They can open up the floodgates to game attendance if they want. Sports used to be cheap to attend. Television may return us back to those days.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

Call me crazy, but I believe having the big league roster stocked with talent is the best way to win a World Series. The big league roster for the Cubs has clearly taken several steps back from the time Rickets and Theo got here.

Highly touted guys from the minors come up to the Majors and fail or underachieve all the time. I understand the Cubs minor league system was in shambles, but as its been pointed out and as we have seen over the last few years it is quite possible to contend and 'rebuild' at the same time.

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Wow, couldn't agree more! I have been playing "that song" since before the 2012 season started.

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favrefan said:"Chris Coghlan isn't gonna pay your rent, Jimmy."

So you'd prefer signing vets to short, expensive contracts (would need to be expensive to accept less years) in an attempt to get lucky more or less an win 85-90 games? Are people forgetting how awful this team was top to bottom?

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Team Cutler.

I am for trying to win. Make an effort to win. Show your fans you want to get in the playoffs. Once that happens,it's a crap shoot.

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favrefan said:"Chris Coghlan isn't gonna pay your rent, Jimmy."

Hahn is too good at his job? He decided to cut ties with A.J. and install Flowers as his starting catcher. The guy had just completed a season in which he struck out in 41% of his at bats. He decided on Jeff keppinger (a journeyman utility guy) as his starting 3rd baseman. Both blew up in his face and the team went 63-99. He should have traded Dunn, Konerko and Rios a year ago and rebuilt as I suggested a year ago. He has added free agents and guys aquired in trades this past year. Some may pan out, some may not, it's too early to congratulate or villify Hahn for them yet. But what draft picks has he made that have proven to be great? When you say the goal is to win at the major league level, I agree. But when you say that Hahn is doing that, where is the evidence? He went 63-99 last season, that is the only season we can judge him on at this point. What minor league players has he drafted that have been outstanding already in the major leagues? I think a number of the moves he has made since the 2013 season have a chance to be good ones. But you can't act like they have already worked out great and the team won the division. The fact is, they were horrible in the only season Hahn presided over to date and how these more recent moves pan out is unknown.

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Go Cubs!!!!

No.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

Come on, man, thats just ridiculous.

No one truly KNOWS anything in that case.


And if there is a difference between LBJ and Teague, then I guess you CAN tell before they come out.



But it seems like you're saying the minor league system has nothing to do with Major league success, if that's accurate, I wholeheartedly disagree

Do you wanna discuss this for real or just troll?


Do you not understand what I'm saying?

Of course, but how is that acheived? You think spending money on a lot of free agents is better than building from within?




Not really in Theo's case. Ricketts, yes.


I dont believe Ricketts has or is willing to spend the money on those veterans during the rebuild.


Didnt everyone always used to criticize Hendry and his no trade bloated contracts? So now the team goes the opposite direction and that's somehow worse?

I dont think the Cubs can win with certain people

It may not work, but Hahn seems to be making a lot of deals that result in young players who are at least major league ready. Obviously, the "too good at his job" thing was a joke, but it seems like the Sox are quicker than most to bring up young talent rather than having them sit in the minors. The Peavy trade is a perfect example. He got a major league ready prospect. I'm sure he could have gotten three prospects who are not major league ready and he would be "rebuilding" the minor leagues. That isn't how Hahn rolls. He can't help but make trades for top MLB ready prospects.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

See, you think Im ripping Hahn. Im not.

I dont think the White Sox need a huge rebuild of their minor leagues. I think Hahn made great moves and it's in line with what the White Sox need. I think in the Cubs situation, the minor league being restocked is important.

Hahn has done a nice job and looks to be retooling quickly. But he had to give up real talent to get the D-Backs. In terms of minor league systems, it appears the Cubs are near the top now. Sure there is uncertainty with prospects, but the shelves look well stocked.

Cubs ranked 5th, White Sox 24th in farm system rankings
October 28, 2013|By Mark Gonzales | Tribune reporter

ST. LOUIS -- The Chicago Cubs' farm system is about as talented as team officials have been advertising to their managerial candidates, based on recent rankings by Baseball America.

The Cubs were ranked tied for fifth with the Kansas City Royals under a system that weighs talent based on players closest to reaching the major leagues. Baseball America used a point system based on the top prospects in each minor league, the position of the top prospects, the strength of the league and prospects closest to the majors.

The Cubs, led by Double-A shortstop Javier Baez, trailed the Boston Red Sox, Houston Astros, San Diego Padres and Texas Rangers.

The White Sox, led by pitcher Erik Johnson, were ranked 24th. The Milwaukee Brewers were last, according to the rankings.

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Hawaii (fuck) You

You may not be intentionally ripping him, but the common theme for years has been "The minor leagues are terrible" and saying he isn't helping with a major problem kind of is.

My point is that Hahn can't fix the minor league system when he keeps getting young major league talent. I'm sure he'd love to improve the minor league system but he's too good at his job.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

Cubs need to win at the major league level starting this season. Another 90+ loss season is not reqired for any sane reason except fucking Ricketts being broke and stupid.

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favrefan said:"Chris Coghlan isn't gonna pay your rent, Jimmy."

People railed on Hendry because the no trade bloated contracts hurt the team in the long run. The Cubs had chances to win in 2003, 2004, 2007, and 2008....and the team failed. That can't all be on Hendry. He had them on an overall pretty solid 6 year run. They seem to be very, very far from 3 playoff appearances in 6 years under Theo. You could also make a strong, strong case (especially in '03 '04) that the reason the Cubs didn't win was because of the manager, not because of the players and contracts. (Ok, Hendry picked the manager but still the players play)

I think you can spend money wisely on free agents (who aren't Edwin Jackson) and still build from within. In this day and age there is no reason an MLB team that supposedly wants to win should lose over 370 games over a four year stretch.

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Nothing else in the cubs' past has worked...so I'm sort of willing to ride this out. Personally I targeted Soriano as the last piece that needed to be purged. That is him...and his contract. Considering Cubs still have about 12M of his contract this year....I'm willing to give them this year to continue to tweak and do their "whatever" to the roster. That will be 3 full years....and they damn well better have some prospects PLAYING on the MLB club and better spend some dough to field an actual major league team. I'm still being patient and buying their "building" bullshit...but that can only last soo long until we get actual results.

I think what Rick Haun is doing for the white sox is pretty interesting too. He's actually building a major league club with young guys. We'll see how that eventually works out....but Theo HAS to put a competitive club out there soon. I would hope.

Fucking Cubs!

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Proud to be UNVERIFIED.

Does that system account for the quality of the major league roster? It's easier to be closer to the MLB roster when it's the Cubs' MLB roster vs. the Red Sox, Cardinals, or Braves MLB roster. Just because someone is close to beating out Darwin Barney doesn't make that person any good.

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This best expresses my sentiments. We have had other threads like this. A year ago, folks thought 2014 was the year they would turn it around. I recall saying it would be 2015. If I don't see improvement in 2015, then I will join the disgruntled. But it is clear to me they are building a stocked minor system so that they can build a dynasty.

I am enjoying the Blackhawks, which came out of the ashes of a long dry spell. They have this near endless flow of young talent that is fun to cheer for. Many of their large free agent signings turned out to be bad money, Campbell, Huet, and Khabi (first time around). Some worked like Hossa, but more times than not, the money is wasted. I don't want wasted free agent spending to be the way we try to build a winner.

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Hawaii (fuck) You

No clue. I saw that the Cubs were ranked 12th in the Spring and 5th now. I think they just mean major ready talent, not whether the team needs such talent. But I don't know.

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Hawaii (fuck) You

That's not true and its you trolling....again.


No, I dont ever rip the White Sox minor leagues. I think development and knowing when to sell is a STRONG point with them.

If he doesnt worry about the minor leagues, then maybe that will come back to bite him down the line, but I am NOT ripping him.

This thing where Cub fans on this board have to answer for things said by dumb assed Score employees, (who themselves, are trolling) is getting real old.


You hating Jay Cutler = Cub fans saying Theo is a genius and can do no wrong

So Hendry sucked then, but now that he's gone, he was pretty ok.

Im sure I could find 20 posts from Sox fans ripping Hendry and his contracts. You cant go back and say they werent that bad now.



You cant spend money you dont have or the owner wont use.

One 48 million dollar deal in 3 years is not enough. It was a bad deal (pending) but even if it was a great deal, its not enough.

True, but if the Sox can trade Addison Reed and Jake Peavy for MLB Ready talent, certainly the Cubs could have with DeJesus and Garza.

You can still say the contacts were bad, but you can't discount the fact that the Cubs made the playoffs 3 times in 6 years under Hendry, and if they we focused on beating the Mets instead of what Chip Caray and Steve Stone were accurately saying in the TV booth, it would have been 4 times in 6 years. I'm saying he has to get some credit for that.

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Lets just acknowledge the 2 teams are utilizing vastly differing plans to build their teams. I think the plan the Cubs have chosen is a good one. I prefer it. I have witnessed them trying to to quick-fix patchwork jobs too many times. I like the idea of the team building in a way that is more likely to sustain success, rather than having the odd season here and there where the team might contend. If the moves that Hahn made since the trade deadline all work out....great. But I believe in the way Theo is proceeding.

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Go Cubs!!!!

Most of us agree the minor leagues needed to get better. But the Cubs are a major market team that has been one of the most profitable for several decades, and we didn't see the goal of a better minor league system as being mutually exclusive from fielding a competitive MLB team. We weren't told to expect years of complete famine before the promised feast, or that Ricketts's purchase would leave him broke from a cash flow standpoint. Epstein may not have been told either.

Regardless of whether the minor leagues are being improved drastically, the Cubs should be in the top 5 in MLB payroll every year, period. If Ricketts can't swing that, he should sell the team. To spend $20m less than the White Sox is absolutely pathetic, and that's certainly not a knock on the White Sox.

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You may not be ripping them but it has been the common attack on the Sox. Saying Hahn isn't improving a supposedly terrible system is ripping him.
Are the White Sox the shittiest organization in all of baseball?

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

I never said it was terrible. Not ripping him.

Are the White Sox the shittiest organization in all of baseball?[/quote]
Never said that or even came close. Talk to CPguy.

It's more than just the Score or a poster or two that think the White Sox organization is really bad though.

I think you take stuff too personally. You may not constantly hate on the White Sox but plenty do both locally and nationally.

Hahn seems to be a modern day Theo Epstein though so those days are ending.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

Fair enough

Should be an exciting 2014 MLB seaason!

Draft vs free agents/trades, not about spending big money. 2013 Red Sox were cobbled together primarily from smart off-season free agent pickups and trades combined with a handful of draft picks from last decade. Same thing for the 2004/2007 World Series winning Red Sox teams.

Cubs aren't small-market KC or Pittsburgh. They should be able to put together a competitive team 9 out of 10 seasons instead of stringing together 3-5-7 seasons of losing plans.