That ASU Ballpark Sharing Deal Wasn’t Very Sweet for the Cubs and Other Bullets

I ranted about it in the comments last evening, so I won’t do it today here in the intro to the Bullets. I’ll just say that if not for an inexplicable video review in the Penn State/Nebraska game, Michigan would be sitting semi-pretty for a Big Ten Title Game berth right now (assuming they can beat OSU, which is obviously not a fair assumption). As it stands, it ain’t gonna happen, despite Michigan’s two-parts-lucky-one-part-skill Denard-less win over Northwestern yesterday.

  • That proposed deal between the Cubs and Arizona State, which would have had them sharing the new facilities out in Mesa, and which fell apart in the last couple weeks, looks like it really wasn’t much of a deal for the Cubs. Although ASU alleged that the Cubs had unfairly changed the terms, Mesa Mayor Scott Smith said it was ASU that became unreasonable, and a look at some of the disputed deal terms suggests he may have been right – and suggests that the deal was never all that great in the first place for the Cubs. Arizona Central reports, among other things, on the financial details of the plan, which would have worked thusly: “ASU would have kept as much as $1.1 million a year in revenue from concessions, parking and tickets. The Cubs would have kept all ASU-generated revenue between $1.1 million and $1.3 million. If revenues exceeded $1.3 million, ASU would have gotten 75 percent and the Cubs 25 percent of the excess. The Cubs’ total share of ASU revenue was capped at $300,000.” So, in exchange for sharing their facility – and risking the headaches that could come along with that sharing, given the Cubs’ year-round needs – the Cubs would have received, at most, $300,000 per year. That’s a huge amount of money to you and me, but, in terms of the Cubs’ annual budget/expected revenue, it would represent an increase of around 0.1 to 0.15%. It’s not nothing, but it’s not really worth fretting about.
  • One of the “changed terms” about which ASU may have been complaining? Under the original terms of the proposed deal, the Cubs – not Mesa, not ASU – were charged with building a $1.3 million locker room and $850,000 practice field for ASU. In the revised proposal, the funding for those items would come from bonds issued by Mesa, on which ASU would pay the finance charges for the first five years. If that’s why things fell apart, and if that’s why ASU was saying the Cubs unfairly “changed the terms,” then I can’t say much in defense of ASU. That looks pretty, as Smith suggested, unreasonable.
  • Logan Watkins, the Cubs’ Minor League Player of the Year, had to rush out to Arizona to fill in for Javier Baez in the Arizona Fall League, and it’s been a success so far. In his five games out west, he’s hitting .316/.409/.526 (small sample size, and all that). His season, offseason, and future are discussed here. He was a little nervous about picking back up and trying to play immediately after a two-month layoff.
  • written by

    Brett Taylor is the Lead Cubs Writer at Bleacher Nation, and you can find him on Twitter at @BleacherNation and on LinkedIn here. Brett is also the founder of Bleacher Nation, which opened up shop in 2008 as an independent blog about the Chicago Cubs. Later growing to incorporate coverage of other Chicago sports, Bleacher Nation is now one of the largest regional sports blogs on the web.

    more cubs news

    Dansby Swanson with a First Inning Three-Run Homer

    For the second straight night, the Cubs are jumping all over the Astros in the first inning. After a couple hits from Nico Hoerner and Ian Happ to get things going, Michael Busch hit a sac fly, Christopher Morel walked,...

    Welcome Back to Iowa, Brennen Davis: Rocket Homer in His First Game Post-Rehab

    What a road it's been - continues to be - for Cubs outfield prospect Brennen Davis. The former top prospect was on a rocket ship to Triple-A in 2021, and then mostly lost the last two years to various injuries....

    CRAAAAAP: Cody Bellinger to the Injured List (UPDATES)

    So much for all those words of optimism and negative X-rays. After colliding with the outfield wall last night, Cody Bellinger fractured his rib (Update: It's actually TWO fractured right ribs) and will hit the injured list today. Chicago Cubs...

    Chicago Cubs Lineup: What is it, June 2023?

    CUBS LINEUP — The Chicago Cubs took Game 1 against the Houston Astros in convincing fashion last night. So tonight, they'll go for the quick series win against Spencer Arrighetti at Wrigley Field (it'd be a good idea to win...

    Bellinger Optimistic Post-Injury, Busch’s Defense, Almonte Stock Rising, Tauchman Slugging, and Other Cubs Bullets

    Ed. Note: Since this article was published, a CT scan revealed a rib fracture for Cody Bellinger, who is now on the Injured List. You can find all the details of that news in our most recent article right here....

    Cubs Outfield Prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong Coming Up

    With Cody Bellinger headed to the Injured List with a rib fracture, the Cubs are in need of another outfielder: center field prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong is coming back up to the big leagues for the second time. https://twitter.com/670TheScore/status/1783217891195625709 Crow-Armstrong, 22,...

    Is Mike Tauchman the Best Player in Baseball? An Exploration

    Hey, we're just having some early-season fun. So allow me to present the 'Mike Tauchman Is Clearly Better Than' list. As of this moment, Mike Tauchman has ... ... a higher wRC+ (151) than Pete Alonso, Fernando Tatis Jr., and...

    Cubs Farm Report | April 24, 2024: Kevin Alcántara Cannot Miss Right Now

    Name a player hotter than Kevin Alcántara right now. Go ahead, I'll wait. (He's already raking again today. Literally as I type this.) More on Alcántara's big day and the Smokies home run parade last night in today's Cubs Farm...

    Oof: Blake Snell to the Injured List Just Three Horrible Starts into His Giants Career

    Just three starts into his San Francisco Giants career, Blake Snell is heading to the injured list with a left-adductor strain. Oof. You hate to even say it — and who really knows if this was related — but early...

    It’s Gotten Impossible to Not Comment on the White Sox Making Futility History

    In 1997, I was a miserable Chicago Cubs fan. I mean, that was true a lot of the time, but I mean it in a very specific way that year: the Cubs had started the season 0-14. They had literally...

    Latest News

    Dansby Swanson with a First Inning Three-Run Homer

    For the second straight night, the Cubs are jumping all over the Astros in the first inning. After a couple hits from Nico Hoerner and Ian Happ to get things going, Michael Busch hit a sac fly, Christopher Morel walked,...

    How to Watch Phillies vs. Reds: Live Stream or on TV

    The Philadelphia Phillies (15-9), with Zack Wheeler on the hill, visit the Cincinnati Reds (13-10) who will start Nick Martinez, at 1:10 PM ET on Thursday in the rubber match of the series.See how to watch the Philadelphia-Cincinnati matchup below.When...

    Brewers vs. Pirates: Start Time, Streaming Live, TV Channel, How to Watch

    The Milwaukee Brewers (14-8), with Freddy Peralta on the hill, visit the Pittsburgh Pirates (13-11) who will hand the ball to Mitch Keller, at 12:35 PM ET on Thursday.Find out how to watch the Milwaukee-Pittsburgh matchup below.When is Brewers vs....

    Dodgers vs. Nationals: Free Live Stream, TV Channel, How to Watch

    Mookie Betts and the Los Angeles Dodgers (14-11) visit C.J. Abrams and the Washington Nationals (10-12) on Thursday, with first pitch at 4:05 PM ET.If you're trying to watch this game, keep reading for TV and streaming options for the...

    Magic vs. Cavaliers Predictions, Best Bets and Odds: NBA Playoffs Game 3 – Thursday, April 25, 2024

    The Cleveland Cavaliers are slight 1.5-point underdogs for Game 3 of the opening round of the NBA Playoffs against the Orlando Magic at Amway Center on Thursday, tipping off at 7:00 PM ET on NBA. The Cavaliers have a 2-0...

    Welcome Back to Iowa, Brennen Davis: Rocket Homer in His First Game Post-Rehab

    What a road it's been - continues to be - for Cubs outfield prospect Brennen Davis. The former top prospect was on a rocket ship to Triple-A in 2021, and then mostly lost the last two years to various injuries....

    Wurth 400 Odds from NASCAR Dover Motor Speedway: Betting Bubba Wallace at the Monster Mile

    The Monster Mile roars to life this Sunday and the 2024 Wurth 400 odds have been revealed! Dover Motor Speedway welcomes NASCAR for its annual racing weekend and unlike last week’s Geico 500 from Talladega Superspeedway, the race favorites are...

    2024 Zurich Classic Tee Times, TV Channel, Live Stream

    The fleur-de-lis flags are flying, and the beignets are hot! The 2024 Zurich Classic of New Orleans tees off this Thursday, bringing back the PGA Tour's electrifying two-man team format. TPC Louisiana is set to be buzzing with a unique...

    Chicago Sky’s Angel Reese Officially Introduced, And She Sounds Motivated

    The new face of the Chicago Sky franchise officially arrived on Wednesday. Angel Reese met with media members at the Sachs Recreation Center in Deerfield. The former LSU standout and NCAA National Champion is only nine days removed from hearing...

    Cubs Outfield Prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong Coming Up

    With Cody Bellinger headed to the Injured List with a rib fracture, the Cubs are in need of another outfielder: center field prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong is coming back up to the big leagues for the second time. https://twitter.com/670TheScore/status/1783217891195625709 Crow-Armstrong, 22,...

    more cubs news