The people have spoken and the Cubs have heard the pleas from their fans. The people wanted change and times they are a’changin’.
No, Kris Bryant isn’t coming up. No, they are not getting rid of Clark the Cub. No, they aren’t adding better beer options in the stadium. No, Al, they aren’t going to lower your ticket prices.
But what they are going to do is make the Season Ticket Holders pay their deposits for 2015 before the 2014 season is over.
BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT WE ASKED FOR! APPARENTLY!
The Cubs sent out a notice today about their new exciting timetable for renewing Season Tickets (h/t to @riley_daddy for sending me a copy) that details the plan that involves current accounts to renew with a 10% deposit by October 13th. So, roughly right around the League Championship Serieseses.
It seems pretty bold for a team that still has yet to actually show that they can win more than 70 games in a season to ask for money so much earlier than ever before, but the Cubs insist THIS IS WHAT WE WANTED.
Per the Cubs’ message (italics and bolding is mine):
We traditionally have released the Season Ticket renewal materials in early-to-mid October. Our Season Ticket survey results have shown that Cubs Season Ticket Holders have expressed an overwhelming desire to add more time between the initial invoice date and final payment due date. The final payment due date will be January 13, 2015, which is consistent with past Season Ticket final payment due dates. Moving up the release of invoices to early September will add an extra month of time between the first and final payment deadlines.
See? We OVERWHELMINGLY DESIRED THIS!
Somehow, and I’m just hypothesizing here, I don’t think that when requesting longer time periods between deposit and final payment this is exactly what Cubs fans were looking for. I don’t have a copy of the survey question that would have given the Cubs this data, but I’d love to see the wording.
Meanwhile, this seems like if the Cubs asked if you liked the troughs and 80% said they didn’t, and then the Cubs respond by “giving you what you want” by removing the troughs completely and replacing them with a single pail that they empty once per game whether it needs it or not.
I will give the Cubs credit in one area here though. At no point during the ~500 word message did they mention the 100,000+ people on the waiting list that are ready, willing, and able to give their money to the Cubs if you don’t. I believe that is actually a record for the Cubs.