Zambrano made some ill-advised comments this weekend about Wrigley Field.  After seeing how nice the new Yankee Stadium was, Big Z had this to say:

“You come into a ballpark like this and you see great things,” the Cubs ace told The Associated Press on Saturday before his team’s 10-1 exhibition loss at the sparkling ballpark in the Bronx.

“You wish that Chicago’d build a new stadium for the Cubs,” he said.

Well I don’t know about you, but I would sure like to see them improve Wrigley Field.  Of course no one wants to get rid of it altogether (which Z may have been implying), but it’s not like Wrigley is above criticism.  It is a deteriorating park that is not up to the standards of modern baseball.  While there is quite a bit of charm to the real grass, the ivy, the scoreboard, and other features, those don’t need to be completely sacrificed in order to bring the field into the 20th century, let alone the 21st century.

Some Cubs fans are mad about Z’s comments though, according to the Tribune, which is running this story about how Zambrano is backtracking on his comment:

Carlos Zambrano said Sunday he was misquoted when he told an Associated Press reporter he wished Chicago would build a new stadium for the Cubs.

“I didn’t say that,” he said.

So what did Zambrano say?

“I said anybody wants to have a new ballpark,” Zambrano said. “As a player, you feel like you’re trying to be more comfortable. As a player, you want to have the greatest ballpark in the National League, or the big leagues. As a fan, we should stay there. I don’t have a problem with Wrigley Field. That’s what I said.”

…Does Zambrano care that many Cubs fans were mad at him for his comment?

“Why?” he said. “They don’t have to be mad. I didn’t say they have to build a new stadium. If the Cubs do it, we will be much better and more comfortable, as a player.

Ok Carlos, so you’re saying you didn’t really mean the Cubs should build a new stadium, but they should build a new stadium?  No one ever thought Z was logical anyways.  But my question is, what Cubs fans were mad?  Wrigley Field’s clubhouse facilities are a dump compared to most ballparks around the league.

A message to Cubs fans that are Wrigley Field Nazis (if you even exist and weren’t dreamed up by the Tribune): Wrigley Field is a wonderful place.  It’s old-school charm makes it one of the greatest ballparks in all of baseball, if not the greatest.  That being said, it was built at the beginning of the 20th century and needs improvement.  Concrete is falling from the roofs, the clubhouse facilities for the players are decades old, and overall the structure needs to be redone in a lot of ways.  So don’t get “mad” if someone calls Wrigley out for those flaws, because they obviously exist.  Thanks.

h/t: Benji (Although I know you just sent this to try to piss me off because you’re a Sox fan and hate the Cubs.  Oh and thanks for not sending me the link too, because I had to go find it myself.  Sox fans are just the best.)

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Tags: Carlos Zambrano, Chicago Cubs, New Stadium, Wrigley Field, Wrigley Nazis