Maddon Backs Off Criticism of AC/DC Concert

Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon backed off earlier comments he made about concerts being held at Wrigley Field affecting the team’s ability to play on the field.

"I have no problem with the concerts, I’m a big music fan,” Maddon said at a press conference Tuesday, adding that his earlier comments were “an attempt at weak humor.”

"The only thing I’d like to see change is that we could attend them,” Maddon said.

Maddon previously said that a recent AC/DC concert affected the playing surface at the stadium.

"They totally messed up our infield,” he told the media at Wrigley Monday. “I’ve seen a bad hop at third, a bad hop at second. Prior to that I’ve not seen one bad hop all year.”

Billy Joel played a show at Wrigley earlier this summer, as did the Foo Fighters in late August. In recent days, the Zac Brown Band played a concert at the historic stadium, and AC/DC’s huge stage was the final nail in the coffin for the Wrigley outfield, as the entire surface was re-sodded after the concert was over.

That outfield grass is a concern to outfielders, who could trip and fall if the playing surface is uneven, and Castro pointed out that concern during his postgame press availability.

“The grass on the outfield is bad….It’s not even. Some long, some short. It’s not what it used to be,” Castro said at the time.

The Cubs have six home games left this season at the Friendly Confines, with two more against the Brewers, a three-game series against the Pirates over the weekend, and a make-up game against the Kansas City Royals to wrap up the home slate on Monday.

A representative for the band said they had no comment Tuesday.

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