Cubs Prepare For Cold Temps, Hot Pirates In Home Opener
CHICAGO (CBS) -- When you think of baseball at Wrigley Field, you probably don't imagine snow for the Cubs' home opener.
Snow showers have been falling across the Chicago area Monday morning, and that risk won't necessarily go away by the time the game arrives. Temperatures will only be in the upper 30s for the first pitch against the division-leading Pirates at 1:20 p.m., and there's a chance of a rain-snow mix Monday afternoon.
The Cubs are used to chilly starts in early April, so fans and players alike know how to dress and keep warm at the ballpark when it feels more like winter than spring.
"You're always jumping around, and trying to keep the blood flowing. In between innings you're going down in the tunnel to do whatever you have to do. So sometimes you might miss a few pitches here and there when you're down in the dugout, but you've got to do what you have to do to stay warm," Cubs utility player Ben Zobrist said.
Fans won't let the chilly temperatures bother them, either. There are a lot of new things to see at Wrigley Field this season, as the Cubs continue a series of renovations to the classic ballpark.
Inside the stadium, the concession stands have been completely renovated. There are new cocktail and wine bars; new food options; and old favorites like Hog Doug's sausages, Pork & Mindy's barbecue, and Garrett's popcorn.
The Cubs also have expanded the dugouts and moved them further down the foul lines, installed new batting cages and weight rooms behind the dugouts, extended safety netting down the first and third base lines, and added free WiFi throughout the ballpark.
There are plenty of changes in the neighborhood around Wrigley Field as well, including new restaurants, an apartment building going up at Addison and Sheffield, and the new seven-story Hotel Zachary controlled by the Ricketts family, the Cubs' owners.
At 7-2 so far on the season, the rival Pirates are one of the hottest teams in baseball right now, and are second in the majors in runs scored. So Pittsburgh will be hoping the frosty temperatures won't put their hot bats on ice.