What with the Wrigley Field renovation story line feeling like a perpetual hamster wheel, it’s easy to forget that the Chicago Cubs already locked down a massive ballpark and facilities upgrade about 1700 miles away in Arizona. Thanks to the support of the good people of Mesa, the Chicago Cubs will be opening a new ballpark for Spring Training next year, and will also be enjoying state-of-the-art facilities year-round. Perhaps Cubs players can take midseason trips to Mesa just to stay in shape …
Those facilities and that new ballpark are coming along swimmingly, and the park remains on schedule for completion later this year. Carrie Muskat is in town this week, and has a great writeup on everything going on. It’s quite impressive, and you can even see a video of the new ballpark, which evokes Wrigley Field.
Tim Sheridan is also in Mesa – as he always is – and he also gave the new digs a look. You can see a ton of pictures here (that there picture is just one of many worth checking out), including the facilities that make my college rec center look cramped – and that was a nice rec center! … I’m told.
We’re still waiting on a formal name for the ballpark, which I’m guessing could wind up being sponsored (since the Cubs can’t do that at home). Informally, you could call it Riverview Park (the site’s former name) or Wrigley West or Cactus Cactus Cubbyville. I’m open to other suggestions …