Despite rumors the Cubs were planning to make Naples, Fla., their future Spring Training site, the team shocked fans this week by announcing they will instead shift their facilities to the Chicago suburb of Schaumburg.
“We worked out a deal with both the Schaumburg city council and North Face, a premier clothing brand,” said team president Crane Kenney. “It just made fiscal sense.”
According to Kenney, the new field will not feature a dome, ensuring North Face a variety of marketing opportunities during the cold February and March months. The Cubs are hoping Schaumburg’s abundance of chain restaurants and strip malls will entice other franchises into town as well.
By George Ellis