I FUCKING LOVE YOU THEO

[17 Seconds]

Sorry I'm full on Theo bonering today. In case any of you want to look back...

 

[bbvideo=560,315]

[/bbvideo]

 

[bbvideo=560,315]

[/bbvideo]

 

this is so bizarre to watch. i remember everything about it, and i remember how ridiculously unrealistic our expectations were. looking back on it, it seems odd that we were THAT excited over new management. it felt like a historical shift before he even made his first move. then he just kind of just casually fulfilled our absurd demands in the exact amount of time he signed for, and made it look flat out easy.

[CubInOK]

The man's a legend. Do front office executives make it into the Hall of Fame? I don't know, but Theo should.

 

They do, and he will, without doubt.

 

We've come a long way since the days in 2012 and 2013 when people were crying about the process.

You should see the requirements for it. Either be above 70 or out of baseball for 5+ years.

[David]

i still have that theo presser on my DVR

[imb]

i still cant believe he did it. he basically called his shot.

[Bryants Disco Ball]

i still cant believe he did it. he basically called his shot.

 

He even talked about how there would be some fringe AA prospect who would work hard and become a key piece or something. And that pretty much fits Willson, right?

[TruffleShuffle]

I got a little Kyle-ish in my dislike of how things were going in late 2013 and especially in 2014 and I won't say I regret it per se but I thank Theo for sticking it out and having an idea of what was coming very soon. He's my favorite person in a while.

 

i was still comfortable with the path they were on because the minor league system was loaded, but i was also reassured because smart people like rany jazayerli kept saying that the cubs would be a beast and it would happen sooner rather than later.

[TruffleShuffle]

speaking of rany, here's a good read from today:

 

https://theringer.com/2016-world-series-chicago-cubs-theo-epstein-analytics-war-9f1248c44eb7#.58ekfop98

 

For 100 years the Cubs were the trust fund kid who keeps screwing up but maintains his popularity anyway, like if Homer Simpson had been born with a silver spoon in his mouth. They didn’t have to win to be popular, so they didn’t. If mediocrity has any virtue at all, it is in its ease. The Cubs’ new plan under Epstein started with ditching easy mediocrity for purposeful sucking: a complete rebuild, what we like to uncharitably describe as “tanking” — except that a data-driven approach to winning makes it clear that there are powerful incentives to losing 95 games instead of 85 games.

 

Everyone on the Cubs team that Epstein inherited with any present value was sent packing, both to bring in prospects and to make the 2012 and 2013 teams worse on the field, giving the Cubs not only higher draft picks, but a larger draft budget under a new CBA that strictly limited how much teams could spend on amateur players. Those trades brought in guys like Travis Wood and Jake Arrieta and Kyle Hendricks, while also ensuring that the Cubs would lose 197 games over a two-year span — their most ever — earning them top-five draft picks that they used on Kris Bryant and Kyle Schwarber.

 

The Cubs focused on drafting and developing hitters over pitchers because the data makes clear that young hitters are a much safer bet to develop: All you need to remember is that before the Cubs selected Bryant no. 2 overall in 2013, the Astros used the no. 1 pick on … Mark Appel. Along with nailing their draft picks for Bryant and Schwarber, they traded a pitcher (Andrew Cashner) for a hitter (Anthony Rizzo), and capped off the rebuilding process by trading a pair of starting pitchers (Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel) for a top shortstop prospect named Addison Russell.

 

And when it came time to flip the switch and use the Cubs’ enormous financial resources to supplement all of their cheap, young talent, the team shopped on the elite side of town, signing Jon Lester (and, yes, Jason Heyward), and also Ben Zobrist. Zobrist has long been the poster child for analytics, because a traditional view of the game sees him as a nice complementary player but not a star, when in fact his exemplary plate discipline, broad offensive skill set, and defensive versatility make him elite. From 2009 to 2012 Zobrist had the most bWAR of any hitter in baseball, a fact that will never not surprise, and he ranks sixth among all hitters in that metric over the last eight years.

[CubInOK]

I got a little Kyle-ish in my dislike of how things were going in late 2013 and especially in 2014 and I won't say I regret it per se but I thank Theo for sticking it out and having an idea of what was coming very soon. He's my favorite person in a while.

 

i was still comfortable with the path they were on because the minor league system was loaded, but i was also reassured because smart people like rany jazayerli kept saying that the cubs would be a beast and it would happen sooner rather than later.

2014 was the we were all thinking of dream lineups like:

 

Russell

Alcantara

Bryant

Rizzo

Baez

Schwarber

Soler

Almora

[Brian]

Was it discussed that yesterday Theo was celebrating in the stands at Wrigley with a bear costume (maybe just the head) pouring champagne on himself?

 

http://www.thescore.com/news/1145715

 

The man is a legend and it just keeps growing.

[David]

is that the head of that bootleg mascot guy? lmao

[Banedon]

That is hilarious. Theo is everything.

[Fro]

 

Theo bender Day #2 (from yesterday)

 

http://i.imgur.com/qSzJNBM.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/FIstETu.jpg

[David]

is that the head of that bootleg mascot guy? lmao

 

I am now 99% sure that it is. Amazing.

[Brian]

I don't know what I want to be true more

 

a) Theo telling some intern to "bring me his head"

b) Theo taking it himself

c) Clark taking it

[Sammy Sofa]

So between this and the gorilla suit...Theo Epstein: Secret Furry?

[Sammy Sofa]

I don't know what I want to be true more

 

a) Theo telling some intern to "bring me his head"

b) Theo taking it himself

c) Clark taking it

 

Holy horsefeathers, Theo using Clark Luca Brasi-style is now my favorite thing.

[jersey cubs fan]

is that the head of that bootleg mascot guy? lmao

 

I am now 99% sure that it is. Amazing.

 

Maybe.

 

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/how-theo-epstein-broke-another-curse-and-built-the-world-series-champion-cubs-155257017.html

 

On the morning of Oct. 31, the day between Games 5 and 6, Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer, his consigliere, his confidant and his organization’s general manager, were talking about their Halloween costumes. One of Maddon’s traditions, first in his tenure as Tampa Bay Rays manager and now in his two seasons with the Cubs, was to have his team dress up for flights. Never was there a better excuse to get a little weird than Halloween.

 

A few weeks ago, Hoyer’s mother-in-law delivered him a plush bear mask. He’d go as a cub. Epstein liked the idea of a mask. And he knew exactly what he wanted to be: a gorilla.

[Brian]

It's hilarious that the President of the team is going 2010 Patrick Kane drunkenness level.

[David]

is that the head of that bootleg mascot guy? lmao

 

I am now 99% sure that it is. Amazing.

 

Maybe.

 

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/how-theo-epstein-broke-another-curse-and-built-the-world-series-champion-cubs-155257017.html

 

On the morning of Oct. 31, the day between Games 5 and 6, Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer, his consigliere, his confidant and his organization’s general manager, were talking about their Halloween costumes. One of Maddon’s traditions, first in his tenure as Tampa Bay Rays manager and now in his two seasons with the Cubs, was to have his team dress up for flights. Never was there a better excuse to get a little weird than Halloween.

 

A few weeks ago, Hoyer’s mother-in-law delivered him a plush bear mask. He’d go as a cub. Epstein liked the idea of a mask. And he knew exactly what he wanted to be: a gorilla.

 

Damn it.

 

http://l4.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/jFfDTglV947hO.k1Z8rM3w--/aD00NzQ7dz02MzA7c209MTthcHBpZD15dGFjaHlvbg--/http://media.zenfs.com/en/blogs/sptusmlbexperts/BillyCub2.jpg

[Sammy Sofa]

Get me one of those sweet, timely "Byrd Is the Word" t-shirts, dammit.

[Aaron_Kennelly]

I think it is the bootleg mascot. It looks exactly like it.

 

And there's this from the court settlement:

http://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2014/10/29/7097821/cubs-billy-cub-federal-court-settlement

 

The Weiers were required to deliver all their bear costumes to the Cubs by September 29.

 

:lol:

[Aaron_Kennelly]

I don't know what I want to be true more

 

a) Theo telling some intern to "bring me his head"

b) Theo taking it himself

c) Clark taking it

 

Holy horsefeathers, Theo using Clark Luca Brasi-style is now my favorite thing.

 

This finally explains how Hammel ended up on the bereavement list in August.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

I can't say I didn't warn you.

 

First it was just a mascot, and he wouldn't even be on the field

 

Then he started waving the flag after victories, but hey it's a happy moment who cares

 

Now he's doing terrible things but they're at Theo's discretion and we trust Theo right

 

But soon he's going to go rogue and then no one is safe, NO ONE

[TommyGuns15]

The man's a legend. Do front office executives make it into the Hall of Fame? I don't know, but Theo should.

 

They do, and he will, without doubt.

 

We've come a long way since the days in 2012 and 2013 when people were crying about the process.

 

Never understood why people didn't trust the process. It's like they wanted a championship team built over night.

[Sammy Sofa]

I can't say I didn't warn you.

 

First it was just a mascot, and he wouldn't even be on the field

 

Then he started waving the flag after victories, but hey it's a happy moment who cares

 

Now he's doing terrible things but they're at Theo's discretion and we trust Theo right

 

But soon he's going to go rogue and then no one is safe, NO ONE

 

CLARK 4 PREZ