RedIvyCub

But are the requirements for being approved as a bidder a bit more lax than for being approved as an owner? Yes...not so much lax as less detailed as it takes to be approved as the owner.

Pretty simple....attendance. Contrary to popular belief, those day games in April and May (especially April) are a tough sell compared to the weekends or a night game.

a) Sort of. With their agreement they can only have so many night games a year. It only makes sense to put the few night games you can have during the week. It's a de facto agreement, cause the Cubs don't want to have a slew of Tuesday day games during the year like some people apparently believe happen. They are allowed 30 night games per season not including Friday and Saturday evenings. The original agreement disallows Friday and Saturday games to be in the evening with the exception of postseason play. The Cubs usually build the schedule with approximately 28/29 night games to allow to two ESPN Sunday telecasts at home each season...usually one in the first half (which is usually solid) and one in the second half of the season (those Sundays listed as TBD). Once the post ASG appearance is determined (usually not more than two weeks prior to the game in question), the other Sunday TBD games become 1:20 starts. CSN and WGN determine who would carry the game were it to be a day game rather than an ESPN night game prior to the start of the season. As a side note, teams are allowed to appear on ESPN Sunday Night Baseball 4 times per season and Fox Saturday Baseball 9 times per season.

Nice work. And as an FYI the team which is closest to the Cubs in least number of night games is the San Francisco Giants. Last I saw a master schedule, they had 52 to 54 per season.

Sox were down six. Carrasco only hit one batter...Olivo. Threw first pitch way inside...next hit off the end of the bat/Olivo's hands....third one got him. AJ was hit in the head by Olivo as he was flailing to get loose and Luis Silverio pulled him away. Came close to clocking Ozzie. Bottom line is, Sox started this stuff in their first series with the Royals this season where they hit six batters in a three game series. Seems to be a multitude of Royals HBP when these two teams play this season. Was happy to see the Royals in a position on the scoreboard to retaliate when Greinke hit Swisher. Could be a fun series next week in Chicago.

Only problem could be the owners. Just saying...not predicting because I was as floored as a lot of people were when the Canning group was cut out of final bidding. I think that is just until MLB links him up with another group but JMHO and nothing more based on what I have seen happen with past sales.

Prior to nine months ago, I couldn't...I didn't want to lose my job. I have come clean as to exactly where I got my info rather recently. I post what I know and I get told I am condescending, etc. So interesting to see what happens to our fair friend who states he worked for a baseball magazine or what not.

Come on, man. You can't dangle details like that in front of us and then not expect us to want to know them. What are your past experiences with him? Sorry but cannot wait to see how THIS plays out.... I thought you might like that one. Absolutely, will keep an eye on this one.

Pack mentality. Defensive, condescending posts Sorry you feel that way because that is not how it was meant in any way, shape or form. Just proof of how it is difficult to determine the emotion or the intent behind the written word.

Come on, man. You can't dangle details like that in front of us and then not expect us to want to know them. What are your past experiences with him? Sorry but cannot wait to see how THIS plays out....

FWIW, he has denied it. Not sure I am willing to believe an unnamed source on espndeportes.com http://www.kansascity.com/sports/story/726554.html

With Zell, maybe but not with MLB. It requires approval by 75% of the ownership as you probably already know. Look at what happened in Boston with the sale of the Red Sox. The Red Sox weren't being sold by a public company. This is very true, and something that everyone forgets about. MBL can't hold the hammer on the Cubs sale, because it's a public company, and by law they must seek to get top dollar for any sale. Cuban has just as much right to buy it as anyone else, if he has those dollars. It's the bid that counts. Otherwise they would have to sue. Tribune is not a publically held company. http://www.tribune.com/pressroom/releases/2007/12202007.html

Yup, real clever and mature of you.

Well, I guess the bottom line here is that you all believe whatever it is you want to believe. Including the fact that there will be some lawsuit if Cuban is the highest bid and not approved. I guess that little legal document he signed saying that he cannot hold MLB responsible in a court of law due to the anti trust exemption held by MLB means nothing to him. I have seen too many of these sales up close and the shennanigans that go on to get the MLB preferred owner in place. I also know that if Zell wants to retain a small ownership interest to avoid six digit captial gains taxes that he will tow the line. But what I do know, only worked there for 8 seasons. So no more from me. You all discuss and determine what will happen and I will keep my two cents to myself. Life is too short for such aggravation. =; Anymore, this board is like beating yourself over the head with a hammer....feels SO good when you stop. :banghead:

Well, I guess the bottom line here is that you all believe whatever it is you want to believe. Including the fact that there will be some lawsuit if Cuban is the highest bid and not approved. I guess that little legal document he signed saying that he cannot hold MLB responsible in a court of law due to the anti trust exemption held by MLB means nothing to him. I have seen too many of these sales up close and the shennanigans that go on to get the MLB preferred owner in place. I also know that if Zell wants to retain a small ownership interest to avoid six digit captial gains taxes that he will tow the line. But what I do know, only worked there for 8 seasons. So no more from me. You all discuss and determine what will happen and I will keep my two cents to myself. Life is too short for such aggravation. =; Anymore, this board is like beating yourself over the head with a hammer....feels SO good when you stop. :banghead:

Not sure where you are going with this? And I think you mean irony...I see none. I do know Crane Kenney and I do know Andy MacPhail. It's ironic that your busted him out for being immature when it's clear your personal bias affects your evaluation of these people as professionals. No personal bias. It's fact based and on first hand experience. Personal bias based on first hand experience. I know it's obvious he isn't one of my favorites but quite frankly if he understood the game and the business then more power to him. But the fact is he doesn't and he is a poor caretaker for the team. He has been there long enough and "in charge" long enough that he should understand something...he just doesn't. Heck there are players I don't like but if they can play the game and they help my team win. I am not adverse to those players being on the team and would be upset if they were gone especially if it hurt the team. What about the Crane Kenney era suggests he doesn't know how to run the team or the business? That he has nothing to do with the success. The on field success is all Hendry's glory. The off field success was there long before him. Seems the Cubs have fallen out of favor with MLB under his tenure based on recent articles with various issues that have happened of late.

You don't know what any of them are going to vote. None of us do but I strongly suspect that Cuban will not get a 75% yes vote from the good old boys club. Based on what? The fact that the owner's won't accept someone who would be incredible for league revenue and who's bid would likely boost the value of their own franchises? Based on the fact that is baseball's responsibility to select an owner who will be a good caretaker of one of the historic franchises in the league and it's ballpark. It was the big reason they did not want Dolan as the owner of the Red Sox even though he had the highest bid. Even bigger was Fenway Park. He now owns the Knicks and look at what a mess he has made of that storied franchise.

Not sure where you are going with this? And I think you mean irony...I see none. I do know Crane Kenney and I do know Andy MacPhail. It's ironic that your busted him out for being immature when it's clear your personal bias affects your evaluation of these people as professionals. No personal bias. It's fact based and on first hand experience. No, it's your own take on them, based on personal experience, which is clearly biased since you yourself have expressed time and time again a distaste for the way certain of the front office types were handled when MacPhail left. And you know what? That's fine, but at least qualify your absolute statements as such. Let's see here....when MacPhail left, McDonough took over. I did not like how HE treated many front office types and quite frankly, neither did they. So to use a baseball phrase, you are way off base here.

Not sure where you are going with this? And I think you mean irony...I see none. I do know Crane Kenney and I do know Andy MacPhail. It's ironic that your busted him out for being immature when it's clear your personal bias affects your evaluation of these people as professionals. No personal bias. It's fact based and on first hand experience. Personal bias based on first hand experience. I know it's obvious he isn't one of my favorites but quite frankly if he understood the game and the business then more power to him. But the fact is he doesn't and he is a poor caretaker for the team. He has been there long enough and "in charge" long enough that he should understand something...he just doesn't. Heck there are players I don't like but if they can play the game and they help my team win. I am not adverse to those players being on the team and would be upset if they were gone especially if it hurt the team.

You don't know what any of them are going to vote. None of us do but I strongly suspect that Cuban will not get a 75% yes vote from the good old boys club.

Not sure where you are going with this? And I think you mean irony...I see none. I do know Crane Kenney and I do know Andy MacPhail. It's ironic that your busted him out for being immature when it's clear your personal bias affects your evaluation of these people as professionals. No personal bias. It's fact based and on first hand experience.

With Zell, maybe but not with MLB. It requires approval by 75% of the ownership as you probably already know. Look at what happened in Boston with the sale of the Red Sox. The Red Sox weren't being sold by a public company. One which needs the liquid capital. And the more I think about it the more I doubt that MLB could drum up a 75% "No" vote if Cuban were the highest bidder. It's counter to the owner's best interests. Red Sox were being sold by a trust which required the highest bidder to be accepted. They don't need a 75% no vote. They need a 75% yes vote and I would be really shocked if that happened.

Real mature. Do you know either of these guys? I do. One seems to have two WS rings that he won as the GM of the Minnesota Twins. Oh god the ironing of the post is delicious. Not sure where you are going with this? And I think you mean irony...I see none. I do know Crane Kenney and I do know Andy MacPhail.

He has no baseball acumen and he doesn't understand the business. This is a position of vanity for Kenney and he doesn't seem to realize he has been kicked to the curb by Zell either since there is a new General Counsel for Tribune Company. Based on what? The guy knows zip about the game on the field nor the business side of the game. Based on what? First hand experience. When Dennis FitzSimons was promoted to CEO of Tribune Company, the logical progression was for the new head of Broadcasting (this is the umbrella that the Cubs are under) would be over the Cubs just as FitzSimons took over for Dowdle when he retired at the end of 1999. That would be Pat Mullen (since "resigned effective immediately" from Tribune and is now the GM of Fox 32). Tribune didn't want Mullen getting his hands on the Cubs. Corporate structure prevented the Cubs reporting directly to the CEO so they needed a middle man so to speak. Said middle man was Crane Kenney (now former SVP Legal and General Counsel of Tribune Company). There was a reason few heard of him when he was given this responsibility before the 2003 season or until McDonough was crowned the "king". Kenneyt was kept at arms length by FitzSimons and was rarely consulted on anything. Technically, the Cubs still did report to the CEO of the company. This is why it was utter crap when he told the media when the O's were in town to play the Cubs (yes, he was the unnamed Tribune Executive) that Andy MacPhail left money on the table because he wasn't there so he had now idea. The only reason Tribune started spending is because they knew they were selling. It was also why MacPhail left when he did...of his own volition.

Of the groups I have seen listed as finalists, this is the one I see Selig aligning Canning with as being the most palatable. Only other possibility would be the Ricketts but suspect this other group has more cash available.