Wrigley Field is keeping the urinal troughs

I’m going to Wrigley Field on Friday for the Pirates-Cubs game. Assuming that the upcoming renovation would spell their doom, I had planned to say goodbye to the Wrigley urinal troughs when I was there. For, whatever you may think of them, the ones in Wrigley are likely the last of their kind in Major League Baseball ballparks.

But wait! Via Bleed Cubbie Blue, we learn that they are to be saved!

“For the last several years, we have basically undertaken a number of focus groups and surveys among fans as we’ve looked to put together our plan to restore and improve the stadium,” Green said. “What we found is that our male fans have no problems with the communal nature of the troughs, cheek to cheek if you will. It’s part of enjoying the game.”

Focus groups: way worse than urinal troughs, generally speaking, but in this case the preservers of history. And culture. And whatever else you may call urinal troughs.

BCB’s Al Yellon provides the context as well as a recent photo of said troughs. You know, for science. I’m sure that was what Al told the security folks at Wrigley as he snapped the photo in the men’s room anyway. And thank God for his work in this regard.