vs.
Continue reading “Bench Mob vs. Some Guys Sitting Around the Bench Talking – Game 2”
Author: aisle424
Besides That, Cubs Fans, How Have You Enjoyed the Ricketts Era?
The Ricketts showed up last year at the Cubs Convention to a hero’s welcome. If the crowds could have somehow gotten ahold of some rose petals or palm fronds to throw at their feet, they surely would have. Finally! The reign of the Tribune had come to an end! Long live the Ricketts Family!!!
They talked about how they were planning on owning the Cubs for a very long time. (Cheers.) They talked about the beauty of Wrigley Field. (Cheers.) They talked about building an organization that regularly made the playoffs through developing homegrown players and smart spending. (Wild cheers.) Finally, they talked about winning a World Series for the great fans of Chicago. (Thunderous ovation.)
At the time, Cubs fans were in love with the Ricketts and so were most of the media. Right after they finally assumed control of the team in October 2009 they started talking almost immediately about how ticket prices would be going up and the payroll would be staying flat. But that didn’t matter, they weren’t the Tribune and they had a honeymoon period where pretty much everything they said was taken at face value and anything we maybe didn’t like was part of a grand plan to improve the team.
I never understood how that could be possible in a city like Chicago where lying and overt misdirection of the press is practically an Olympic sport amongst politicians. I couldn’t comprehend how that was possible from someone who was so obviously communicating in that meaningless corporate-speak that flowers up almost any dreadful pronouncement with non-sensical lingo and buzzwords that sound positive: “Mrs. Lincoln, your husband experienced a slight interruption of his cranial capacities when an unforeseen ammunition emission dynamically impacted on a neural trajectory. We are really working outside-the-box to conceptualize a holistic method to successfully optimize a return of his infrastructural synergies to his occipital area instead of all over the floor. Besides that, how was the play?”
But that was pretty much how it went. The Ricketts would say, “We are dedicated to building up the farm system!” and so it would be. They would insist that the Cubs were only a couple of transactions away from contention, and by golly, so they were! They would talk about providing plenty of cheaper seat options for families and suddenly they were really in touch with the needs of Cubs-loving families. Or at least, that is how it would usually be reported.
But things sure are changing here on Waltons mountain. The word of the Ricketts doesn’t seem to carry the weight it once did with the fans, and now the writers are starting to catch on too.
Bruce Miles wrote today that the Cubs could very well go 0 for the current roadtrip and pretty much states that he has no indication that such a disastrous occurrence for the state of the Cubs season would result in any changes from the top.
Truth be told, I’m sure Ricketts will keep his feet moving quickly when and if he sees the beat writers, whose questions he never likes to answer.
and
Ricketts has shown no sign of wanting to let Hendry go. The owner seems to be putting his faith in Tim Wilken’s drafts and Oneri Fleita’s player development and counting the days until the likes of Brett Jackson, Trey McNutt, Jae-Hoon Ha, Rob Whitenack, Matt Szczur, Ryan Flaherty and others are ready to move up.
It sounds like Bruce has some follow-up questions he’d like to ask if Tommy gives him the chance. Maybe he should put on a disguise and pretend he’s a tourist who wants an autograph.
Meanwhile, and I can’t even believe this is possible, Steve Rosenbloom actually manages to hit the nail on the head repeatedly today:
Ricketts has been a disaster since about his second day of this hobby. He apparently doesn’t realize it. He apparently doesn’t realize that he is one of the big reasons Cubs fans have death-spiraled into something once unimaginable: apathy.
Cubs fans don’t care enough to use tickets they already purchased. Other Cubs fans don’t care enough to spend as little as a buck or 50 cents for a ticket on a swap site. It has reached such embarrassing proportions that the Cubs have resorted to something else once unimaginable: discounted beer in the bleachers.
The fan who bought the franchise from the corporation has turned off the fans. Can we get some big red shoes and big red noses for the owner’s suite?
The Cubs have a roster of mismatched parts because of mismanagement. Last offseason, Ricketts told fans he would shift money from payroll to scouting and development, and then his general manager traded three of his top prospects for a pitcher who could cost this fifth-place team $15 million this year and next.
But even though some of the media members have started noticing the smoke and mirrors that the Ricketts have been using all along, they are going to keep running the same play until someone can pin them down and start asking tough follow-ups.
For instance, Ed Sherman followed up his piece where Ricketts blamed attendance woes on bad weather and whiny lower-income Cubs fans with a piece where Tom insists again that the Cubs are trying to build their team through the farm system.
“From a team perspective, it’s about reinforcing the fact that development of players matters,” Mr. Ricketts said. “You visit with the young players and tell them, ‘Hope to see you in Wrigley soon.’ You see the managers and coaches and say, ‘What you guys are doing is critical to us. Keep it up.’
So that’s what the Cubs have been doing wrong all these 102 years? The owners haven’t hauled their cookies to Iowa and Peoria and whatever backwater burghs the minor league affiliates have ever been located to give the players and managers there an “attaboy?” That’s why Corey Patterson sucked? That’s why Mike Harkey sucked? I wonder why Hayden Simpson sucks. Maybe he missed Tommy’s visit when he was off looking for his 10 mph of lost velocity.
“On the business side, it sends a good message for the whole organization.”
What message is that? “You guys here on the major league roster suck and I can’t wait to get rid of you, now if you’ll excuse me I’ve got to go give some blowies to all those hard working prospects down there so they know we care about them.”
“You’ve got to walk the walk,” Mr. Ricketts said. “When you’re trying to build an organization through the farm system, you’ve got to get down there. If you don’t develop players, you’re behind the 8-ball.”
I’m actually shocked he didn’t work the phrases, “It is what it is,” “All things being equal,” or “At the end of the day” into that somewhere. But if you cut through the mumbo-jumbo, he seems to be saying the youth shall be the answer to our long-term problems.
Meanwhile the fans, and hopefully more of the media will finally notice that Tyler Colvin was sent down to the minors, Brett Jackson isn’t anywhere on the horizon, we traded away valuable depth in the organization to acquire a pitcher heading into his most expensive years, Koyie Hill is now getting regular playing time, and the entire roster seems to have had it’s extra-base capabilities sucked away by the ravages of time. Perhaps some follow-ups may be coming soon. I won’t hold my breath, but I’m certainly more hopeful about that than I am about the Cubs ever reaching the .500 mark again this season.
Continue reading “Besides That, Cubs Fans, How Have You Enjoyed the Ricketts Era?”
Chicago Bulls vs. Axis of Evil – Game 1
Cubs Need Brett Jackson
Normally, I am not someone who wants to rush players to the big leagues. I wasn’t a fan of bringing Corey Patterson up so quickly. I didn’t even love it when Kerry Wood and Mark Prior were brought up so fast. I usually want players to develop skills in the minors that will be harder to learn while under the pressure of the big leagues.
But that was when I was young and had delusions that the Cubs minor league instructors might be good for something. I thought that there was actual development going on. It turns out that was pretty much a fallacy.
The big league team had need for a lead-off man, and apparently believed that was Corey’s role in the big leagues, but never seemed to teach Corey those skills while down in the minors. He came up acting like a middle-of-the-order player but without the power or discipline to ever thrive in that role, and he was completely unable to master the art of getting on base.
So while I would fear a similar fate befalling Brett Jackson after only a total of 212 games in the minors since 2009, he seems like he is probably as good as he is going to get against minor league talent. I don’t trust the minor league instructors to actually teach him to cut down on his strikeouts, make him a better baserunner, or improve his defense. I think he pretty much is who he is and right now that is a guy who is probably the best outfielder the Cubs have in their entire system including the major league roster. He’s certainly one of the three best. I don’t even think that can be argued.
The Cubs are now having trouble selling out games against the Cardinals when the weather is 80+ degrees, sunny and they are selling $3 beers. Clearly interest in the current roster is low. Really low. Phenomenally low.
Top 10 Things Lower Than Interest in the Cubs
10. Ryan Theriot’s approval rating
9. The Marianas Trench
8. Ratings of the Paul Reiser Show
7. Average temperature of a winter on Pluto
6. Alvin’s tolerance for use of the term “dick-high”
5. Todd Ricketts’ IQ
4. Koyie Hill’s batting average
3. Koyie Hill’s defensive skills
2. Koyie Hill’s running speed
1. Koyie Hill’s ability to work a table saw
We are talking low, people.
So what would breathe life into this walking dead corpse of a team? How about some youth and vitality? How about some baseball talent? How about a guy who may be a bit crazy, but in a likable way?
BRETT JACKSON!
He’s got a line of .288/.416/.514/.930 so far at AA. He is 12 for 14 in stolen base attempts. His career slash line is .301/.404/.494/.898. That ain’t bad.
Like I said, he might need more seasoning, but the Cubs instructional capabilities are like seasoning with tap water, so this is probably as good as he’s going to get at that level.
People have said they need to trade an outfielder to make room for him, but since they are barely playing Colvin anyway, just send him down to get some real playing time. Maybe he’ll accidentally learn some things down there. Then stick Brett in centerfield and rotate in Byrd against the tough lefties.
That won’t sell out the stadium, but it sure would make things interesting. Watching veterans lose is boring. There are no moral victories. This is as good as they are going to get and they suck, so who cares? You inject some youth in there with actual talent and room to improve and suddenly there is something to matter besides the final score.
Or the Ricketts can keep giving away t-shirts. Either way. We’ll see what happens.
AT&T Ballpark vs. Wrigley Field
I had the opportunity to take in a ballgame at AT&T Park in San Francisco on Friday so I thought I would put it up against Wrigley to see how it compares. Of course, I have one game experience at AT&T and hundreds at Wrigley, so this is not intended to be the final word in comparisons. I’d welcome any additional viewpoints in the comments
Customer Service
Almost everybody I dealt with at AT&T was very friendly and courteous. The concessions people were very nice, answered questions politely and moved the lines along pretty quickly. Most of my interactions with concessions was on the Club Level, so I would expect the service to be better there, but I also had an opportunity to get food in the lower level and bleacher area and the service was just as good there.
The ushers held up people from entering aisles when a batter was in the batters box. Again, this was in the club level so I don’t know if that is standard in the rest of the ballpark, but I thought it was a nice touch. We were warmly greeted upon entering and also upon leaving. One woman usher gave me a high-five as we went out after the Giants had won on a walk-off single by Freddy Sanchez.
The one weird, off-putting event was in the bleacher area. We walked out to the Standing Room area behind the right-field bleachers right above McCovey Cove for the last inning and found a gap where we could see through all of the people standing in front of us (the game was exciting so everyone was on their feet). A security guard told us we had to move back away from the bleachers, so we did, and then immediately a bunch of teenagers moved into the spot we had just been with no word from security. It was very weird and seemed unnecessary, but we just moved on to another spot where we actually had a better view of the game-winning hit, so it worked out.
I have complained for years that the Cubs’ customer service is atrocious when considering how much money they take from us on a yearly basis while usually providing an inferior product on the field. Based on my small sample-size I can’t think of a single area where the Cubs do something better to serve their fans than the Giants do and they just won the World Series, so if anyone could take fans for granted, it should be the Giants and not the Cubs. The Ricketts have made vast improvements in this area, but visiting AT&T highlights how wide the gap still is.
I had a screen shot of a personalized thank you e-mail we received from the Giants, but I can’t get the photo to work and I’m on my way out the door so you’ll just have to take my word for it.
I’m fairly certain the Cubs don’t do anything like this for their ticket purchasers.
Concessions
This isn’t even close. If we were to liken this to comparing players’ baseball skills, AT&T is like Albert Pujols and Wrigley Field is Koyie Hill.
I stuck mostly with staples so I could compare apples to apples and hot dogs to hot dogs. The hotdogs were about the same as what you’d find, but the buns were fresh. Again, this was one time and maybe I just got lucky, but my odds of finding a hot dog with a bun that isn’t too stale or too soggy is about 50%. We got two hot dogs at AT&T and they were both good quality.
The nachos were drenched in cheese and jalapenos, and they weren’t the lowest quality chips or cheese either. The only dissapointment was that we ran out of chips before running out of cheese and we opted not to lick the container. They also had a higher grade nachos available with beans, guac, sour cream and chili available which looked really good if you like all those extras.
I’ve always liked Wrigley’s nachos, but I never really realized how much better simple cheese and chips with jalapenos could be.
Then there was the options. Oh my lord, the options. Crab sandwiches. Garlic fries (I ate plenty of garlic fries in San Fran, so I opted not to get them at the ballpark). Something called a cha-cha, which I’m informed is a Jamaican dish. They had vendors selling hot chocolate straight out of a thermal dispenser backpack that included a dollop of whipped cream, if you so desired. Think about that the next time you get a tepid chocolate at Wrigley. They had churro vendors coming around with the sticks of cinammon sugary goodness. I could go on, but you get the picture.
I know Wrigley has tried to get better with the food options, but again, AT&T just highlights how little bang a fan at Wrigley gets for his or her buck.
The last snack I got was a simple bag of cinnamon-sugar candied almonds. I love those things and it seems like most minor league ballparks have them available. As far as I know, they aren’t at Wrigley yet despite needing very little room to operate. This is a crying shame, in my opinion.
Fans
The fans, for the most part, at AT&T seemed very interested in the game itself. They watched the game and had opinions on just about all the players. They seem to hate Miguel Tejada and Mike Fontenot is gaining popularity (he helped himself there with a triple into the gap to get the Giants on the board). Of course, Buster Posey is the main man in the lineup and in the Giants’ fans’ hearts. I would assume only Lincecum would come close to Buster, but I didn’t have the pleasure of seeing him pitch.
Just about everyone was wearing orange and black and the tone throughout the game was extremely hopeful despite getting no-hit by Ubaldo Jimenez through the first 5 innings and falling back 3-0 early on. Every walk or single was greeted with a big cheer as the start of a potential rally. When they actually came back to tie the game in the 8th and win it on a walk-off single in the 9th, the place went crazy.
I tweeted in the 9th that it was strange being in a stadium not filled with an impending sense of doom when things didn’t go exactly right. I guess winning a World Series is good for a healthy sense of optimism.
The bleachers reminded me of the days in Wrigley before the prices went through the roof. Those are decent enough seats, but they aren’t prime and they aren’t priced like prime seats. So it was an interesting mix of demographics with limited budgets. The roving bands of teens were annoying, but they were mostly hanging out in the back of the bleacher area so if we had actual tickets to those seats, I don’t think they would have been a problem.
Up in the club level, there were few blatant businessmen who were only there to entertain clients. They may have been, but if so, they were better at blending into the fan atmosphere than the folks who try to impress clients with seats at Wrigley. I didn’t notice many people on their phones. In fact, Kris and I were probably on the most as we tweeted periodically throughout the game.
Fans are fans, and I think the similarities between the two fanbases far outnumber the differences, but overall, I’d say the fans at AT&T were there for the game. I can’t always say that about the Wrigley crowd.
Logistics
We arrived to AT&T via a ferry from Larkspur across the bay. Not having to deal with game traffic was a huge plus and we got some great views of the city as we came across the bay. I’d recommend it if you’re in the area.
There was also a ferry that docked in McCovey Cove from Oakland, so that is another good option. Not that I recommend spending a ton of time in Oakland. Otherwise, access to the park is pretty good from the city. It’s right near the Bay Bridge so car access from across the bay is pretty easy. It’s also far enough from the Wharf and other touristy areas that I imagine knowledgeable drivers can get there from the city itself without a ton of problems, but I didn’t do it so I don’t know how it actually works for drivers.
Once in the park, we had a hell of a time finding the Club Level. It is possible we are just dense and missed the signage, but I never saw a single sign pointing the way to the 200 level. We figured it out and discovered the memorabilia area in the Club section that is pretty cool. Lots of autographed balls and bats, plus other stuff from Giants’s history. We didn’t have time to spend in there, but I’d definitely go back to check it out further.
Obviously, taking a boat to Wrigley isn’t an option, but the location right off the Red Line and having the Brown Line within easy walking distance is a huge plus. I’d never want to drive to Wrigley for a night game either since you can’t park anywhere near the ballpark without paying a crapload of money to someone (whether its a private garage owner or the team).
I always thought the signage in Wrigley Field was pretty good too. It’s been a long time since I didn’t know exactly where I was going in there, but I don’t remember ever having a problem finding my way around. So Wrigley has a bit of an edge there, from my experience.
Stadium Aesthetics
AT&T Park is beautiful. There is no getting around it. The location gives great views of the Bay, the architecture is classic yet modern, and they did a phenomenal job of getting advertising all over the park without beating you to death with it.
The scoreboard and outfield area is the most heavily advertised and I just didn’t seem to mind it. This photo doesn’t even include the giant Coke bottle behind the left field bleachers.
Wrigley is still tops in my book from the inside, but it isn’t a runaway and I’d be thrilled if Wrigley was re-done to include the modern features like this that allows for added revenue without distracting from the beauty of the game.
From the outside, AT&T has Wrigley beat. The brick facades are fantastic and the surrounding area is very nice and inviting. For all of the charm of Wrigleyville, it isn’t pretty to look at and we’ve been over how dumpy the outside of the stadium is.
Overall
The day started off great because it was the first homegame since Willie Mays’ 80th birthday, so there was a nice pre-game birthday party for Willie including video testimonials from former teammates, colleagues, and celebrities ending in the park singing Happy Birthday. It was fantastic to see one of the best players of all-time, even if he was just sitting in a chair taking it all in. Throughout the game, we were treated to various highlights from the career of the Say Hey Kid. It was all very well done and Willie seems genuinely touched.
Unfortunately, we didn’t arrive soon enough to get the Mays statue or the orange and black birthday hats they passed out to the fans, but it was still cool.
Any game that ends in a walk-off win is great, and it still baffles me how the Giants are doing it. Pitching obviously, but Cain started off a little rough and dug the 3-0 hole that the climbed out of in the later innings. Nate Shierholtz tied it with a 2-run, 2-out single in the 8th, and Freddy Sanchez got the walk-off single to drive in Cody Ross who had led off the 9th with a pinch double. Who are these freakin’ guys?
I really enjoyed the experience at AT&T. It was nice seeing a couple of good teams in a well-played game. It was nice having room to roam in the corridors of the ballpark. It was really nice to be treated pleasantly by the stadium staff.
I still love Wrigley and the feeling of watching my favorite team when they win, but if I removed my personal bias, I’d have to say AT&T is the superior ballpark and the fan experience is far superior. I’d really like to go back again.
Wrigley Field is Not Beautiful From the Outside
I am one of the people who would be upset if the Cubs moved out of Wrigley Field. As much as I bitch about the crowded walkways and the lack of decent concessions, I would be sad if they had to move. I think that puts me in a minority in this particular corner of the Cubs blogosphere.
I enjoy having a minimum amount of ads smacking me in the face as I watch a baseball game. I like not being told when to clap by a giant video scoreboard. I love the view from my seat of the surrounding neighborhood, and I think it is cool that people are so interested in what’s going on that they pay exhorbitant amounts to sit on rooftops across the street.
However, if there is one thing I could give a damn about in the current version of Wrigley Field is its exterior. The exterior of Wrigley Field is ugly, and crumbling, and just plain disgusting. There is nothing quaint about the chain-link fences surrounding the inner walkways. There is no architectural wonder in the concrete slabs on the exterior with the occasional tiny window that look out onto the abandoned triangle parcel that serves as a makeshift parking lot.
With the exception of the iconic marquee, the beauty of Wrigley Field is entirely on the inside. So this is why I don’t understand why people get upset when the Cubs try to improve the exterior.
I happened to catch a post over at The Wrigley Blog that shows the Cubs putting in LED lights above the ticket windows on Clark and Addison.
It chaps my hide to report that they have added bright Red neon over each of the ticket windows. (Lord knows, they want you to really know that they are OPEN and have plenty of tickets available). And they have also added some sort of e-lectronic message board. My grandson tells me they are LEDs and let me tell ya, they are about 10 times as bright as the glorious neon lit Marquee.
Lord help us.
I just don’t get the angst. So the Cubs want to improve customer service by putting up a system that gives them more options than signs that read simply “OPEN.” So what? Does this distract anyone from enjoying the game? No. There isn’t much short of a mortar attack that can make the exterior of Wrigley uglier, so I don’t see the problem.
From my perspective, if the aesthetics of the lights above the ticket windows were the biggest problem facing the Cubs, I would be thrilled to death. I just don’t get it.
Continue reading “Wrigley Field is Not Beautiful From the Outside”
Cubs Insult Their Best Hot Dog Buying Customers
Carrie Muskat had a brief entry in her Cubs.com blog about some promotions the Cubs have come up with, including some deals for the bleacher bums:
Beginning May 10, all Tuesday home games will feature Bud Light or Budweiser products at specific concessions stands in the bleachers for $3. Starting May 11, fans sitting in the Bud Light Bleachers for Wednesday home games can buy Vienna Beef Hot Dogs for $1. The Bud Light Bleacher Series is exclusive to ticket holders in the Bud Light Bleachers.
It’s hard to say how Al will feel about this. As a baloney sandwich eater who hates that there is so much drunken debauchery in the stands, he may feel slighted that he won’t benefit from the deals and it will encourage more drinking.
However, maybe he’ll appreciate the opportunity to buy a $1 hotdog so he can take a break from baloney for a game.
Either way, he certainly won’t give a damn that it doesn’t help out the family of four sitting under the upper deck, or the groups of schoolchildren sitting in the upper deck reserved sections. Let’s face it, those are probably the best hot dog customers in Wrigley. I bet he thinks it’s a great idea. Let’s see what happens.
Continue reading “Cubs Insult Their Best Hot Dog Buying Customers”
Top Ten Highlights of the Cubs Game Tonight
10. Ryan Dempster getting his one out of the evening.
9. Koyie Hill hitting a homerun.
8. Al Yellon and Buster Olney arguing on Twitter over whether Justin Berg hit Justin Upton on purpose.
7. No killer tornadoes hit the stadium.
6. The NFL Draft, NBA playoffs, and Michael Scott’s farewell provided some distraction.
5. A long, lingering shot of a hot soccer mom licking a lollipop.
4. Bob Brenly getting the giggles while discussing a tomahawk throwing contest.
3. Did I mention the hot soccer mom with the lollipop?
2. Long periods of dead air while Len and Bob sampled different hotdogs available at the concession stands.
1. It mercifully ended.
Continue reading “Top Ten Highlights of the Cubs Game Tonight”
New Calendar For Kosuke
We all know the story by now. This is the fourth April in a row that Kosuke Fukudome has treated pitchers like they insulted his sister. In the previous three years, he would fall off the cliff in such a Wile E. Coyote-esque manner, you’d want to make sure he isn’t purchasing his bats from ACME, Inc. The key, obviously, is the month of April, thus I think the Cubs should change every calendar in their organization to this more Kosuke-friendly version so that he can keep hitting until the end of the season.
If they do it, I can definitely foresee a division clinching RBI from Kosuke somewhere around April 178th. That is, unless he is traded at the April 122nd trade deadline.
When God Was Handing Out Brains, Nathan H. From Omaha Thought They Said “Trains” and Got Out of the Way
I try to stay away from Cubs-oriented mailbags or “ask the expert” features because they often are littered with questions from people who should probably thank God every night that breathing is an automatic response, since if it wasn’t they would probably have a hell of a time learning how to do it. I’m talking about people who make Todd Ricketts seem like an intellectual.
I’m talking about people you can keep occupied for hours by sticking them in a round room and telling them there’s a $10 bleacher ticket in the corner.
I’m talking about people who aren’t allowed to take coffee breaks because it takes too long to re-train them.
I’m talking about Nathan H. from Omaha, Nebraska. Our friend, Mish, happened to point out a wonderful example of what I’m talking about from Mr. H. Nathan recently took crayon in hand and scrawled out a letter to Paul Sullivan that wonders why people are always so gosh-darned down on a team that last won a World Series before the Titanic was built:
I am sick and tired of Cubs fans and Chicago people always being negative about the Cubs.
We’re positive about them when they are good. 2007 and 2008 were pretty positive years, Nathan. You know why we aren’t positive more often? They aren’t good very often.
When will Cubs fans learn that all the negativity contributes to the Cubs not winning? It has to affect players to always hear that they have no chance, doesn’t it?
Hey Nathan, can you think of a recent former Cub that has blossomed when getting away from the negativity of the Cubs? For all the angst about Mark DeRosa being traded away, he spent his best years under the negative umbrella of Cubdom. Ted Lilly seems to be regressing out in L.A. Ryan Theriot is still running himself into outs and making poor defensive plays down in St. Louis.
And while I hate Cubs fans booing the players for every perceived wrong they observe on the field, it isn’t the reason they mess stuff up. Things go poorly on the field because the team isn’t very good. Marlon Byrd isn’t first-pitch swinging after a four-pitch walk to the previous batter because of fans’ negativity. Jeff Samardzija doesn’t need a GPS device to find the strikezone because fans don’t like his guaranteed contract. John Grabow and Koyie Hill would suck even if fans carried them onto the field while tossing rose petals in their paths.
Also, if you are a true Cubs fan you would not jump off the bandwagon after one week of the season just because it was not perfect!!
You can tell Nathan feels strongly about this because he is now using the double exclamation point!! Nathan, I don’t know how old you are, but unless you are about 107 years old, you don’t remember the last time the Cubs justified the love, loyalty, and money that Cubs fans fork over to the Cubs on an annual basis. We aren’t jumping off any bandwagon after a week of anything. We are pissed off that the Ricketts have thrown together a team that is less stable than a house of cards and gone about charging us for it like it is an actual World Series contender. That means they are either liars or stupid and neither option makes me all that confident of the future.
We should have won the series against the Pirates if Marmol doesn’t blow the save!! This team has the talent, they just need to perform to their abilities and we will be all right!
Oh we would have won against the juggernaut Pirates? That is your criteria of judging a good baseball team? The ability to beat the Pirates? Holy underwear, Batman. You have set the bar so low and the team still messed it up and you still think the team “has the talent?” I want some of whatever it is that Nathan is inhaling in Omaha.
What makes me really pissed is that Nathan isn’t alone. Unfortunately, the Ricketts used-car salesman tactics are working. They have successfully sold Nathan and many others like him that being a Cubs fan involves sticking with the team through its hard times, because golly-gee-willickers, they sure are trying and we just need a few breaks to go our way.
The team doesn’t have the talent, Nathan. It doesn’t. That is a fact. Every projection system in existence says this team will struggle to finish at .500. Sure, whatever it is that Quade did in the last month and half of 2010 could miraculously carry over and the Cubs could out-play their projections, but old players don’t do that very often and the Cubs are old. So when we are “critical” of the team we love, the reason we get so angry about it is because we care and don’t want them to continue to be profitable through failure anymore.
What’s your take on what I have brought up, Paul? Nathan H., Omaha,Neb.
Surely, Paul will let Nathan know that what the fans think has little, if any, bearing on what transpires on the baseball field. Maybe he’ll even do it a little more gently than I just did.
Paul’s complete unedited, unabbreviated response:
Agree wholeheartedly.
