When one sarcastic fan took the microphone and said, "Now that 2014 is over, I want to talk about 2015," a fired-up Epstein responded: "Is that your question? I'll fire on you right now."

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Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Matthew, Tulsi, and Don

I see Ricketts filling the place with a bunch of senior citizens bused in from Iowa with free tickets to buffer things.

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

Because it would be bad business. The money they can charge advertisers on the scoreboard and additional signage, as well as the price of tickets, commercial time, is all going to be greater if the team is doing well. They don't have to worry about vacancies in their yet to be constructed hotel yet. Nor for the advertising on the signage/scoreboard that has yet to be constructed. The timing on all this is really going to be pretty outstanding. The top young players should be becoming major league ready just before all this is in place. That will allow them to take full advantage of them, without having spent foolishly (except Edwin Jackson) before these things were in place. Really, things are going extremely well and the timing is going to be outstanding. If they just kept building through the minors and making trades they might still be able to field a good team, but not a Championship team. To really become the kind of organization that maximizes it's overall worth, they will also utilize free agency to fill whatever holes they need to fill, to them over the top. Winning consistently once it all comes together, will be very good business.

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Go Cubs!!!!

You'll have to forgive me if I'm not excited for higher ticket prices to go to a park with more advertising to watch a team that still isn't very good. Oh well. Yeah, commerce, bitch!

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Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Matthew, Tulsi, and Don

It's sad to say but the Cubs were at their best when they were owned by Reinsdorfs buddy,the billygoat looking guy.

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

Sam Zell? Well, he did try to win. He was trying to give the team a chance to win a Championship right away, to maximize the value of the team, so he could sell for the most money. He did a pretty good job of raising the club's value, but signing guys like Milton Bradley didn't help. He was certainly willing to spend, but too often it was on guys they would have been wise to pass on. Fukudome was another mistake. Too bad he didn't invest in the farm system (and facilities) as Ricketts has back then. If he had, we would be in a better position today. When you look over the drafts held during Hendry's regime, there isn't a lot to feel good about. I thought at least Castro was one shining light, but that light has dimmed over the past couple years. Keep in mind that a lot of the money Zell committed the team to paying free agents, he knew he wasn't going to have to pay. Signing guys you won't be paying (especially late in their contract, when productivity declines) isn't all that heroic.

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Go Cubs!!!!

I thought Sam Zell was much too busy fucking up the Tribune to worry about the Cubs' day-to-day operations.

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I think he recognized pretty quickly that the newspaper operation was a losing proposition and made maximizing the value of a tremendous asset a focal point. He did a great job of it too. I'm sorry he couldn't do more for the newspaper. But that industry was well on it's way on the downward spiral that it finds itself today. I still read a hard copy of the newspaper and have it delivered daily. But I am in the minority (a frightening realization) on that and it's an industry that is in great trouble.

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Go Cubs!!!!

I have no problem with the re-build in general. I just have problems with the Jackson signing and the delay in construction...

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Ба́бушка гада́ла, да на́двое сказа́ла—то ли до́ждик, то ли снег, то ли бу́дет, то ли нет.

I agree. the Jackson signing really bugs me, when I consider how they got the kind of production from that bum, that they could have had from a guy making less than half wis salary, with no long term commitment. I said it well before they signed him, so it's not hindsight. With that money left over, they could have at least bought some new bricks and mortar mix for crying out loud. But I don't think they had the money to do everything (minor league facilities, facilities in the Dominican for their new academy there) they wanted to, as quickly as they wanted. Patience is tough when it's been a lifetime and then some, since the team won a championship. But it's coming together.

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Go Cubs!!!!

Theo's cool 60 mil wasted in 2 seasons:

52.4 million on Jackson

Ian Stewart-2 million last year

Scot Baker-5.5 million for pitching a handful of games in September.
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59.9 million shot in the ass.

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

Edwin Jackson made 52.4 million in 2013?!?!?

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Give Theo a few days off. At least for now, he's not the dumbest executive in Chicago.

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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!

Yeah,he paid him up front to free up cap spa...oh wait!

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

For those who forgot,the next time you see the Bears is in July. Cubs/Sox propaganda starts in February.

I love those stories how a hitter explains why he won't bat .233 again or a pitcher found something in his delivery that caused a 5.90 ERA. reading it since around 1967. Just the names change.

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

If Sam Zell hadn't screwed up his opportunity to hire a young Dr. Ken back in the day, ol' Sammy would probably still be a wealthy, successful man to this day.

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You know me like that.

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