However you feel about Ryan Dempster’s departure, it’s generally nice to see when athletes (or executives, as was the case with Theo Epstein) thank the fans of their former teams.
Here’s what Ryan Dempster had to say in a full-page ad in the Chicago Tribune today:
Thank you Chicagoland!
Thank you for welcoming me, my family and the Dempster Family Foundation with open arms. Your support over the years means the world to us. We will always have fond memories of our years in Chicago.
A special thanks to the Ricketts family, the Chicago Cubs organization and my teammates — past and present — for their support over the years as a member of one of the greatest sports franchises in the world.
Although I will be playing baseball in another city, our Foundation remains committed to our mission here, and we look forward to being a part of this community for years to come.
Chicago has always been my kind of town.