Rosemont Cubs? Suburban mayor makes his pitch

As the Chicago Cubs’ quest for a fair stadium refinancing deal continues to drag on with the Wrigleyville community throwing up roadblocks to slow down the settlement process, a new and potentially viable option to Wrigley Field has emerged.

Rosemont mayor Brad Stephens told me this morning in a CSNChicago exclusive that he is willing to give the Cubs and the Ricketts family a 25-acre parcel of land in the village that is a prime piece of real estate large enough to accommodate a new ballpark as well as parking and anything else the Ricketts family would desire to have as a part of the new complex.

“The Chicago Cubs are being held hostage by the neighborhood as they look to run their business. We are willing to offer them a tremendous opportunity if they are interested. Bring the bricks and the ivy and we can get a deal done, ” Stephens told me this morning.

While this is highly unlikely, I for one encourage this type of press for the Cubs in their fight with the roof top owners.  It’s a shame that there actually is a professional team that is trying to pay for their own stadium and is stuck fighting the city over it.

NY Post: Mets eye casino at Citi to help offset losses suffered in Bernie Madoff scandal

While team owners Fred Wilpon and Saul Katz are still having trouble opening their tight pockets for high-priced free agents, that didn’t stop their development arm, Sterling Equities, from betting on a proposal that called for bringing a massive casino with gaming tables and slots, a 500-room, full-service hotel, 1.8 million square feet of retail and other amenities to the Willets Point development site in Queens.

The Southampton-based Shinnecock Indian Nation signed on to operate the casino, and the Wilpons and partners even offered the city $100 million for the 62-acre site, according to the development team’s proposal, which was first obtained by project opponents Willets Point United and NYC Park Advocates.

Yuma Sun: Baseball legends coming to casino

or…Quechan Cecil Fielder’s thirst for gambling

he famous players coming to Yuma for the event are Cecil Fielder, Rudy Seánez, Kenneth Landreaux, Tim Raines and Kevin Mitchell. All five have been recognized by the Major League and have won prestigious awards in the Major Leagues, such as MVP, hitting titles, best stealing record percentage, Babe Ruth Award and World Series Co MVP.

Cecil Fielder says that getting to meet his fans remains one of his favorite aspects of being in professional baseball.

“It’s very important to me to be there and interact with the kids and parents,” Fielder told the Yuma Sun in a recent phone interview. “I remember back in the day, when I got into the big league, I was humbled as heck that someone would want my autograph. That’s the way I still feel today. I am a down-to-earth person and just enjoy what I am doing.”