Random Cubs Musings (Temp?)

[UMFan83]

 

So much funny here. First of all the poster asks for BA/HR/RBI for his projections. This isn't 1988 but whatever.

 

The top upvoted poster has Olt hitting 25 HR this year, Lake hitting 22, Logan Watkins being the starting 2B, Wellington with 16.

 

Then the first comment on his post says "this sounds the most realistic"

[Guest]

Dan Bernstein ‏@dan_bernstein 1m

Sources: #Cubs frustration w/rooftops' intransigence is high enough that they are discussing "unavoidable prospect" of options elsewhere.

[Bull]

Dan Bernstein ‏@dan_bernstein 1m

Sources: #Cubs frustration w/rooftops' intransigence is high enough that they are discussing "unavoidable prospect" of options elsewhere.

pleasedon'tbejustaploy pleasedon'tbejustaploy pleasedon'tbejustaploy

 

it's just a ploy.

[BeerHere]

Dan Bernstein ‏@dan_bernstein 1m

Sources: #Cubs frustration w/rooftops' intransigence is high enough that they are discussing "unavoidable prospect" of options elsewhere.

I heard Bernstein last night saying that his contact saying that the disclosure over the weekend that the Cubs are frustrated and have started to look at the inevitable option of moving was strategic. It sounds like that this is the first time that they are actually, however small and quiet, trying to use their only leverage over the rooftops. There is apparently one rooftop owner that is a "loud blowhard" that is really dragging the process on and on. There was also a comment that Ricketts is "too nice of a guy" to really be the pitbull that is needed in these negotiations.

 

I lived in Wrigleyville several years ago and was somewhat involved in the community, I think I've mentioned this here a few times. I honestly think I might know the owner that is being talked about here and if I'm right, I believe it's the owner of the house in right field that has the Miller Lite sign, Eamus Catuli, ACxxx etc. As I recall, that guy was a prick but he was the "Property Manager" or at least that was how he defined his role (lead me to speculate that he didn't actually own the building). The "owner" was actually an LLC with two lawyers listed as shareholders both from Cleveland OH. Several of those buildings are actually LLC's, or at least they were, and that was just a mechanism to limit liability. This was around 2002 and at least some property certainly has changed hands since then.

 

edit: the guy's last name was Schlemper

 

edit2: Sorry, Schlemker is his name but the more I think about it I don't think that was the guy. http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-03-23/sports/ct-talk-eamus-catuli-sign-0323-20120323_1_ricketts-family-president-theo-epstein-lakeview-baseball-club

Edited February 6, 2014 by BeerHere

[Sammy Sofa]

I thought I had read somewhere that at this point all of the rooftop buildings are owned by LLC's.

[BeerHere]

I thought I had read somewhere that at this point all of the rooftop buildings are owned by LLC's.

The City of Chicago was concerned about the rooftops and liability. There are several permits involved for each building and they are required to be inspected by a city building inspector three (or four?) times per year. The permits are expensive and unless they get approval they are not granted. This was the reason that the building down the left field line was empty for most of last season (failed inspections). The LLC's were started based on a suggestion from the Department of Revenue citing liability from the City's standpoint. For example, if a rooftop has a catastrophic failure and it crashed to the ground killing people, the city, by virtue of the permit and inspection process, would be liable for damages over and above what the building's insurance could cover. As a result of that exposure, the city requested that the liability insurance be set at a certain level. To limit the individual exposure to liability, LLC's were the logical arrangement. The permit/inspection process is one of the ways the city can put pressure on the rooftop owners (delaying inspections, failing inspections etc).

 

Anyway, back to my point that I failed to make earlier. The rooftops are not owned by mom&pop or families that happen to own the buildings. That may have been true at one point when it was lawnchairs and blankets on the roofs watching the game with friends. At the point that they started constructing scaffolding and "bleachers" it became corporate owned entities. The owner of Murphy's bought two buildings, several others were sold to out of town property management companies. At this point, all of the buildings are corporate owned and only the property managers live in or near the community. The companies and the property managers are hated within the community.

[Sammy Sofa]

I thought I had read somewhere that at this point all of the rooftop buildings are owned by LLC's.

The City of Chicago was concerned about the rooftops and liability. There are several permits involved for each building and they are required to be inspected by a city building inspector three (or four?) times per year. The permits are expensive and unless they get approval they are not granted. This was the reason that the building down the left field line was empty for most of last season (failed inspections). The LLC's were started based on a suggestion from the Department of Revenue citing liability from the City's standpoint. For example, if a rooftop has a catastrophic failure and it crashed to the ground killing people, the city, by virtue of the permit and inspection process, would be liable for damages over and above what the building's insurance could cover. As a result of that exposure, the city requested that the liability insurance be set at a certain level. To limit the individual exposure to liability, LLC's were the logical arrangement. The permit/inspection process is one of the ways the city can put pressure on the rooftop owners (delaying inspections, failing inspections etc).

 

Interesting. Thanks for clarifying.

[Banedon]

Bernstein talking about it now on the radio.

 

Words being used: "Frustrations at a peak".

 

Remaining dead enders refusing to negotiate, one in particular. Not negotiating in good faith. Making room miserable.

 

Inability to have the threat of lawsuit is keeping them from starting work.

 

Believe that they've lost a substantial amount of revenue from the delay.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Random musing:

 

Epstein was essentially a veteran free-agent top-dollar executive, and Hendry was homegrown.

[Sammy Sofa]

Random musing:

 

Epstein was essentially a veteran free-agent top-dollar executive, and Hendry was homegrown.

 

http://replygif.net/i/1462.gif

[davell]

Random musing:

 

Epstein was essentially a veteran free-agent top-dollar executive, and Hendry was homegrown.

 

Yeah, Hendry would have been much better at selling off and trying to work with an 80 mill payroll. Let's just get that out of the way now.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

I already regret not ending that post with "It really makes you think."

[Sammy Sofa]

I already regret not ending that post with "It really makes you think."

 

http://replygif.net/i/635.gif

[mul21]

That's interesting. Looks like they haven't quite decided to tell Tunney to go jump in a lake yet.

 

http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20140206&content_id=67496460&vkey=pr_chc&c_id=chc

[Banedon]

Random musing:

 

Epstein was essentially a veteran free-agent top-dollar executive, and Hendry was homegrown.

 

I'll play your weird game.

 

Hendry was the grizzled veteran that had never won a thing but was "scrappy" and came up with the occasional big play and Theo was the youngster that experienced early success and then took a big time deal with a crummy team as a foundation to build around.

[Guest]

Theo on the Cubs, Red Sox: http://fullcount.weei.com/sports/boston/baseball/red-sox/2014/02/06/theo-epstein-on-his-hope-for-a-different-view-of-2011-building-the-cubs-in-a-market-starved-for-talent-and-a-magical-run-by-the-red-sox/

[UMFan83]

Theo on the Cubs, Red Sox: http://fullcount.weei.com/sports/boston/baseball/red-sox/2014/02/06/theo-epstein-on-his-hope-for-a-different-view-of-2011-building-the-cubs-in-a-market-starved-for-talent-and-a-magical-run-by-the-red-sox/

 

I hate the comments. All Red Sox fans do is bash Theo.

[Guest]

Theo on the Cubs, Red Sox: http://fullcount.weei.com/sports/boston/baseball/red-sox/2014/02/06/theo-epstein-on-his-hope-for-a-different-view-of-2011-building-the-cubs-in-a-market-starved-for-talent-and-a-magical-run-by-the-red-sox/

 

I hate the comments. All Red Sox fans do is bash Theo.

 

Why do you even look at comments?

[UMFan83]

Theo on the Cubs, Red Sox: http://fullcount.weei.com/sports/boston/baseball/red-sox/2014/02/06/theo-epstein-on-his-hope-for-a-different-view-of-2011-building-the-cubs-in-a-market-starved-for-talent-and-a-magical-run-by-the-red-sox/

 

I hate the comments. All Red Sox fans do is bash Theo.

 

Why do you even look at comments?

 

Because I wanted to see what Red Sox fans said about Theo after he gave an interview that was very complimentary of the present day team and the work of the FO that replaced him.

[jersey cubs fan]

 

Because I wanted to see what Red Sox fans said about Theo after he gave an interview that was very complimentary of the present day team and the work of the FO that replaced him.

And you figured a good place to find that out was a comments section?

[Tyrant]

 

Because I wanted to see what Red Sox fans said about Theo after he gave an interview that was very complimentary of the present day team and the work of the FO that replaced him.

And you figured a good place to find that out was a comments section?

 

He should have driven to Boston and done a man on the street poll

[Soul]

 

Because I wanted to see what Red Sox fans said about Theo after he gave an interview that was very complimentary of the present day team and the work of the FO that replaced him.

And you figured a good place to find that out was a comments section?

 

He should have driven to Boston and done a man on the street poll

 

Anyway, there's people in that comment thread with positive things to say about Theo's time in Boston. Didn't look overly negative to me. About 60/40 against. You'd probably get that in any thread with fans talking about their last GM.

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

Boston's fans last impression of Theo were the Carl Crawford contract and choking down the stretch. Makes sense most meatballs would hate him.