Chicago Cubs Unveil New Bleachers, First Big Seating Change Since 1937

The Chicago Cubs have built an entire baseball tradition on its outfield bleacher seats. But this month the Cubbies unveiling their new, re-built bleachers in Wrigley Field’s first major change since their construction in 1937.

The Cubs plan to re-open the left and center outfield bleachers to coincide with its charity “Pink Out” day sponsored by Advocate Health Care and tickets for the new seating are already on sale.

The right field bleachers won’t open until June 11 and finishing touches such as painting and the like won’t be finished on the whole of the three sections until later in the summer.

The Cubs are also unveiling new standing-room-only sections they call “the well” and “the porch.” The first sits behind the video board in left field and the latter under a video board in left-center.

The Cubs plan to open the new concession areas and new bathrooms by June 11, as well.

Neighbors, though, are already complaining that the sound system for the new video boards is too loud and team management is saying they are looking into solutions for the problem.

The new land purchases will allow the Cubs to make more room for bullpen space as well as open ore room for food preparation.

Currently, the Cubs report that much of the food they sell is prepared off site and shipped in at game time but the renovations will help concessions to be made fresher inside the park itself.

The team also hopes to bring in more revenue with the new seating arrangement by selling the space to corporations or large parties. The team reports that the space was built to allow for more freedom of movement and “mingling” from people renting the space.

“One of the things we heard loud and clear, especially from our corporate partners and our season ticket holders who use suites, is they like group spaces,” president of business operations Crane Kenney told the Chicago Tribune. “The idea of bringing 20 to 100 people and being able to visit with each one of them, instead of the person on your left or right, is attractive.”

Ticket prices in “The Well” area, the Tribune reports, sell for between $22 and $85 per person. Seats in “The Porch” section run between $52 and $115. From $17 to $65 buys a bleacher seat.

But the whole renovation plan has had some glitches. Since opening day when fans were urinating on walls and in beer cups because of a lack of restrooms, the team had to bring in several lines of porta-potties to alleviate the problem.

Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston or email the author at igcolonel@hotmail.com