Signs of change at Wrigley

Signs, signs, everywhere there's signs.

Monday was made for searching out signs of new Cubs ownership and what it'll mean for the club.

On the tollway heading toward Wrigley Field a billboard proclaimed, "It isn't opening day, it's opening year."

Ah, yes, Monday was the Cubs' first game at home under the Ricketts family adminstration.

You have met them already, haven't you? It was hard to turn around at the ballpark on this day without bumping into one of the three brother Ricketts and one sister Ricketts.

OK, so maybe you haven't actually seen them in person. Surely you have seen Tom Ricketts on TV or heard him on the radio or welcomed him into your dreams of what he'll will do for the Cubs that the Wrigleys and Tribsters didn't.

The Ricketts greeted fans entering the ballpark. They sang "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" during the seventh-inning stretch. They watched and cheered and shared the day with a crowd of 41,306.

Yes, indeed, this was the first day of the rest of this family's and this franchise's life together in this ballpark.

The family is so associated with the Cubs after less than six months as owners that they might be expected to change either their names to Wricketts or the park's name to Rigley.

Of the two choices it would be best that the "W" remain, since it has become associated with the Cubs even though they have gone since 1908 without winning a World Series and 1945 without even playing in one.

"It's a Way of life," blared the banner on the ballpark's façade near Clark and Addison.

Well, we'll have to wait to see how many Ws the regime change generates.

The Cubs did beat the Brewers 9-5 on Monday, so the "W" flag flew loudly and proudly above the center field scoreboard.

Good sign.

However, between the first and second innings a "W" placard fell out of the bleachers and Cub center fielder Marlon Byrd failed in two tries to flip it back to fans.

"Two times and that's it for me," the oft-smiling Byrd smiled.

Bad sign? Good sign? Who knows?

For sure, everybody around Wrigleyville seemed optimistic that change will translate into progress.

Fans are excited over ownership actually having a face instead of a tower. Players are excited that the Ricketts gave them a new weight room, a new lounge, a dietitian and a psychologist.

All that's left is a World Series. Any home opener is a sign of hope but this one is full of it ... hope, I mean.

Heck, perhaps anything is possible after Alfonso Soriano crammed 2 hits and zero defensive gaffes between being booed during pregame introductions and after striking out.

Now, back to reality: The sign that matters most is the one on the building across Sheffield Avenue: AC0164101.

This year it stands for 01 season since the Cubs' last division title, 64 since their last National League pennant and 101 since their last world championship.

The Ricketts family will have arrived officially when that sign changes to 0000000.

mimrem@dailyherald.com