Baseball Bacchanal

Now that they’ve routed those pesky rooftop owners, the Cubs are going after Wrigleyville bars with an outdoor bar of their own.  The team is opening up a large plaza outside the ballpark, where it intends to sell alcohol every day for as long as it can get away with, city approval pending.  The bars don’t like the added competition, but there’s not much they can do about it.  The Cubs are on a roll these days, both off and on the field.

I seem to remember a king back in the Middle Ages who criticized one of the Popes, saying that the leader of the Church is supposed to lead his flock, not fleece it.  These days, baseball fans are the flock, and every game is another chance to break out the clippers.  The only reason this fight isn’t being repeated around the Cell is because Jerry Reinsdorf prefers scorched earth leading up to his stadium or, more precisely, parking lots.  There isn’t a bar for blocks around, meaning anyone who wants to (over)drink has to do it inside Mr. Reinsdorf’s facility.  Yes, the Cell is publicly owned, but that’s never stopped Reinsdorf from acting like it’s his and his alone.

When Reinsdorf and partner Eddie Einhorn took over the White Sox in 1981, Einhorn complained that Comiskey Park under Bill Veeck had become the world’s largest outdoor saloon.  Everything old is new again, wouldn’t you know?