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CHICAGO -- With an 88 mph sinker for a strike to Matt Carpenter, promising Chicago Cubs pitcher Kyle Hendricks kicked off the penultimate game of the "BR era" of Wrigley Field. That's Before Replay.
Video didn't kill the radio star at Wrigley when TV came around long ago, as good ol' Pat Hughes will certainly show up again in a Cosby sweater next April. But will a 4,000-square-foot videoboard in left field (and possibly a smaller one in right) destroy the unique Wrigley Field charm when it's installed next season? Or will it be the main branch on the money tree that feeds the supergenius front office that is building a team of destiny from the ground up?
Maybe it's a little bit of both.
As one 50-something Cubs lifer lamented to me Tuesday night, you can't stand in the way of progress. Well, you can, until the mayor pushes progress through city council.
Of all the many changes coming to Wrigley in the next four to five years as construction begins -- $375 million of the $575 renovation will be spent on Wrigley Field itself -- nothing will change the culture of the place like a giant TV in left-center field.
It's both necessary progress and an unnecessary hindrance to the pure Wrigley experience.
Before the inevitable change happened, I felt respect had to paid.
With no reason to hit the North Side park other than for simple genuflection, I made my way there Tuesday night for the penultimate home game of the season.
After John Vincent sang a wonderful anthem, I ducked down into the good seats -- plenty were still available -- to pay homage to what remains of timeless Wrigley Field.
What was there to see? Nothing new and everything old.
I sat for a bit and just looked around at the fans packed in the lower bowl, their eyes mostly locked in on a game that meant nothing to the Cubs. I listened. Chatter filled the park. A beautiful sound punctured only by the PA announcer: "Batting next, the left fielder, Matt Holliday."
Wrigley is best experienced in the sunshine, but night games have their own energy. Fall night games that matter are truly special. Cardinals fans made up much of the crowd, and surely they were disappointed with an extra-innings loss.
On this first night of fall, Wrigley wasn't packed, but it was buzzing, especially for a last-place team.
It might not look that way on TV, but video can lie. What makes antique (not antiquated) Wrigley so beloved is that everyone, especially those in the lower bowl, is so close to the action.
And, of course, it helps when fans want to be close to the action.
That's where the real change comes in.
While the cosmetic changes are important, what fans really want is a team worth watching in September for something other than what they can glean about the future.
What will September bring next year? Will hope return to a fanbase who is waiting, patiently, for a payoff to president of baseball operations Theo Epstein's much-needed rebuilding plan?
After three years of exiling veterans and stocking up on young talent, the important question is: What will this November and December bring? Will the Cubs be active in adding talent instead of shopping it? There's little question next season will be another bridge year, but the on-field product should be -- has to be -- improved.
Pressed about the unknown, someone in the Cubs' hierarchy admitted to me the 2015 team might not be competing for a playoff spot down the stretch, but it will be an interesting team to watch. That, of course, depends on how this cosseted group of young talent performs.
Jorge Soler, Javier Baez, Arismendy Alcantara, the soon-to-be-arriving Kris Bryant, the relative graybeards in Anthony Rizzo and Starlin Castro, solid starters Jake Arrieta, Hendricks and the young power arms in the bullpen. The so-called core, along with players still ripening in the minors, have the ability (raw as it might be in some cases) to compete, they just need complementary talent around them. The Cubs have the money, and seemingly the desire, to add free-agent pieces to the mix. Starting pitching, maybe an outfielder or a catcher like Russell Martin.
This season has had some real bright spots with the development and maturation of those young players. The $575 million renovation of Wrigley and the surrounding area was finally completely approved, though lawsuits from the rooftop owners are still pending. Progress is no longer a myth. Next year, it needs to be translated into more victories.
Now that the Cubs have finally started the onerous process of renovating Wrigley -- no more talk about obstructionism and no more civics lessons -- there are no more excuses. Well, until they get hosed on the TV deal, I suppose.
After three years of waiting -- and to be sure, most Cubs fans have been patient and trusting of Tom Ricketts, Epstein and all the rest -- there has to be some positive movement forward.
It's time for them to act like a big league team again. They've got the videoboard, now the Cubs need to give their fans a team worthy of their attention.
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