The Chicago Cubs have announced a press conference for Friday to introduce new owner Tom Ricketts. But allow me to provide an early glimpse into what type of owner he is likely to be.
First off, just who is this guy who plunked down an estimated $642 million (out of the total bid of around $900 million) to buy the Cubs?
Ricketts, 43, is the CEO of Incapital LLC, a Chicago investment bank that packages corporate bonds for retail investors. He is also a director of TD Ameritrade Holding Corp. as well as the son of Ameritrade founder J. Joseph Ricketts.
But heck, ...
Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune , who seldom has a lucid baseball thought, has openly lobbied for longtime Texas Rangers hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo to come to town.
The former Rangers beat writer wrote this in a recent article:
"Jaramillo is the absolute perfect man for the Cubs' situation. He has worked successfully in the past with both Alfonso Soriano and Milton Bradley, the latter of whom is no guarantee to be eliminated over the off-season (unless general manager Jim Hendry releases him at a cost of $21 million). And he is well acquainted with manager Lou Piniella from the years ...
Hey Jim Hendry, don’t mean to wake you, but I have something to tell you:
It’s only 174 days until opening day 2010!
Yeah, I know, that sounds like a long time. But when you are trying to do a chemistry makeover on a team with so many expensive, long-term contracts, there's no time like the present.
Milton Bradley will not return, of that much we’re certain. But who we get to replace him to fill that power-hitting, middle-of-the-order presence that your manager desires so badly will be interesting. And time-consuming.
Don’t expect that player to come in the Bradley dumping. The only thing ...
If 2010 is the last season of Lou Piniella’s managerial career, and all indications seem to point that direction, then the obvious question is who should take over the reigns when he leaves?
To that end, I considered some candidates who may be available if and when Lou finally hangs ‘em up for good, and tried to document what I believe to be the pros and cons of each alternative.
I would love to know what you think.
Bob Brenly
We all know that Bob won a World Series title with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2001. Many also feel that his experience in the ...
I know that being a fan of the Cubs may not seem to be a very hopeful situation right now. After all, the team is on the verge of completing what has been a very disappointing season, with seemingly little hope due to payroll inflexibility caused by expensive, long-term contracts.
But I'm here to tell you that all is not lost.
Yes, on the surface, things may look bleak. But when you consider what our competition is facing as well as a new owner coming in, there may be some legitimate reason for optimism after all.
First, the Cardinals, who had a great ...
As a lifelong Cubs fan, Ernie Banks, aka “Mr. Cub,” was one of my heroes growing up. So you can imagine the thrill I experienced when I was given the opportunity to interview the greatest Cub of all time.
For those of you who have been living under a rock, Ernie Banks is a Hall of Fame shortstop and first baseman who started his major league career with the Cubs in 1953. How great was Mr. Cub? Consider this: In 1958 and '59, Ernie won consecutive National League MVP awards despite playing for teams that finished in last place.
I remember watching ...
According to most everything I’ve read or heard, it seems a foregone conclusion that Rich Harden won’t be wearing a Cubs uniform next year.
But wait, not so fast. With Harden’s history of injuries, I would be surprised if he received a multiple-year offer from anybody. If some team has a brain cramp and does so, then the Cubs will say goodbye. Otherwise, I’d like to see him come back.
I know the Cubs need payroll flexibility. But good starting pitching is hard to find. It seems reasonable to pay a guy like Harden $10 million or so for one more year.
Let's say they offer ...
In a season filled with water-cooler tirades, outfielders forgetting how many outs there are, and runners left on base by the truckload, one positive note to this season does exist.
With the Cubs' third straight win over the San Francisco Giants today, they assured themselves that they will be no worse than a .500 team. And, assuming they win at least one more game, they are on the verge of a third consecutive winning season.
To show you how rare this feat is for our Cubbies, one has to go back to 1972 to find a better winning streak. From 1968 ...
One of Cubs GM Jim Hendry's first priorities this offseason is to try and move Milton Bradley, and he just may find a willing trade partner in friend and fellow GM Kevin Towers, according to an ESPN.com report by Jerry Crasnick.
On Friday, the San Diego Padres GM said he wouldn't mind having Bradley return to the city he once played in. Left unsaid was "if the price is right."
"I haven't had any calls from Jim about him," Towers told ESPN.com. "But I think people kind of know what players we target. We have to take chances sometimes. We took a ...
Oh, pity poor little Milton Bradley. The millionaire baseball player's life is so hard that his mommy needs to come to his defense. What is this, elementary school or the big leagues?
Look, we all know that signing Bradley to a three-year contract was foolish. Cubs GM Jim Hendry ought to be taken out to the woodshed and spanked by new owner Tom Ricketts for this ridiculous display of poor judgement.
But some of the things that Bradley's mom said just confirms that wackiness apparently runs in the family.
Speaking to the Chicago Sun-Times on Tuesday, Milton's mother, Charlena Rector said that "When ...
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