Spring Training Chit Chats

[Sammy Sofa]

16 minutes ago, The20thK said:

Yes. One that don’t recognize the ridiculousness of being a fan. 

You really think pretty much everyone else here, what, thinks of sports fandom as some kind of "serious business?" Come on.

[Sammy Sofa]

Just now, The20thK said:

I can remember a day when we said “no one playing sports deserves a million dollars a year!” 

Yes, that was bad. The players are the reason we're fans, and why the sports makes the money it does.

[Sammy Sofa]

There's nothing random about it: the players are the reason pro sports exist and make money. Personally, I don't care how much they make because they're the ones going out there and playing. I'm not expecting the owners to lose money, but that most of them are focused on maximizing their profits over actually trying to put out the best team they can sucks. We're not rooting for an accountant, or a hardware store or a fast food franchise; it's a goddamn sports team. The owners should shut up and put up the money to win, or don't buy a horsefeathers sports team to begin with.

[Tim]

1 hour ago, The20thK said:

I get what you’re saying but I think it falls so short of understanding the business side… and this is a business first. I know that fans hate that but business owners buy businesses to make money. And as much of it as they can. That’s why they are capable of buying such businesses. 
 

In a perfect world, owners would make good money, players would make good money, and fans would pay reasonable prices. 
 

This world ain’t perfect and it comes from both the players and owners. And you can EASILY argue for either side. The only one who loses in this cat and mouse game of greedy owners and greedy players is the fan.

 

Personally, I can’t stand to see guys making tens of millions of dollars to play mediocre ball, that happens quite a bit. The owners will profit whether they win or lose. That’s not the owners job. Their job is to make money. How can anyone fault them for that? 

So...you're suggesting that people take a stand and embrace cancel culture?

[squally1313]

10 minutes ago, The20thK said:

Where does that end though? If you have even 5 teams willing to do what the Dodgers do… when does it end? What salary will ever be too much? I can remember a day when we said “no one playing sports deserves a million dollars a year!” 
 

and now look at sports? 

lol this is so horsefeathers pathetic 

[LBiittner]

Yesterday was a reality bursting day. 

We learned that the image of 36 yearold Davey Peralta can still appear on the mlb network wearing a photo-shopped cubby cap. 

We became aware Jeds 2 year man crush bromance for Dom Smith was consummated last night. 

And I was informed that my heart-healthy Cheerios is laced with chlormequat thus inhibiting my chances to bear fruit now that I'm in my 60s

Is nothing in life sacred?

[Jason Ross]

57 minutes ago, Rcal10 said:

We will see 1908. And maybe it won’t be Smith. Maybe Peralta. But I would be surprised if once healthy, one of these two was not on the roster for a decent portion of the season. They still may get Bellinger. And spending less on the last bat added might allow them to get another pen arm. I am not sure why suggesting one of these guys would be the last bat is viewed pessimistic or cynical. Didn’t they sign Hosmer and Mancini just last year in a similar fashion? If it sounded like I was suggesting this is it, this is there last signing, it was not. I just think one of these guys will be in the roster when he is healthy. I still hope for Bellinger of Chapman. And still do think they get one of them. 

Well, this is a very different sentiment. Maybe the Cubs break camp with Peralta as a 5th OF'er type, the 26th man, who barely plays. Sure. But I think that's far less than what you were suggesting Dom Smith is/was, which was comparing him to Hosmer, who was an everyday regular for the first month+. Which I just don't think is realistic, and is the pessimistic view. 

I would be stunned to see either Dom Smith or David Peralta as anything more than the guy on the back of the bench who gets a token few PA's here or there.

[Bertz]

Weird how all these threads keep getting derailed in the same way by the same dufus.  Oh well probably a coincidence.

[Sammy Sofa]

3 minutes ago, The20thK said:

Tell me you never started nor ran a business…without telling me. 
 

If all that is needed is good players…. Why doesn’t everyone start a new league? Oh because someone has to take the rosk? And before you say it’s not a risk… yeah not anymore. You're welcome to start a new league anytime you feel like it. 

Pretending like billionaires owning a pro sports team is anything even remotely like one of us running a business is an absurd fallacy.

And the second part is just gibberish. 

[CubinNY]

don't feed the troll. That's the moral of the story. This is not some nuanced argument that maybe the Cubs are nearing the margin of profitability. We don't know how much money they make and what the bottom line looks like because they refuse to open their books to even the players. They make several millions of dollars on the concerts alone. Pearl Jam is supposed to be playing two shows at Wrigley this summer on top of Bruce last summer and whoever else they get for the venue. 

So they invested in Wrigley going on 10 years ago. Those loans are at most 20 year loans, they have half of it paid off by now. They own office buildings and apartments. They own the buildings around Wrigley that have the bars. They own a hotel. And they partially own a TV Network. This is in addition to the Cubs. They aren't in this for civic pride. They are not good people who care about the city of Chicago or normal people. They are the ones who pushed for the luxury tax. We have the emails and texts. So yeah, horsefeathers the Ricketts. And also horsefeathers anyone who tries to stand up for them. They are evil awful people, not merely business people trying to make a fortune. They have a fortune. 

 

Edit: I forgot that they also own a sports betting bar. Any one of those things would make someone wealthy. 

Edited February 20, 2024 by CubinNY

[Michael Busch Light]

17 minutes ago, The20thK said:

Tell me you never started nor ran a business…without telling me. 
 

If all that is needed is good players…. Why doesn’t everyone start a new league? Oh because someone has to take the rosk? And before you say it’s not a risk… yeah not anymore. You're welcome to start a new league anytime you feel like it. 

Make sure you buy one of the new Nike jerseys and put Ricketts name on the back of it.  Instead of a number you can put a middle finger on it. 

Although Nike may be too woke.  Cross that off and put a gold emblem with a capital T on it for Tool....err Trump. 

Edited February 20, 2024 by Michael Busch Light

[squally1313]

14 minutes ago, The20thK said:

Oh because someone has to take the rosk? And before you say it’s not a risk… yeah not anymore.

Also this guy, like an hour ago: "The owners will profit whether they win or lose."

 

[Rcal10]

17 minutes ago, 1908_Cubs said:

Well, this is a very different sentiment. Maybe the Cubs break camp with Peralta as a 5th OF'er type, the 26th man, who barely plays. Sure. But I think that's far less than what you were suggesting Dom Smith is/was, which was comparing him to Hosmer, who was an everyday regular for the first month+. Which I just don't think is realistic, and is the pessimistic view. 

I would be stunned to see either Dom Smith or David Peralta as anything more than the guy on the back of the bench who gets a token few PA's here or there.

I always suggested as the 2nd bat. A left handed bat. I did not mean for it to sound like he was going to play 1st base. It is a “Hosmer like” signing (whether we are talking Smith or Peralta), in my belief that one will be in the team when healthy. This doesn’t take the place of what I hope is one regular bat. This takes the place of the second bat. The one you felt would be at most a part time player. Sorry if my post suggested otherwise to you or anyone else. 

[CubinNY]

Just now, Rcal10 said:

I always suggested as the 2nd bat. A left handed bat. I did not mean for it to sound like he was going to play 1st base. It is a “Hosmer like” signing (whether we are talking Smith or Peralta), in my belief that one will be in the team when healthy. This doesn’t take the place of what I hope is one regular bat. This takes the place of the second bat. The one you felt would be at most a part time player. Sorry if my post suggested otherwise to you or anyone else. 

These are deals made every year for washed-up vets to give them a venue to get in shape and take up some innings playing in the ST, because they need the warm bodies. At cut time, they will be cut and released in all likelihood and try to catch on with someone else. They are not keeping a 38-year-old David Peralta on a team with designs for winning the division. 

[Irrelevant Dude]

4 minutes ago, squally1313 said:

Also this guy, like an hour ago: "The owners will profit whether they win or lose."

 

It is risky in that they may only make $50 Million next year instead of $100M.  Can't we all relate?

[Jason Ross]

3 minutes ago, Rcal10 said:

I always suggested as the 2nd bat. A left handed bat. I did not mean for it to sound like he was going to play 1st base. It is a “Hosmer like” signing (whether we are talking Smith or Peralta), in my belief that one will be in the team when healthy. This doesn’t take the place of what I hope is one regular bat. This takes the place of the second bat. The one you felt would be at most a part time player. Sorry if my post suggested otherwise to you or anyone else. 

Perhaps. I still think it's a long shot either is even on the roster opening day., Smith is currently rehabbing an injury, Peralta was awful, and neither are on the 40-man. We'll see, but I don't find any reason to worry about either right now. 

[squally1313]

I just hope that the hardworking Rickett's family, a group of people that, to call them 'born on third' is an insult to everyone else we use that term for, don't give into all this mean fan pressure and pay players more than 'they deserve'. I mean, truly, how much is too much. Writing checks for whole tens of millions of dollars when your family is worth around $4b? Can you imagine if their precious profits started to take a hit, and they'd be forced to consider the unthinkable: selling the team and realizing a profit somewhere in the vicinity of $3 billion? We should just be thankful there's a team to watch.

[LBiittner]

10 minutes ago, 1908_Cubs said:

Well, this is a very different sentiment. Maybe the Cubs break camp with Peralta as a 5th OF'er type, the 26th man, who barely plays. Sure. But I think that's far less than what you were suggesting Dom Smith is/was, which was comparing him to Hosmer, who was an everyday regular for the first month+. Which I just don't think is realistic, and is the pessimistic view. 

I would be stunned to see either Dom Smith or David Peralta as anything more than the guy on the back of the bench who gets a token few PA's here or there.

Imagine going to The Landmark spending hard earned money on Tickets for your Cubfan family, consisting of yourself, spouse and 2.33 children.

Then imagine walking into Wrigley buying concessions, then sitting, viewing the ivy, while filling out your scorecard as dictated by Jeremiah Paprocki. 

And you hear the starting lineup consisting of names Dom Smith, Davey Peralta, Nicky Madrigal, Miles Mastroboni and Jorge Alfaro with an opener Drew Smyly.

It scares the devil right out of me. 

[Rcal10]

5 minutes ago, 1908_Cubs said:

Perhaps. I still think it's a long shot either is even on the roster opening day., Smith is currently rehabbing an injury, Peralta was awful, and neither are on the 40-man. We'll see, but I don't find any reason to worry about either right now. 

That is fine. BTW, I said when heathy one of them will be in the team. I did not say opening day. But, anyway, much rather discuss this than the other nonsense in this thread. When I saw Peralta signed I honestly thought second left hand bat. I remembered him being a bit better. I didn’t even hate it until looking at stats. (and his age)Smith was similar. So I was not being cynical or pessimistic. I was just wrong on their level of talent. I do still expect one bigger bag coming in. 

[Rcal10]

5 minutes ago, LBiittner said:

Imagine going to The Landmark spending hard earned money on Tickets for your Cubfan family, consisting of yourself, spouse and 2.33 children.

Then imagine walking into Wrigley buying concessions, then sitting, viewing the ivy, while filling out your scorecard as dictated by Jeremiah Paprocki. 

And you hear the starting lineup consisting of names Dom Smith, Davey Peralta, Nicky Madrigal, Miles Mastroboni and Jorge Alfaro with an opener Drew Smyly.

It scares the devil right out of me. 

Now this is my version of cynical!!!!

[Rcal10]

12 minutes ago, CubinNY said:

These are deals made every year for washed-up vets to give them a venue to get in shape and take up some innings playing in the ST, because they need the warm bodies. At cut time, they will be cut and released in all likelihood and try to catch on with someone else. They are not keeping a 38-year-old David Peralta on a team with designs for winning the division. 

Maybe. But the dodgers kept a 37 year old Peralta on the team with designs of winning a World Series.

[Bertz]

1 minute ago, The20thK said:

When you come onto the internet, you risk hearing things you don’t agree with. 

Tell me about it!

[Irrelevant Dude]

1 minute ago, The20thK said:

The risk was inherent in starting the teams and the league.

Thank you Ricketts family for founding the Cubs organization!  We really don't say that enough.

[Sammy Sofa]

When Ricketts was dry-humping his wife in the bleachers, this guy was lurking, like:

[LBiittner]

28 minutes ago, Rcal10 said:

Now this is my version of cynical!!!!

Cynical - yes.

But you owe me kudos even if 4 out of this group are in the same lineup in 2024