Presented without comment, we just got the customary after-season letter from the Cubs chairman, Tom Ricketts, and we can analyze this later but the gist is that they’re going to do stuff to compete again, I suppose.
Cubs Fans,
This wasn’t the way we wanted the season to end and every year we miss the playoffs is a difficult one. However, this season, where we dug ourselves an early hole and then played as well as anyone in the league only to fall just short of our goal, was particularly disappointing. That said, we took a major step forward in 2023 and look to build on it for next season.
Let me start by acknowledging and thanking you and all Cubs fans for the unwavering support you brought to the ballpark this season. Your energy helped fuel the team’s performance and created an incredible atmosphere at Wrigley Field.
Baseball was exciting as the team showed historic resilience. This was the first team in franchise history to reach 10 games over .500 after finding itself 10 games under .500 earlier in the season. This accomplishment was led by a combination of homegrown talent and veteran players who delivered All-Star caliber performances and fought to the very end.
What also happened for the team this year was the emergence of a new core and a new identity.
Justin Steele rose as a contender for the N.L. Cy Young Award, anchoring the pitching staff and finishing with 16 wins and a 3.06 ERA, the third-best ERA in the N.L. Seiya Suzuki was second in the N.L. with a .349 average in the season’s final two months. Ian Happ posted career marks in RBI (84), runs scored (86) and walks (99). Dansby Swanson and Nico Hoerner proved to be the elite up-the-middle defenders we envisioned entering the year. Swanson’s 18 defensive runs saved led all shortstops, while Hoerner’s .283 average was second and his 175 hits were third among all second basemen, not to mention his career-high 43 stolen bases. The addition of Cody Bellinger brought power and clutch hitting to the lineup as he finished in the N.L. top-10 in average (.307), slugging (.525) and OPS (.881) while providing outstanding defense in center field and at first base.
Our goal is to win championships.
While we are encouraged by many of the individual performances this year, almost making the playoffs is not success. As an organization, we need to build on our progress and become a team that can finish the race. To do that, we will continue to be active this offseason to supplement our roster and look for contributions from our pipeline of elite homegrown talent.Over the long term, the key to winning championships is consistently competing for a place in the postseason. While baseball playoffs are not random events, they do allow all teams a reasonable chance of winning. To have a team that can play October baseball on a regular basis, it is critical we draft and develop a pipeline of young, talented players.
Our future is bright.
Recent investments in our player development organization are beginning to pay off and our farm system is ranked among the top five in MLB. While the teams in the system were generally successful, including Double-A Tennessee’s Southern League championship, what is important is we are producing players who will help us win at the major league level.After several years where we failed to produce impactful pitching, this season’s young arms made significant contributions to the team in both starting and relief roles. While we anticipate further success from our current players, we also see a strong pipeline of pitching prospects on the horizon.
With respect to position players, Pete Crow-Armstrong was named the Minor League Defensive Player of the Year by MLB, and the Cubs now have six players in MLB.com’s top-100 prospect list.
We respect our past.
Without question, we have much to look forward to in the future. But as stewards of this organization, we also have a great responsibility to this iconic team. It’s why fans from across the world come to Wrigley Field to experience Cubs baseball. And why we will never lose sight of the history, heritage and tradition that make our beloved ballpark such a magical place.This season, we were honored to welcome Cubs greats Shawon Dunston and Mark Grace as the newest members of the Cubs Hall of Fame. We were happy to announce Ryne Sandberg would be joining Hall of Famers Ernie Banks, Fergie Jenkins, Ron Santo and Billy Williams on Statue Row. I remember watching Dunston, Grace and Sandberg from the bleachers, and celebrating their accomplishments brought back special memories that I know so many of you cherish as well.
Of course, no recap of the 2023 season would be complete without acknowledging our great broadcaster and the longtime radio voice of the Chicago Cubs, Pat Hughes. As one of the best to ever enter the booth, Pat was the winner of the prestigious Ford C. Frick Award. Now, Pat will forever have his place alongside the other Cubs greats at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.
While the pain from our season finish still lingers, we know it’s time to move forward, and we can say with confidence that the future of the Cubs looks bright. Our experience this season will strengthen the organization, and we are positive we’ll arrive at Spring Training with an edge and the desire to finish the race in 2024.
Thank you to each and every Cubs fan for your continued support.
Tom
Tom Ricketts’ letter in email to Cubs fans
In summary:
- Didn’t do as well as we would have liked
- Will do more in offseason to improve team
- Check out our farm system
Comments
There’s room for hedging as with all PR-filtered messaging, but mentioning Bellinger in the paragraph about the new core/identity and the language re: new desire and stuff makes it clear they want to compete, but continuing to push the farm and pipeline sort of suggests they won’t super splurge
Rice CubeQuote Reply
This could mean any number of things but of course fans will gravitate to the worst case scenario
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Bryce Harper absolutely murdered that pitch.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Perkins,
Based only on the location of that pitch I say it deserved to be destroyed
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Of the teams still in the hunt, the Twins and Phillies would be my preferences to win the World Series.
PerkinsQuote Reply
I keep thinking Ricketts is holding a vape pen in that pic (dying laughing)
berseliusQuote Reply
Was chatting up one of my project leads who is a Phillies fan, and he wasn’t upset at all by the TOOTBLAN double play from game 2. If you only get beat because the other team has to make an amazing play (or sequence of amazing plays) to nail your lead runner, that’s a gamble you should be willing to take. He’s much more annoyed with the bullpen (dying laughing).
berseliusQuote Reply
I suppose it’s fun to have the ex-Cubs and should’ve been Cubs exact revenge upon ATL on the Cubs’ behalf
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Astros and Twins currently tied early, Trea Turner just killed a ball though
Rice CubeQuote Reply
I’m still pissed that after 2018 the indications were that the Cubs would pursue Harper or Machado and then the Rickettses cut off the money after picking up the option on Cole Hamels. Harper would have helped shorten the bridge between the last decent Cubs team and this one.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Baseball cares not for your regular season record
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Bump for Dodgers
Rice CubeQuote Reply
After review, hits it fair to make the point moot
Rice CubeQuote Reply
The Dodgers, the.
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
Maybe get more pitching…and also kind of even more annoying the Cubs ran out of gas now
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Nice tidy win under 3 hours too
Rice CubeQuote Reply
From AZ’s rather prolific inning
https://youtu.be/TIsuN0IsaJM?si=VqRJ_0bbq7I6aQaH
Rice CubeQuote Reply
The Dodgers should look to change the postseason rule that Clayton Kershaw isn’t allowed to pitch effectively.
andcountingQuote Reply
So what I understand from this is Arcia was clowning on Harper in the clubhouse when reporters were present and Harper obviously found out, so we get this
Rice CubeQuote Reply
⚾️ Immaculate Grid 193 6/9:
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Absolutely destroyed today. The 20 game winner column was especially brutal.
PerkinsQuote Reply
⚾️ Immaculate Grid 193 5/9:
Rarity: 535
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Aye this was a brutal one. Picking back through recentish seasons, there were years where the Giants barely scraped 30 SB as a team (dying laughing). I guess having Bonds really helped discourage TOOTBLANS.
berseliusQuote Reply
berselius,
I had no idea Cueto had won 20 with the Reds, but wishing I’d thought of Willie Mays or Barry Bonds for Giants 30 SB.
PerkinsQuote Reply
It’s annoying that this year’s Cubs were almost certainly a better team than the Diamondbacks, yet the latter are going to the NLCS.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Perkins,
Just gotta get in…
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Perkins,
Was able to pull through the 20-game winner column pretty well because I know some random people but the rest I couldn’t really think of anyone else to use but the popular choices it seems
⚾️ Immaculate Grid 193 9/9:
Rarity: 236
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Rice CubeQuote Reply
Rice Cube,
Impressive. I used Drabek and Marichal and missed for the Reds. I get why Pittsburgh has gone 32 years without one, but I’m surprised none of Jason Schmidt, Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, or Madison Bumgarner got 20 with the Giants.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Perkins,
I used Christy Mathewson (dying laughing)
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Old old school
PerkinsQuote Reply
Rice Cube,
Yeah I got Mathewson too. I had no clue the Reds, Cueto was a stab in the dark that actually worked (dying laughing).
berseliusQuote Reply
Perkins,
Jason Schmidt is always one of my go-to guesses for Pirates or Giants, and I’m always surprised to find that his career wasn’t as good or as long as I remembered. It’s basically just two good years!
berseliusQuote Reply
berselius,
It’s wild because I remember him being really tough in MVP 05. (dying laughing)
PerkinsQuote Reply
The lack of scoring so far in this game displeases me
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Rice Cube,
Shut me right up
Rice CubeQuote Reply
(dying laughing), Barves.
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
Wow
Rice CubeQuote Reply
The Braves, the.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Anyway, I want this
https://youtu.be/GQcWvXxAMbo?si=mVq3seDgPKGWx9Y2
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Apparently someone was talking smack about one of the Cespedes Family BBQ guys getting clubhouse access but the BBWAA stepped in on his behalf
https://twitter.com/officialBBWAA/status/1712836235532878184
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Is it bad that I know no other White Sox MVP than Frank Thomas?
⚾️ Immaculate Grid 194 9/9:
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Rice CubeQuote Reply
⚾️ Immaculate Grid 194 8/9:
Rarity: 232
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Play at:
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@immaculategrid x @baseball_ref
I’d have sworn Miguel Tejada won an MVP with Baltimore.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Perkins,
Tejada’s was with Oakland methinks
Rice CubeQuote Reply
New stuff –> http://www.obstructedview.net/championship-series-as-if-the-two-leagues-werent-just-one-mlb-anymore/
Rice CubeQuote Reply