*******Official Cubs 2025 Thread*******

[lucas80]

Send up your 6yo to call him cheap, clearly.

CSB a couple of my buddies were in a bar across from Wrigley after the last game of a season 10ish years ago and Tom came in and chatted with them. Very attentive and open to them even though they were loaded. Pretty sure that bar got ripped down to be the hotel.

 

[lucas80]

The Cubs can be competitive, maybe even make the playoffs, as they are currently constructed. That’s enough to fill Wrigley and that’s all Ricketts cares about. There’s no ROI by bringing in a couple more high priced FAs. Ricketts is all about the money now.

They are constructed to win a weak Central, and maybe make a playoff run. Not a WS team, though.
Only the Reds seem to have gotten a shade better this offseason.

 

[hawkirugged17]

 

[hawkifann]

CSB a couple of my buddies were in a bar across from Wrigley after the last game of a season 10ish years ago and Tom came in and chatted with them. Very attentive and open to them even though they were loaded. Pretty sure that bar got ripped down to be the hotel.

I’ve actually never heard a bad story about a personal, face-to-face interaction with Tom. I’m sure there’s been something at some point and people have plenty of beef with politics and how he runs the team, but never a bad word on a personal interaction.

 

[so cal hawkfan]

How do you do that, exactly?

Well, I’m a dodger fan obviously, when Frank McCourt was our owner, my family owned season tickets. He was a terrible owner and didn’t invest in the team and used it as his personal ATM machine.We sold our season tickets and didn’t support the team until he sold them. The Dodgers attendance during that era went from one of the top every year to middle of the pack under his ownership. Every year, your team makes the playoffs. You get more money for each round your advance and get percentages of the TV money. It’s in the team‘s best interest financially to be competitive you’re in your own you’ll make more money. The Cubs nationally are a very popular team and they are in a weak division. They should be winning that division year in and year out and give themselves an opportunity to advance through the playoff rounds. They could be very profitable if the ownership invested in, they’re on the field product.

 

[win1forthe]

They spend a lot of money, I just don’t believe in the baseball-side decision makers.

 

[tumorboy]

For the record, NO MLB teams are losing money. That’s a farce. Owners love to bs the media and their fans with stories of financial woes. With revenue sharing all the teams give 48% of their revenue. This includes local TV revenue, parking, merchandise concessions, stadium attendance and advertising. Obviously, teams like the Yankees and Dodgers lead the league in attendance every year and generate the most revenue, so the money they contribute is significantly more than teams like the Marlins and Rays. The money gets distributed back to the clubs and typically averages out to $150 million dollars a year PER club. The purpose is to encourage those lesser teams to invest that money in their teams. Sadly, many choose not to. The Dodgers and Yankees made nearly half a billion dollars in revenue and contributed almost half of to the pseudo-socialist system, losing about a hundred million in the process. They both continue to spend in the off season, because winning is profitable. Demand and expect more from your owner. MLB is better when the Cubs are good!

Correct, but why risk spending another 50 million. When you know revenues will be about the same.

 

[tumorboy]

Do think it’s ridiculous considering all of the money the public is required to spend on stadiums and facilities to keep franchises. That mlb teams aren’t required a certain level of spending. The books should be open.
Does seem to be a salary cap fight brewing though. Hopefully the mega teams find themselves alone. Instead of digging in and losing a season. Although if it requires giving up a season for a hard cap. I’m for it.

 

[fivecardstud14]

When is the Cubs ownership going to stop being cheap and sign some free agents? The Central is weak and ripe for the taking. Flaherty could be had for cheap on a 2-3 year deal. He's an innings eater and shores up a rotation that had injury issues last year. The Cubs have an obvious hole at 3rd and Bregman fills that. Pay him or someone else is going to, and you’ll be stuck with Berti or a rookie at the hot corner. Ricketts likes to pretend that he’s poor. He worth like 2 1/2 billion dollars! The Cubs make him money every year. Put that money back into your team. No reason the Cubs shouldn’t be a 90+ win playoff team this season.

Lol at saying they should sign Bregman.

 

[SoDakHawk]

MLB needs a salary floor and salary cap for competitive balance.

 

[MeetTheFerentzes]

Well, I’m a dodger fan obviously, when Frank McCourt was our owner, my family owned season tickets. He was a terrible owner and didn’t invest in the team and used it as his personal ATM machine.We sold our season tickets and didn’t support the team until he sold them. The Dodgers attendance during that era went from one of the top every year to middle of the pack under his ownership. Every year, your team makes the playoffs. You get more money for each round your advance and get percentages of the TV money. It’s in the team‘s best interest financially to be competitive you’re in your own you’ll make more money. The Cubs nationally are a very popular team and they are in a weak division. They should be winning that division year in and year out and give themselves an opportunity to advance through the playoff rounds. They could be very profitable if the ownership invested in, they’re on the field product.

The ole' boycott. Sounds familiar. Many fans think that's the answer to Hawkeye football, too. If fans stop showing up, I'm sure the Cubs will build up a $300M payroll, too.