Some claims shouldn't just be dismissed

The Ricketts family probably thought baseball was all about runs, hits and errors.

They're discovering that it's also about troubled souls like Milton Bradley alleging bigotry in Wrigley Field.

That said, Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts shouldn't summarily dismiss charges of racism just because they came from Bradley.

This is an ownership-level matter, not a management-level matter. Even a reckless portrayal of Wrigley Field as a place where bigotry is alive and ill is serious.

Heck, Bradley went as far as to imply that hate notes he received originated in the Cubs' offices.

No one would blame Ricketts for taking the easy way out, joining the snickering at Bradley and attributing the whole mess to the senseless babbling senselessly.

Let's face it, throughout his career Bradley has been an odd seed at odds with the world, and the Cubs cleansed themselves of their misery by trading him this winter.

When someone nicknamed Meltdown Badly disparages your fans - well, consider the source, right?

Then again, maybe it would be ignorant to ignore anybody, even Milton Bradley, who invokes the "r" word.

Bradley's allegations aren't original. He's the third black player in recent years to perform poorly as a Cub and directly or indirectly play the race card as an excuse.

LaTroy Hawkins and Jacque Jones didn't have problems elsewhere. They had problems here. Then they didn't have problems elsewhere again.

Hawkins and Jones aren't Bradley. They are respected veterans with credibility inside the game.

So, yes, maybe Ricketts should explore exactly what is happening in Wrigley Field and whether these are bogus complaints or valid claims.

Baseball generally has an image problem as it tries to get blacks to play the game and attend the games. The Cubs might want to avoid the forefront of racist innuendo.

If this really is "Year One," as the Cubs' ad campaign blares, it's a good time to take inventory of what exactly the mood is in the ballpark.

What can Ricketts do? How about contracting a respected, honest, independent pillar of the community to assemble and chair a panel to study Wrigley Field behavior?

Every ballpark gathering of 40,000 people is likely to include racists, drunks and clowns. What the Cubs need to know is whether theirs has more or fewer and whether they're cruder or milder.

Season-ticket holders can be surveyed. Ask them whether they're comfortable with the conduct and language in their section and with bringing their parents or children to a game.

Talk to security personnel. Talk to vendors. Talk to journalists. Talk to anybody who frequents the ballpark.

Some might indicate the friendly confines aren't as friendly anymore and that now the place is more fun for some but less so for others.

Overall, has playfully rowdy devolved into unbearably raunchy?

If the committee reports that there's no more of a problem than in other stadiums, case closed; if it reports that a bigger problem prevails in Wrigley, the Cubs can rehab the mood along with the park.

Either way, it might be a good idea for the Rickettses to know precisely what the deal is in their new playground.

mimrem@dailyherald.com