Chicago Cubs 2014 Season Thread (super-official)
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OakRaiders
Well-Known Member
I still wish Cuban would have been able to buy the Cubs. I've seen nothing out of Tom and Theo. Even the stuff going on in I Cubs sounds bad.
There is no hope unless they spend money. Which they wont
http://deadspin.com/2014-payrolls-and-salaries-for-every-mlb-team-1551868969
There is no hope unless they spend money. Which they wont
http://deadspin.com/2014-payrolls-and-salaries-for-every-mlb-team-1551868969
I don't know how it's possible, but I think the Cubs are worse than I thought they were going to be. It's early, but this is pathetic. Very little offense, putrid bullpen, and Carlos Villenueva (sp?) and Edwin Jackson are in the starting rotation. Let's hope the farm system produces.
Well, how good did you think they were going to be? They brought in a closer who wasn't good enough to close for the Astros. Think about that for a second. They replaced Garza with a warm body, and didn't do a single thing to improve the offense and in fact made it a bit worse.
The only redeeming quality this dumpster fire of a season was ever going to have was to see if Rizzo, Castro, and Olt would improve and become cornerstone pieces of the future.
Rizzo is off to an excellent start. Castro is hitting just shy of .300 which is a lot better than he was hitting last year. Olt is having a rough go of it but he's a rookie so we'll see how he adjusts.
Seriously, I think the Cubs AA lineup would give this lineup a run for their money. I don't know if there is tanking in baseball, but if there were I'd imagine this is what it would look like.
Listening to Suntimes Cubs beat writer Gordon Wittmeyer today, he insists that the original Theo plan did not include having such a small payroll as they do now. Acquiring Tanaka would have been in line with the original plan. But, the Ricketts paid so much, and Zell's sale terms were so inhibiting in terms of debt that they now are restricted by league rules due to that huge debt. In other words, the plan has been setback, and the next few years are going to be lean ones that will dampen attendance as it has gone down every year of the Ricketts ownership. Tough spot for the Ricketts, cept that they probably have an asset that would fetch them 700-800 million more than they paid.....so there is that.
MisterLucky
Well-Known Member
The Cubs losing two at Yankee Stadium yesterday was just them fulfilling their long tradition of losing both ends of a double header (and they did it in spectacular style, scoring ZERO runs).
As far as having faith in the braintrust goes, these are the guys that are paying Edwin Jackson 13 mill a year. Think about that.
As far as having faith in the braintrust goes, these are the guys that are paying Edwin Jackson 13 mill a year. Think about that.
JG10Hawk
Well-Known Member
That's pretty much spot on. Since the budget is and has been restricted until a few years from now. He is doing the only thing he can with trying to flip veteran players for prospects and build up the farm system. He plans to aquire some solid veteran talent in a few years so the prospects aren't going to have all the pressure to carry the team.
I'm sure they didn't plan on having this low of a payroll. For what the Yankees paid Tanaka, I'm not that upset that the Cubs didn't outbid them.
I'm hoping the Cubs new tv deal will make this debt situation moot because I don't want to go back to what it was like when the Tribune company owned the Cubs (before they built the team up so they could sell it). It makes baseball sense to not invest in free agency right now but with the arrival of prospects this summer and even more next summer the Cubs will no longer be able to use that excuse. I don't know what kind of contract David Price is going to command but the Cubs had better be willing to pony up because he's exactly the type of free agent the Cubs should be targeting.
thejumper5
Well-Known Member
I would love if Carlos Rodon fell to the Cubs. He will probably have the quickest impact at the MLB level of any of the top prospects. I know there are concerns about his pitch counts, but I still think he's worth it.
You are spot on, I was hopeful some of the younger guys could help get them get a little closer to .500. It's still early, but this team could be historically bad.
Like. Everytime I see reports of the 3 teams ahead of them liking someone else, this is my reaction:
OakRaiders
Well-Known Member
Classic Ricketts - Get loaded down by debt then promise alot and deliver little. Then try and build a gaudy hotel and vidoe board smothered with advirtisements to try and get out of massive debt while continuing to lose fan support and putting a terrible product on the field. This guy knows what he is doing. How about Clark the Cub though!
I have no beef with Clark the Cub but it just adds the misguidedness of the current organization.
As a Raiders fan I would have figured you'd be quite used to misguided management.
OakRaiders
Well-Known Member
I thought I had seen it all but this stuff in Chicago is starting to take the cake or may I say cub.
MisterLucky
Well-Known Member
The Ricketts love the Cubs so much that they have presented the fans three of the worst teams in the long history of the franchise. This may not be enough to disenchant the long term fans, like myself, who have spent decades watching the Cubs lose, but it certainly doesn't seem to be the recipe to add new, younger fans, who want to follow a winner.
HerkyDude
Well-Known Member
I was getting excited when they were scoring some runs, but this week not so much. At times they were showing more patience at the plate and I liked that. IMHO I don't see any quality veteran leaders playing, which every good team usually has. I wish Jim Leland would have have retired in Chicago. I still crack up thinking of him chain smoking in the dugouts and raising hell.
JG10Hawk
Well-Known Member
This is very true. Just taking a quick glance at the stats I believe Castro has the most career hits of anyone on the roster and he just turned 24. Hard to have vetran leadership when that's the case.
