The [Wednesday] Papers

"Despite swinging for the fences . . . "

Please, don't do that. It's not good writing. It's neither clever, original nor serves readers in any way. It's hacky, like a stand-up comic wearing wacky suspenders.

Anyway.

" . . . the Cubs-owning Ricketts family Tuesday was limited to a base hit . . . "

Oh my god. Take my life - please.

" . . . in its attempt to secure city approval for wide leeway in how and when alcohol is sold at the outdoor plaza they are building next to Wrigley Field," the Tribune reports.

I'm so old I remember when negotiations weren't in the final inning yet.

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"The Cubs warned Tuesday that the city may be liable for financial damages for restricting the dates of Wrigley Field concerts as part of new rules governing liquor sales and special events on an open-air plaza outside the stadium," the Sun-Times reports.

"Tucked away in the ordinance approved by the City Council's License Committee is a provision banning the Cubs from holding concerts at Wrigley during the school year - from Labor Day until June 15."

Well, that sounds reasonable.

"The 2013 ordinance that paved the way for the Cubs to renovate Wrigley and develop the land around it authorized up to four concerts a year inside the stadium. If there were more than four concerts, the Cubs were supposed to forfeit one of their 30 night games. But there were no restrictions on when those concerts could be held.

"Now, local Ald. Tom Tunney (44th) is changing the rules in the middle of the game."

They just can't resist.

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Besides being hacky, it doesn't stand up as an analogy. If it was the middle of the game, that would mean the 2013 ordinance was set to expire in 2019, which it isn't. And rules get changed every year in Major League Baseball, so to frame this change as unfair to the Cubs because it's "in the middle of the game" - instead of the normal way that sports, business and governing is conducted - is to put a Cubs spin on the matter.

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"Our plan for the plaza includes dozens of free events, including movies in the park, children's activities and live music," Cubs executive vice president Mike Lufrano said. "This ordinance puts at risk some of these because non-game day events on the plaza are limited to 12-per-year if they're successful at attracting more than 1,000 persons at any one time. We don't think we should be saying 'no' just because the events get popular."

Any development that might draw more than a thousand folks at a time is going to have to live by some rules - especially one in the middle of an already crowded neighborhood. You don't get carte blanche. In fact, I'd say the Cubs have already gotten too much. I'm with the mayor on this one, who has said the team ought to take yes for an answer and call it a day. But the Ricketts' haven't learned a thing in six years of ham-handedly battling City Hall. If they had, perhaps they'd get more of their way. Instead, more of this, from Lufrano:

"And on game days, we're required to deny admission to fans and neighbors unless they pay a ticket price, which we do not want to charge to fans on the plaza . . . The owner wants to let visitors in for free."

The owner wants to let visitors in for free. Isn't that special? And if they happen want to buy an $8 Lite or $12 Goose Island while there, they should be free to do that too!

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If you click through you can see Fran Spielman's photos, including one of the woman who offered this valuable viewpoint:

"Dressed in a Ron Santo No. 10 jersey with a hat filled with stuffed animals, Trudy Acheatel called herself a 'die-hard, crazy Cubs fan.' She predicted that the Wrigley plaza 'will be better than the Magnificent Mile,' but only if the Cubs are free to program the space without restriction."

Maybe Acheatel, whose name is spelled Trudie in other news accounts, ought to call herself Trudy Woo-Woo.

See her here leading off this New York magazine article about Laura Ricketts; and here, celebrating the Landmarks Commission's approval the Wrigley rehab; and here, at a downtown Cubs rally in 2008; and here, at a downtown Cubs rally in 2007, also published in the New York Times; and here, in USA Today; and here, at Ernie Banks' funeral; and here at the Chicago stop of a Good Morning America bus tour.

Whew.

Or should I say Woo.

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Fight Rule 41
The Justice Department wants more power to break into your computer. Don't give it to them.

Fantasy Fix: Injurious Trading
Consider moving (or acquiring) these players on the DL - including Dexter Fowler and Kyle Schwarber.

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BeachBook

Wilson Elser Grabs 11-Attorney Insurance Group From Chicago Firm.

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TweetWood
A sampling.

Please call your senators and retweet to stop more bogus mass surveillance legislation! Dial 1-919-FREEDOM https://t.co/HxyKEQ729B

— Fight for the Future (@fightfortheftr) June 21, 2016

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If Chicago seceded from Illinois, that would be Chexit.

— Beachwood Reporter (@BeachwoodReport) June 21, 2016

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@BeachwoodReport You mean the musical farce with machine singing and lyrics by an optimization group that feeds content into a funnel? No.

— Mike Thomas (@MikeTScribe) June 21, 2016

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It's almost like having a job!

Ald Deb Mell says some aldermen
"are a little worn out with these big issues we need to tackle" i.e. Airbnb and Uber

— Lauren Chooljian (@laurenchooljian) June 21, 2016

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That's one figure less than the seven he's getting paid every year.

Stephen A. Smith Is Now 0-For-6 Picking The NBA Finals https://t.co/1PGJJZHXs8

— Beachwood Reporter (@BeachwoodReport) June 21, 2016

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The Beachwood Tronc Line: Figuratively.

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