Chicago Cubs

[sean52692]

Randy Wells goes tonight. Probably been our best pitcher besides Lily.

[DMBZeppelin]

I heard on Boers and Bernstein the other day that Piniella might dick out on us before the season ends (once we're mathematically eliminated). Unless something changes he's done after this season. He's pretty much sick and frustrated with the Cubs in general, and has been a different guy since the playoffs last year. Who knows what they'll do with Hendry. I mean even if you get rid of him Hendry has all his guys locked up till forever. So even once he leaves it's all his guys here.

[Styx Cover Band]

Originally Posted by DMBZeppelin

I heard on Boers and Bernstein the other day that Piniella might dick out on us before the season ends (once we're mathematically eliminated). Unless something changes he's done after this season. He's pretty much sick and frustrated with the Cubs in general, and has been a different guy since the playoffs last year. Who knows what they'll do with Hendry. I mean even if you get rid of him Hendry has all his guys locked up till forever. So even once he leaves it's all his guys here.

I was just listening to Boers and Bernstein and Bernstein said all these callers are calling up saying get rid of Henry, but once he is gone he is really still here from all of his "bad" contracts. This team really needs an ass-kicker as the manager to light a fire under or get rid of the under performing team

[davehead86]

This organization needs to be completely retooled like the Bears. Just bad blood all around. Whatever Hendry, you dumb fuck. Lefties are really helping us out this year arent they.


There are maybe 10 players total I would keep on our team who are worth their money, and two of them were traded this year.

[DMBZeppelin]

It's official: Chicago Cubs to sell to Ricketts family

The Chicago Cubs will have a new owner, and it's who everyone expected it to be back in January.

Tribune Co. said Friday that it signed an agreement to sell the iconic franchise to the Ricketts family. The family is paying about $800 million to acquire a 95 percent interest in a package of assets: the team, Wrigley Field and Tribune Co.'s 25 percent stake in Comcast SportsNet Chicago, which broadcasts many Cubs games on cable television.

The agreement values the franchise and related assets at $845 million, less than the Rickett's winning bid in January of $900 million. Tribune Co. will retain a 5 percent ownership stake in the joint venture.

"Our family is thrilled to have reached an agreement to acquire a controlling interest in the Chicago Cubs, one of the most storied franchises in sports," Joe Ricketts, a billionaire who founded the Omaha-based online brokerage TD Ameritrade Holding Corp., said in a statement. "The Cubs have the greatest fans in the world, and we count our family among them. We look forward to closing the transaction so that we can begin leading the Cubs to a World Series title."

The announcement is somewhat anticlimactic because in January Tribune Co. had selected the Ricketts family as the winning bidder of a protracted auction for the franchise. There were nine other prospective buyers.

But negotiations took much longer than anyone expected to seal the deal. Tribune Co. executives got so fed up that they solicited a second buyer two months ago to re-enter the sales process, setting up an unexpected second bidding war. A group led by New York investor and former Chicagoan Marc Utay re-entered the process.

Ultimately, though, Tribune Co. came to terms with the Rickettses. Tribune Co. sought the joint-venture structure to minimize tax on the sale.

"This joint venture will provide dedicated, local family ownership and management for the team," said Tribune Co. Chairman Sam Zell. "The Ricketts family will be a great steward of the franchise. They have a strong respect for the team, for the fans, and for what the Cubs mean to the City of Chicago."

Joe Ricketts hails from Omaha, but three of his four children live in the Chicago area. One of his sons, Tom Ricketts, a low-key investment banker, led the family's pursuit of the team and is a diehard Cubs fan. It isn't at all clear what specific plans the Rickettses have for the team and Wrigley, or what style of ownership they foresee, because Tom Ricketts has not spoken publicly since the family became a bidder.

The transaction would represent a return to family ownership for the team known as lovable losers because the Cubs have gone more than a century without a World Series title. Before Tribune Co. bought the team in 1981, the Wrigley family, founders of the chewing-gum company, owned the team for 65 years. The Wrigleys sold the team to Tribune Co., which owns the Chicago Tribune, for about $20 million.

While Tribune Co. has been criticized for its failure to put a championship team on the field, it's hard to argue with its success off the field. The transaction's $845 million value is more than 40 times what Tribune Co. paid nearly 30 years ago.

The Cubs attract more than 3 million fans a year to watch a mediocre team in an aging ballpark that lacks most of the amenities of modern stadiums. The team has a national following because the games have been broadcast for years on Tribune Co.'s WGN cable superstation.

WGN radio and television stations will retain long-term broadcast rights to the team under the deal, according to sources familiar with the transaction.

"As part of the sale, WGN Radio will remain as the radio play-by-play home of the Chicago Cubs, and we look forward to our continued partnership with the club for many years to come," said Tom Langmyer, vice president and general manager of WGN Radio.

The media rights became a source of contention in negotiations. Outside of stadium revenues, media rights are a significant source of revenue for baseball owners. Without spending hundreds of millions of dollars to make major improvements to Wrigley Field and the surrounding area, the family will be hard-pressed to generate more revenues from the stadium.

Both sides ended up compromising on media rights, which lowered the purchase price. The family's winning bid in January had valued the team and related assets at close to $900 million.

Aside from media rights, the souring economy also hurt the franchise's value since January. While the club still sells out most games, revenues from sponsors, advertisers and suites have been affected by the recession.

Still the $845 million represents one of the highest prices ever paid for a sports franchise.

The family will not gain control of the team until after the baseball season ends, probably sometime in October, because there are still a few conditions of closing. Tribune Co. has been in Chapter 11 bankruptcy since December, and a major disposition of assets requires the court's blessing.

As part of the court's approval process, Tribune Co. said it will place the Cubs in Chapter 11 bankruptcy so that the franchise can "emerge free and clear" of the company's financial obligations.

The company said that the Cubs bankruptcy will not interrupt team operations, and player contracts and other agreements with ticket holders, sponsors and supplies are not expected to be affected.

Court approval is expected because Tribune Co. has run a robust sales process that has kept creditors informed throughout, sources said.

Major League Baseball owners also have to approve the deal.

[DMBZeppelin]

YAY!!!! FINALLY THE OWNERSHIP BULLSHIT IS OVER!!!!!! Just in time to mean NOTHING for the 2009 Cubs :bang

Honestly where would we be if all this dispute crap was resolved over the winter? Peavy would have been on the Cubs most likely. If we get Peavy I doubt we sign Bradley. Keep in mind Peavy got hurt running the bases, not from pitching. So he wouldn't have been in that situation on this team. If this gets resolved before July. Chances are we could have gotten DeRosa back. Which would have weakened the Cards, and helped out our club with Ramirez always getting hurt. Just sucks because this is a big season of "What if's"

[sean52692]

My father knew the other man bidding for the Cubs earlier, Hersch Klaff...He called my dad a few times asking for advice, too bad he didnt buy the Cubs.

C'mon Cubbies, score some runs

[TapNorris]

I'm happy for the Ricketts...That's a lie, I'm happy for myself. With the Ricketts' connection to Nebraska, I will find somebody to put me in their seats for at least one game!!!!

[sean52692]

1 hit.

[TapNorris]

Sam Fuld...Big time!!

[UCFish]

1 hit......hahahahaha this team blows!

[sean52692]

Awesome display of hitting. I would have rather had the Iowa Cubs play tonight, they would have got something out of it.

[VanHorneDog]

and the pads beat st. louis for the first time in over a year... hahah

[sean52692]

Its gonna be interesting once this team gets back home to Wrigley

[gocubsgo3822]

we give up 0ER and lose.... The Cubs... Where amazing happens n

[clcfball11]

This team sickens me.



Edit: The remaining schedule sets up for a Cubs run at the wild card. Rockies and Giants play eachother about a million more times, each play the Dodgers a few times...meanwhile we'll be facing a lot of the Nationals, Pirates, etc. It's too bad our team sucks and won't take advantage, and if they do, they'll suck just enough to remain 1 or 2 games out at year's end.

[Tiduwho]

So Sam Fuld is okay, and everyone else is bad?

[clcfball11]

Sam fuld ftw

[Tiduwho]

What a fucking catch from Fuld. Takes a face-full of fence. And he robbed Manny of a home run last night? And 2 steals today?


Damn, you gotta love this kid.

[UCFish]

We are on???

How will we lose today

[gocubsgo3822]

^not hitting

[HolyCow]

Now that the season is virtually over, I'm just going to try and enjoy the rest of the season by rooting for the players I love. Here's to Theriot hitting .300 again and D-Lee smacking 30 homers and driving in 100. And I really like Sam Fuld, so here's to him winning a starting spot next year.

And heck, maybe Fuk can get around .290. That would be nice.

I want Lou back next year because I think he's a helluva skipper. But if he doesn't want to be back, I understand.

[gocubsgo3822]

i am squarely int he camp that lou needs to go

[UCFish]

Originally Posted by HolyCow

Now that the season is virtually over, I'm just going to try and enjoy the rest of the season by rooting for the players I love. Here's to Theriot hitting .300 again and D-Lee smacking 30 homers and driving in 100. And I really like Sam Fuld, so here's to him winning a starting spot next year.

And heck, maybe Fuk can get around .290. That would be nice.

I want Lou back next year because I think he's a helluva skipper. But if he doesn't want to be back, I understand.

Sounds good!

[HolyCow]

Originally Posted by gocubsgo3822

i am squarely int he camp that lou needs to go

Reasons?

[Bron Yr Aur]

It's not Lou's fault that this team is bad. But I want to see Ryno as the next coach. Probably won't happen but I would love to see it.

[DMBZeppelin]

Originally Posted by Bron Yr Aur

It's not Lou's fault that this team is bad.

It's Lou's fault he's made a lot of bad managing decisions though. Which he has.

Originally Posted by Bron Yr Aur

But I want to see Ryno as the next coach. Probably won't happen but I would love to see it.

Why? We have no idea if he's a good manager. I'd rather us see how much LaRussa hates the Cubs by offering him a lot of money. Do whatever it takes to sign their pitching coach Dave Duncan who is also an FA. Because it weaken the Cards a lot, and give us some of the best in the business at those positions.

If they want to promote Sandberg to a bench coach or something in that regard I'd be ok with it. The downside being is that you'd force him on a new manager.

[sean52692]

I'd love to see Sanberg on the bench or somethin like that. He would be a great influence on everybody. I'm reading his book now

[Bron Yr Aur]

Originally Posted by DMBZeppelin

It's Lou's fault he's made a lot of bad managing decisions though. Which he has.


Why? We have no idea if he's a good manager. I'd rather us see how much LaRussa hates the Cubs by offering him a lot of money. Do whatever it takes to sign their pitching coach Dave Duncan who is also an FA. Because it weaken the Cards a lot, and give us some of the best in the business at those positions.

If they want to promote Sandberg to a bench coach or something in that regard I'd be ok with it. The downside being is that you'd force him on a new manager.

Because he's a Cub, and he's done well with Triple-A, and because why the hell not after all this?

Sure, Lou has made some odd decisions, but overall he has been very good. And everyone makes bad decisions sometimes. You think Larussa is perfect? His use of the pitcher in the 8 spot is still odd at best.

Lou has pretty much tried everything he can with this lineup but it hasn't worked. They just don't hit. At a certain point you have to rely on your players to perform...it's hard for Lou to do anything when you have such immense trouble getting guys in from 2nd base or 3rd base.

[DMBZeppelin]

Originally Posted by Bron Yr Aur

Because he's a Cub, and he's done well with Triple-A, and because why the hell not after all this?

He's only in Double-A, and while our window is closing it's not nailed shut. We don't have time to waste a season to see if Sandberg is a capable manager. If you just want someone with a Cubs connection get Brenley. He's at least capable of doing the job with previous experiance.