(670 The Score) The Cubs held a rededication ceremony for Wrigley Field and unveiled their new franchise Hall of Fame in festivities Thursday.
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred and Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker were among those in attendance as the Cubs celebrated the $1-billion renovation of Wrigley Field and the surrounding area being completed.
In all, 56 former Cubs players, managers and executives are now in the team's Hall of Fame. They include Fergie Jenkins, Lee Smith, Ryne Sandberg, Andre Dawson and Billy Williams.
"Being part of this dedication of the ballpark and Hall of Fame is another great honor to me," Jenkins said. "I have been honored by getting traded here, playing with great teammates in front of the best fans in baseball here. I had my number retired here and went into the Baseball Hall of Fame as a Cub. Now having a plaque that will be here forever at Wrigley Field is outstanding."
The Cubs' new Hall of Fame had been in the works for almost a decade.
"We had this great present and future going on here," executive vice president of sales and marketing Colin Faulkner said. "We had to look at the great past of this team and honor that for the fans and the history of this baseball franchise in Chicago."
The Hall of Fame display was installed in the left-field concourse and will be accessible to any fan who has a game ticket. The inductees were honored with plaques.
A seven-person committee of current and former Chicago journalists, including Cubs historian Ed Hartig, will select the future members who are inducted into the team Hall of Fame. To be voted into the team's Hall of Fame as a player, you need to have made a significant contribution over a period of five years or more. Former Cubs slugger Sammy Sosa isn't in the Hall of Fame at this time but will be considered in the future despite accusations of steroid use.
"In that case, he would qualify," Faulkner told the Tribune of Sosa meeting the threshold of being a longtime significant contributor. "It then would be up to the committee of folks to decide if he fits the criteria, then once we put that process in place, that will be up to the process."
In other news, no future date has been chosen yet for the Cubs and Wrigley Field to host the All-Star Game, Manfred said. The Cubs have expressed their desire to host one. Wrigley Field hasn't hosted the All-Star Game since 1990.
Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.
