The winning bidder to purchase the Chicago Cubs, Tom Ricketts.

http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2009 ... -900m.html

SHIT! I was close, will they take Paypal?

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

Yeah and they'll even waive the 3% transaction fee.

As I am too lazy to backtrack through old posts, what does this potentially mean for the team? Will he be a big spender? Or should we expect him to come in and decide to cut payroll? And I assume this not only has to go through baseball for approval but also the backruptcy judge?

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Ricketts is a businessman. He will spend according to revenue.
It really isn't how much is spent, it's how it's spent. Ask the "glorious" New York Yankees about that.

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We all have private ails. The troublemakers are they who need public cures for their private ails.- Eric Hoffer

Correct me if I am wrong, but their revenue streams are rather solid, including after-market ticket sales/scalping. My fear is that if/when the economy begins to impact ticket sales, you will see this team broken up rather quickly. When that happens, the Cubs will suck donkeys because they are still, after all these years, unable to develop position players from their farm system. If they cant develop kids and cant sign free agents to big contracts, they will be left with those terrible teams from the 70s-90s.

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If given the choice, I would go with the kids. I would be nice to have a productive farm system for once in my life. I am sick of trying to piece together a winner with free agents. I am jealous of the Rays.
I would like to see a total overhaul of the whole farm system, top to bottom. I am tired of the shit I have had to deal with over the last 3 1/2 decades. I will take a few bad seasons if the result is some actual talent from the system.

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We all have private ails. The troublemakers are they who need public cures for their private ails.- Eric Hoffer

They love pitching prospects. Thats what they focus their scouting on because they feel its where they can get the best value and most big wins from. A guy that throws 95+ makes them drool. Sadly, I dont think the Cubs management/scouts/evaluators think there is any problem with not having any position players developed through the system since Mark Grace (maybe with the exception of Soto, though he disappeared at the end of the season). Mr. Reason, you and I share that wish of seeing at least a few more all-star position players come up through the system. It is cheaper to do and then when you really need to spend the big money to get that last puzzle piece, you dont mind overpaying for it.

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I just want a World Series title, it does not matter to me how they do it. They can do it througha good farm system. They can do it through Free Agents. They can do it through trades. They can do it through bringing in priests from every kind of church they can find to bless the dugout. Just get it done!

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

I know you are not saying it, but I am not saying I dont want a World Series. Im just saying the way they have gone about it has left them in a hell of a spot now. They have big contracts in Ram, Lee, Fukudome and Soriano that are not going away for a bit, yet the talent has obviously diminished in the past one to two years, or, they have not performed when most needed. All we are saying is that with a strong farm system, they could have produced some home-grown talent for cheap. Then when they need to add that one or two players, you dont mind if they have overpayed and you expect that they whoever they sign take them over the top. With this team, if the Cubs signed either Sabathia or Manny, would you have honestly felt that it would have put them over the hump/guaranteed a world series? It would not for me.

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I get a lot of what you are saying, but in reality the Cubs management is in a no win situation here with the fans. If they go the farm system route and it does not work out, then people will be bitching they are not spending money or making trades. When they go the route of FA's and trades and it does not work then people bitch they are not going through the farm system. That is why I just boil it all down to say I want a WS title and it does not matter to me how they reach that goal. Obviously they have chosen the latter route and I am willing to let them stay on this route and see if that can get it done. But at some point if they decide to tear it all down and go through the farm system, I will be OK with that route as well.

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

And I realize that I am expecting a lot. Not many baseball teams have a steady stream of talent from their farm system. It requires the right people in the right places. I think Im mostly bothered that Florida can have such a steady stream of new talent and win two World Series by doing it.

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And the response to that should be, "Listen, old management spent and traded like crazy over the past 2 seasons. Back to back division titles, and the team tanked. Its time to try something else."

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What the Fuck are you talking about. In just the past few years, they brought up Ryan Theriot, Geovany Soto, Micah Hoffpauir, Carlos Marmol, Jeff Samardzija, Sean Marshall, and Mike Fontenot. The farm system has been producing very well in recent years. Theriot and Soto were both vital componants of this past years 97 win team and Fontenot was a solid contributor that may start this season. All position players developed in the Cubs system. Try again.....

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Go Cubs!!!!

Anyone else find it slightly humorous that the winning bidder for the Cubs has a last name similar to a malnutrition disorder?

nope

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

If you read my two posts, I am focusing on POSITION PLAYERS. Now, that being said, Theriot is a slap hitter and a pretty bad defender. Soto has had one year, and an all-star year at that, and as I noted lower in this thread he may be the one exception other then Mark Grace in the past 20-30 years. Micah Hoffpauir will never see the Cubs lineup regularly, Ill bet on that. He is Jason Dubois part 2. Mike Fontenot? Are you kidding me?

Come with Puckhead as we revisit...

GREAT POSITION PLAYER FAILURES IN THE CUBS FARM SYSTEM

2009 - Felix Pie, highly touted as a five-tool player and the future at centerfield for several years, is traded to the Orioles. Pinella quickly figured out he can't hit pitchers that are not throwing the ball down the plate every pitch. If the pitch moves, he misses. FAILURE.
2008 - Matt Murton, highly touted as a solid hitter who came over from Boston, is traded to the A's, along with the brother of a failure to be mentioned later in this list, for a pitcher whos pitching arm may fall off at any moment. Murton could hit decently but was another one of these "can't find a position for him" players. He had little to no power and was mostly a singles and doubles hitter. FAILURE.
2006 - Corey Patterson, highly touted as a five-tool player and the future at centerfield for several years, is traded to the Orioles. He had his one good all-star caliber season ended in '03 when trying to run out a bunt at first base. Otherwise, he swung for the fences and never panned out to be what he was meant to be. Now he is the punchline for many a joke. EPIC FAILURE.
2005 - Jason Dubois, touted as a solid hitter that could make an impact, is traded to the Indians for Jody Gerut. Dubois, another one of these "can't find a position for him" players, just couldn't manage to be consistent in hitting major league pitching. FAILURE.
2003 - Hee-Soep Choi, touted as a strong left-handed power hitting first baseman, is traded to the Marlines for Derrick Lee, one of the few guys on this list that was turned into a real player through trade. He ran into Kerry Wood, fell on his noggin and was never the same for the Cubs. He went on to hit 15 homers twice, but could never consistently hit as a Cub. FAILURE.
2003 - Bobby Hill, touted as a potential second baseman of the future, is traded to the Pirates for Rameriz and Lofton. Another guy who was hitting minor league pitching, but could never hit the stuff up in the majors. Like Choi, he was at least turned into something worthwhile. FAILURE.

Honorable mentions: Kevin Orie, Brooks Kieschnick, Jerome Walton.

Need I continue?

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Just to really reinforce this point here Steve, from Baseball Reference...

Top players most similar to Ryan Theriot

Sy Sutcliffe (973)
Homer Bush (972)
Les Mallon (972)
George Myatt (967)
Bob Wood (964)
Verne Clemons (961)
Freddy Spurgeon (959)
Jason Bartlett (959)
Maicer Izturis (956)
Irv Ray (956)

Have you even heard of just one of these players?

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So to rerail this thread but I liked the way Crane the Kenny was talking about finally having an owner. Let's go triangle building!

"It hasn't distracted us much from our mission. We have a lot of things we want to do, what we call 'Wrigley 2014,' which are the plans for the outside design and all the things we want to get done, and you can't do it without an owner to help direct you."

The year 2014 is the 100th anniversary of Wrigley, a season that will be celebrated no matter who the owner is. The Cubs have big plans for the concourse behind home plate and other areas they believe need updating. Last March at spring training, Kenney outlined a plan that would update concessions and restrooms and bring in new revenue streams as well.

Among the biggest projects on the table is the so-called triangle building that would be located just west of the park. A parking lot idea has been scuttled, but the Cubs have planned on building restaurants, a Hall of Fame and workout facilities for Cubs players.

"Everyone has heard about the triangle building forever," Kenney said last spring. "It didn't get built. It has to get built. It's holding us back. It's holding performance on the field back.

"We don't have adequate player facilities. We don't have a batting tunnel to prepare yourself if you're going to come in and pinch-hit. You hit into a net [in the clubhouse]. … The facilities [at spring training] are better than the facilities we have in Chicago.

"That's one part of it, and the other parts of it are fan amenities. Our mezzanine suites, we don't even call them luxury suites anymore because they're neither luxury, nor suites. We call them skyboxes. We all know the washroom situation is unacceptable. The concession, the quality of the food—we rank at the bottom.

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... In my opinion.

Does it have to be either/or? The Red Sox have a very high payroll and still are able to develop major league talent, Papelbon, Lester,Pedroia.

I would like to see more talent developed thru the Cub system (I think Fontenot was part of the Sammy trade and and was in the Cub minor leagues for maybe 2 years only, so I don't include him as part of the Cub minor league development process). Obviously it gives the Cubs more payroll flexibilty.

As long as the Cubs are drawing 40,000 per game with some of the highest ticket prices in baseball, the Cubs do not need to go the route of the Marlins. Do they need to spend more money on the minor league system, or do they need to change some of their instructors? I wonder if their has ever been a study on how much teams invest in their minor leagues, like in scouts or coaches. How do the Red Sox compare with the Cubs?

*Let the record show*

Mike Fontenot was acquired in a trade.

What was your favorite moment of the Gary Scott era?

Walton and Smith go 1-2 in the 1989 ROY voting, then have subpar careers from there on out.

Luis Montanez, SS of the future. Jake Fox, C of the future. Those worked out pretty well.

"You better say it like you mean it."

My goal wasnt to derail the thread. Im simply pointing out that the Tribune ownership allowed for significant spending in the past 4 years and its brought about little in terms of playoff success. If Ricketts follows the trend of cutting back during this economic downturn, as many other owners have, the Cubs will have no farm system to fallback on. I wouldnt mind taking the hit in the next year or two and gut this team and try to figure out how they can produce real major leauge position players. You still have to go for it this year, but I think the window of opportunity will collapse at the end of next season. If Ricketts doesnt cut back, then most of points will be invalid, and that is fine too.

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I also believe, as enigma mentioned, you can actually build a farm system while continuing to have a successful big league club. Boston is a great example. Atlanta has been another. Then you have the Cubs, who either can't identify talent or can't develop it. I've never been able to determine which. Maybe it's both, I don't know. All I know is something odd is happening within the Cubs minor league system.

I'm almost waiting for Tom Ricketts to take control of the team, turn to Jim Hendry and ask, "Why are you still here again?"

Although it may be hard to give an opportunity to some kid, it always seems like other teams are willing to take a flyer and stick a kid out with the big league club and give him a chance. The Cubs always seem to settle on other teams junk or guys that used to be something and now are just a name.

Gotta give the kids in the farm system the opportunity to play in the bigs or pass them along and try again. Don't hold on to guys and hope they can turn it around, in this league a player should get one good shot at it and then move him along and get what you can for him.

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... In my opinion.

Three words...

1) personal seat license

2) world series title

3) major wrigley renovation

you choose...

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Proud to be UNVERIFIED.

Sure, I do wish and think they can do both.

Hendry is a good GM who has been the unfortunate beneficiary of players that have never panned out to their potential in either the later portion of September or early portion of October. Not to bring up bad memories, but 03 was the year. He was the guy that turned Bobby Hill into Aramis Rameriz and Kenny Loften. In 2004, he was the one to turn Hee Soep Choi into Derrick Lee. in 07, he brought in Soriano as one of the top 5 highest paid contracts in baseball. He brought in Baker, a proven winner in San Fran. He brought in Pinella, a proven winner. Unfortunately, the players in the end of failed him.

BUT, he may no longer be the right man for the job if he cannot get the ownership to spend. If that is the case, you have to get a GM who can focus and improve whatever the problem is with talent evaluation and scouting of position players. Hendry has started to make improvements by placing the right people in positions to evaluate talent. Have you noticed one huge change over the past few years that doesnt get talked about much? Remember when Baker used to complain about how advanced scouting didnt prepare the players to face pitchers they havent seen before? I remember at least a few times where the Cubs got shut out by some random pitcher and that comment had been spewed. Now, it may be that Pinella just doesnt talk about that kind of stuff, but the Cubs rocked pitchers over the last year and a half. The key is that they beat up on a pitcher during an inning. Thats advanced scouting for you when you see an entire lineup bat around because they see something in either the pitchers delivery or their mode of operation out on the mound and every player is aware of it.

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I agree with you - I don't care about what's happening with our shit economy as it translates to asses in the seats (and I'm a HUGE Cubs fan), because, realistically, people are still going to show up. (Most real fans, like me, were not able to afford playoff tickets this last fall - it was the rich payin' top dollar for a novelty). We are far from the Marlins as far as a lack of a fanbase, but, unfortunately are far from having a solid farm system like theirs. I acknowledge MAJOR changes need to take place in scouting and development, but we can make it happen without a freeze in spending for our big league club...

I think the Cubs have given opportunities to some of their prospects. Soto came up at the end of 2007 and contributed right away. It took some time for Theriot to get playing time under Baker but he seemed to make a positive impression whenever an opportunity was given. Fontenot was a terror when first called up.

But a guy like Pie struggled in limited playing time. Should the Cubs given him more of a chance, did Pie get one good shot?. If Pie came up with Boston, do the Red Sox stay patient with him and give him 400 AB? I hate to keep referring to boston, but they are the model franchise. Ellsbury and Pedroia seemed to contribute right away.

I struggle with the question in that do the Cubs give their prospects a chance to succeed? the cubs are in a position where they can't spend time developing players up at the big leagues.