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relax relax relax.
relax relax relax.
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Jeff Terronez does not approve.
I know nothing about helen keller but does this make me a bad guy?
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It's not.
Unless when you typed stuff about not being able to speak you were thinking speaking=hearing....in which case.....are you ok?
Rick
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I could care less about tradition...there's no tradition at Wrigley that I want to remember. To me, all it represents are bad memories. I want a World Series championship and I'm not one of those guys who think the Cubs play too many day games and that prevents them from winning.
However, I do think some players don't want to sign with the Cubs because of all the negative things that are said about Wrigley's playing surface, the clubhouse etc.
Like I said, its a great place to watch a baseball game but it ran it's course.
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And he has 250 million. Use that for steel, electrical stuff, concrete, labor, etc. and renovate Wrigley.
DONE.
Then wait on the triangle building and all the crap in the neighborhood for a few years. It's not like they'd be renovating the electrical and just leaving the cracked and broken concrete there to be fixed at a later date.
Like it's great that he wants to invest in the neighborhood. But if anything that's something he should work with the city/ state on. That he could probably get some funding for in 4-5 years after he demonstrates that he's serious and puts some time, money, and effort into Wrigley and the Cubs first and foremost.
Sunbiz1
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He doesn't have the $$, and neither does the state of Illinois right now. Ricketts is still trying to recover from the Tribune ripping him off with all those overpriced, average players.
As much as I dislike Mark Cuban, I dislike Jerry Reinsdorf even more for lobbying MLB to lock him out of purchasing the Cubs.
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Where does it say Rickett's has $250 million?
How do you know he has it?
Where was it stated?
Yeah I'm sure people are questioning his "seriousness" when he just spent 900million fucking dollars to buy a baseball team.
What do people think it was? A casual purchase?
I'm pretty sure the purchase of the Cubs and his wanting to improve the stadium and the area around Wrigley in general is proof enough of his "seriousness".
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Part of my point is that if he were serious about this sale and smart about it, he wouldn't have gotten fleeced by the Tribune in the overpay for the Cubs. There's no way the Cubs were worth as much as he paid for them hehehe.
That's part of the reason Cuban didn't buy the Cubs, and I doubt he would have even if the other owners didn't suck. For a family who made their living on expanding wealth and smart financial dealings, this was probably one of the dumber purchases they've made. They should have negotiated harder with the Trib.
That's part of the reason Cuban didn't buy the Cubs, and I doubt he would have even if the other owners didn't suck. For a family who made their living on expanding wealth and smart financial dealings, this was probably one of the dumber purchases they've made. They should have negotiated harder with the Trib.
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Ricketts did get over his head with paying close to billion dollars for cubs. Now he owes money to banks, needs to work on wrigley, plus put talent on the field to make cub fans happy.....cause of it now Cub fans have to suffer
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I realize that the state doesn't have it. Believe me, I know. I'm just saying I'm not convince that Ricketts doesn't have it. Sure things are very tight for him now, considering he just spend like $900 million dollars. But he can't very well make all these proposals without the money.
Not only that, from what I understand, the state would just be fronting him the money, then the luxury tax on Cubs tickets would go to repay the "loan." Granted, you need money to be able to loan it.
Especially after last night, with the Mavs winning, that made me wish Cuban bought the Cubs even more.
Well, since he said that he's lobbying for $250 million dollars that he would match, you've got to assume he has it. It would be ridiculous for me to say, "Hey, I'm going to spend $250 million dollars if you also spend that," if I don't even have it.
I figured that was just in between the lines thinking there. You know, stating the obvious.
But how do you know he doesn't have it? Where did it say that he didn't have it?
Well after I learned of his ulterior motives of purchasing the Cubs (ie. Cubs fans are stupid, they'll come no matter what), he needs to prove, to me at the very least, that he actually cares about this team and this isn't just some investment to him to make some easy money off some stupid baseball fans.
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What do you mean now Cubs fans have to suffer? Still have spent 135 million on this years team? What did you want him to do spend 160? There are plenty of expiring contracts. Lets see what happens when he has a chance to put his own mark on the team. Right now he is just riding out the mistakes from the last owner, and there was really nothing else that could have been done.
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Yeah, seriously. The reason we're in the mess that we are is because too much money has been spent.
The more and more I think about it, the more I think we wait until Fonzie's, Ramirez's, Kouske's, and maybe even Z's contracts expire before doing ANYTHING.
Then get a guy to replace Hendry, who doesn't make ridiculous deals and start with the young guys and find a few big free agents to come in a play around a solid core of young guys.
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The good news is that there's literally nothing good to spend money on past Pujols and Fielder this coming offseason, so they can buy out Rami, let Kosuke and Grabow go, wait out Pena's deferment, Z and Demp's contracts, maybe trade Byrd, and use all that money to sign their draft picks. This is a perfect time to trim payroll and go cheap with low-cost rookies and build the system from the ground up like they were supposed to do last year.
Sunbiz1
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The Trib overvalued the team on paper back then so as to receive a favorable outcome on a portion of the chapter 11 re-organizational bankruptcy proceedings...which were filed in 2008 and are still ongoing. The Ricketts bought at a bad time, not b/c of the Trib so much but rather the economy in general. In the past, attendance did not drop significantly until August. This is no longer the case as families tighten entertainment budgets due to ongoing concerns that economy is not improving.
The best way to renovate is in stages, as funds become available...start w/structural repair of the upper decks. Then do the bathrooms next year etc., the Cubs won't even have to play elsewhere. And yes, it can be done this way from an engineering standpoint.
Sunbiz1
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Hendry=average GM(the majority in MLB are). If we can lure Bill James away from Boston, JH will become a lot smarter overnight.
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Agreed.
But like the problem with this is most Cubs fans will see that Fielder or Pujols weren't signed and then automatically label the off season as a huge failure.
While I'd love to see one of those two in Cubbie Blue, it's just not possible, and in a few years when a Ryan Braun or Evan Longoria type is on the market, he could be signed and play with the core of the young guys that already have the two-three years of experience.
Cubs fans just need to learn to take their lumps a little while longer.
And Ricketts needs to hire me as the GM.
Then the Cubs will win not one, not two, not three, not four, but probably zero championships.
Then I'll get fired and take my talents to South Beach. Because after all, that's where second place talents go, nowadays.
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That wouldbe 2015, they won't wait that long. Moves can be made this offseason and the team will be just fine. I mean if you let Ramirez go you only have 72 million locked up in contracts for next year (Sori, Z, Demp, Byrd, Marmol, Marshall) Then you have a few big name Arby guys (Soto and Garza) that will probably run you around 13 million so that puts you at 85 million. Then your smaller arby cases (Baker, Hill, Wells and Dewitt) probably wont be more than 5 million total. So now we are at 90 million. Then your league min guys (Castro, Barney, Cashner, Colvin, Mateo, Russell) so thats 3 million so you are at 93 million with 7 spots left. No way we only spend like 22 million on those 7 and end up with a 115 million dollar payroll. Even if you add Aramis you are only sitting at 107 million with 6 spots left.
The only holes there are then 1B, 2B and RF. Even on a smaller budget a big name FA should be signed. 2013 is even cheaper with the only players signed on for that year are Soriano and Marmol.
This is Ricketts first chance to be active in FA, and after this year I imagine he will be. Even on a 120 million dollar budget we should have room for Fielder.
I am by no means Ricketts biggest fan, but we have to give the guy at least a chance before calling for his head.
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The proposed plan had him going in for around $200 million on the surrounding neighborhood. $200 =/= to $250
Perhaps Rickett's want to get the whole thing done at once..like it NEEDS to be done?
I again point back to the last few pages. If he did have it why risk going public and being made a boogy man for looking for state funds which in most people's minds=taxes and taxes=bad. It's a lose-lose proposition. It makeshim look like he can't afford it and the public hates another millionaire for trying to hike their taxes.
Source.
And I'm sure Rickett's felt at the time that buying a losing ballclub in a shitty stadium was a great way to get a return on that investment!
What?!
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I'd prefer Tom Tango from Seattle.
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I really can't see the Cubs payroll going that high. I really think Rickett's goal for the short term is get this team around 90-95 million for the next few seasons. Get the system fixed and rolling then start spending money. At least that SHOULD be the plan. I really don't think it's wise with all the issues the Cubs organization and facilities have to go spending anywhere over 100 million in payroll for the near future.