So getting Papelbon, Jon Lester, and Clay Bucholz = cant find pitching?

Really?

And how is he soft or entitled?

I understand frustration with the plan but this post is full of nonsense

I would except the pitching statement is absurd and I dont know of Theo being entitled or soft?

We should bump this post when Theo is either fired or quits and walks out of Wrigley in a gorilla costume.

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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!

They also found Masterson but traded him for V-Mart. Pretty nice collection of pitchers. But Sox fans gonna sox fan.

I was never big on 20 game winners, MVP's of World Series and dominant closers

RPB, we all know the Cubs needed an entire rebuild. They had a collection of bad contracts at the major league level. They had a fairly weak minor system with "top" guys like Brett Jackson and Vitters providing nothing. They clearly couldn't scout well and were even worse at development. The stadium needed a lot of investment from fixing falling concrete to generating more revenues. The tv contract was way undervalued due to the association with Tribune/WGN.

I look at what has been accomplished already:

1) All bad contracts and old guys are gone.
2) They have traded every asset short of the Shark to pick up young assets.
3) They have restocked the minor league system and now have the #4 rated farm system.
4) New minor league stadium.
5) Revamped scouting and development.
6) Working on new broadcast contracts as they come due which will generate a lot more revenue to support player salaries.
7) Approval to extract more revenues out of Wrigley Field held up only by the rooftop owners. The rooftop issue is another legacy issue not created by the current folks.

On the downside:
1) Castro and Rizzo are making management look bad. They got their contracts and both regressed. They have plenty of time to turn it around, but there is no doubt this is a problem.
2) They signed Edwin Jackson and that Japanese reliever. Wasted money in my opinion.
3) Burned through one manager already who clearly was not up to the task.

On balance, they are directionally ok. But the jury is still out.

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Hawaii (fuck) You

You weren't lyin'

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Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

They don't really need to stand up to him. bernstein doesn't come over the top of them like he does with the goyim and Zach Zaidman.

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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

One minor thing that gets overlooked though is that the Cubs took on a lot of salary to unload all those players. So even if those contracts are "gone" and not on the current payroll they still cramp Rickett's cash flow.

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Elections have consequences.

They paid to make Hendry's mess go away. And people complain they don't spend money

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Hawaii (fuck) You

Pittmike, All this PNC talk during the opening series reminded me. Are you and your lovely girlfriend going to join my crew for a Cubs game in June. Here's our seats at PNC?

Chicago Cubs at Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA
Tue, 06/10/2014, 7:05 p.m. EDT
Field Level Box 25 | 5 tickets
Row J |

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Hawaii (fuck) You

Boston had a great farm system because, again, they could buy people. MLB drafting was (is) fucked up.

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RPB melting like a Nazi in an Indiana Jones movie

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

GD, nice analogy...pretty funny.

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Hawaii (fuck) You

I needed that affirmation after being voted out of March Madness

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

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There are only two examples of infinity: The universe and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the universe.

Ok, so The Red Sox were hugely successful while Theo Epstein was there, but none of the credit goes to him. Ok, got it.


And the 2007 WS pieces were not in place, that's just silly


Aslo, it seems you've focused your SABR angst on Epstein.


So I guess Theo Epstein is the worst GM to ever be a part of 2 World Series wins in 4 years

You probably think Robert Horry is better than Kobe too.

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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!

Right; the success they had while he was there was essentially due to those who came before him, and the success they've had after he left was entirely due to those who followed. That's what happened and it's obvious to everyone except to those that actually take a few seconds to parse the idea out fully as was just done for those that would rather not do so.

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Power is always in the hands of the masses of men. What oppresses the masses is their own ignorance, their own short-sighted selfishness.
- Henry George

It's quite obvious that some don't like Theo/sabr/theo love/bernstein/rozner and that is the basis for their thoughts. The anti-Theo crowd gives him no credit for anything, while the side defending him readily admits his shortcomings. I have no real conviction either way.

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Isn't it obvious the answer is in between, like usual? Theo definitely is overloved by some. But he does deserve some credit, obviously. I think it's fair to criticize the lack of progress the Cubs have made so far if the team loses 95+ again this season.

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

Yeah, I just want the team to be good. I dont care what means they use to get there. They tried overpaying FA and that got close but didnt work. This a different plan, maybe it fails too. Who the fuck knows...

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The Rizzo thing is what really scares me. Here is a guy that Theo and Co love. They traded for him 100 times and he is just a guy... What if all these young guys are just guys... Scary thought.

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I am really not anti Theo. He seems like a well grounded, thoughtful and genuinely good guy despite having much objective success at a young age. I think he has been given too much deference by the media and many fans in this town.

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

But, again, if all they did was buy people, that eliminates reason to bother with taking time, effort, and attention to "develop" someone the hard way ... which indicates to me, then, that the only informed opinion one could have on Theo is that one couldn't really have one at all - he had neither acquitted himself well or proven himself ineffective at growing players (outside of a lab anyway).

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Power is always in the hands of the masses of men. What oppresses the masses is their own ignorance, their own short-sighted selfishness.
- Henry George

SURE it's in the middle, Malcom ... but there are those that can't wait to beat their dicks about Theo on one extreme end of the spectrum or the other.

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Power is always in the hands of the masses of men. What oppresses the masses is their own ignorance, their own short-sighted selfishness.
- Henry George

I agree, but that isn't a reason to overcompensate the other way.

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Could be argued that even the Lackey signing which looked to be a bust at the time, was responsible as any for the WS win last year. Carl Crawford however….

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Proud member of the white guy grievance committee

It aint the six minutes. Its what happens in those six minutes.

Sure, THE PLAN may fail miserably. It also may succeed remarkably. Who knows. Just buy your tickets, go to the games and have blind faith.

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Yeah I just wrote it down and will have her get us a couple.

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Elections have consequences.