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Cubs Fans Come Out of Hibernation For New Left And Center Field Bleachers

By Linze Rice | May 11, 2015 6:31pm
 Check out our pictures from the unveiling of Wrigley Field's new left and center field bleachers. 
Wrigley Bleachers
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CHICAGO — It may not be Opening Day, but to many Cubs fans, it's the opening of the long-awaited bleacher section that really matters. 

On Monday night, 3,500 fans filled Wrigley Field's newly remodeled left and center field Budweiser Bleachers for the first time after weeks of delays as the Cubs played the New York Mets.

"It's a beautiful day and I'm glad the bleachers are reopened," said Evan Davis, a Chicago State University student living in Hyde Park, with a glove in hand from the left field bleachers. "You'll get lots of home runs out here, and the Cubs got plenty of 'em this year, so I'm looking forward to getting more. I'm looking forward to a great game."

 Jerry Pritikin, 78, known as
Jerry Pritikin, 78, known as "The Bleacher Preacher," said he wanted to come and check out the new seating, but that the iconic former bleachers could never be replaced.
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DNAinfo/Linze Rice

Wrigley's bleacher additions were installed in part as an effort to attract larger groups and corporate outings, featuring suites and a patio that can accommodate between 50-100 people. While the Budweiser Bleacher Suite opened Monday along with the bleachers, the accompanying patio will open next month.

On Monday, fans made history by being the first to take in a view of Wrigley from the newly minted bleachers, which are divided into two areas: the left porch and left well.

The porch is situated beneath the left field video board and was designed as a wide space, consisting of both bleacher seating and standing room, for groups of up to 100 to enjoy full beverage package deals.

The well, on the other hand, is right in prime ball hawk country — nestled in the first two rows above the left field wall for 15 to 50 fans.

The new left and center bleacher section includes jumbo video boards and multimedia screens that contain tickers with player statistics and interviews, behind-the-scenes footage, replays and more.

Among the first in the new stands were longtime friends Robyn Wilkes and Jennifer Poturalski, who came to the special event to be a part of the action. 

"I'm ecstatic," said Poturalski, a first-year season ticket-holder. 

Wilkes said she believed the new bleachers were "very cool" and would fit right in at the ballpark. 

"It's completely different from having seats, it's very cool, it's very exciting," Wilkes said. "I definitely like having the big screen, and I like how it's so close."

However, not everyone was convinced. 

Lifelong Cubs fan Jerry Pritikin, 78, known by many as "The Bleacher Preacher," said he wanted to be one of the first to check out the new seating, but as ticket prices continue to increase and the park undergoes renovations, he believes it's lost its historical lackluster. 

"They'll never replace the old bleachers, but Harry Caray used to say, 'You can't beat fun at the old ballpark,' well, now it has to be the new old ballpark," Pritikin said. 

Pritikin said when he was 8 years old, he was at Wrigley when the Cubs clinched the game qualifying them for the 1945 World Series. He asked his dad if he would take him, he said, but his father was a true Cubs believer. 

"He said I was too young, he'll take me the next time," Pritikin said. 

Now, Pritikin said he's not sure he'll ever return. 

"Not with that thing looking down on us," he said, looking up and motioning to the center field video board.

On June 11, the remaining right field bleachers are slated to open to the public, and scheduled for July is an area known as Platform 14 — which will serve as a concessions patio largely focusing on more freshly prepared fanfare. 

The Cubs and Wrigley Field are 95 percent owned by a trust established for the benefit of the family of Joe Ricketts, owner and CEO of DNAinfo.com. Joe Ricketts has no direct involvement in the management of the iconic team.

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