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Cubs Erect Mock-Up of Right Field Sign, Say It Doesn't Block Views

By Serena Dai | October 30, 2013 2:48pm | Updated on October 30, 2013 4:47pm
 The view of the field from a Sheffield rooftop with a mock-up erected by the Cubs on Wednesday, Oct. 30.
The view of the field from a Sheffield rooftop with a mock-up erected by the Cubs on Wednesday, Oct. 30.
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obtained by DNAinfo Chicago

WRIGLEYVILLE — The Cubs put up another mock-up of a right field sign Wednesday and said it didn't block the views of Sheffield Avenue rooftops — but rooftop owners called the assertion "completely false."

The 650-square-foot scripted "Wrigley Field" mock-up sign, which ultimately will change to fit a new Budweiser marketing partnership, was shown as it would be if moved onto Sheffield.

Given the location and size — down from the 1,000 square feet of a previous mock-up in May — "every rooftop partner on Sheffield will be able to have views inside the ballpark," spokesman Julian Green said.

But rooftop owners who also attended the viewing Wednesday morning disagreed, said their spokesman Ryan McLaughlin. 

 The Cubs erected a mock-up of a right field sign on Wednesday. 
The Cubs erected a mock-up of a right field sign on Wednesday. 
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Twitter/TheWrigleyBlog

"The current mock-up blocks the views," he said. "That is completely false."

The rooftop owners have threatened to sue if their views are blocked, saying it would be a violation of a 20-year revenue-sharing contract with the team, and the Cubs have said that they will not order the steel for the $300 million field upgrade project until the threat goes away.

Talks between the two have been stalled.

But even without an agreement, the team may install the sign in right field to generate cash, Green said. 

And if the ultimate sign looks anything like Wednesday's mock-up, the long-contentious partners finally may butt heads in court.

"We’ve been pretty clear about the action we’re going to take," McLaughlin said.

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