Now that the front office Chicago Cubs’ fans have dreamed about is in place (actually, scratch that – this front office is far better than any of us could have reasonably dreamed two months ago), it’s time to bust it out.
The Dream Team:
(yeah, yeah, make the jokes about “hope they do better than the Heat”…)
Brett Taylor is the lead writer at Bleacher Nation, and can also be found as Bleacher Nation on Twitter and on Facebook.
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Vince Young said it about the Eagles also.
The Heat were fun to watch all season, they wowed people in the playoffs, they made it to the Finals, (something the Cubs haven’t done since World War II was raging), and they left the that series hungry for more, vowing to go all the way next time.
I can certainly think of worse scenarios for the 2012 Chicago cubs.
Not to be a total Lucchino, but technically the 1945 World Series started one month after the end of World War II.
Sorry, I couldn’t help myself. ;-P
JH at his upcoming presser: I’d like to announce that I’m going to be taking my talents to West Addison
So wait a minute, our new GMs initials are also JH? I don’t know if I like that
haha i was just thinking about this earlier…. I wonder if the middle initials are the same too.
Looking forward to this new team. But have you heard what Jim Hendry is doing now? Just curious.
Yeah I was curious about that also.
After the bad contracts that he may or may not have wanted to sign, he manned up and signed a GREAT draft after being told he was no longer going to work for the Cubs.
So I wish him well if/when he gets another job in a baseball front office.
Totally. I think he’s taking his time for now, but he’ll get a job just about any time he wants one. Great guy, great scout.
I’d be just fine with them doing just as much as the Heat did in their first season… getting to a World Series…
but the heat only got to the nba championship
nice photoshop..too funny, but if Jed Hoyer is Chris Bosh, then I’m worried
I guess they decided to take their talents to the North Side.
Add in Jason McLeod and make it Mt. Rushmore.
Any Cub worth his salt would demand a trade rather than be part of this circus. The word is already out throughout baseball’s agents that this organization will not spend and will not let you achieve potential lest your value go up. Use of computers overlooks intangibles which is what the best agents use to promote their players. Unfortunately, the turnstyles on good players will be spinning faster than at the gates to Wrigley.
i just hope Epstein performs well after game 120…
Isn’t it a little early to be giving Ricketts “superstar” status as an owner? Even with the Theo hiring I’d have to say his moves to date have been mixed at best.
I approve of everything he’s done to this point. I am an unabashed Ricketts fan, and that was true before he got Epstein.
To me overpaying by 150 – 200 mil for the team was not a good start. Remember, not only does Wrigley need repairs but the team is obligated to build the triangle building from a deal with the city seven years ago when they got more night games.
Renovating the bathrooms as top priority? I’m ambivilent there.
Letting his moron brother make the org look bad on national tv? Not good
Getting a new ST facility. Very good.
His dad shows up on you tube saying Tom told him that the fans will show up every game and it doesn’t matter if you win or lose. Not necessarily his fault, but again the org looks bad on his watch.
Allowing your GM to turn one of your starters into a 18mil a year middle reliever. Not good
Drafts. 2010 bad, 2011 good
I can’t count stuff like the dominican facility that planned because like the triangle building, I’lll believe it when it’s done.
I think the new fron office is a very good move. I just hope it’s for the right reasons and he let’s them do their jobs.
He didn’t overpay by 200 million, Mark Cuban’s bid to buy the team was higher than Ricketts’ was. They both saw the potential value in the investments they needed to make, and both were right. Regardless of who has to pay for the triangle building/new team facilities/parking structure, it’s going to be a long term money making investment, and the city seems willing to at least talk about sharing the cost of the upgrades.
I’m guessing you were talking about Zambrano, and I’m pretty sure he’s still not a middle reliever, just crazy, and you can’t blame that on Ricketts. The first round of the 2010 draft doesn’t look good right now, but the rest of the draft looks like it brought in a couple of talented guys, I don’t see how you can label it a bust already. You might not count the Dominican facility, but they have bought the property, have made most of the arrangements, kept Oneri Flieta in place to oversee it, and have a set date to break ground, you can be a cynic all you want, but the Dominican facility is being built.
Cuban was on Espn when the sale looked like it might be in jeopardy saying that due to the economic situation (beginning of the recession) the asking price was way too high and that he would not have gone over 700 mil anymore.
They also own the property and have had the plans made for the triangle building, I’ll believe the Dominican facility when I see it.
I’m not sure where you got that number from, but every story I saw on the bids say that Cuban was the highest bidder in the initial rounds with a bid over 1.3 billion. I don’t know if that changed after his insider trading problems, but he definitely bid over 1 billion on the team at some point.
Originally, Cuban big higher than Ricketts, but it was almost entirely financed. The Ricketts family offered more cash, less financing. MLB preferred the latter approach (even though the Tribune wanted as much financing as possible, if I remember correctly, for tax purposes).
There were also 2 other groups very interested and who submitted bids. One was a very high powered group from NYC. When he sells it in 20 years it will be worth $8.5 billion.
$8.5 billion?
Damn. I knew I should have submitted a bid…
I am guessing that Cuban’s remarks included a bit of hurt in them
I know this is just a joke and blahblahblah, but what is the difference in saying the front office is a “Dream Team” and calling Epstein a “savior”? I know I’m kind of busting your balls a little bit here Brett, but it just seems to be substantively the same thing that you were urging people not to partake in earlier this week.
The difference is, if I photoshopped Theo’s head onto Jesus Christ’s body, I would have been – for lack of a better word – crucified. As you said, it’s just a joke.
And, even if it weren’t, here’s a difference: they can be a “Dream Team” without me ascribing to them metaphysical characteristics (“savior”) that serve only to belittle their actual accomplishments and talents. These guys are among the best executives the Cubs could get. That’s enough. And that’s a “Dream Team,” without being a “savior.”
I see your point and I really don’t want to get into a religious debate because this is very clearly not the proper forum to do so, but I have just one more item and then I’ll let it go. I understand that the word savior has a very specific connotation and when people hear that word it is very easy to associate it with Christ. That said, savior can simply mean someone who saves or rescues someone (or, in this case, an organization) from peril or trouble (e.g., if you saved someone from drowning, it would be appropriate for the person who you rescued to refer to you as their savior). I very seriously doubt that people who have used the word “savior” in reference to Theo Epstein actually believe he is the second coming of Christ and instead are using the word to suggest he is here to “save” the organization by pointing it down a new road with a new direction. And, if that is indeed the case, there is very little fundamental difference between referring to Theo as a “savior” or to referring to the front office as a “dream team”.
My beef with “savior” has nothing to do with the Christ connotation (I was just being cute in my response), but exactly the latter connotation. Saying that Theo is here to “save” us from the problems of the past (1) goes too far, (2) puts too much on just him, and (3) ascribes to him an ethereal quality (though not necessarily “Christ-like”) that insults the hard work and success he’s had in the past as “merely” a very good executive.
I see a significant difference between saying someone is here to “save” the organization from a terrible path, and saying that someone is so awesome at what they do that I’m “dreaming” he would come here.
To wit: the 1992 US Men’s Basketball Team did not save any of us from anything. But it was sure as heck a “Dream Team,” because it was comprised of a whole lot of awesome players.
(I may sound riled up, by the way, but I’m not – you’re just tickling my lawyer bones, so I’m getting into it.)
Brett Taylor: He’ll parse the shit out of you.
The difference is that calling them a “dream team” just means that the Cubs got the best baseball executives out there, and for all of us Cubs fans, that just brings a lot of hope and excitement. On the other hand, calling Theo a “savior” just sounds as if all things are resolved ant the Cubs will win a Championship automatically…..it just has low credibility and sounds lame. See the difference?
No, I don’t. Agree to disagree on the difference between savior/dream team, agree to agree that the new Cubs front office is awesome. And Brett, I was hoping we would get into a spirited debate…you’d think I’d get enough of it each day at school but I guess not
As TWC jokes, parsing the minutiae of language is, perhaps, the only part about being a lawyer that appealed to me (pun!) – so I’m in for that kind of spirited debate any time.
diehard why are you on this site really i mean i-70 is not that far south im sure the cardinals will need some more cub bashers hit the road already, couldnt you give the epetien era a chance b4 you run him out of town , lighten up francis
Agree with Curt about diehard. Why the hate for Epstein when he hasn’t even done anything here yet?
I was attempting to post a picture found here:
http://www.mylot.com/w/image/2467767.aspx
I’m just hoping that Ricketts made these moves for the right reasons and steps back and lets Theo run things. Maybe it’s just seeing the same thing happen so many times but I can’t help but worry that the reasoning was “new front office = 5years/30mil (or so) whereas Prince or Fielder = neighborhood of 200mil+” and this was just the cheaper way of selling hope to the dopes (self included).
At first glance it gave me a very Teen-Wolfish feeling…
Do you think that the Cubs might make a run at trading for Kevin Youkilis with the Boston connection we have now? Many speculate that Boston is open to trading him.
I think Cub fans appreciate the magnitude of this, while still having trouble accepting that we could have scored so hugely off the field. I almost have doubts about Theo, like “why would anyone want to be in a club that had me as a member.” But that just shows what Tom Ricketts managed to achieve–he projected class and professionalism–and put the Cubs on the map with the big boys. Everyone says be patient–I hope they are right! That is, I hope we take our time and do it right, because here we are at the start line, and we get to watch and savor every move that happens along the way. Every decision Theo & Co. make will be interesting as heck to see. Just to start with, what do they do with Q-Ball, Sori, and Zamby (couldn’t resist, but what does Q call him? Just Z?)? It will be an incredible ride, and we no longer need feel like the ugly steps-sister.
I am on this site cause the site is a great source of information. I was working at Wrigley as a teen before most of you were born. I bleed Cubbie blue. I have seen many front offices come and go and many managers do likewise. I have seen many of the Cub stars and duds. I am not a cheerleader like many here. Why dont I swoon over recent moves? Because in my opinion, we got 3 unproven cast offs inserted into the front office by an owner who doesnt know s@#t from shinola about running a ball club. Those that he just brought on are not going to help him learn. I would feel better if he would at least bring in someone who has 30 plus years in most phases of baseball including being a player so this person can babysit this bunch. How about a special assistant to the owner? Nothing would please me more than a world series championship. But I am afraid that we are not any closer than we were a week ago which was light years away.
How many years “experience” have the Cubs had in the front office since the 1940s?
In the words of Doctor Phil, “How’s that working out for you?”
thats my point..nothing done in last week any better …..Ricketts will eventually be using the corporate game of pitting one against the other cause thats all he knows and how he operates his hedge fund…..at least a seasoned assistant will be able to remind hm not to do so every time tempted to do so…and this person will be able to filter the good from the bad advice from this triumverate without pitting each against the others which will eventually destroy any loyalty and confidence had by each…Ricketts doesnt know enough to know good from bad advice….thats the key
Really you know exactly how he operates his hedge fund or are you just parroting something you found on some website? Are you really saying that you are smarter than 3 guys who built a perennial winner in Boston and flipped the Padres farm system into one of the best in the business?
I guess the beef most people have with you is you come on here spewing idiotic and incoherent posts day after day just to hear yourself talk. If you are such a freekin whiz kid then why aren’t you working in a baseball front office and if you are working in a baseball front office WHAT IN THE HELL ARE YOU DOING ON THIS WEBSITE ALL DAMN DAY LONG.
At the end of the day none of us knows how this pans out, it could end up worse than with Hendry running the show and all three of them combined might be dumber than Dick Tidrow but guess what…these three EXPERIENCED (yes experienced Hoyer has experience playing and coaching, Epstein has run Wrigley East for the past decade and has worked in baseball for 15 years) front office folks have won 2 world series titles and have assembled two of the better farm systems in ALL OF BASEBALL. You know what Hendry had before he became the GM – 25 years experience in and around baseball…HOW THE HELL DID THAT WORK OUT?
All I ask is that you stop being a whiney little troll, be appreciative of the younger generation and quit being such a cynical asshole.
p.s. someone like a Dick Tidrow would be perfect check and balance against these 3 kids tearing up the place….he would know when to call a time out and send them to their rooms….and would know when they should be given space from each other. He would be the bad cop parent to Ricketts’ good cop parent.
I can understand your troubles die hard. But give some credit to Ricketts, He spent time interviewing owners and people around baseball before he started looking for a gm. He has a guy who has some working knowledge of a front office. Wrigley asked a concessions guy to run his team. Ricketts also is a fan. Grew up like we did watching these guys year after year and see nothing in return. Do you realize what will happen to Ricketts if he delivers and brings a WS to the North side. The ’85 Chicago Bears are like gods around this town. The city will absolutely explode. I thought we wouldn’t see it with Blackhawks. Old man Wirtz leaves and his son takes over. Now they got to hoist a cup. I won’t mention that south side team but hey it proves it can happen. I am seeing someone who WANTS to put a good product out on the field. He found someone who can find those people. I don’t want to put all my eggs in one basket but hey I’m a cubs fan, a guy can hope but this looks like something we have not seen in long time. Oh, by the way, that concession guy got us to the WS in ’45. No experience needed all the time.
Great informative site Brett! Love the FO moves and can’t wait to see the upcoming player moves this offseason. And BTW Die Hard is an absolute Dingle!!
watching the back and forth of this game six makes me almost happy our team has played 4 or 5 big play-off games over the last 65 years(that’s called rationalization)
Josh Hamilton( a Cub for about a half an hour) was lying in a ditch choking on his own vomit about six or seven years ago, now he hits a big 2 run bomb in the Series…I am guessing they will have to keep a close eye on him tonight…
diehard…u really trying to clarifly ur responses w the fact that u worked at wrigley..what did you sell merchandise or beer? i love how ppl say that bc cubs fans are excited mean we expect a championship now…im excited bc i think we now have one of the, if not the, best front office in baseball that will turn this club into a perennial playoff contender..and thats how u compete for championships..thats it….o and epstein was the top get in the market…yet u still rip on ricketts for “not knowing baseball” alll i know is he has millions of dollars bc of his business in the past…and has done everything he couldve so far….and for a fan i appreciate it finally happening
Diehard you are like the kid who has been hit so many times that when some one raises there hand you cover your face and say don’t hit me. You probably thought the recent falling space junk was going to land on you. If you worked for the Cubs when Wrigley was the owner, the only thing you could have learned is what not to do. There is nothing that can be learned from the any of the Cubs old ownership that could be applied to modern baseball. Nothing!!!!