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Chicago Cubs spring training complex set for upgrades — plus ‘optimistic’ outlook for Marquee’s cable future
MESA, Ariz. — The Chicago Cubs spring training facility will soon be undergoing a few upgrades.
The city of Mesa approved $16 million in funding for improvements at the complex during a Feb. 24 city council meeting, which will cover most of the cost for the new features. The project will result in a new performance hitting and pitching lab, a women’s locker room and the addition of motion-capture technology to analyze and improve player performance.
Work is expected to begin March 30, and the new facilities will be ready for 2026 spring training.
“Our relationship here — Mayor (Mark) Freeman, before him Mayor (John) Giles, before him Mayor (Scott) Smith, city council — they know what this place does for Mesa, and they’ve been incredibly good partners,” Cubs president of business operations Crane Kenney told the Tribune.
The city of Mesa and Cubs entered into a facility use agreement in November 2011 that outlines roles and responsibilities for each party, which also establishes a time frame for certain capital improvement investments at the 10th and 20th season of play. Within the agreement, these improvements can be done to any element, amenity, capacity, use, function of the type of character in the facilities.
Those improvements can be any replacement of playing turf, stadium lighting, HVAC systems, seats, concession and food-preparation areas and equipment and scoreboards.
Marquee’s future on Comcast
Marquee Sports Network’s availability through Comcast should soon gain clarity with the Cubs’ March 27 domestic opener three weeks away.
Kenney told the Tribune he is “optimistic” the sides will reach an agreement and Comcast will continue to carry Marquee. Cable subscribers likely will see Marquee moved to a higher-priced tier, though, sources told the Tribune. It would follow a trend by other cable networks and how live sports, including baseball markets such as Pittsburgh and Boston, have been moved to a higher tier.
Important dates, such as opening day, typically fuel movement on broadcast agreements. The Cubs and Marquee experienced that when the network launched in 2020 .
The Bulls, Blackhawks and White Sox represent a cautionary example of what can happen when teams launch their own network without also having a cable agreement in place. The three teams are currently only available to watch through streaming on their Chicago Sports Network app or via an antenna . The Bulls’ 63% decrease in viewership from last year is the biggest drop in the NBA, the Sports Business Journal reported last month.
The 1060 Project wraps up
With the upper-deck seating replaced over the offseason and ready for the home opener next month, the Cubs’ decade-long upgrades to Wrigley Field and the area surrounding the ballpark, known as The 1060 Project , has finally been completed.
The undertaking started after the 2014 season and featured notable upgrades with the addition of two video boards , bleacher expansion , structural improvements and a new home clubhouse . Regular maintenance will be needed, including replacing the video boards in the near future.
‘There’s a Big Market for Fighters Now’: Four Opinion Writers on the Democratic Party and Andrew Cuomo
Four writers talk about the ex-governor’s mayoral run and what it means that voters are now so willing to accept tarnished figures they previously rejected.
Trump raises doubts about NATO’s mutual defense pact
President Trump on Thursday suggested the United States may not defend NATO allies that have not contributed enough to defense spending, casting doubt on a core aspect of the alliance.
“Well, I’ve said that to them,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office when asked about the potential change in approach. “I said, ‘If you’re not going to pay, we’re not going to defend.’ I said that seven years ago, and because of that, they paid hundreds of billions of dollars.”
Article 5 of the NATO alliance states that an attack on one member is an attack on all. The only time it has been invoked was after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on U.S. soil.
Asked if he intended to make that official U.S. policy, Trump called it a “common sense approach,” and he expressed skepticism that other NATO allies would defend the U.S. if it got attacked.
“I think it’s common sense. If they don’t pay, I’m not going to defend them,” Trump said. “I got into a lot of heat when I said that. You said, ‘Oh, he’s violating NATO.’ And you know, the biggest problem I have with NATO…I know the guys very well. They’re friends of mine, but if the United States was in trouble, and we called them, we said, ‘We got a problem. France, we got a problem.’ Couple of others, I won’t mention. Do you, think they’re going to come and protect us? They’re supposed to. I’m not so sure.”
Asked why the U.S. would stay in the alliance at all, Trump said he viewed the alliance as “potentially good,” but “very unfair.”
The comments echo similar remarks Trump made on the campaign trail last year, which became fodder for Democratic attacks.
Trump’s nominee for NATO ambassador, Matthew Whitaker, told senators at a confirmation hearing this week that the U.S. commitment to the alliance would be “ironclad.”
Trump has long pushed for NATO allies to spend more on defense, arguing the U.S. takes on a heavier burden than other members.
NATO members are expected to spend 2 percent of their respective gross domestic product (GDP) on defense, but Trump has pushed for that target to be increased to 5 percent.
The U.S., which spends around 3 percent on defense, would also have to significantly increase the Pentagon budget to reach Trump’s target.
As of last year, 23 out of 32 countries in the alliance had met the 2 percent threshold.
NBC News first reported that Trump was considering a change to how the U.S. approaches the NATO alliance that would favor members that spend more on defense.
NATO has been in the spotlight amid the war in Ukraine, which began more than three years ago when Russian forces invaded their neighbor. Proponents of the alliance have argued that the mutual defense pact is what would prevent further Russian aggression against NATO members like Poland. Sweden and Finland officially joined NATO last year.
Deadly Clashes Pose Test for Syria’s New Leaders
At least 16 government security personnel were killed in a coastal region that was long a stronghold of the toppled Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad.