For Cubs, Error Mars Mural

The first line of this Associated Press story is perfect:

“Even by the standards of the woeful Chicago Cubs, this was an unusual error.”

The AP was right. Last month the team revealed that a 1927 photograph of Charles Lindbergh included in a new mural at Wrigley Field was actually an image of the famous aviator at Comiskey Park, then the home of the Chicago White Sox.

From the AP:

Team spokesman Julian Green said the photograph of the triumphant Lindbergh was incorrectly labeled as photographs were gathered to mark the anniversary season. The mistake was first noticed by a blogger and the Cubs soon concluded that the scene depicted the South Side home of the White Sox, not the North Side home of the Cubs.

Adding insult to injury is the fact that the caption of an image of Franklin D. Roosevelt at Wrigley Field–taken before he was elected–describes him as the President. “We are now reviewing all of the photos,” Green told the AP.

These errors shouldn’t spark outrage, but it’s disappointing to see a franchise with such rich, interesting history neglect to fact check. Doing so may take time and effort, but it will end up preventing situations like this one.