Wednesdays match will have limited attendance because

CHICAGO -- The owners of the Chicago Cubs say theyre moving forward with plans to renovate and expand Wrigley Field, despite the threat of lawsuits by the owners of the adjacent rooftop venues overlooking the 100-year-old ballpark. Shohei Ohtani Jersey . Chairman Tom Ricketts, whose family owns the team on Chicagos North Side, said in a statement released Thursday that the Cubs will submit a revised expansion plan to the Commission on Chicago Landmarks that includes the teams original proposal to add several outfield signs and additional bleacher seats. "Unfortunately, it seems like my familys plans for Wrigley Field have gotten lost in the dispute with the rooftops," he said. "As a result, despite having new city ordinances to allow for expansion and renovation at Wrigley Field, we are back to square one with the rooftop businesses." Ricketts said the teams negotiations with the owners of the adjacent rooftop venues are "back to square one" and that its time to move forward. A lawyer representing the rooftop owners said they would fight the move. "It appears their zeal to block rooftop owners who pay them millions of dollars a year in royalties knows no bounds," lawyer Ryan McLaughlin said in a statement. "Unfortunately, this decision by the Ricketts family will now result in this matter being resolved in a court of law." The City Council approved the Cubs $500 million renovation plan last summer, but it has been stalled by opposition from the owners of the 15 rooftop venues. They have a contract with Cubs that runs through 2023 requiring them to pay the team 17 per cent of their gross annual revenue. The rooftop owners fear the signs and additional seating will block their views of the field. The two sides appeared to be close to a deal before the Cubs annual fan convention last month when Ricketts made some remarks that the neighbours considered disparaging. Ricketts revised expansion plan requires Landmark Commission approval for additional seating, new lighting, four additional LED signs of up to 650 square feet, and a 2,400-square-foot video board in right field. Other changes sought by the Cubs that dont require commission approval include: design modification to the player facilities, including expanding the Cubs clubhouse; expansion of the visitors clubhouse; movement of the bullpen to an area under the bleachers; and a reduction in the size of a left field video board already approved by the city. "I know this plan is in the best interest of our fans and our players," Ricketts said in a video posted on the teams website. "We hope to avoid heading to the courthouse. But the most important thing is we want to exercise our right to expand and preserve the ballpark we own and love." The Cubs have invested in facilities and their farm system, and the team this year opened a new facility funded by taxpayers in Mesa, Arizona. Ricketts has acknowledged some difficulties stemming from the $845 million purchase of the team from Tribune Co. that left the Ricketts family with a debt load. But he pointed out Thursday that the team hasnt sought city or state economic development money he says is routinely obtained for projects such as this. "We want to exercise our right to improve Wrigley Field," he said. Reggie Jackson Jersey . -- A lawyer for the fiancee of former New England Patriots player Aaron Hernandez asked a judge Friday to throw out perjury charges, saying Shayanna Jenkins did not wilfully lie as she was bombarded with 1,630 questions over two days before a grand jury. Kole Calhoun Jersey . Defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, the Houston Texans No. 1 pick in the draft, was on the field Tuesday for the first time with former NFL Defensive Player of the Year J. http://www.baseballangelslockroom.com/albert-pujols-angels-jersey/ . Jesus Navas bookended yet another huge home win for City by scoring after 14 seconds and again in second-half stoppage time, with Sergio Aguero also netting in each half to add to an own goal by Sandro and a brilliant strike by Alvaro Negredo.SAO PAULO - The World Cup stadium in the Brazilian host city of Cuiaba is staging its first official match with only half of its seats installed and construction work still underway. The Arena Pantanal will open on Wednesday with a Brazilian Cup match between Santos and Mixto, but work is far from complete at the stadium, one of three yet to be declared ready for the World Cup in two months time. The official inauguration is set for April 26. The opening match in Cuiaba comes a day after labour officials prevented construction from resuming in part of the stadium hosting the World Cup opener in Sao Paulo. The decision was made because of safety concerns following a workers death over the weekend, the third at the venue and seventh overall. As in most World Cup stadiums in Brazil, infrastructure work around the Arena Pantanal continues at full speed, with bulldozers, cranes and dump trucks still at the site as hundreds of workers try to finish access roads, sidewalks and temporary structures. Wednesdays match will have limited attendance because organizers could only install about 20,000 of the 41,000 seats at the stadium. Fans will only occupy the lower seating sections. The delay came in part because the initial bidding process for the seats was suspended over prosecutors claims that they were overpriced. A court battle ensued over thee suppliers and the installation took longer than expected to begin. Custom Los Angeles Angels Jerseys. The match is not going to be considered an official test event for local the World Cup organizing committee in part because not all security measures will be in place. The stadium was one of the six that were not finished by the end of last year as expected by FIFA. Sao Paulo was already behind schedule even before the death of a 23-year-old worker on Saturday, which prompted labour officials to halt the installation of the temporary seats that will be needed for the Brazil-Croatia opener. Work isnt expected to resume until next week as constructors scramble to add safety features to the site. Local organizers and FIFA said the work stoppage is not expected to significantly delay the stadiums date of completion. Local officials said it will be inaugurated in April, but FIFA expects the stadium fully ready only in mid-May, about a month before the opener. The Arena da Baixada, in the southern city of Curitiba, is also expected to be ready in May. But last week the local governments watchdog group recommended a halt on public financing for the stadiums renovation until organizers can explain alleged irregularities in the stadiums budget. FIFA almost excluded Curitiba from the tournament earlier this year because of the delays at the stadium. ' ' '