The Ricketts Ownership

[Hairyducked Idiot]

It's been a little more than four years since the Ricketts' bid was accepted to buy the Cubs.

 

Do you wish the Cubs had been bought by different ownership?

[Cubswin11]

I am happy they are the owners. Seeing as Cuban was never a realistic option (as he has seemingly been blacklisted by MLB owners to bid on a team) and there wasn't a Guggenheim type group that had a bid on the team. They were probably the best option at the time of the sale given that Zell had to pretty much unload the team and couldn't hold onto the team until a Guggenheim type player to entered the mix.

[davell]

The only thing I'm impressed with so far from Ricketts is taking a saber-friendly approach in hires. Outside of that, I don't care that he seems like a nice guy. I think we had to have other options out there that would have been better positioned to spend as a major market team should. They mangled getting any outside help for funding part of the renovations. Which now means we're counting on Theo and Co to be smart enough to compete without having the advantages he should have.

[Guest]

The only thing I'm impressed with so far from Ricketts is taking a saber-friendly approach in hires. Outside of that, I don't care that he seems like a nice guy. I think we had to have other options out there that would have been better positioned to spend as a major market team should. They mangled getting any outside help for funding part of the renovations. Which now means we're counting on Theo and Co to be smart enough to compete without having the advantages he should have.

 

How about going out and getting Theo?

 

I really don't think the lack of spending has much of anything to do with any lack of depth of the pockets of the family. They're investing large amounts of money in other areas of the team and they are not being allowed to maximize their revenues (and never really have been) in ways that literally every other team in baseball can.

[davell]

Being saber-friendly includes getting Theo to me.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

I'm surprised the voting is so positive.

 

We're several years past due for a stadium deal, the MLB payroll is down by a third, and we've lost more games than the year before every single year he's owned the team.

 

I'd definitely take another spin at the wheel.

[Guest]

Being saber-friendly includes getting Theo to me.

 

I'm referring to actually pulling it off though, not just the fact that they hired someone "saber-friendly."

[Banedon]

I'm surprised the voting is so positive.

 

We're several years past due for a stadium deal, the MLB payroll is down by a third, and we've lost more games than the year before every single year he's owned the team.

 

I'd definitely take another spin at the wheel.

 

That's because we all understand what he and Theo are trying to do. Expectations were set that it would take time under their plan for the Cubs to competitive. There may have been other ways to do it, but so far, it's been exactly what we were told it would be. He's not misled fans about anything.

[davell]

Being saber-friendly includes getting Theo to me.

 

I'm referring to actually pulling it off though, not just the fact that they hired someone "saber-friendly."

Was it actually hard to pull off though or just great timing? Theo already having multiple championships, a bad relationship with Lucchino, and a team starting to fade surely made it easier to get him. Thrilled to have him, but I'm not sure it was all that hard to get him.

[mookie]

I want to watch a documentary of Ricketts straining for everything he is worth. I want to see him labor. I want sweat, blood, and tears. This "gimmie mines" schtick has worn so old.

[Guest]

My only real major disappointment with this ownership was that they let Hendry hang around as long as they did. The things about this organization from the bottom up that were stuck in the past could have been improved much sooner.

[Banedon]

Being saber-friendly includes getting Theo to me.

 

I'm referring to actually pulling it off though, not just the fact that they hired someone "saber-friendly."

Was it actually hard to pull off though or just great timing? Theo already having multiple championships, a bad relationship with Lucchino, and a team starting to fade surely made it easier to get him. Thrilled to have him, but I'm not sure it was all that hard to get him.

 

What? Are you forgetting how long it took to sort out the Theo compensation? That took a freaking eternity. Yeah. Theo wanted to come here, but making that actually happen wasn't easy by any means.

[Sammy Sofa]

Sure, I'd prefer someone like Cuban, but that wasn't a realistic option so I don't really see the point pining for someone like that. I don't really see someone else getting money out of the city any quicker than the Ricketts have; honestly, the whole "waaaaaauuuugh, I'm Rahm and I hate Old Man Ricketts" just reeks of one of the excuses he was looking for to not have to look like he was just giving money from his broke-ass city to the Cubs. Nobody was getting city money. The Cubs have been most fucked financially of the timing of the economy and their terrible, terrible TV deals and now the stupid local issues. It's a shitty, shitty situation, but I actually like how they've found a way out; Tunney is making a stink, but ultimately this benefits both the Cubs and the city as a whole too much for him to be much of an impediment.

[davell]

I find it hard to believe I'm aligning with Kyle somewhat here. But I think Ricketts is overleveraged, knew he'd be cutting payroll, but is smart enough to hire a group that may be able to work well under those parameters. Where Kyle and I disagree, is I think that if Theo could have 150 mill payroll currently, he'd have it. And thats why I'm not a fan of Ricketts- at least not right now. I don't think he's willing to allow for that until we're adding our new TV contract into the mix. And to me, if you're buying a major market team, you better be able to act like one, without additional help. He ain't McCourt obviously, but I have to think one of the other groups could have been better equipped to own the Cubs.

[Sammy Sofa]

I find it hard to believe I'm aligning with Kyle somewhat here. But I think Ricketts is overleveraged, knew he'd be cutting payroll, but is smart enough to hire a group that may be able to work well under those parameters. Where Kyle and I disagree, is I think that if Theo could have 150 mill payroll currently, he'd have it. And thats why I'm not a fan of Ricketts- at least not right now. I don't think he's willing to allow for that until we're adding our new TV contract into the mix. And to me, if you're buying a major market team, you better be able to act like one, without additional help. He ain't McCourt obviously, but I have to think one of the other groups could have been better equipped to own the Cubs.

 

Well, yeah; if there had been a group like the one that bought the Dodgers trying to get in on it with [expletive] you-money I'd be all for that...but was there?

[mookie]

Yeah, they bought the Dodgers.

[davell]

Being saber-friendly includes getting Theo to me.

 

I'm referring to actually pulling it off though, not just the fact that they hired someone "saber-friendly."

Was it actually hard to pull off though or just great timing? Theo already having multiple championships, a bad relationship with Lucchino, and a team starting to fade surely made it easier to get him. Thrilled to have him, but I'm not sure it was all that hard to get him.

 

What? Are you forgetting how long it took to sort out the Theo compensation? That took a freaking eternity. Yeah. Theo wanted to come here, but making that actually happen wasn't easy by any means.

That was Lucchino(and Henry, to an extent) being dicks. You give a guy a promotion, he accepts, you have to let him go. They just tried to milk us for as much as possible.

[Sammy Sofa]

Yeah, they bought the Dodgers.

 

No [expletive]. But wasn't that group specifically put together to buy the Dodgers? Was there a Cubs-equivalent?

[mookie]

Yeah, they bought the Dodgers.

 

No [expletive]. But wasn't that group specifically put together to buy the Dodgers? Was there a Cubs-equivalent?

 

That's the point. It really wouldn't appear so, would it?

[Hairyducked Idiot]

That's because we all understand what he and Theo are trying to do. Expectations were set that it would take time under their plan for the Cubs to competitive. There may have been other ways to do it, but so far, it's been exactly what we were told it would be. He's not misled fans about anything.

 

You know what I've noticed? Nobody panics when things go "according to plan." Even if the plan is horrifying!

[Sammy Sofa]

Yeah, they bought the Dodgers.

 

No [expletive]. But wasn't that group specifically put together to buy the Dodgers? Was there a Cubs-equivalent?

 

That's the point. It really wouldn't appear so, would it?

 

No idea; such a group not winning the initial bid doesn't mean they wouldn't have had the money to spend more on the MLB team than the Ricketts seem to be able or willing to right now. A big part of this is that the Cubs kinda set the market for a sale coming afterwards like the Dodgers', so it's hard to say.

[davell]

I find it hard to believe I'm aligning with Kyle somewhat here. But I think Ricketts is overleveraged, knew he'd be cutting payroll, but is smart enough to hire a group that may be able to work well under those parameters. Where Kyle and I disagree, is I think that if Theo could have 150 mill payroll currently, he'd have it. And thats why I'm not a fan of Ricketts- at least not right now. I don't think he's willing to allow for that until we're adding our new TV contract into the mix. And to me, if you're buying a major market team, you better be able to act like one, without additional help. He ain't McCourt obviously, but I have to think one of the other groups could have been better equipped to own the Cubs.

 

Well, yeah; if there had been a group like the one that bought the Dodgers trying to get in on it with [expletive] you-money I'd be all for that...but was there?

I thought maybe Utay? Maybe not. I was like everyone, pulling for Cuban. We may have gotten the best available owner, at the time. But that doesn't mean he's a good owner(currently). Once the renovations happen, new TV deal is on the books, I'll have no concerns. Hell, maybe I'm nitpicking even. I just think that things could be on a quicker pace and I blame Ricketts, not Theo.

[Sammy Sofa]

How could the TV deal be on a quicker pace? And I really think nobody was getting city money.

[UMFan83]

How was Kyle able to vote twice?

[Hairyducked Idiot]

I think there could have been something between cutting payroll by $30 million and Dodgers money.