone is still buzzing about this afternoon’s panel on the proposed Wrigley Field restoration—here are the images to show just how exciting it all is. Renderings were provided by the Chicago Cubs. Thanks for all your support of the Vine Line blog today. Check back tomorrow for updates from Sunday’s panels and a few more images of Wrigley Field’s bright future under the Ricketts family.
From the Pages of Vine Line: Broadcaster Jim Deshaies
Say goodbye to Len and Bob and say hello to Len and JD. New Cubs television analyst Jim Deshaies will step into the Cubs broadcast booth for the first time this spring, filling the rather large shoes left behind by former analyst Bob Brenly. Deshaies pitched for six different teams during his 12-year major league career before moving into the Astros’ broadcast booth, where he spent 16 years behind the mic. Although his memories of Wrigley are not always fond (he had a career ERA of just under 7.00 at the Friendly Confines), he’s excited to move to a city he calls “baseball mad” and follow in the footsteps of greats like Jack Brickhouse and Harry Caray. For the January issue of Vine Line, we talked to the analyst about his memories of Wrigley Field, leaving Houston and his broadcast style.
QUIET TIME When I first started, I was terrible. It was brutal. They just said, “Here, go talk.” And I was like, “What do I do?” They said, “Well, you know the game, talk about it.” I had no idea when to come in, when to shut up. It was torturous. Richie Ashburn gave me great advice. He said, “Kid, if you don’t have anything to say, don’t say anything.” You’re better off not saying something than just spewing nonsense.
CALLING A MASTERPIECE Kerry’s [20-strikeout] game was my second year in the booth. I remember it was grey and misty here. It had kind of a surreal feel. It was the most dominant performance, maybe ever—a one-hitter that could have been a no-hitter. That slider was breaking about three feet at about 90 miles per hour. It was so much fun to talk to the Astros hitters after that game.
BEST OF THE BEST I spent 16 years in the booth with the Astros, and, to a certain extent, I feel like I’m breaking up the band. There were a lot of good people I worked with down there. You don’t leave that situation easily. You leave it when you’ve got the best opportunity there is in the game for guys who do what I do. I’ve received a lot of messages from colleagues all around the league who work for other clubs, people I’ve worked with in the past, and, frankly, they’re all really, really jealous.
GETTING TO KNOW YOU Here’s my self-assessment. I feel like I’m an honest guy. I’m fair. If players make mistakes, I’ll point them out, but I’m hesitant to just bury guys. It’s important to have a critical eye and not gloss things over, and I think that’s the reputation I’ve earned in Houston. But I do realize it’s a very difficult game to play. I think some guys who do my job forget how hard this game is sometimes.
To read the complete interview with Jim Deshaies, pick up the January issue of Vine Line, featuring an interview with Theo Epstein, available now at select Jewel-Osco, Walgreens, Meijer, Barnes & Noble and other Chicago-area retailers. Or subscribe to Vine Line today.
1000 Words: All eyes on Edwin
(Photo by David Durochik)
The Cubs made right-handed pitcher Edwin Jackson the first big free agent signing of the nascent Theo Epstein/Jed Hoyer era yesterday. Jackson, who has played for eight different teams in his 10-year big league career, said he was happy for the stability the four-year, $52 million contract will provide and optimistic about the Cubs’ future.
“It’s an organization that has upside,” Jackson said. “It’s just a matter of getting the right pieces in order and having everyone play on the same page. It’s definitely a team that can go out and win a lot of ballgames, regardless of what anyone says.”
Cubs agree to terms with RHP Edwin Jackson
After narrowly missing out on free agent starter Anibal Sanchez last month, the Cubs rang in the New Year by coming to terms with right-handed pitcher Edwin Jackson. The 29-year-old signed a reported four-year, $52 million deal—the largest given out by Cubs President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein and General Manager Jed Hoyer during their brief tenure—and should be a key piece of the Cubs’ rotation in 2013 and beyond.
“He fits very well on the team in 2013, but we think he fits even better with the team going forward as a core member of what we’re trying to build here in Chicago,” Hoyer said. “His talent, his age, and everything we’ve learned about him as a teammate were all part of the reasons we decided to add him to the roster.”
Jackson has called more than a few places home since his 2003 debut with the Dodgers. The 6-foot-3 power arm, who has averaged 94.1 MPH on his fastball throughout his career, was selected out of high school in the sixth round of the 2001 draft by Los Angeles, and was the youngest player in the National League in 2003 and 2004. He was traded to the Rays in 2006 and got his first regular work in a major league rotation in 2007. After the Rays’ 2008 playoff run, Jackson’s travels really started.
Since 2009, the starter has had stints with the Tigers, Diamondbacks, White Sox, Cardinals and Nationals. The Cubs will be the seventh team Jackson has played for since 2008 (excluding his trade from the White Sox to the Blue Jays, who sent him to the Cardinals later that day, on July 27, 2011).
“It definitely feels great [to have signed a long-term deal],” Jackson said. “I think the most assuring part is that you have a chance to relax and know that you’re going to be somewhere for a while. You don’t have to feel like you have to prove yourself every year. I think it’s definitely going to help for me to just go out and have fun and not have to worry about anything else.”
Jackson spent last season with the NL East champion Nationals, where he posted a 10-11 record and a 4.03 ERA. The Nationals did not tender Jackson a qualifying offer, so he will not cost the Cubs a draft pick.
In 10 major league seasons, Jackson owns a 70-71 record with a 4.40 ERA and 969 strikeouts in 1,268.2 innings (6.9 K/9). He has reached 31 or more starts in each of his last six seasons, has recorded double-digit wins in each of the last five seasons and has exceeded 180.0 innings pitched in each of the last five seasons. The 2009 All-Star with Detroit also pitched a no-hitter for the Diamondbacks in 2010 and won a World Series with the Cardinals in 2011.
“Edwin is 29 years old, and he’s already had six consecutive seasons of making 30-plus starts,” Hoyer said. “He’s proven his durability, he’s proven his talents, but he’s also still at an age where we think he can get even better.”
The Cubs have been extremely aggressive in remaking their rotation this offseason. Prior to the Jackson signing, they had already signed starters Scott Baker, Scott Feldman and Carlos Villanueva to complement Matt Garza, Jeff Samardzija and Travis Wood.
“As a pitching staff, when you get pitchers that are competitive and pitchers that want to go out and win, it definitely helps,” said Jackson, who pitched alongside Garza in Tampa Bay. “Everyone is pulling on each other’s coattails, and it’s a positive competitiveness.”
Jackson has a 1-2 career record at Wrigley Field with a 7.94 ERA and 11 strikeouts in 17 innings.
1000 Words: Get ready to celebrate
(Photo by Stephen Green)
New Year’s Eve is right around the corner. Celebrate safely and happily this year.
1000 Words: Prepping for winter weather
(Photo by Stephen Green)
The grounds crew rolls out the tarp during an August rain delay at Wrigley Field.
This comes from our photos of the year archive. To see the rest of the shots, pick up the December issue of Vine Line.
1000 Words: Up for grabs
(Photo by Stephen Green)
What did you get for Christmas this year?
This is another of the extras from our December photos of the year feature in Vine Line. There were so many good ones, we couldn’t print them all. We’ll continue showing some of our favorites here through the New Year.
1000 Words: First snow at Wrigley
(Photo by Stephen Green)
The first snow of the season is due tonight in Chicago. Ernie’s ready. Are you?
