Wrigley Field Nearly Ready For Cubs' Home Opener
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Excitement is building for the Cubs' home opener at Wrigley Field on Monday. Fans will see changes galore at the Friendly Confines this season.
Wrigley Field is almost ready for defending World Series champion Cubs' rematch of the National League Championship Series against the Dodgers on Monday.
The Cubs' home stadium has undergone a significant renovation in the offseason, with the bullpens removed from the left field and right field foul lines and moved under the bleachers.
New flag poles also have been installed on the center field scoreboard to hoist the Cubs' championship banners Monday night.
The Cubs also have been making major progress on a new plaza next door to the stadium. Crews were installing planters at "The Park At Wrigley" on Friday and putting on finishing touches, so it can open for business on Monday.
Inside the new @Cubs store & a first look at "The Park at Wrigley" as workers gear up for #OpeningDay @WBBMNewsradio #cubs #WrigleyField pic.twitter.com/jAMAam5xEI
— Lisa Fielding (@Lisa_Fielding) April 7, 2017
Right next to the plaza is a new Cubs store that will open Monday. The 8,400-square-foot "Rank + Rally" store has two floors packed with new Cubs merchandise.
"We've got a lot of great installations, including a 250 baseball bat installation with a large video screen monitor, live feed for game footage," Rank + Rally senior vice president Erin Jones said. "We have amazing custom artwork from local artists. All the fixtures are made out of reclaimed ash. So a really, really great Chicago experience."
A security perimeter will be in place around Wrigley Field two hours before game time and after the game for the home opener on Monday, very similar to what it was like during the playoffs and the World Series in 2016, as the Cubs are expecting huge crowds.
The game against the Dodgers is scheduled for 7 p.m. Monday.
Rank + Rally also plans on having security personnel on site Monday, just to make sure things go smoothly.