New York Yankees announcer Michael Kay has some concerns about Wrigley Field.
Specifically, he’s worried about the brick outfield walls, which are covered by Wrigley’s iconic ivy.
As the Yankees played the Chicago Cubs Friday, Kay said those brick walls are “a disaster waiting to happen.”
“Wrigley, obviously one of the iconic things about this ballpark is the ivy on the wall,” Kay said. “Because I like to do prep work … I ran into the ivy to see how much give. There’s a brick wall behind it.”
“So did you come out of there unscathed?” color analyst John Flaherty asked.
“Yeah, because I didn’t run full speed,” Kay said. “I’m just amazed that the players union allows it. I mean, it’s a disaster waiting to happen. Why not take the ivy down, put padding behind it, and then let the ivy grow over the padding?”
“Can ivy grow over the padding?” Flaherty asked.
“I don’t know, it’s not getting any nutrition from the brick,” Kay said.
“But you said you did your prep work,” Flaherty said, now clearly embracing the role of skeptic. “So if you come up with this idea, then …”
“I think ivy can grow over the padding,” Kay said.
Michael Kay suggests putting padding under the ivy at Wrigley.
“It’s a disaster waiting to happen.” pic.twitter.com/Rl7kXiJVHq
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 6, 2024
Kay makes a valid point about running into a brick wall. It hurts. Padding helps cushion the blow.
But the brick walls have been around at Wrigley for 110 years (the ivy was planted in the late 1930s). Injuries involving the walls have been exceedingly rare, perhaps because players know it’s a bad idea to run into a brick wall.
Cubs fans take their traditions seriously, and they love Wrigley Field. Longtime MLB fans might remember the controversy that swirled for years about adding lights at Wrigley, before the Cubs finally made that move in 1988.
So it’s not a great idea to threaten Wrigley Field’s iconic ivy in any way. Fans did not treat Kay’s suggestion kindly.
“It’s a disaster waiting to happen” it’s been like this for well over a century….. embarrassing take from Kay. https://t.co/BYqq1UXJUE
— Ken (@therapistken) September 6, 2024
How u gonna put padding UNDER that Ivy? You’d have to rip off all the Ivy first! https://t.co/yE9setW6hs
— Mike Missanelli (@MikeMiss25) September 6, 2024
I’ll take “I don’t know how things work” for $400 Alex. https://t.co/G4rJkrsFS9
— Sam (@leumaSAa) September 6, 2024
Wrigley Field is one of the most hallowed grounds in baseball history, and for any non-Cubs announcer – especially from the A.L., and especially especially from the Yankees – to criticize it this way is utterly stupid and presumptuous.
— Jah Schwa (@Jah_Schwa) September 6, 2024
It’s been a disaster waiting to happen for 110 years.
— Kevin E Stern (@sternkev) September 6, 2024
[YES Network]
About Arthur Weinstein
Arthur spends his free time traveling around the U.S. to sporting events, state and national parks, and in search of great restaurants off the beaten path.