Wrigley Review Ordered

Chicago officials ordered a new round of inspections at Wrigley Field on Thursday and threatened to block Monday night’s game if the team can’t prove the ballpark is safe.

Buildings Commissioner Stan Kaderbek said he ordered the review after a reporter noted during an interview Wednesday that some repairs at the ballpark were “shoddy.”

“I said that certainly the reports we received from the Cubs don’t indicate that,” Kaderbek said, but he said he was concerned enough that he ordered new inspections.

Chunks of concrete have fallen from Wrigley Field’s upper deck on at least three occasions since June, forcing stadium officials to install nets to protect Cubs fans and to conduct full inspections of the upper deck and mezzanine levels in July.

Kaderbek said the Cubs have until noon Monday to show that 90-year-old Wrigley is safe.

“If we can’t get independent verification, to my satisfaction, that the repairs were made and that they were made correctly, and that it is not an issue of shoddy workmanship, we will not have a game on Monday night at Wrigley Field,” he said.

The Cubs are scheduled to play the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday night.

A spokesman for Tribune Co., which owns the Cubs and the ballpark, referred all calls on the matter to the team.

The Cubs said two reports have concluded the ballpark is safe.

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Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig received a contract extension through 2009 as owners praised his 12-year reign, but dissension surfaced among teams in the decision to launch a World Cup tournament.

They also gave their preliminary go-ahead for the launch of a World Cup tournament, which Selig finally admitted could not begin until 2006.

However, the Chicago White Sox, Detroit and Kansas City voted against the World Cup and the New York Yankees abstained, one baseball official said on the condition of anonymity.

In addition, Oakland made its vote for approval conditional on insurance for players being worked out to its satisfaction.

Owners also approved the start of a baseball television network, which hopes to reach the air in July 2005.

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Chicago White Sox Manager Ozzie Guillen was suspended for two more games and fined $2,000 by the commissioner’s office for calling umpire Hunter Wendelstedt a liar.

Guillen originally was suspended two games and fined $1,000 for arguing during an Aug. 9 game against Cleveland. Guillen finished serving that suspension but before Wednesday’s game told reporters Wendelstedt lied in his report to the commissioner’s office.

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The Cubs signed infielder Neifi Perez to a minor league deal.