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Ricketts applauds Quade to ticket-holders - Chicago Cubs Blog - ESPN Chicago
Chicago Cubs owner Tom Ricketts sent a letter to all season-ticket holders reviewing the 2010 season and looking ahead toward 2011.
In Ricketts’ correspondence, he told the season-ticket holders that their input from personal and public meetings will get the utmost consideration as they move forward in the second year of the family’s ownership, and he would be sending them a quality assurance survey in the near future.
Cubs owner Tom Ricketts praised Mike Quade in a letter to Cubs season-ticket holders.
Ricketts also reiterated that winning a championship is the family’s ultimate goal.
“My family is committed to winning a World Series,” Ricketts said. “And though it may not be evident from this year’s performance, there are encouraging signs.”
A fascinating part of Ricketts’ letter was his singling out of interim manager Mike Quade’s performance at the end of 2010.
“We also have to recognize the superb job done by another one of our own, Mike Quade, during the final 37 games,” Ricketts said. “The team played at a .649 clip, and that was second best in the major leagues. Making this more significant, we played mostly against teams fighting for playoff berths.”
Ricketts endorsement of Quade can’t be underestimated, particularly since general manager Jim Hendry will bring his final few candidates for the vacant Cubs manager job to meet with Ricketts.
Hendry told the media on Friday that no date is set for making that hire. A major league source said that Quade, Ryne Sandberg, Eric Wedge and Bob Melvin are still all candidates for the job.
No contact has been made between Yankees manager Joe Girardi and the Cubs. Girardi’s contract with the Yankees expires after the 2010 season.
In his letter, Ricketts also singled out scouting director Tim Wilken and farm director Omeri Fleita as some of the reasons that he and his family believe the scouting and development system of the Cubs is going in the right direction.
As for the 2011 baseball payroll, Ricketts wasn’t exactly direct about where the team’s money will be allocated.
“Our overall baseball budget will be about the same as 2011,” Ricketts said. “Our overall success will come through a successful scouting and player development system. As a result, this likely means a shift of some resources from our major league payroll towards scouting and development.”
The Cubs began the 2010 season with a $144 million payroll, the highest in the National League. After a poor season on the field, Hendry pared down the payroll, lopping off $20 million by trading Derrek Lee, Ted Lilly, Ryan Theriot and Mike Fontenot.
The Cubs have $125 million committed towards 2011 salaries.
Ricketts said that plans for upgrading and renovating Wrigley Field will continue to be his family’s focus, however, no significant changes to the ballpark were mentioned in the letter.
Chicago Cubs owner Tom Ricketts sent a letter to all season-ticket holders reviewing the 2010 season and looking ahead toward 2011.
In Ricketts’ correspondence, he told the season-ticket holders that their input from personal and public meetings will get the utmost consideration as they move forward in the second year of the family’s ownership, and he would be sending them a quality assurance survey in the near future.
Cubs owner Tom Ricketts praised Mike Quade in a letter to Cubs season-ticket holders.
Ricketts also reiterated that winning a championship is the family’s ultimate goal.
“My family is committed to winning a World Series,” Ricketts said. “And though it may not be evident from this year’s performance, there are encouraging signs.”
A fascinating part of Ricketts’ letter was his singling out of interim manager Mike Quade’s performance at the end of 2010.
“We also have to recognize the superb job done by another one of our own, Mike Quade, during the final 37 games,” Ricketts said. “The team played at a .649 clip, and that was second best in the major leagues. Making this more significant, we played mostly against teams fighting for playoff berths.”
Ricketts endorsement of Quade can’t be underestimated, particularly since general manager Jim Hendry will bring his final few candidates for the vacant Cubs manager job to meet with Ricketts.
Hendry told the media on Friday that no date is set for making that hire. A major league source said that Quade, Ryne Sandberg, Eric Wedge and Bob Melvin are still all candidates for the job.
No contact has been made between Yankees manager Joe Girardi and the Cubs. Girardi’s contract with the Yankees expires after the 2010 season.
In his letter, Ricketts also singled out scouting director Tim Wilken and farm director Omeri Fleita as some of the reasons that he and his family believe the scouting and development system of the Cubs is going in the right direction.
As for the 2011 baseball payroll, Ricketts wasn’t exactly direct about where the team’s money will be allocated.
“Our overall baseball budget will be about the same as 2011,” Ricketts said. “Our overall success will come through a successful scouting and player development system. As a result, this likely means a shift of some resources from our major league payroll towards scouting and development.”
The Cubs began the 2010 season with a $144 million payroll, the highest in the National League. After a poor season on the field, Hendry pared down the payroll, lopping off $20 million by trading Derrek Lee, Ted Lilly, Ryan Theriot and Mike Fontenot.
The Cubs have $125 million committed towards 2011 salaries.
Ricketts said that plans for upgrading and renovating Wrigley Field will continue to be his family’s focus, however, no significant changes to the ballpark were mentioned in the letter.