Is Paul Sullivan really this clueless?

[Caryatid]

He writes:

Paul, I think you answered one too many disgruntled questions and it has now wrongly affected your opinion of the Cubs fan. You said, "the Cubs aren't allowed to rebuild like the Tigers and Sox because Wrigley Field is almost always sold out and they'd be accused of pocketing the money with a low-payroll team full of kids. It's the curse of Wrigley." Cubs fans are knowledgeable and can discern between being cheap and investing in the future. If management did what was in the best interest of the Cubs fans and decided to rebuild from scratch, the Cubs fans would only be too happy. --Mark Gaponiuk, McElhattan, Penn.

 

I believe that's a very naïve view. If the Cubs sliced payroll to even Brewers territory and tried a semi-youth movement, the ballpark would still be filled and people would accuse the Cubs of going young to increase their revenues. Their history works against them, because no one has the patience for a youth movement after a lifetime of waiting. They can't go "Florida" and rebuild from scratch, as fun as that sounds right now.

 

Everyone would accuse them of just trying to increase revenues, which, last time I checked, had zero effect on what they decide to do for the team.

 

ESPECIALLY WHEN HE ADMITS THAT the ballpark would remain filled.

 

 

I swear, every time I read the "ask Paul" segment, I wonder how these people get their jobs.

[halplm]

Almost all sports writers (not Bruce, of course ;) ) seem to think fans don't have a clue what they're talking about. Every time I read one of those segments they seem condescending and sort of like "you just don't know what you're talking about..." while at the same time avoiding the actual question, and responding with a canned answer they had ready for a similar but much different question.

 

Of course the Cubs fans would love to rebuild from scratch! If people started complaining about pocketing cash, they could... I don't know... LOWER TICKET PRICES?!?!?!

 

The days of Wrigley being packed regardless of the team on the field are goign to end very rapidly if things don't change...

[BigbadB]

A) Rebuild from scratch

B) Pay top dollar for good players

C) Pay top dollar for crap players

 

They've tried C and it isn't working. I'm all for A or B at this point.

[bleedcubbieblue]

A) Rebuild from scratch

B) Pay top dollar for good players

C) Pay top dollar for crap players

 

They've tried C and it isn't working. I'm all for A or B at this point.

 

Florida went for it in 97 or 98, I don't remember off hand, won it all. Then took it all the way down, sold off everything, sold the team, started over, and won it again in 2003. Sold off everything in the off season, and are starting over once again. No question, they will win another WS championship before the Cubs do.

 

The problem with doing A and B, is that when we do A, and bring payroll way back down, there will be the same theory about NOT signing a certain player in the name of fiscal responsibility. Until someone comes up with a plan and who can target players that need to be brought in and bulit around to build a winner, which no one has proven to be able to do, we will see more of the same. As strange as it sounds, Andy MacPhail did more in his tenure as GM than Jim Hendry is proving. If I was running the Trib, espcially after signing Hendry to an extension, I would fire him asap, after seeing this disaster, and the overall mismangement of a minor league system which was "supposedly stocked" only 3 years ago. Give MacPhail the job, along with his President role, tell him he has 3 years, and if after that time, if we are not consistently winning, it is his head.

 

My personal feeling is the whole lot of them should be fired, but after his extension, not very likely, nor is Andy's head not going to happen. I do think Dusty will not be back, so to make the best of what is left, I would also let Hendry go(which will not happen now) and put Andy in charge to save on cost, because that is what the Tribune is all about.

 

BCB

[Warren Brusstar]

A) Rebuild from scratch

B) Pay top dollar for good players

C) Pay top dollar for crap players

 

They've tried C and it isn't working. I'm all for A or B at this point.

 

LO freaking L.

 

Post of the day.

[badgercub]

This whole notion of building from scratch and starting all youngsters is ludicrous. The Cubs don't have to do that. The teams that do that are the small market teams and the only reason they do it is because they have budget constraints, which the Cubs don't have. The Cubs, if they spend money wisely should be able to combine whatever mix of players they want, youngsters and vets. Look at how quickly Omar Minaya came in and with a mix of minor leaguers, trades and FA acquisitions turned that team around. Look at the Dodgers and what they have done this year. Sullivan talks like to rebuild you have to do it like the Marlins are doing and fill the roster with 20 rookies or whatever they have.

[bleedcubbieblue]

The Cubs, if they spend money wisely

 

Wake me when this happens, because they have yet to hire someone who can do this.

 

The best GM the Trib has hired since they have taken over was Dallas Green, and even he had his shortcomings, but looking at the line of GM's over the years, he was the best they have had.

 

BCB

[badgercub]

The Cubs, if they spend money wisely

 

Wake me when this happens, because they have yet to hire someone who can do this.

 

The best GM the Trib has hired since they have taken over was Dallas Green, and even he had his shortcomings, but looking at the line of GM's over the years, he was the best they have had.

 

BCB

 

Yep, that is a pretty big IF.lol but you get my point, it can happen. It will be interesting to see how much the team changes over the next several weeks. With only a two year extension, and what looks to be a weak FA class this offseason, Hendry has a lot of work to do and with how poorly this team is constructed and how poorly they have played I can see a major overhaul. Hendry has a chance to start creating some excitement about next years team by making some moves before the trade deadline.