For the past week, White Sox management has been reported in disarray on the direction of the team. Will the team sell off parts like Sale, Quintana or Abreu in order to do a complete rebuild of the minor league system? Will Ventura, Hahn or Williams remain part of the management? Will managing partner for the owners, Reinsdorf, even allow a total tear down?
The White Sox just netted $82 million for naming rights for a stadium which the team does not own. There is plenty of extra cash coming into the Sox operations. The question is what to do?
Sox fans look to the North Side and see the Cubs on the verge of a historic World Series run with young talent that is getting better each week. Sox fans envy the Cubs rebuild success. But die hard South Siders can still point to the 2005 WS flag while the Cubs dream is still in hope mode.
But the Sox have done nothing special since their championship season. As everyone is aware, there is no guarantee that any team, no matter how good on paper or how many wins in the regular season, can get a championship or sustain a championship caliber team year to year.
The White Sox front office has stressed this week that this off-season "everyone will be on the same page." The Sox claim to have a plan. It is an omen that that the Sox just traded catcher Navarro to the Blue Jays for a promising AA left handed relief pitcher? The White Sox GM Hahn will not say what the team's real direction will be for 2017.
Frustrated sports thinkers believe the Sox have to blow up the team and start from scratch. But that begs another question: do you trust the people currently in charge to rebuild a team? Granted, the White Sox have been really good at drafting and developing pitching talent. Nine of their top 20 prospects are quality pitchers. It is that the team scouting department cannot draft and develop consistent position players. And management trades and free agent signings have looked good on paper, but in the past two season the team has woefully underperformed their potential.
So what is the real solution for the White Sox woes?
Hire Theo Epstein.
Epstein still does not have a contract extension from the Cubs. Which is highly unusual considering the success the Cubs have had the past two seasons. It appears that Epstein wants to become the ultimate management free agent - - - with a track record to command the most money for a baseball executive and possibly and equity stake in a team.
Epstein has been running the Cubs baseball operations with one hand tied behind his back since the "business side" of the operation is controlled by Crane Kenney and Tom Ricketts. Epstein would prefer to run the entire show.
But in order to do that with the White Sox, Reinsdorf will have to fire Ventura, Hahn and Williams. Reinsdorf is known to be very loyal to his managers. He promoted Williams from GM to President instead of firing him. Can Reinsdorf purge his loyal employees to try to win another championship?
He may not have any choice. The stealing of Epstein from the Cubs would be a PR boom for Sox nation. It would energize the fan base and increase ticket sales. It would be poking a stick in the eye of Cub ownership. Reinsdorf, who is all business, would see the value in hiring Epstein away from his city rival.
But what are the odds that this could happen? With no movement in the Cubs-Epstein contract talks for more than a year, I would say it could be 50-50. The other big market teams have new management in place (Dodgers, Red Sox).
If the White Sox really want to shake up Chicago baseball this off-season, ownership needs to be bold.
Showing posts with label plan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label plan. Show all posts
August 29, 2016
July 1, 2015
A FLAW IN THE PLAN
When Theo Epstein was hired to be the Cub baseball operations guru, he said he had a plan to make the Cubs a consistent contender. Part of that plan was to blow up the organization by rebuilding the farm system so every season new talent could be promoted to the Cubs roster.
As part of the plan, the Cubs tanked for three seasons in a row. The teams were dreadful and unbearable to watch. But the pain of losing seasons allowed the Cubs to draft higher to collect a couple potentially great hitters. The Cubs stayed away from the big deal free agent market until this year when Jon Lester was signed for $155 million.
The Cubs front office has spoken about having a "core" group of players who will be together for a long time. However, after the St. Louis series, ESPN's Buster Olney thinks he found a flaw in the Cubs rebuilding plans.
After being swept over the weekend by the St. Louis Cardinals, the Cubs had lost five in a row while starting pitchers gave up 17 runs in 23.1 innings during that stretch. And when one looks at the farm system for help, there is nothing to be found.
Olney believes the Cubs don't have enough starting pitching, and finding some will be tough to do in the trade market.
Olney notes that there may not be many starting pitchers available and those who may end up on the market come with red flags for the Cubs, whether it is a divisional rival (e.g. the Reds) or a player who has spurned the Cubs before (e.g. Jeff Samardzija).
The bigger problem for the Cubs is that they can't turn to their minor league system for help, and that lack of depth in starting pitching was by design as the Cubs focused in on hitters while other teams balanced with top pitchers and position players. Of the Cubs' top eight prospects, only one is a pitcher.
Olney believes most MLB teams have subscribed to the theory that pitching wins championships and there are two ways to acquire pitching talent. Teams can either overspend on aging arms and hope they can stay healthy and effective, or teams can hoard a ton of young pitching prospects and hope a few of them pan out and become talented big leaguers who don't take up a lot of payroll space. The New York Mets are a prime example of developing four or five really good young starters that are controllable assets for the next five years. The Cubs have yet to draft and develop a quality starting pitcher. And that is the flaw in the rebuilding plan.
As part of the plan, the Cubs tanked for three seasons in a row. The teams were dreadful and unbearable to watch. But the pain of losing seasons allowed the Cubs to draft higher to collect a couple potentially great hitters. The Cubs stayed away from the big deal free agent market until this year when Jon Lester was signed for $155 million.
The Cubs front office has spoken about having a "core" group of players who will be together for a long time. However, after the St. Louis series, ESPN's Buster Olney thinks he found a flaw in the Cubs rebuilding plans.
After being swept over the weekend by the St. Louis Cardinals, the Cubs had lost five in a row while starting pitchers gave up 17 runs in 23.1 innings during that stretch. And when one looks at the farm system for help, there is nothing to be found.
Olney believes the Cubs don't have enough starting pitching, and finding some will be tough to do in the trade market.
Olney notes that there may not be many starting pitchers available and those who may end up on the market come with red flags for the Cubs, whether it is a divisional rival (e.g. the Reds) or a player who has spurned the Cubs before (e.g. Jeff Samardzija).
The bigger problem for the Cubs is that they can't turn to their minor league system for help, and that lack of depth in starting pitching was by design as the Cubs focused in on hitters while other teams balanced with top pitchers and position players. Of the Cubs' top eight prospects, only one is a pitcher.
Olney believes most MLB teams have subscribed to the theory that pitching wins championships and there are two ways to acquire pitching talent. Teams can either overspend on aging arms and hope they can stay healthy and effective, or teams can hoard a ton of young pitching prospects and hope a few of them pan out and become talented big leaguers who don't take up a lot of payroll space. The New York Mets are a prime example of developing four or five really good young starters that are controllable assets for the next five years. The Cubs have yet to draft and develop a quality starting pitcher. And that is the flaw in the rebuilding plan.
June 16, 2015
STARTING ANOTHER CLOCK
The Cubs will call up catcher Kyle Schwarber to play DH during the next week in AL ball parks.
Schwarber, 22, has been playing in Class AA Tennessee. In 58 games, he has hit 13 HR, 39 RBI and had a .320 BA.
In comparison, in 2014 Kris Bryant was also 22 in AA ball. In 68 games, he hit 22 HR, 58 RBI and had a .355 BA.
The plan is clear. The idea is to get Schwarber some major league experience then put him back in AAA Iowa to finish his quick development. A few scouts believe Schwarber has the best bat skills in the organization. He was drafted as a catcher, but he readily admits that he was never fully taught how to catch games. In the Cub system, he has played mostly catcher, but also some left field and DH (17 games in Tennessee this year). The Cubs anticipated calling him up some time this season with those DH at-bats (which is sometimes difficult for position players to adjust to, i.e. Adam LaRoche with the White Sox.)
By calling up Schwarber, it starts his major league service time earlier than many people expected since the Cubs are all about long term control of their prospects. But it does acclimate Schwarber to the intense Chicago media in a non-pressure situation.
With Miguel Montero beginning to slump, and David Ross never considered an offensive force (currently batting .167), the idea of having Schwarber in a September run is a possibility since Joe Maddon liked the idea of having three catchers on his roster. Schwarber gives him the flexibility to have a real bench person who has played multiple positions.
Many thought that the Cubs would force Bryant to LF. But Bryant is clearly more comfortable playing third base. He has played well enough to stay there. The same could be true for Schwarber if he sticks at catcher, it would give the Cubs a major jolt in offensive production from that position.
The Cubs are currently in third place with a 34-27 record, 7 games behind the Cardinals. However, the Cubs have only a +6 run differential. With the second place Pirates playing much better, the Cubs need to find more consistent offense in order to stay within reach of the playoffs. The Schwarber move is part of that plan.
Schwarber, 22, has been playing in Class AA Tennessee. In 58 games, he has hit 13 HR, 39 RBI and had a .320 BA.
In comparison, in 2014 Kris Bryant was also 22 in AA ball. In 68 games, he hit 22 HR, 58 RBI and had a .355 BA.
The plan is clear. The idea is to get Schwarber some major league experience then put him back in AAA Iowa to finish his quick development. A few scouts believe Schwarber has the best bat skills in the organization. He was drafted as a catcher, but he readily admits that he was never fully taught how to catch games. In the Cub system, he has played mostly catcher, but also some left field and DH (17 games in Tennessee this year). The Cubs anticipated calling him up some time this season with those DH at-bats (which is sometimes difficult for position players to adjust to, i.e. Adam LaRoche with the White Sox.)
By calling up Schwarber, it starts his major league service time earlier than many people expected since the Cubs are all about long term control of their prospects. But it does acclimate Schwarber to the intense Chicago media in a non-pressure situation.
With Miguel Montero beginning to slump, and David Ross never considered an offensive force (currently batting .167), the idea of having Schwarber in a September run is a possibility since Joe Maddon liked the idea of having three catchers on his roster. Schwarber gives him the flexibility to have a real bench person who has played multiple positions.
Many thought that the Cubs would force Bryant to LF. But Bryant is clearly more comfortable playing third base. He has played well enough to stay there. The same could be true for Schwarber if he sticks at catcher, it would give the Cubs a major jolt in offensive production from that position.
The Cubs are currently in third place with a 34-27 record, 7 games behind the Cardinals. However, the Cubs have only a +6 run differential. With the second place Pirates playing much better, the Cubs need to find more consistent offense in order to stay within reach of the playoffs. The Schwarber move is part of that plan.
October 6, 2014
THE MESSENGER'S CLEAR MESSAGE
Lord Theo made his message clear last week on the State of the Cubs. (See previous post).
Now, minion GM Jed Hoyer was on the Kaplan radio show last week.
On trying to win via free agency: “Well I think if you look at the way baseball has evolved and become a younger man’s game, and look at the playoffs and the teams in the playoffs you can see it’s much less about (buying wins) than ever before. Look at the teams the last two nights with the Royals and Pirates. Those teams are built from within. The Giants have a big payroll but their talent is homegrown. You can’t do this through free agency anymore. It’s an out-of-date look at how to build a team now. … It’s an out-of-date philosophy on team building.”
On what pieces the Cubs are looking to add in free agency: “Theo said the other day that free agency is not for the faint of heart. You go into free agency knowing that 80 percent of players go to the team with the highest bid, and if there’s a lot of teams bidding, the bidding can get really high, and well beyond what you expect. No doubt there are a lot of risky investments in free agency. One of the things we think about as we build our team is we will have a lot of really young and inexpensive position players, so there’s a portfolio aspect of looking at your team. If you get a ton of value out of pre-arbitration players on offense, you can look at it and afford to go out and find some pitching if you don’t have that in the system. In general it’s rare to have no weakness in your farm system. It’s rare to cover every hole, so the area you want to pursue in free agency is to complete your team and figure out what you couldn’t do through the farm system and through the draft. You can complete those things in free agency, and that’s how we look at it.”
On if chairman Tom Ricketts will spend if there is an opportunity to make a splash: “No question. Tom has been so patient and so good to us as we’ve come to him and talked about our process and plan. He’s totally on board. The beauty of having an owner like this is he wants the team to be in the family forever, so let’s take the time to build it the right way so we can become one of those organizations everyone looks to. It’s clear they have a long vision in what they’re doing. When an owner has that vision, things almost always work out. Having patience in this business is almost always rewarded.”
On the criticism that the process is taking too long, and players like Javy Baez don’t look ready: “I think it’s expected. People put their Cubs hats on in the morning, and you’re a Cubs fan and you want to see the team win. When it’s not winning you get frustrated. That’s the nature of being a fan. We’re more likely to be patient than the fan base. And I think on the whole the fan base has been really patient. But not having people be critical of what we’re doing would be unusual.
“As far as Javy goes, we have all the faith in the world that Javy will make the adjustments, but I can guarantee almost all the guys we bring up will go through struggles, and their ability to work through those and make adjustments will impact whether they’re a big leaguer or not. At some point Jorge Soler will go through a slump, and when it happens people will question his swing or whatever is making him unsuccessful. … You can make a lot of really bad mistakes in this game by looking at 21- or 22-year-old players and determining after a short while they won’t make it and giving up on them. We believe in these guys and we’re gonna allow them some playing time and, potentially, some rough patches. Ricky (Renteria) is very patient with these guys. He knows these guys will struggle and he’s willing to go through that pain to get the reward at the other end. As far as Baez, it’s not the last time one of our guys will struggle, and that’s part of living with young players.”
>>>> Whoa, whoa whoa - - - MLB is a "young man's league?" "You can't build a team via free agency any more!" You have to have homegrown talent. What a bulldozer full of crap: what teams are in the playoffs? The Dodgers, Angels, Tigers - - - all spend huge dollars in free agents and take huge payroll risks. This is a clearer message than Theo's ramblings: THE CUBS ARE NOT SPENDING MONEY ON FREE AGENTS.
The Cubs value "pre-arbitration" players even in free agency which means FRINGE JOURNEYMEN like Valbuena, Ruggiano, Kalish, the types that got the team to a rousing last place finish. The reason: cost control. A first year arb player may get 25% of his FMV; a second year guy 50% and third year guy 75%. And you don't have to sign them long term and risk them getting injured on a year to year arb program.
If Ricketts wants to own the team "forever" then that really means he needs to save his money, cut down the debt and find more money sources besides baseball. So if he is "on board" with the plan to just get young players, then the plan is not to get old FA players = saving money. So much so, that the team is willing to let their prospects "go thorough rough patches" of pure suckage instead of winning with veterans.
Steve Rosenbloom is right: the Cubs keep talking down to fans as being stupid.
Now, minion GM Jed Hoyer was on the Kaplan radio show last week.
On trying to win via free agency: “Well I think if you look at the way baseball has evolved and become a younger man’s game, and look at the playoffs and the teams in the playoffs you can see it’s much less about (buying wins) than ever before. Look at the teams the last two nights with the Royals and Pirates. Those teams are built from within. The Giants have a big payroll but their talent is homegrown. You can’t do this through free agency anymore. It’s an out-of-date look at how to build a team now. … It’s an out-of-date philosophy on team building.”
On what pieces the Cubs are looking to add in free agency: “Theo said the other day that free agency is not for the faint of heart. You go into free agency knowing that 80 percent of players go to the team with the highest bid, and if there’s a lot of teams bidding, the bidding can get really high, and well beyond what you expect. No doubt there are a lot of risky investments in free agency. One of the things we think about as we build our team is we will have a lot of really young and inexpensive position players, so there’s a portfolio aspect of looking at your team. If you get a ton of value out of pre-arbitration players on offense, you can look at it and afford to go out and find some pitching if you don’t have that in the system. In general it’s rare to have no weakness in your farm system. It’s rare to cover every hole, so the area you want to pursue in free agency is to complete your team and figure out what you couldn’t do through the farm system and through the draft. You can complete those things in free agency, and that’s how we look at it.”
On if chairman Tom Ricketts will spend if there is an opportunity to make a splash: “No question. Tom has been so patient and so good to us as we’ve come to him and talked about our process and plan. He’s totally on board. The beauty of having an owner like this is he wants the team to be in the family forever, so let’s take the time to build it the right way so we can become one of those organizations everyone looks to. It’s clear they have a long vision in what they’re doing. When an owner has that vision, things almost always work out. Having patience in this business is almost always rewarded.”
On the criticism that the process is taking too long, and players like Javy Baez don’t look ready: “I think it’s expected. People put their Cubs hats on in the morning, and you’re a Cubs fan and you want to see the team win. When it’s not winning you get frustrated. That’s the nature of being a fan. We’re more likely to be patient than the fan base. And I think on the whole the fan base has been really patient. But not having people be critical of what we’re doing would be unusual.
“As far as Javy goes, we have all the faith in the world that Javy will make the adjustments, but I can guarantee almost all the guys we bring up will go through struggles, and their ability to work through those and make adjustments will impact whether they’re a big leaguer or not. At some point Jorge Soler will go through a slump, and when it happens people will question his swing or whatever is making him unsuccessful. … You can make a lot of really bad mistakes in this game by looking at 21- or 22-year-old players and determining after a short while they won’t make it and giving up on them. We believe in these guys and we’re gonna allow them some playing time and, potentially, some rough patches. Ricky (Renteria) is very patient with these guys. He knows these guys will struggle and he’s willing to go through that pain to get the reward at the other end. As far as Baez, it’s not the last time one of our guys will struggle, and that’s part of living with young players.”
>>>> Whoa, whoa whoa - - - MLB is a "young man's league?" "You can't build a team via free agency any more!" You have to have homegrown talent. What a bulldozer full of crap: what teams are in the playoffs? The Dodgers, Angels, Tigers - - - all spend huge dollars in free agents and take huge payroll risks. This is a clearer message than Theo's ramblings: THE CUBS ARE NOT SPENDING MONEY ON FREE AGENTS.
The Cubs value "pre-arbitration" players even in free agency which means FRINGE JOURNEYMEN like Valbuena, Ruggiano, Kalish, the types that got the team to a rousing last place finish. The reason: cost control. A first year arb player may get 25% of his FMV; a second year guy 50% and third year guy 75%. And you don't have to sign them long term and risk them getting injured on a year to year arb program.
If Ricketts wants to own the team "forever" then that really means he needs to save his money, cut down the debt and find more money sources besides baseball. So if he is "on board" with the plan to just get young players, then the plan is not to get old FA players = saving money. So much so, that the team is willing to let their prospects "go thorough rough patches" of pure suckage instead of winning with veterans.
Steve Rosenbloom is right: the Cubs keep talking down to fans as being stupid.
October 4, 2014
BAD CHEERLEADING
Many media members, including head cheerleader David Kaplan, are jumping up and down with joy that the Cubs will be "contenders" in 2015.
Kaplan is the loudest proponent of the Plan. He praises Theo Epstein like a man who was just healed by snakes in a revival tent on a hot summer day in Southern Mississippi. He claims that the Plan was the only solution to become a contender. But only small small market teams like Kansas City have had to slog through a pure home grown talent search - - - and the Royals took 29 years of their Plan to reach the postseason.
But the media frenzy is part of the Cubs ticket office's need to sell more season ticket packages for 2015. And to get those package deposits in earlier than previous years. You see, Ricketts has to get more cash flow this winter in order to pay for his construction projects.
Kaplan believes that the Cubs prospects are going to be 2015 All-Stars; Rizzo, Castro, Soler, Bryant, Hendricks and Arrieta. But in his Cubbie kool aid stupor, he forgets about all the other "can't miss" prospects from past contending teams: Corey Patterson, Felix Pie, Mark Prior, Brett Jackson. And these prospects can come up with a splash but then spin out of control like strike out machine Javy Baez.
To temper his giddiness, Kaplan believes that the Cubs will spend big for a free agent pitcher like Jon Lester and a leadership guy, like catcher Russell Martin. And maybe sign another second tier outfielder. But there is no evidence that Ricketts is going to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on free agency this winter. In fact, the evidence clearly points to Ricketts not spending money on baseball. The Cubs payrolls have declined in every year of Ricketts ownership. Ricketts has to save money to pay for his ambitious construction projects. And despite the optimism, the Cubs still finished last in the NL Central. One or two players are not going to turn around the team.
Even Epstein himself infers that he is waiting for the business side to get its act together. He infers that there is not a big market budget for the baseball operations. And he thinks that the time for a big infusion of new team revenue will come only when the Cubs can redo their television deals in 2020.
The Cubs plan under Ricketts has not shown that it is in "win now" mode like the Detroit Tigers. It pans the opposite conclusion. Trade away veterans, including an entire starting rotation, to stock the system with prospects, hoping that a few will pan out. Sell the concept of "hope" to loyal but beaten down fan base. Keep the media drumbeat of things are turning around at high levels of excitement.
Even high school cheerleaders back down when their team is losing by four touchdowns late in the 4th quarter.
Kaplan is the loudest proponent of the Plan. He praises Theo Epstein like a man who was just healed by snakes in a revival tent on a hot summer day in Southern Mississippi. He claims that the Plan was the only solution to become a contender. But only small small market teams like Kansas City have had to slog through a pure home grown talent search - - - and the Royals took 29 years of their Plan to reach the postseason.
But the media frenzy is part of the Cubs ticket office's need to sell more season ticket packages for 2015. And to get those package deposits in earlier than previous years. You see, Ricketts has to get more cash flow this winter in order to pay for his construction projects.
Kaplan believes that the Cubs prospects are going to be 2015 All-Stars; Rizzo, Castro, Soler, Bryant, Hendricks and Arrieta. But in his Cubbie kool aid stupor, he forgets about all the other "can't miss" prospects from past contending teams: Corey Patterson, Felix Pie, Mark Prior, Brett Jackson. And these prospects can come up with a splash but then spin out of control like strike out machine Javy Baez.
To temper his giddiness, Kaplan believes that the Cubs will spend big for a free agent pitcher like Jon Lester and a leadership guy, like catcher Russell Martin. And maybe sign another second tier outfielder. But there is no evidence that Ricketts is going to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on free agency this winter. In fact, the evidence clearly points to Ricketts not spending money on baseball. The Cubs payrolls have declined in every year of Ricketts ownership. Ricketts has to save money to pay for his ambitious construction projects. And despite the optimism, the Cubs still finished last in the NL Central. One or two players are not going to turn around the team.
Even Epstein himself infers that he is waiting for the business side to get its act together. He infers that there is not a big market budget for the baseball operations. And he thinks that the time for a big infusion of new team revenue will come only when the Cubs can redo their television deals in 2020.
The Cubs plan under Ricketts has not shown that it is in "win now" mode like the Detroit Tigers. It pans the opposite conclusion. Trade away veterans, including an entire starting rotation, to stock the system with prospects, hoping that a few will pan out. Sell the concept of "hope" to loyal but beaten down fan base. Keep the media drumbeat of things are turning around at high levels of excitement.
Even high school cheerleaders back down when their team is losing by four touchdowns late in the 4th quarter.
August 28, 2014
FALLING CHIPS INTO PLACE
Bruce Levine believes that the Cubs will show marked improvement next season. Peter Gammons believes the Cubs should be competitive in 2017. They may be optimistic.
The risk-reward is that the push of prospects to the majors will work out. That means the team has a cheap roster of good players under their control for six seasons. If they don't work out, then the Cubs are back to square one.
There is a huge unknown going forward: pitching. Arrieta, Hendricks, Wada may look good this year, but that is no guarantee that they will not slide like T. Wood has this season. Edwin Jackson is not an option for 2016 but he is under contract and virtually untradeable. Perhaps a trade of Castro for major league ready pitching will help.
Fans and pundits believe that even if the chips don't fall exactly to plan, the Cubs could just go out and "buy" the necessary pieces (starting pitching, closer, hitters). But the evidence points to the Cubs continuing to run a small market budget until 2020 television consolidation.
What is lost on most is the fact that the Cubs will not have the WGN TV money next year. That is going to be a big revenue hole to fill. Declining attendance and increased no-shows do not help either. If the Cubs are constricted financially by debt service and lost operations revenue, the team will not be a player in the free agent market this winter.
August 8, 2014
TINKER TO SECOND CHANCE
It seems that Tom Ricketts spends all day in his office tinkering with the Wrigley Field architectural legos. The rehabilitation plans for the park are constantly in flux. It took a FOIA request by the Tribune to find out what is actually in the "final" plans. From the fragmented reports, this is what I think is the current plan:
The first phase of the plan is to get the 7 outfield signs in as soon as possible. To do so, the back bleacher walls are to be moved 6 feet into the street; and the bleacher extended 12 feet over the streets. The new outfield signs will be anchored on this new structural support. The bleachers themselves are going to be mostly torn down in order to a) construct the under-the-bleachers bullpens and b) rebuild the outfield brick walls and ivy. Two light poles will be installed in the outfield corners. The new bleacher configuration may also support another bar/restaurant hidden under the bleachers near the gates.
The strangest part of the new plan are three "bunker" suites. We think that they are going to be constructed underground where the box seats abut the old LF bullpen area. The underground suites will have no view to the field, but will have a concourse to new box seats apparently in the area of the old Cubs bullpen. It would seem that the existing box seat sections will have to be torn up in order to construct these new bunkers, possibly in conjunction with the new clubhouse plans. Likewise, the RF box seats will be added extending from the visitors dugout the the bullpen to the foul pole. The likely result of these changes is that there will be little to no foul territory.
If you are puzzled why there is so much underground building, it seems to be the only way to monetize every single inch of Wrigley Field space. I really don't recall the public outcry for new luxury suites that have no view of Wrigley Field. I don't see stuffing a bullpen staff into a hot livestock pen under the bleachers on hot summer days is going to make them any better pitchers. And for all those Cub fans who still blame Bartman for alleged interference, without any foul territory there will be more fan "plays" in the future.
But what is really amazing is that the city approved a plan and the final submissions have substantial changes. The Tribune reported that the outside facades now will have large electronic ribbon advertising signs (like Times Square). But at the same time, Ricketts wants Wrigley Field to be put on the National Historic Register, so he can get a 20% tax break on the reconstruction costs. But clearly, Ricketts is not "preserving" the old park in its original state; he is totally transforming it into a Disney entertainment complex.
And now, the time line for the reconstruction will span four off seasons. So the work will not be completed until Opening Day 2018. And there were reports that the baseball operations will not have the freedom to spend until the business side maxes out on the revenue side. So the Cubs as a baseball operation may be handcuffed until 2018. Unless of course, the construction plans change - - - again.
The strangest part of the new plan are three "bunker" suites. We think that they are going to be constructed underground where the box seats abut the old LF bullpen area. The underground suites will have no view to the field, but will have a concourse to new box seats apparently in the area of the old Cubs bullpen. It would seem that the existing box seat sections will have to be torn up in order to construct these new bunkers, possibly in conjunction with the new clubhouse plans. Likewise, the RF box seats will be added extending from the visitors dugout the the bullpen to the foul pole. The likely result of these changes is that there will be little to no foul territory.
If you are puzzled why there is so much underground building, it seems to be the only way to monetize every single inch of Wrigley Field space. I really don't recall the public outcry for new luxury suites that have no view of Wrigley Field. I don't see stuffing a bullpen staff into a hot livestock pen under the bleachers on hot summer days is going to make them any better pitchers. And for all those Cub fans who still blame Bartman for alleged interference, without any foul territory there will be more fan "plays" in the future.
But what is really amazing is that the city approved a plan and the final submissions have substantial changes. The Tribune reported that the outside facades now will have large electronic ribbon advertising signs (like Times Square). But at the same time, Ricketts wants Wrigley Field to be put on the National Historic Register, so he can get a 20% tax break on the reconstruction costs. But clearly, Ricketts is not "preserving" the old park in its original state; he is totally transforming it into a Disney entertainment complex.
And now, the time line for the reconstruction will span four off seasons. So the work will not be completed until Opening Day 2018. And there were reports that the baseball operations will not have the freedom to spend until the business side maxes out on the revenue side. So the Cubs as a baseball operation may be handcuffed until 2018. Unless of course, the construction plans change - - - again.
May 30, 2014
RICKETTS' WORLD
The more time passes, the more the public understands the moving target which is the Ricketts plan for his massive Lakeview real estate development projects. The Cubs play a nominal role in the specter of the latest grand plan - - - the excuse - - - for a more overzoned and higher density use of the space at Clark and Addison.
The Cubs claim their new development project, a $575 million - - - increased by $75 million - - -on will add more signs, seats and lights at Wrigley Field so the team is allowed to “control our ballpark.”
But that brash statement by Crane Kenney is a grenade to say the team will move to the suburbs if they don't get "everything" in the new plan. Whether the threat is real is irrelevant; the idea that the Ricketts family should be exempt from city building, zoning and community safety regulations is what is at issue.
Every business man and property owner in the City has to circumvent a maze of rules and regulations to do anything with their property. Chicago is a difficult place to open and run a business. No other business would get any traction trying to stuff more and more uses into a building than the Cubs latest plan: including a 30,000-square-foot clubhouse in a two-level basement beneath an outdoor plaza; adding seven (7) outfield signs to block all rooftop views; adding outfield light towers; adding a 200-seat restaurant and 200-person auditorium behind the home dugout; adding three or four rows of bleacher seats and claiming even more seats by relocating the home and visiting bullpens from foul territory to a protected area beneath the expanded bleachers that gives relief pitchers a view of the field.
For some delusional reason, Ricketts believes that the neighborhood is "stealing" money from him because they are near Wrigley Field. Ricketts continues to expand year round bars and restaurants inside Wrigley Field to "recapture" dollars spent with local businesses. He will add more bar spaces in the triangle plaza (where he wants an open liquor license) and in the commercial space across from Wrigley. The auditorium has to be a means of taking business away from nearby clubs like the Cubby Bear Lounge. In other words, the new development plan is an all-out assault to create a 24/7 Times Square Ricketts owned entertainment area.
The Sun-Times reported that Kenney said the Cubs have worked hand-in-glove with Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s administration in recent months to develop the scorched earth plan that includes seven outfield signs, including two video scoreboards and literally dares rooftop club owners to sue.
Kenney said city landmarks officials insisted that there be a “65-foot buffer” between the manual scoreboard in centerfield and the video boards in right and left fields. City Hall further demanded that there be “at least 20 feet between each of the seven outfield signs and that each of the four new LED signs added to the two video scoreboards be no more than 650 square feet.
“You wouldn’t just drop this on the city without them seeing it. We started talking about, `What are the important dimensions from the city’s perspective that need to be maintained. That’s where we came up with ideas around 65 feet, shrinking down the video board [already approved in left-field], putting these signs in these spots and creating these envelopes,” Kenney said.
But the mayor's office issued a statement that seemed to pare back Kenney's enthusiasm and spin that the city was on board with the revised plans, which will be submitted to the Landmark Commission on June 5th.
The Sun-Times also reported that "with a straight face," Kenney insisted that he has no idea what impact, if any, the seven outfield signs would have on the view from rooftop clubs that share 17 percent of their revenues with the team. He argued that a “perfect view” may not even be required from rooftop patrons who are more interested in “tailgating” than watching the game.
But that is not what the contract states with the rooftop owners.
Kenney claims the Cubs had made many offers to settle the dispute (which the rooftop owners say is not a dispute but the Cubs unilateral anticipatory breach of contract) but they are at an impasse.
The Cubs claim their new development project, a $575 million - - - increased by $75 million - - -on will add more signs, seats and lights at Wrigley Field so the team is allowed to “control our ballpark.”
But that brash statement by Crane Kenney is a grenade to say the team will move to the suburbs if they don't get "everything" in the new plan. Whether the threat is real is irrelevant; the idea that the Ricketts family should be exempt from city building, zoning and community safety regulations is what is at issue.
Every business man and property owner in the City has to circumvent a maze of rules and regulations to do anything with their property. Chicago is a difficult place to open and run a business. No other business would get any traction trying to stuff more and more uses into a building than the Cubs latest plan: including a 30,000-square-foot clubhouse in a two-level basement beneath an outdoor plaza; adding seven (7) outfield signs to block all rooftop views; adding outfield light towers; adding a 200-seat restaurant and 200-person auditorium behind the home dugout; adding three or four rows of bleacher seats and claiming even more seats by relocating the home and visiting bullpens from foul territory to a protected area beneath the expanded bleachers that gives relief pitchers a view of the field.
For some delusional reason, Ricketts believes that the neighborhood is "stealing" money from him because they are near Wrigley Field. Ricketts continues to expand year round bars and restaurants inside Wrigley Field to "recapture" dollars spent with local businesses. He will add more bar spaces in the triangle plaza (where he wants an open liquor license) and in the commercial space across from Wrigley. The auditorium has to be a means of taking business away from nearby clubs like the Cubby Bear Lounge. In other words, the new development plan is an all-out assault to create a 24/7 Times Square Ricketts owned entertainment area.
The Sun-Times reported that Kenney said the Cubs have worked hand-in-glove with Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s administration in recent months to develop the scorched earth plan that includes seven outfield signs, including two video scoreboards and literally dares rooftop club owners to sue.
Kenney said city landmarks officials insisted that there be a “65-foot buffer” between the manual scoreboard in centerfield and the video boards in right and left fields. City Hall further demanded that there be “at least 20 feet between each of the seven outfield signs and that each of the four new LED signs added to the two video scoreboards be no more than 650 square feet.
“You wouldn’t just drop this on the city without them seeing it. We started talking about, `What are the important dimensions from the city’s perspective that need to be maintained. That’s where we came up with ideas around 65 feet, shrinking down the video board [already approved in left-field], putting these signs in these spots and creating these envelopes,” Kenney said.
But the mayor's office issued a statement that seemed to pare back Kenney's enthusiasm and spin that the city was on board with the revised plans, which will be submitted to the Landmark Commission on June 5th.
The Sun-Times also reported that "with a straight face," Kenney insisted that he has no idea what impact, if any, the seven outfield signs would have on the view from rooftop clubs that share 17 percent of their revenues with the team. He argued that a “perfect view” may not even be required from rooftop patrons who are more interested in “tailgating” than watching the game.
But that is not what the contract states with the rooftop owners.
Kenney claims the Cubs had made many offers to settle the dispute (which the rooftop owners say is not a dispute but the Cubs unilateral anticipatory breach of contract) but they are at an impasse.
“There’s no animosity. There’s no hard feelings. . . . Sometimes you’d like to see this as a big dramatic gunfight at the O.K. Corral. It’s none of that. It’s simply a math problem. We need to generate revenue inside the ballpark. We’re financing this ourselves. We’re unlike every team building a new facility,” Kenney said.
Right. Rooftop club owners beg to differ. Ryan McLaughlin, a spokesman for the Wrigleyville Rooftops Association, said the lawsuit the Cubs seem determined to provoke will be filed shortly.“A contract is a contract. It’s unclear why the Cubs feel they can break a contract with rooftop owners, but they do not break contracts with vendors, baseball players or whomever,” McLaughlin said.
Noting that the rooftops share $3.5 million-to-$4 million of their annual profits with the Cubs, McLaughlin said, “Why would they do that if they didn’t’ feel they had a contract that protected their rights?"
Kenney said he’s confident the Cubs are on solid legal ground. However, if the Ricketts were so confident in their legal position, they could have gone to court last year and filed for relief and would have received a decision by now!
The public needs to understand that these real estate development projects are rolled into one package, using the Cubs futility as the reason for massive concessions from the city and neighborhood. But Wrigley Field is not "owned" by the Cubs, but a separate legal entity. The Cubs are merely a tenant at the facility. The facility, which Ricketts wants to change into a massive multi-purpose entertainment complex for concerts, other sports, corporate events, movie nights, etc. All the new revenue from signage, advertising and other events does not go to the baseball operations but into Ricketts other pockets. It is a disingenuous argument to make that this revised plan is going to help the Cubs win a championship.
It is also disingenuous to "celebrate" historic Wrigley Field this season in order to sell tickets for games while fielding a woeful team, then at the same time totally gut iconic Wrigley with video signs, advertising marquees and changes that will eliminate the historic look and feel of the park. But the bottom line for this ownership is to make more money; not running a ball club.
Ricketts has spent millions of dollars on lawyers, architects and consultants to plan and revise plans for his Clark and Addison shrine. The one unanswered question is: does he even have the money to fund these grand plans? Or is this another excuse to blame the rooftop, the neighbors, or government officials from blocking his new revenue streams to make the illogical jump that someone else has ruined the Cubs baseball team? Ricketts World is a highly concentrated, overzoned and burdensome development project that needs strict scrutiny from all interested parties because the impact could have long term negative consequences on the community and the city. Because no matter how much more money Ricketts takes in, that is not a guarantee that any of Theo's touted prospects can make it at the major league level. It is this diversion with real estate plans that cloud what fans want to see: improvements in the club and not the grounds the team plays on.
Ricketts has spent millions of dollars on lawyers, architects and consultants to plan and revise plans for his Clark and Addison shrine. The one unanswered question is: does he even have the money to fund these grand plans? Or is this another excuse to blame the rooftop, the neighbors, or government officials from blocking his new revenue streams to make the illogical jump that someone else has ruined the Cubs baseball team? Ricketts World is a highly concentrated, overzoned and burdensome development project that needs strict scrutiny from all interested parties because the impact could have long term negative consequences on the community and the city. Because no matter how much more money Ricketts takes in, that is not a guarantee that any of Theo's touted prospects can make it at the major league level. It is this diversion with real estate plans that cloud what fans want to see: improvements in the club and not the grounds the team plays on.
May 21, 2014
BLEEP
CSNChicago story with Theo Epstein has this revealing quote at the end:
“‘We don’t know (bleep)’ is a way to remind yourself – and remind everyone around you – that there is way more we don’t know about the game than what we do know about the game,” Epstein said. “All you can really do is set a vision, hire great people, make sure your processes are really sound and keep trying to get better each day and let things fall where they may. That’s as true now as it was then.”
This is not what you want your team president or general manager barking to the media.
We were told that Epstein was a baseball boy genius; the architect of two World Series championships. He was the savior of the doomed Cub franchise. He was a turnaround artist. He had a plan.
This quote basically says:
a) have a plan;
b) hire good people; and
c) let the chips fall where they may.
That is not a plan but the mental state of a losing shooter at the craps table.
The Cubs chips have fallen and broken into thousands of pieces (as much as the no-shows at Wrigley Field).
“‘We don’t know (bleep)’ is a way to remind yourself – and remind everyone around you – that there is way more we don’t know about the game than what we do know about the game,” Epstein said. “All you can really do is set a vision, hire great people, make sure your processes are really sound and keep trying to get better each day and let things fall where they may. That’s as true now as it was then.”
This is not what you want your team president or general manager barking to the media.
We were told that Epstein was a baseball boy genius; the architect of two World Series championships. He was the savior of the doomed Cub franchise. He was a turnaround artist. He had a plan.
This quote basically says:
a) have a plan;
b) hire good people; and
c) let the chips fall where they may.
That is not a plan but the mental state of a losing shooter at the craps table.
The Cubs chips have fallen and broken into thousands of pieces (as much as the no-shows at Wrigley Field).
April 19, 2014
MODELS CAN BE BROKEN
Mark Potash of the SunTimes tries to get a handle on the Cubs baseball model.
He finds it waning at the moment.
Potash knows that Cub fans will suffer through
another terrible season while the touted minor league prospects learn their craft in places like Kane County and Daytona.
Jackson may become the poster boy of what is wrong with the Cubs baseball plans. The system is lacking quality starting pitching, but the Cardinals seem to keep finding good arms like the 22-year-old Wacha who bested Jackson in the first St. Louis series of the year. And the issue is that the Cubs could have drafted Wacha, but instead chose Almora. The Cardinals picked 13 places later to select Wacha, who in less than two years made it to the majors.
Find talent. Evaluate talent. Draft talent. Quickly develop talent. Insert talent in majors. That has been the factory assembly line of young players being promoted to the Cardinals roster.
It could be that since new ownership, the models keep on changing: first it was the continuation of the Tribune entertainment model; then it was the Boston Way; then it was the minor league way of the Rays; and now people think the Cubs should pattern their organization after the rival Cardinals.
But it seems the Cubs front office is desperately trying to hold back talent to build of a surge of great young players hitting the majors at the same time to overwhelm the NL Central. But trying to "time" the arrival date of a low minor league prospect is like trying to time the stock market. It rarely works.
The Cubs are steadfast that their baseball model will work. They continue to draft higher than the rival Cardinals, who continue to have their prospects beat the Cubs' prospects to the majors. It seems the Cubs are standing still while the Cardinals to continue to beat them to the punch.
He finds it waning at the moment.
Potash writes "While
most Cub fans wait with anticipation for the Big Four — Javier Baez,
Kris Bryant, Jorge Soler and Albert Almora — to lead a
player-development renaissance that turns Theo Epstein’s woebegone Cubs
into a perennial contender, there’s another faction of Cub loyalists
that considers Epstein and Jed Hoyer flim-flam men whose baseball
judgment is not nearly as keen as they would like us to believe.
"Edwin Jackson continues to be
Exhibits A, B and C for that faction and that contention. The signing of
a pitcher with such a well-established record of fool’s gold to a
four-year, $52 million contract in January of 2013 reeked before the ink
was even dry. A fairly predictably dreadful season in which Jackson
habitually pitched poorly enough to lose — either falling behind early
or blowing sizable leads — made it clear that Epstein & Co. were
guilty of either signing a guy off some cherry-picked numbers or
terribly misjudging Jackson’s ability to compete."
Jackson may become the poster boy of what is wrong with the Cubs baseball plans. The system is lacking quality starting pitching, but the Cardinals seem to keep finding good arms like the 22-year-old Wacha who bested Jackson in the first St. Louis series of the year. And the issue is that the Cubs could have drafted Wacha, but instead chose Almora. The Cardinals picked 13 places later to select Wacha, who in less than two years made it to the majors.
Find talent. Evaluate talent. Draft talent. Quickly develop talent. Insert talent in majors. That has been the factory assembly line of young players being promoted to the Cardinals roster.
Even if you like the Cubs new focus farm
system is encouraging, the emphasis has been on taking prospects who will take longer to develop than a Wacha. And that may be the flaw in the Cubs current model: not signing enough major league ready talent that need only one plus years in the minors for seasoning.
But the Cubs will claim they drafted a slew of college pitchers one year. That is a true statement, but the team then assigned them to rookie and low A ball where some have been mired for years. At some point, caution has to be thrown out and the birds must leave the nest to see if they can fly at the next level of promotion.
It could be that since new ownership, the models keep on changing: first it was the continuation of the Tribune entertainment model; then it was the Boston Way; then it was the minor league way of the Rays; and now people think the Cubs should pattern their organization after the rival Cardinals.
But it seems the Cubs front office is desperately trying to hold back talent to build of a surge of great young players hitting the majors at the same time to overwhelm the NL Central. But trying to "time" the arrival date of a low minor league prospect is like trying to time the stock market. It rarely works.
The Cubs are steadfast that their baseball model will work. They continue to draft higher than the rival Cardinals, who continue to have their prospects beat the Cubs' prospects to the majors. It seems the Cubs are standing still while the Cardinals to continue to beat them to the punch.
April 8, 2014
A BLUNT ASSESSMENT
Apparently during watching the Cubs home opener, SunTimes columnist Rick Telander gagged on the barrel of the pistol in his mouth when he heard one of the most nonsensical things out of the mouth of Tom Ricketts.
In a radio interview, Ricketts was asked why the Cubs can't field even an "average team" during their rebuilding process. Ricketts responded, ‘‘Eighty-three games? Theo and Jed could do that in their sleep!’’
So in his column, Telander proposes to put Theo and Jed to sleep.
Telander is cynical about the four years of Ricketts mouth dribble about ‘‘starting over,’’ ‘‘rebuilding,’’ and ‘‘trying to do it the right way’’to explain away the bad teams that haunt Wrigley Field the past four years. The first week of the 2014 season is a mirror image of bad play from prior campaigns.
If Theo and Jed are the boy baseball geniuses who can win 83 games in their sleep, then why have the Cubs averaged 94 losses in the past 4 years?
Telander is blunt with his assessment of the situation:
I will ask this again, as I have asked so many times in the 4½ years the Ricketts family has owned the Cubs: What other service business gets to stay open while it serves its clientele botulism-tainted meat, delivers termite-laden lumber, provides worm-infested seed corn?
In a radio interview, Ricketts was asked why the Cubs can't field even an "average team" during their rebuilding process. Ricketts responded, ‘‘Eighty-three games? Theo and Jed could do that in their sleep!’’
So in his column, Telander proposes to put Theo and Jed to sleep.
Telander is cynical about the four years of Ricketts mouth dribble about ‘‘starting over,’’ ‘‘rebuilding,’’ and ‘‘trying to do it the right way’’to explain away the bad teams that haunt Wrigley Field the past four years. The first week of the 2014 season is a mirror image of bad play from prior campaigns.
If Theo and Jed are the boy baseball geniuses who can win 83 games in their sleep, then why have the Cubs averaged 94 losses in the past 4 years?
Telander is blunt with his assessment of the situation:
I will ask this again, as I have asked so many times in the 4½ years the Ricketts family has owned the Cubs: What other service business gets to stay open while it serves its clientele botulism-tainted meat, delivers termite-laden lumber, provides worm-infested seed corn?
Telander also laments that the recent discussions taking up all our "Cub time"
is the team business, lack of capital improvement money, rooftops litigation threats and new expanded brick walls of construction projects around the park . . . but those discussions are never about
winning baseball!
Ricketts said fans will be really excited ‘‘when they see the plan in action.’’ Telander, and many other long term fans, do not believe in the final execution of any plan if the owner is a hapless sap who cannot comprehend the mediocrity that is before him on the hallowed grounds of Wrigley Field.
Very few people now buy the idea that the ONLY way for the Cubs to become competitive is to tear down the entire organization and rebuild ONLY from the minor league system like a small market, financially dependent team. Those are two separate aspects of running a baseball club: a major league team that is the focus of both present fan support and revenue generation and minor league affiliates where the club develops future talent. There is no reason to sacrifice the present for the sake of an uncertain future. But that is the core element of the Cubs plan.
It is all about the future prospects, the future ball park amenities, and the future championships . . . but nothing about the present mess costing Cub fans premium prices. At the turn of the last century, snake oil salesmen used to be run out of town for charging the public big money cures for colored tap water illusions of good health.
February 9, 2014
2014 PLAN
It is fairly obvious at this point in time that the Cubs plan for 2014 is similar to last year's plan which was a repeat of the year before . . . but with one new twist.
In an ironic way, the Cubs will be "celebrating" the 100th anniversary of iconic Wrigley Field, while at the same time attempting to dramatically alter the traditional look, feel, and aesthetics of the old traditional ball park.
The Cubs plan to market Wrigley field like it is the end of the world.
The "Party of the Century" all year long, featuring throwback uniforms, specialty food, bobbleheads, special guests and tributes to the 100 great moments in Wrigley Field history.
The team will recreate throwback uniforms from significant events at Wrigley Field during each decade of the ballpark's history. The first is a copy of the 1914 Chicago Federals uniform, which will be worn on the 100th birthday game on April 23 against the D-backs. The remaining uniforms will be worn on a "Throwback Sunday" game for the corresponding decade. Visiting teams also will wear retro uniforms in those games, as well as children's promotional items.
In addition, the Cubs will feature an alternate road jersey for 2014 that pays homage to the road jersey worn in the 1920s.
The Cubs plan to host other special events days, including a golfer's night during the 1950s homestand to commemorate Sam Snead hitting the center field scoreboard with a golf ball. Snead stood at home plate and used an iron to connect off the scoreboard on April 17, 1951.
Food and beverage offerings from that homestand's specified decade will be featured at Wrigley for the respective homestands, and packaged in collectable cups and helmets. Former athletes, dignitaries and others who helped shape Wrigley Field will be featured and take part in pregame ceremonies, ceremonial first pitches and seventh-inning-stretch conductors.
Everything will be marked with Wrigley Field's 100th commemorative logo. Every collector cup, hat, jersey, pennant or giveaway is going to marked with the new logo.
The plan is really to sell as much new branded merchandise as possible in 2014 while the team is playing near a 100 loss level. The plan is to ring out the last sentimental tears from die hard traditional fans before the classic ball park gets a modern, electronic face lift.
There is a pattern developing here.
In 2009, it was the New Beginning, with the Ricketts purchase of the team from the Tribune. New ownership vowed a championship was near, only one or two players away.
In 2010, that quick championship aura faded to dust.
In 2011, it was the New New Beginning, with the hiring of the Boy Genius, Theo Epstein, and his superfriends.
In 2012, it was all about Prospects, the talent being assembled to create a championship dynasty. Later, the term "rebuild" began to sink in, as the Cubs sank further down toward the cellar.
In 2013, the same story about rebuilding the organization soured in Cub fans who were paying premium prices for a sub-par product at the major league level.
In 2014, it is going to all about Wrigley Field 100! Nothing lasts a 100 years (except the lack of a championship).
New ownership, Epstein hiring, the hype of Prospects and now Wrigley 100 are all loudspeaker marketing items that are attempted to overwhelm the obvious problems with the team. Divert attention from the core issue of not fielding a competitive baseball team has been the plan for the past several years. 2014 may be the grandest of all.
In an ironic way, the Cubs will be "celebrating" the 100th anniversary of iconic Wrigley Field, while at the same time attempting to dramatically alter the traditional look, feel, and aesthetics of the old traditional ball park.
The "Party of the Century" all year long, featuring throwback uniforms, specialty food, bobbleheads, special guests and tributes to the 100 great moments in Wrigley Field history.
The team will recreate throwback uniforms from significant events at Wrigley Field during each decade of the ballpark's history. The first is a copy of the 1914 Chicago Federals uniform, which will be worn on the 100th birthday game on April 23 against the D-backs. The remaining uniforms will be worn on a "Throwback Sunday" game for the corresponding decade. Visiting teams also will wear retro uniforms in those games, as well as children's promotional items.
In addition, the Cubs will feature an alternate road jersey for 2014 that pays homage to the road jersey worn in the 1920s.
The Cubs plan to host other special events days, including a golfer's night during the 1950s homestand to commemorate Sam Snead hitting the center field scoreboard with a golf ball. Snead stood at home plate and used an iron to connect off the scoreboard on April 17, 1951.
Food and beverage offerings from that homestand's specified decade will be featured at Wrigley for the respective homestands, and packaged in collectable cups and helmets. Former athletes, dignitaries and others who helped shape Wrigley Field will be featured and take part in pregame ceremonies, ceremonial first pitches and seventh-inning-stretch conductors.
Everything will be marked with Wrigley Field's 100th commemorative logo. Every collector cup, hat, jersey, pennant or giveaway is going to marked with the new logo.
The plan is really to sell as much new branded merchandise as possible in 2014 while the team is playing near a 100 loss level. The plan is to ring out the last sentimental tears from die hard traditional fans before the classic ball park gets a modern, electronic face lift.
There is a pattern developing here.
In 2009, it was the New Beginning, with the Ricketts purchase of the team from the Tribune. New ownership vowed a championship was near, only one or two players away.
In 2010, that quick championship aura faded to dust.
In 2011, it was the New New Beginning, with the hiring of the Boy Genius, Theo Epstein, and his superfriends.
In 2012, it was all about Prospects, the talent being assembled to create a championship dynasty. Later, the term "rebuild" began to sink in, as the Cubs sank further down toward the cellar.
In 2013, the same story about rebuilding the organization soured in Cub fans who were paying premium prices for a sub-par product at the major league level.
In 2014, it is going to all about Wrigley Field 100! Nothing lasts a 100 years (except the lack of a championship).
New ownership, Epstein hiring, the hype of Prospects and now Wrigley 100 are all loudspeaker marketing items that are attempted to overwhelm the obvious problems with the team. Divert attention from the core issue of not fielding a competitive baseball team has been the plan for the past several years. 2014 may be the grandest of all.
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