Catch Your Cubs on the South Side?

It's true. It may happen. Well, maybe. The only sources of information come via a Wrigleyville resident buddy of mine and also The Mully and Hanley show on WSCR-670AM in Chicago. There has been some discussion on major renovations of Wrigley Field, a project that would take up to a year. Okay, fine, it has to happen sooner or later, right? How long can the cargo nets hold back pieces of falling concrete?

And where exactly would the Cubs relocate to for a season? Kane County? Nah, it's too small, even by Wrigley standards. Elfstrom Stadium holds a measly 7,400 people. C'mon, I've stood behind that many people in the urinal line at Wrigley. Not gonna happen. And how happy would Derek Lee be playing games there, only to find that he has to wait to throw out grounders between innings because a 5 year old kid is having a footrace with a Cougar mascot riding a tri-cycle?

Schaumburg Flyers? Nah, brah. Seats even less than Kane County. Plus, no one likes Schaumburg.

Soldier Field? Just because The Bears used to play football at Wrigley doesn't mean that it works vice versa. You could have a pretty wicked game of 500, I suppose. You'd also have to think that the Bear faithful would approve. The Cubs actually have a chance to put more "points" on the board than the Bear offense.

Well, that leaves US Cellular. Now now, don't jump off a bridge just yet. It's obviously an attractive option, better than the barnstorming campaign the Expos embarked on earlier this century to be sure. 'The Cell' isn't such a bad place. Sure, it has no charm, and it's frequently occupied by meth-loving Sox fans, and the local neighborhoods have about as much charm as the on-location shoots during an episode of The Wire. That being said, where else are you going to fit that many people, in a stadium meant for baseball, in the city of Chicago?

Sure, there are a lot of details to be ironed out: scheduling of games, concessions, advertising, rent, gate receipts, would they sell Old Style or just Miller, long standing season tickets, etc. I guess it's akin to the Bears playing in Champaign for a year. Sure, it was a pain in the ass, but it worked out fine in the end. And instead of a 2-3 hour car ride, you're still in the same town. It makes sense, right?

But when they get back, will Wrigley become US Zellular Field?