The price of success isn’t limited to the time and money that’s invested into signing and developing players. When you reach the pinnacle, it also comes in the form of planning an epic celebration. And when you’re the Chicago Cubs, a team that hasn’t celebrated a World Series win in 108 years, it also comes in the form of damages caused by the sheer volume of people who wanted to share that moment with them.
As the Chicago Tribune reported this week, the damages to the grounds at Grant Park, which held the Cubs rally on Nov. 4, cost roughly $388,000. The Tribune also reported that the Cubs intend to pay for those damages, perhaps because they’d like to be invited back next November.
In the wake of the rally, the park had damaged or missing grass in Lower Hutchinson Field between Lake Shore Drive and Columbus, south of Balbo Drive.
The repairs will include grading, aeration and the addition of topsoil and sand along with repairs to fencing and the re-sodding of portions of Lower Hutchinson Field, Chicago Park District spokeswoman Jessica Maxey-Faulkner wrote in an email Wednesday.
It’s worth noting the Cubs rally wasn’t as costly as Lollapalooza, which earlier this year led to $453,000 in repairs despite only drawing 400,000 people. The Cubs crowd at Grant Park was estimated at five million, according to the Tribune, though there’s some debate about the accuracy of that figure.
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An estimated crowd of five million took in the Cubs World Series rally. That number has been questioned, but the cost of repairs to damaged property is definite. (Chicago Tribune)
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The big difference might be the weather conditions during said event. Cubs fans were treated to a near perfect fall day for their rally, while rains coupled with four days of foot traffic did in the grounds at Lollapalooza.
Whatever the case and whatever the cost, we’re sure the Cubs are more than happy to cover the bill. It was a celebration generations in the making, and you can’t put a price tag on that.
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