Ricketts won't allow more payroll
by northpaw22k on Jul 21, 2009 2:28 PM CDT
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I don't know how trustworthy this source is but I play baseball with a kid whose dad is an attorney for the Ricketts family and is working on the sale. I mentioned Halladay jokingly and he said that the Ricketts family is pretty mad at the Tribune for signing all these aggresious contracts and then asking too much for the franchise. He said that the family told the Cubs to not take on any more contracts or increase payroll at all. Thus, he said don't expect any big trades unless its salary dump or an even trade. So it should be a quiet trade deadline for the Cubs unless Hendry gets creative.
Edited July 22, 2009 at 3:24 am ET:
Alright, since a lot of you are skeptical of my source or even intentions of this post, I'm going to clear it up a little bit and give you some more info to placate.
I was simply relaying the message, everything I posted is 100% true of what I heard. Unless the guy's dad lied to him and he lied to me (no reason to lie in either case), its true. But you are probably reading too much into Ricketts being mad. He's mad because the Cubs value was overestimated by the Tribune company and that the payroll had ballooned during negotiations. The payroll is way too high in his opinion and that along with the Cubs being overpriced put a minor snag in the sale. I wasn't saying the family isn't going to buy the Cubs because of this, just that payroll definitely won't be increased and thus no big trades coming up soon.
As for the source, I play college baseball and play on a summer team apart of the Mountain Collegiate Baseball League. The "kid" in the post is 20 years old. And being the only Cubs fans on the team we talk a lot.
If you want more info on the actual conversation that went down...my teammate told me this because he had called his dad asking about the supposed trade which was completely made up by the media. He said his dad started getting a bunch of emails and phone calls congratulating him on the sale. He had told me at the time (this was about a week and a half ago) that they still expected to have the deal in a couple days, and that the big thing holding it up at the moment was that the Tribune had over priced the Cubs especially with the insane contracts. Thats when he said Ricketts was, as he put it, pissed and that he wouldn’t allow for any more payroll and not to expect any trades unless they drop salary or are an even trade.
I hope this clears somethings up.
This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of SB Nation or Al Yellon, managing editor (unless it's a FanPost posted by Al). FanPost opinions are valued expressions of opinion by passionate and knowledgeable baseball fans.
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Good for Ricketts
The payroll is already astronomical and the Cubs saddled with the ugliest assortment of contracts in baseball. I hope Ricketts comes in here and takes a buzzsaw to things and instills a new and visionary strategy for becoming a winning and model baseball franchise.
$136 million payroll for a .500 style ballclub. Good work Jim.
Pinch me... I actually agree 100% with BLou
"You win because of the quarterback. We have to get that position stabilized. We're fixated on that." -- Jerry Angelo (12.30.2008)
Jerry Angelo trades for Jay Cutler! (4.2.2009)
.
Sorry.
I don’t buy your source. If Rickets was so pissed about the contracts, he wouldn’t have PURCHASED THE TEAM!
"Pounding sand since 1982...."
That makes no sense at all???
Ricketts wasn’t going to buy the entire franchise because he doesn’t like the current inventory and what it costs that’s already in the store??? The inventory can be shed and a new strategy and purchasing plan put in place.
I yearn for the day when the Cubs have a real GM who knows how to build a baseball franchise from the ground up. I cannot wait until Kenney, Hendry, Flieta and Wilken are all shown the door.
$136 million payroll for a .500 style ballclub. Good work Jim.
This inventory can not be shed.
The OP makes Ricketts out to be blindsided by the contracts the Cubs currently have. He knew what he was getting into, so that’s where he loses my confidence in his “source.”
We all know you yearn for the day….no need to repeat.
"Pounding sand since 1982...."
These contracts will be coming off the books in a few years.
You may not be able to trade the $22M you have tied up in Bradley and Fukudome, but in 2 years and 2 months, it’s gone.
Even Soriano, who has 5 years left on his horrible, horrible deal, will be gone eventually.
In the meantime, the payroll isn’t going to drive the Ricketts family into the poorhouse – it just means that they aren’t going to be able to spend any more money, for a while, on actual productive MLB players.
If this secondhand rumor is correct, (and even if it’s completely made up) I have to imagine that Ricketts is less than enamored with Hendry’s ridiculously poor judgment in spending hundreds of millions of the Trib’s dollars on mediocrities.
MLBMilestone.com - following the numbers to Cooperstown
Okay being less than enamored and being "mad" about it are two different things.
Here’s where this discussion is going two different ways. While I don’t agrue your points, I’m more or less taking on the OP and legitimacy of his “source.” If Ricketts is so “mad” about the contracts and the point price of the franchise, I don’t think he’d be on the verge of owning the team.
I’m too lazy to add up the money locked up in the Fukudome, Bradley, Dempster, and Soriano contracts (which are the ones most would argue are the bad contracts), but my guess is that number is somewhere in the neighborhood of $150 million. $150 million compared to a franchise that is worth only 6 times that much is way too much money to be “mad” about, yet still buy the team. It’s been a long day, so I hope that makes sense.
I’m not even going to get into the intangibles that guys like Soriano bring to the table, even when they are slumping (attendence, merchandise, name brand, etc….). So while in terms of baseball numbers the deals may be bad, you can’t just look at box scores to determine the value of a contract.
"Pounding sand since 1982...."
He's not blindsided...
…but I’ll sure as heck bet he wishes the contract situation isn’t what it is.
"I don't like them fellas that drive in two runs but let in three" Casey Stengel
Yeah, I could understand "concerned" but not "pissed".
Well, maybe everyone is pissed when they agree to spend $1 Billion?
But seriously, I can understand there being a cap on payroll directly from the new owner. Given the purchase price I expect there to be a cap.
Tim the toolman Taylor
You’ve got too many doors. Maybe you need to make a door for yourself?
Not when they will have to eat some of that salary...
well into 8 figures totally, and still have to finance the larger debt of the teams’ sale. Not to mention the potential drop in attendance if they suddenly have a fire sale immediately after buying the team.
I totally agree with cubswynn. This story is a crock of shit. No offence to northpaw22k, but someone was BS’ing big time about this. No way, and I mean no way will this type of thing come out when the negotiations have been so contentious for the last few months.
Just win the next game...!
by blackhawk24 on Jul 23, 2009 11:11 AM CDT up reply actions
Let's disregard the source, and use it as a conversation starter.
The Cubs better get with the program… ditch these awful veteran contracts… revamp the scouting process… and find a way to get younger and better.
"You win because of the quarterback. We have to get that position stabilized. We're fixated on that." -- Jerry Angelo (12.30.2008)
Jerry Angelo trades for Jay Cutler! (4.2.2009)
.
EXTREME rebuilding job is needed
Let these awful contracts unwind, trade the tradeable parts and focus energy and dollars on scouting, drafting and player development.
$136 million payroll for a .500 style ballclub. Good work Jim.
The need to...
A. overhaul the measurements of their scouting process/criteria
B. bring in better minor league instructors from other organizations, or the college ranks
C. develop major league talent that they can control for 6 years on a contract
Do that, and you won’t be overspending on 30+ year old free agents to fill a void in the outfield every off-season.
"You win because of the quarterback. We have to get that position stabilized. We're fixated on that." -- Jerry Angelo (12.30.2008)
Jerry Angelo trades for Jay Cutler! (4.2.2009)
.
Precisely...
…and you have to hope beyond hope, this is priority number one for who Ricketts has in mind for the guy he will trust to run the club.
"I don't like them fellas that drive in two runs but let in three" Casey Stengel
How long do you think an extreme rebuilding job takes to be playoff-ready again?
6 years? 8? I might cry.
"The riches of the game are in the thrills, not the money." --Ernie Banks
At the major league level... we can stay very competitive if we do it right.
Our infield corners look good for a little while longer, and our starting pitching has been consistently good, while infusing some young arms. We need to fix this outfield, and find some upgrades in the middle infield. Although, our middle infield contracts are fine right now (even with the ridiculous Miles signing).
"You win because of the quarterback. We have to get that position stabilized. We're fixated on that." -- Jerry Angelo (12.30.2008)
Jerry Angelo trades for Jay Cutler! (4.2.2009)
.
And that's where it comes back to player development
The Cubs have a few years to develop those players in the Minor Leagues, in order to avoid having to write checks to cover their mistakes.
With proper player development and shrewd personnel moves (i.e. trades), there’s no reason why the Cubs can’t continue to compete at the Major League level while building their system to supplement the roster in years to come.
I love to play baseball. I'm a baseball player. I've always been a baseball player. I'm still a baseball player. That's who I am. - Ryne Sandberg
+1
Just look at the Braves. They were able to maintain their run of division championships while integrating players from their farm system into their lineup (Chipper and Andruw Jones, Javy Lopez, Furcal). It doesn’t have to be one or the other
by Jody Jody Davis on Jul 21, 2009 3:25 PM CDT up reply actions
The only problem on the Cubs' side is that they've backed themselves into a payroll corner.
This next crop of Minor League players (Vitters, Castro, etc.) will need to produce at the Major League level in order to give the Cubs a bit of payroll flexibility and to limit the GM (whomever that may be) from signing free agents to outrageous contracts.
Ultimately, the Cubs should be able to create a system like that of the Red Sox, supplementing their team with homegrown talent while being able to compete for premier free agents. However, this is a few years off because of the current contractual obligations the team has.
What the Cubs must do now is to continue to develop Minor League players who can fill out roster spots and contribute at the Major League minimum cost.
I love to play baseball. I'm a baseball player. I've always been a baseball player. I'm still a baseball player. That's who I am. - Ryne Sandberg
Jake Fox can play 1 corner OF position right now...
and possibly give you better RBI numbers then we’re getting now for a fraction of the cost. That’s what it’s gonna have to take to fix this.
"You win because of the quarterback. We have to get that position stabilized. We're fixated on that." -- Jerry Angelo (12.30.2008)
Jerry Angelo trades for Jay Cutler! (4.2.2009)
.
That will help, certainly.
If the Cubs do decide to move veterans (and are able to), it will be up to players like Hoffpauir and Fox to produce for a fraction of the cost. If they can’t then the cycle repeats itself.
I love to play baseball. I'm a baseball player. I've always been a baseball player. I'm still a baseball player. That's who I am. - Ryne Sandberg
But, you're better off in the long haul for trying.
Just for fun, let’s say they had started the 2009 season with Fox in RF. It would’ve been a gamble, but no less of a gamble than paying someone $30 mil for 3 years. If, by late June or July, they decided Fox wasn’t cutting it, then you have the payroll flexibility to make a deal at the deadline for a veteran to make a playoff push. However, right now it’s backwards. As the $30 mil man isn’t cutting it, and you have no flexibility at all.
The Cubs also erred on their judgement of the whole marketplace this winter. They rushed out to sign guys, who they could’ve had for much less, if they just waited two months. And, they also dealt a pitcher (Marquis) for nothing more than a bad contract, when they probably could’ve gotten much more value for him.
"You win because of the quarterback. We have to get that position stabilized. We're fixated on that." -- Jerry Angelo (12.30.2008)
Jerry Angelo trades for Jay Cutler! (4.2.2009)
.
I agree with what you're saying there.
I love to play baseball. I'm a baseball player. I've always been a baseball player. I'm still a baseball player. That's who I am. - Ryne Sandberg
Hendry's offseason was just amazingly bad.
And we all said so at the time. A cabinet-level Director of Common Sense could have avoided a collossal waste of money and opportunities this last offseason.
HENDRY: “We’re giving Aaron Miles the $5M we saved in the DeRosa deal.”
DIRECTOR OF COMMON SENSE: "Are you even listening to what you’re saying? The words “Aaron Miles” and “five million dollars” should not be in the same conversation."
MLBMilestone.com - following the numbers to Cooperstown
Wait 4-5 years.
There may be opportunities to save some of the cash promised to these guys, but the Cubs will have to commit to, for instance, giving Jake Fox the LF job, while using the Soriano/Bradley savings on a top-flight CF.
MLBMilestone.com - following the numbers to Cooperstown
Disagree.
I don’t believe you give up on buying the Cubs because of the current roster. Most guys will be gone in 5 years, and I assume they will own the Cubs for some time to come.
"I feel sorry for people who don't drink. When they wake up in the morning, that's as good as they're going to feel all day." ~ Frank Sinatra
Okay let's run with your logic...
So if that’s true, then I also don’t think that Ricketts would be “mad” about the Tribune’s spending habits.
"Pounding sand since 1982...."
I never said he was mad or indifferent...
I was simply stating that one would not pass on buying the Cubs because of the current contract situations with the roster.
You don’t get too many chances to purchase a MLB team, let alone the Cubs.
"I feel sorry for people who don't drink. When they wake up in the morning, that's as good as they're going to feel all day." ~ Frank Sinatra
No I was quoting the original poster.
That logic doesn’t make sense, therefore I don’t buy into his source being legit.
"Pounding sand since 1982...."
Not really...
…this purchase was probably as much emotional as it was a business deal for him. It is also one of the reasons the deal took so long, because he knew he was over paying considering the contract situation and the money it may cost to clean some of that up.
"I don't like them fellas that drive in two runs but let in three" Casey Stengel
Really?
You really think Ricketts made an emotional $900 million dollar decision?!
"Pounding sand since 1982...."
If you read my comment...
…I said emotion played a role.
If you don’t think buying the Cubs included an emotional factor for him, we just disagree there. I believe his business side also started talking to him and that is why this thing dragged out as long as it has, but I don’t think he comes up with 900 mil without emotion being at least 50% of this.
"I don't like them fellas that drive in two runs but let in three" Casey Stengel
NFW
is $900M an “emotional” deal when it’s a good portion of your family’s net worth.
If Rickett’s thought the player contracts were way too much, he wouldn’t have put so much into the deal (starting with the bid) and wouldn’t likely have been the “preferred” bidder this past January.
Just win the next game...!
by blackhawk24 on Jul 23, 2009 11:18 AM CDT up reply actions
I don't know...
…if Ricketts was buying any old business in this deal, I’d bet he wouldn’t have come up with 900 mil. I’m not saying he drastically overpaid for the current cirumstances, just that emotion probably played a role.
"I don't like them fellas that drive in two runs but let in three" Casey Stengel
I hope emotion did not play a role
‘cuz when you do business with your heart instead of your head, it more often than not doesn’t turn out too well.
We all know this isn’t ‘any old business’ but the value is set by the market. I just hope he enables the proper people (whomever they turn out to be) to correct the team’s salary structure over the next few years.
The same thing (but at a considerably lower dollar amount) is happening right now at 1901 W. Madison St. The ‘Hawks are in a terrible salary cap situation right now and must begin rectifying it ASAP or risk losing any of the 4 following players in the next 2 off-seasons: Toews, Keith, Kane & Seabrook. But that’s a hard cap issue. The Cub’s “cap” will be imposed by Ricketts.
Meanwhile the Cards are continuing to improve and yet we’re just a hair over a week until the NWT deadline and the Cubs haven’t made any moves yet. That I blame mostly on Zell. He misread the economy and now it’s costing him & TribCo. Plus the fans have to sit idly by and watch the Cards try to make a difference to win the division.
Just win the next game...!
by blackhawk24 on Jul 24, 2009 12:34 PM CDT up reply actions
I'm with ya...
…all I’m saying is buying a prof franchise is not viewed the same as buying most other businesses where you have established multiples. And with the intangibles the Cubs provide, there is value applied here which has no direct correlation to net income potential.
I agree with you on the Hawks, and I actually believe there are a lot of similarities between Dale Tallon and Jim Hendry.
"I don't like them fellas that drive in two runs but let in three" Casey Stengel
Going to have to change my boots
because the bullcrap is getting deep.
www.facebook.com/craighudak
by Craig in South Bend on Jul 21, 2009 2:35 PM CDT reply actions
Let's hope that anger means Ricketts fires the person directly responsible
for all the terrible contracts in Hendry
by WanderingWanderer on Jul 21, 2009 2:39 PM CDT reply actions
If you believe the source of this post
you’ll note that Ricketts is mad at the Trib.
And if Hendry was ordered to Win Now! by the Trib back in 2006, the way to do that Now! was to offer at least one obscene contract (and I’d argue that we really only offered one bad contract that year), and once we had gone down that road, it made sense to keep trying to maximize that window.
Hendry has played the game a different way before, avoiding the big contracts. It’s kind of silly to point the finger of blame at him for making the most of the salary constraints he was given.
Randy Wells - You continue to astound me.
by DGU on Jul 21, 2009 2:50 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
Bull
You tell me where Jim Hendry would be if he had to deal with a payroll situation like they deal with in Milwaukee, St. Louis, Cincinnati, etc. The fundamental failure of the Hendry minor league system and the disintegration of Mark Prior and Kerry Wood as starting pitchers led to a Hendry-led strategy of hyper-spending to cover up woes. And every time Hendry spends big money the holes get dug deeper.
Look at the model big revenue franchises of the Red Sox, Yankess, Dodgers, Angels. Those franchises have heavily relied upon a quality and consistent pipeline of young talent to either plug and play, or trade. Not a steady procession of smurf like overachieving middle infielders and aging DH types that are the rage of the Cub system.
Hendry’s head needs to be served on a platter. He has been a total failure.
$136 million payroll for a .500 style ballclub. Good work Jim.
right
because building the first Cubs team to go to the playoffs two years in a row (2007/2008), and coming five outs from the WS in 2003 is a failure.
o.0
Forget all that other stuff. I gotta believe.
by drewishdrewid on Jul 21, 2009 3:03 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
As good as we have been...or could have been...
…yeah, I’d mark it down to a failure on a few levels.
"The riches of the game are in the thrills, not the money." --Ernie Banks
what? makes no sense
“As good as we have been” is something he gets credit for, no? He assembled the team that was so good. The team then failed to perform to those same standards in the playoffs. How’s that the GMs fault?
by Orval Overall on Jul 21, 2009 3:19 PM CDT up reply actions
I really have no idea.
I wrote that when I was high. Ignore that rubbish.
"The riches of the game are in the thrills, not the money." --Ernie Banks
Wow, you sober up quickly.
I've committed to tweeting about the Cubs for the rest of the season. (Does that sound as ridiculous as I think it does?) Anyway, if you're on Twitter, you can follow me here.
I'm sitting here in my office.
No high. Just me, the fan, my w00t!-off lights, and BCB.
"The riches of the game are in the thrills, not the money." --Ernie Banks
I shoulda
gotten those lights.
Forget all that other stuff. I gotta believe.
by drewishdrewid on Jul 21, 2009 3:32 PM CDT up reply actions
♫ I was gonna write some sense... ♫
… but then i got high.
"Political correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical minority, and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end"
by AndrewJStone on Jul 21, 2009 3:27 PM CDT up reply actions
well, he hasn't been a raging success ...
Around those playoff years, we had a playoff choke (‘04), an underachieving and hurt sub-.500 team (’05) and a league-worst record in 2006.
If the team fails to make the playoffs this year, I think Hendry should and will answer for it.
oh, if we don’t make the playoffs, the season is definitely a bust. But I won’t call a term of office that includes 2003, 2007 and 2008 a total failure.
Forget all that other stuff. I gotta believe.
by drewishdrewid on Jul 21, 2009 3:09 PM CDT up reply actions
"Total failure" is an absurd criticism
for a team that still has a chance to win their division for the third year running.
Hendry has failed at drafting top prospects. But he has succeeded at many other levels.
The fact that he has a larger payroll is overplayed. There’s a huge law of diminishing returns with veterans who make the big dollars. That’s why smaller market teams are able to contend consistently in baseball.
But Hendry was clearly directed to prop up the team prior to the sale and he did it. In the years before that, he eschewed Jim Thome for Hee Seop Choi and Carlos Beltran for Corey Patterson. In the first case, that worked out well for the Cubs and in the second case, it worked out poorly. Jim Hendry can play the short stack (to use the poker metaphor), but I’m glad he doesn’t have to. Playing with more money will inevitably lead to some bad contracts.
Randy Wells - You continue to astound me.
Whatever
Cubs are saddled with a horribly flawed and largely immovable $136 million payroll that has resulted in .500 style baseball this season and a team that was ill-equipped for playoff baseball in 2007 and 2008.
You have blinders on if you live in denial about the current state of this roster. It is a big and growing mess. And our best player by a wide margin in Aramis Ramirez is on the wrong side of 30 and with mounting injury issues.
$136 million payroll for a .500 style ballclub. Good work Jim.
Mounting injury issues?
Ramirez has been relatively healthy until this season — he only missed 13 games last year!
You keep harping on the payroll like it's a bad thing.
The fact is that lots of people pay lots of money because they like the Cub franchise a lot. So, I’m glad that a lot of that money goes to pay baseball players instead of just lining the pockets of the owners.
Would you rather we had a 100 M payroll? Would that make you happier?
Randy Wells - You continue to astound me.
nah he'd rather have a small payroll
So then he could complain about his supposed favorite team not spending enough to get good players LOL
by Madison Cub Fan on Jul 21, 2009 8:33 PM CDT up reply actions
I think he'd rather if we're going to have a large payroll
that we not be CRIPPLED by huge contracts. All three starting outfielders are HIDEOUSLY overpaid. And we had to trade away a second baseman who gave us uncommon offensive production from that spot so we could make room for one of those huge, nonsensical contracts
by WanderingWanderer on Jul 21, 2009 10:13 PM CDT up reply actions
Hyperbole doesn't get more artful
if you use ALL-CAPS!!!
We’re not crippled by huge contracts. We went into the season thinking we would get above-average production from every position player. We also had a rotation we thought would produce as well. We weren’t kept from getting any player we wanted to get. And this tired myth that we had to give away DeRosa because of Bradley completely ignores that the Cubs wanted to get more left-handed and thought they had a guy worth playing in Mike Fontenot.
Randy Wells - You continue to astound me.
He has been a failure at developing at system.
But, he hasn’t necessarily failed at putting a winning team on the field. He’s just handicapped the franchise because of the way he’s put those teams together.
"You win because of the quarterback. We have to get that position stabilized. We're fixated on that." -- Jerry Angelo (12.30.2008)
Jerry Angelo trades for Jay Cutler! (4.2.2009)
.
Prior and Wood was not Hendry's fault
I put all the blame on Baker. Quite simply, he over pitched them. If you lose two of your best starters, what other options do you have?
In fact, Hendry made a tough, but RIGHT call
on letting Wood go. His replacement has been better and without the injury drama.
There is no such thing as an ugly female breast
There are MANY reasons to criticize Dusty Baker
I can’t stand the guy. But I don’t think that you can blame him for what happened to Kerry Wood, who had arm surgery in 1999 — four years before Dusty came to Chicago. Likewise, I think the Brad Hawpe line drive is responsible more than anything else for Prior’s downfall. Look how Prior was pitching in late 2004 and early 2005.
true about Prior
but Wood pitched over 200 innings two years in a row. That’s just asking for trouble, especially for a guy that had arm surgery a few years before.
I don't question Baker's decision to pitch Kerry a lot in 2003
The pen sucked, the team wasn’t that good and the Cubs rode Prior and Wood into the playoffs. Baker would have been criticized JUST as much for NOT pitching Kerry down the stretch (look at the criticism Lou got in the 2007 playoffs regarding Z). Now, you can argue that Kerry shouldn’t have pitched so much for an awful 2002 team, but that wasn’t up to Baker.
Baker should be criticized for overusing Neifi, wrecking C-Pat, having a man crush on Roberto Novoa, for not going to the mound in Game 6 or getting Clement into the game and mostly for allowing the 2004 team to fall apart in the final week.
Now, you can argue that Kerry shouldn’t have pitched so much for an awful 2002 team, but that wasn’t up to Baker.
Forget all that other stuff. I gotta believe.
by drewishdrewid on Jul 21, 2009 3:33 PM CDT up reply actions
I'm just
displaying what you said in a more easily readable form.
Forget all that other stuff. I gotta believe.
by drewishdrewid on Jul 21, 2009 3:34 PM CDT up reply actions
I don't think the '03 team was THAT good either
Shawn Estes for a fifth starter, a terrible bullpen, a weak hitting catcher and Randall Simon at first.
The team was GOOD, but it wasn’t great. It overachieved — and still only won 88 games.
That team was very good
other then estes they had a great pitching staff and once they got Aramis, Lofton, and Simon they looked great
The pitching staff
… only had one guy with more than 14 wins. And the bullpen was terrible.
Prior, Wood, Zambrano, and Clement
were all very good and the team had something this team does not they actually played with heart
At least until an unknown computer programmer
Went for a foul ball with a 5-run-lead
There is no such thing as an ugly female breast
or alex gonzalez
made the error or if Dusty would have just taken out Prior before he imploded
No, you said they played with "heart"
Which they did — helped out by injuries all up and down the NL Central that year — but they folded at a pretty small sign of adversity.
Don’t get me wrong. I would have cheered my ass off had they won the NL and would always remember that team if they had somehow beaten the Yankees.
But let’s not confuse length of time in the postseason with “heart”
There is no such thing as an ugly female breast
i was just saying
that I wish this 2009 team or even the 2007 and 2008 teams would have showed heart like this team did in 2003
who cares about wins
4 starters with over 20 quality starts. Don’t tell me that the pitching staff was bad.
thank you
I can’t believe someone is calling the only truly good team the cubs have had in 10 years overrated and bad
the 'only truly good team'
What about last year?
And I didn’t say they were ‘bad.’ I said the pitching staff (if you count the bullpen) wasn’t good.
I dont call
getting swept in the playoffs a truly good team
last year's team was better ...
but a bigger disappointment.
And each team did lose a horrendous three in a row, even if the ’03 squad got farther before it happened.
the fact is that the 03 squad made it to the NLCS, the previous last 2 teams have not
I think the roster is better in the last 2 years, but the results were obviously better in 03. Which one’s the better team? The one that played with passion or the one that has looked empty these last 2 years.
By that logic
The 2006 Cardinals team (83 wins + WS) was better than the 2004 Cardinals team (105 wins but swept in WS).
by Jody Jody Davis on Jul 21, 2009 5:04 PM CDT up reply actions
The '03 squad can
be viewed as having been almost 2 series better than either/both ’07 & ’08. ’03 won 6 playoff games to zero for ’07 & ’08 and were 5 outs from the WS.
Just win the next game...!
by blackhawk24 on Jul 24, 2009 12:37 PM CDT up reply actions
middle in era in the nl and mlb, so you can’t say they were good or bad. we had some individuals that were pretty dang good such as borowski, farnsworth, guthrie, and arguably remlinger. obviously alfonseca was awful and was overused. but other than him, I don’t think the pen was that bad.
veres was terrible
Guthrie was erratic at best.
you showed one example
and Alfonseca is the other one. Look at the stats. For relieving, the top 5 most used were farnsworth, borowski, alfonseca, remlinger, and guthrie. With the exception of alfonseca, the rest had era’s under 4, with borowski and guthrie under 3. Those 4 were pretty good. If they were used more, who knows what would have happened.
look @ his game logs at the end of the season
in his last 5 starts, his pitch count was 122, 125, 114, 122, and 120.
I know
But a division title was on the line, and I didn’t want to see Alfonseca or Veres out there, did you?
I understand
that the division was on the line and I almost have to agree that pitching woody that much was our best option, but I don’t think you can disagree that Wood was over pitched and there were definitely some games where he should have been pulled over, considering the formidable leads we had in some of those games.
with what I know now, I agree with you
Six years ago, I don’t know. I’ll grant you it wasn’t worth it.
In many of those games, Prior was in far too long.
In NLCS Game 2, Prior was left in for a mind-bogglingly long time. I think he started the 8th inning with a 10 run lead and 110 pitches already thrown.
MLBMilestone.com - following the numbers to Cooperstown
There is something to that
For all of Prior’s DL nonsense, it is useful to remember that the line drive and the baserunning collision against the Braves contributed.
Having said that, Prior was misused by Baker when he was healthy.
And I’ll never forgive Baker for not waddling his fat ass up to the mound in the Bartman game.
An awake manager make Steve Bartman an unknown
There is no such thing as an ugly female breast
Prior was misused
notably in Game 2 against Atlanta in 2003.
That was absurd.
It may be the worst managerial decision I have ever seen.
22-year old phenom with way, way too many miles on the arm that year? Yup.
10 run lead? Yup.
8th inning? Yup.
100 pitches already thrown that night? Sure.
Why Dusty sent Prior back out for the 8th inning under those circumstances is a mystery for the ages. I would have fired him on the spot. In fact, I loudly and drunkenly called for him to be fired on the spot from my perch at Messners’ that evening, if I recall correctly.
MLBMilestone.com - following the numbers to Cooperstown
only one obscene contract in 2006
Plus three that appear obscene, to varying degrees, since — Fukudome (very bad), Bradley (pretty bad) and Dempster (arguably bad).
$1million
per RBI so far.
Forget all that other stuff. I gotta believe.
by drewishdrewid on Jul 21, 2009 3:07 PM CDT up reply actions
And two of those could easily come around to be not such a bad deal.
We’ve seen how good Dome can be for ourselves, and Bradley certainly has the ability, even if he hasn’t shown it with the Cubs yet.
"Political correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical minority, and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end"
by AndrewJStone on Jul 21, 2009 3:22 PM CDT up reply actions
I don't think Fukudome will EVER play well enough to justify his contract
He’s a platoon outfielder making $12 million.
I do hold out hope for Bradley and Dempster.
And in RF, we have a platoon OFer makind $10 mil per.
It’s a mess
"You win because of the quarterback. We have to get that position stabilized. We're fixated on that." -- Jerry Angelo (12.30.2008)
Jerry Angelo trades for Jay Cutler! (4.2.2009)
.
at least ...
Milton has a track record to show that he’s better than this. Kosuke doesn’t — and he’s making MORE money.
Yabbut
I don’t think we have to worry about Kosuke snapping and killing 12 people either
There is no such thing as an ugly female breast
by Worf on Jul 21, 2009 3:46 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
my greatest fear with Milton
is that he won’t hit — not that he’ll go crazy.
"Platoon OFer"
So you genuinely believe that Bradley will sit versus right-handers the rest of the season?
That’s absurd.
He's sitting right now.
In fact, he’s pretty much been sitting in that platoon for the better part of the last 30 days. So, right now, we have a platoon OFer.
"You win because of the quarterback. We have to get that position stabilized. We're fixated on that." -- Jerry Angelo (12.30.2008)
Jerry Angelo trades for Jay Cutler! (4.2.2009)
.
He used to offer 5 guys $4M each.
Prior to 2007, he would spend $15M on a handful of middle relievers, a backup catcher, and Neifi Perez, while declining to pay market rates for the Carlos Beltrans and Miguel Tejadas.
Then, in 2007, he signed Alfonso Soriano to a lifetime contract for some reason. The about-face from Hendry is absolutely baffling. He gave Soriano precisely the same deal Beltran had received one year earlier, and claimed that Soriano was going to be our new CF — except that Soriano was 3 years older, was less talented offensively and substantially less talented defensively, and had never played CF at any level.
And then Hendry gave Soriano one more year than Beltran had gotten!
While he threw $4M deals around like candy prior to 2007, Hendry refused to sign big contracts back then – in part, because he was afraid of making a big mistake. 2006 proved that his “everybody on the roster gets $3M” method wasn’t working either, so he reversed course and tried to outspend everyone. The problem is, he spent so much on the Sorianos and Fukudomes and Bradleys of the world that the truly great players – the Teixeras and Beltrans – are left just out of reach.
MLBMilestone.com - following the numbers to Cooperstown
teams like the Cubs do not cut to the bone and rebuild from scratch. It doesn’t happen. I’ll bet you a dollar the payroll doesn’t drop more then 25% over the next 5 years, and I’ll bet you another dollar the payroll goes UP.
Forget all that other stuff. I gotta believe.
Right now...
Just about every team in the major leagues is going through a complete scouting process and player development overall, driven by a suddenly intense draft competition, and the end of the steroid era.
"You win because of the quarterback. We have to get that position stabilized. We're fixated on that." -- Jerry Angelo (12.30.2008)
Jerry Angelo trades for Jay Cutler! (4.2.2009)
.
That is EXACTLY right
Baseball is returning to the game like it was in the late 70’s and 80’s. And I have NO FAITH whatsoever in Jim Hendry presiding over a strategic shift in how you assess, sign and develop positional players to fit the retro-model of baseball.
$136 million payroll for a .500 style ballclub. Good work Jim.
And... I might add...
The Cubs are at the bottom of the pile, in terms of what needs to be overhauled. They’ve had some of the worst drafts in major league baseball in the last 5-6 years. Just horrible. And, when they did draft the right talent, they failed to develop it properly (Patterson).
"You win because of the quarterback. We have to get that position stabilized. We're fixated on that." -- Jerry Angelo (12.30.2008)
Jerry Angelo trades for Jay Cutler! (4.2.2009)
.
+1
Not one of Hendry’s first round picks has played in the major leagues. For comparison’s sake, the last two White Sox first round picks are currently on their major league roster.
by Jody Jody Davis on Jul 21, 2009 3:12 PM CDT up reply actions
Everyone else has been improving their scouting an draft process...
all while we’ve given out $10 mil signing bonuses to 5th round draft picks (Jeff Spellcheck).
"You win because of the quarterback. We have to get that position stabilized. We're fixated on that." -- Jerry Angelo (12.30.2008)
Jerry Angelo trades for Jay Cutler! (4.2.2009)
.
A ridiculous post
I hate these “i have a friend who knows a guy who heard that blah blah blah”.
I have a friend
who tells me that all second-hand sources aren’t to be believed.
I don’t believe him either.
Randy Wells - You continue to astound me.
If by legit
you mean without any merit whatsoever…then I agree, it’s legit.
"I feel sorry for people who don't drink. When they wake up in the morning, that's as good as they're going to feel all day." ~ Frank Sinatra
why?
Forget all that other stuff. I gotta believe.
by drewishdrewid on Jul 21, 2009 3:09 PM CDT up reply actions
I can't quite get past "aggresious."
I've committed to tweeting about the Cubs for the rest of the season. (Does that sound as ridiculous as I think it does?) Anyway, if you're on Twitter, you can follow me here.
Sounds like a God in greek mythology.
…and all bowed at the feet of Might Aggresious!
"I feel sorry for people who don't drink. When they wake up in the morning, that's as good as they're going to feel all day." ~ Frank Sinatra
*Mighty, that is
"I feel sorry for people who don't drink. When they wake up in the morning, that's as good as they're going to feel all day." ~ Frank Sinatra
He stands atop the Tribune Tower, hurling NTC clauses at the players below!
I've committed to tweeting about the Cubs for the rest of the season. (Does that sound as ridiculous as I think it does?) Anyway, if you're on Twitter, you can follow me here.
LOL
Anyone care to photo shop Hendry, er, Aggresious atop the Tribune Tower?
insert SWL beacon here
"I feel sorry for people who don't drink. When they wake up in the morning, that's as good as they're going to feel all day." ~ Frank Sinatra
Seriously, that word should be added to the BCB Dictionary
One day I hope to come up with something worthy of this space.
Why?
I play college baseball and I’m on the Cheyenne Grizzlies summer team apart of the Mountain Collegiate Baseball League. The “kid” is 20 years old.
I would call this the antithesis of trustworthy
furthermore, where else could we possibly add payroll? This team is already overpaid as it is, there is very little room to add a high priced player simply b/c most of guys are so immovable; unless your talking about the middle infield or rotation
Okay, just so I understand it... in your wildest fantasy, you are in hell. And you are co-running a bed and breakfast with the devil.
I big key to the legitimacy of this Fanpost...
…will be whether northpaw22k sticks around to defend/support/elaborate upon his story. So far: Nada.
I've committed to tweeting about the Cubs for the rest of the season. (Does that sound as ridiculous as I think it does?) Anyway, if you're on Twitter, you can follow me here.
What do you want?
I was simply relaying the message…If you want more info, my teammate told me this because he had called his dad asking about the supposed trade which was completely made up by the media. He said his dad started getting a bunch of emails and phone calls congratulating him on the sale. He had told me at the time (this was about a week and a half ago) that they expected to have the deal in a couple days, and that the big thing holding it up at the moment was that the Tribune had over priced the Cubs especially with the insane contracts. Thats when he said Ricketts was, as he put it, pissed and that he wouldn’t allow for any more payroll and not to expect any trades unless they drop salary or are an even trade.
If you notice in the original post, I didnt state any opinion thus I really don’t have anything to defend.
So the fact that this all (supposedly) originates
from an attorney who is breaching client confidentiality is supposed to help your credibility?
Fair enough.
At least you came back and said something. You may very well be telling the truth but, as others have said, there’s a ton of room for miscommunication/misinterpretation here. Still, many Cubs fans love debating the finer points of the sale and the historical issues it brings up so…thanks.
I've committed to tweeting about the Cubs for the rest of the season. (Does that sound as ridiculous as I think it does?) Anyway, if you're on Twitter, you can follow me here.
Notwitstanding the source...
And the discomfort I feel agreeing with Blew…
The team shouldn’t NEED to add payroll. Bradley, Soriano, Fat-Ass Soto and to a lesser extent, Dempster and Zambrano SHOULD be producing more.
There is no such thing as an ugly female breast
I work with a janitor
that was in the same check out line, as the guy who rotated the tires, on the doctor of, the police officer, who pulled over the best friend, of a guy who scooped ice cream, for the brother in law of the guy that lives a few blocks away from Rickett’s aunt’s shrink. This janitor said to Ricketts is going to get Roberts, Lind, Peavy, and Halladay. I can’t wait.
Its funny, you spend most of your life gripping a baseball. And in the end, its almost always the other way around.
PV
PVPVPVPVPVPVPVPVPVPVPVPVPVPVPVPVPVPVPVPVPVPV!
Forget all that other stuff. I gotta believe.
by drewishdrewid on Jul 21, 2009 3:23 PM CDT up reply actions
Wow, how did we not think of that earlier?
Brilliant drew, bloody brilliant.
"The riches of the game are in the thrills, not the money." --Ernie Banks
I ♥ PV!!!!!!
I've committed to tweeting about the Cubs for the rest of the season. (Does that sound as ridiculous as I think it does?) Anyway, if you're on Twitter, you can follow me here.
Aw, what a cute couple.
I've committed to tweeting about the Cubs for the rest of the season. (Does that sound as ridiculous as I think it does?) Anyway, if you're on Twitter, you can follow me here.
It doesn't matter the authenticity of the original post
The conversation is key.
$136 million payroll for a .500 style ballclub. Good work Jim.
It sort of does.
I mean, there’s enough of this junk all over the internet… “I know a guy…”.
Its funny, you spend most of your life gripping a baseball. And in the end, its almost always the other way around.
It's better than Hanna/krummy posts.
"The riches of the game are in the thrills, not the money." --Ernie Banks
NOT SO FAST
I F’IN LOVE HANNA POSTS ARE YOU KIDDING ME HOW CAN YOU POSSIBLE NOT THINK HIS POSTS ARE THE BEST POSTS EVER LOUD NOISES IDIOTS LIND
"I feel sorry for people who don't drink. When they wake up in the morning, that's as good as they're going to feel all day." ~ Frank Sinatra
GE TIDON EJIM!
Forget all that other stuff. I gotta believe.
by drewishdrewid on Jul 21, 2009 3:24 PM CDT up reply actions
The original post drives the conversation...
… and in this case, could be driving us all right off a cliff of incorrectness, and in to the creek of time wasting regret.
"Political correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical minority, and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end"
by AndrewJStone on Jul 21, 2009 3:25 PM CDT up reply actions
All I'm doing
Is relaying what I heard. I mentioned in the original post that I don’t know how trustworthy it is but its 100% what i experienced.
Laughable.
We all know this is your favorite subject….get a new angle already.
"Pounding sand since 1982...."
A billionaire
Looking to buy a team isn’t going to open his mouth about his plans until a transaction is over. Well atleast that’s my friend of a friend told me.
I disagree.
Who else to discuss the purchase of an MLB team than a kid who plays baseball with someone who checks BCB?
Read the post
His dad is Ricketts attorney helping with the sale. Unless the guy is lying to his son and his son is lying to me (there is no reason for either one) then its accurate. And the kid is 20 years old. If you have to know we are the only Cubs fans on our college summer team thus we talk about the Cubs a lot.
As some others have sort of alluded to...
(And if I’m understanding the post correctly) It doesn’t make much sense to me why Ricketts would be angry with the Tribune for making business decisions well before Ricketts had any investment (figuratively and literally) with the Cubs organization.
Given that he decided to buy the Cubs well after those decisions were made, from a business perspective, he couldn’t have been THAT angry, since his purchase is an acknowledgement of his agreement in their valuation.
Of course, I’m parsing hearsay on hearsay, so that’s my first problem…
Is this the high tech version of the game telephone
kids used to play before the internet existed?
Ever notice how the vast majority of rumors turn out to be be nothing?
This sounds as reliable as those email I get asking me to deposit money in a bank account in Nigeria.
Hey, it's a new century!
I'm still waiting for the funds to be deposited...
but I’m confident they eventually will arrive.
by CubsWin!Oregon on Jul 21, 2009 3:56 PM CDT up reply actions
its not a major thing, just no payroll increase.
The deal is still expected to go through but the Tribune had overpriced the Cubs.
I do?
DAMMIT!
Forget all that other stuff. I gotta believe.
by drewishdrewid on Jul 21, 2009 4:02 PM CDT up reply actions
Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?
My best friend’s sister’s boyfriend’s brother’s girlfriend heard from this guy who knows this kid who’s going with the girl who saw Ferris pass out at 31 Flavors last night. I guess it’s pretty serious.
"Every player should be accorded the privilege of at least one season with the Chicago Cubs. That's baseball as it should be played - in God's own sunshine. And that's really living." - Alvin Dark
Good enough.....
for an MSNBC headline now!
"Bite my shiny metal ass!" -- Bender Bending Rodriguez
"Life is just one crushing defeat after another until you just wish Flanders was dead."
by The Jade Scorpion on Jul 21, 2009 4:46 PM CDT up reply actions
This just in
Anybody with a keyboard can post on the Internets.
by San Diego Smooth Jazz Man on Jul 21, 2009 4:16 PM CDT reply actions
And, Blue Mike
believes eveything he hears on the internets, too — hard to believe what’s funnier, this post or his immediate reply……
by San Diego Smooth Jazz Man on Jul 21, 2009 4:20 PM CDT reply actions
Who know's...
…whether this source is valid, but common sense would tell you none of the potential purchasers of the club were probably all too happy about the long term contract situation.
As I have stated before, unless the Cubs pull off a deep deep playoff run (World Series), Hendry more than likely gets replaced by the new Cub’s President and Ricketts will be paying for several years to clean up some of these contracts.
If I was Ricketts, I would probably say no more payroll as well. At some point, anybody would have to say no.
"I don't like them fellas that drive in two runs but let in three" Casey Stengel
It's hard to trust
Hendry’s judgement when his poor decisions on big contracts put this team into it’s current position. I think if I was buying a team for a billion, I’d put someone really smart in to spend my money, rather than the guy who decided Soriano was worth 8 years at 18 mil, or Miles 2/5.
DEJESUS!!!
It's almost as sure a bet...
…as death and taxes, that Ricketts already has someone in mind to take over as President, and that President has someone in mind to be the next GM.
"I don't like them fellas that drive in two runs but let in three" Casey Stengel
Agreed
Lets just hope and pray that the sale is finalized by the end of September and that Ricketts can clean house the first day of the offseason. It would really, really suck to go through another offseason of a lameduck Jim Hendry making decisions.
Crane Kenney can’t be fired soon enough as far as I’m concerned.
$136 million payroll for a .500 style ballclub. Good work Jim.
Taking payroll
No comment on the source of this post.
I suppose Ricketts would want to be in control of the franchise before any further big or expensive decisions are made that his ownership group would have to live with. That said, payroll liabilities decrease the purchase price of the franchise. Further payroll liabilities, like trading for Halladay where the team getting him is going to have to take payroll, wouldn’t happen now because a bankruptcy court won’t let that happen. Nothing that the sellers can control would happen to decrease the purchase price of the Cubs at this point.
Who didnt know that this was happening
the Tribune (errr Zell) knew what it was doing while back loading each contract. They wanted the upfront payoff while letting the new owner foot the bill. Nothing new about that
baseball is a game of outs......pop out, ground out, line out, pitch out, strike out, fly out, and Fox and Bud's favorite black out
If ANYBODY finds ANY validity
in this post, it must be the guy who plays baseball in the suburb with the kid who knows somebody’s brother who’s the second cousin of their aunt.
by San Diego Smooth Jazz Man on Jul 21, 2009 8:15 PM CDT reply actions
I have a friend
I have a friend whos knows the dog whisperer and he talked to the Ricketts dog who told him Ricketts told him that he is going to increase the payroll by 10 fold and put the Cubs in dresses every other Wednesday.
I also have an inside baseball source that tells me Derrek Lee is going to leave baseball to become a polka singer unless he changes his mind. If he does leave baseball to become a polka singer I have a scoop. If he doesn’t I can say he changed his mind.
I had to delete my twitter account. But you can still find me at fanfiction.net under puckish prosecutor.
I'm not saying anyone is lying
but I would hope the author of this post realizes that he’s playing a giant game of “telephone.” Perhaps what Ricketts actually said was “The Cubs are selling overpriced salads and we’re not adding any more salads to the concession stands.”
I’m sure Ricketts is pissed at Zell. It seems that everyone who deals with Zell comes to dislike him. And the Cubs might not be able to take on any salary because of the conditions of the sale. But I wouldn’t necessarily take anything from this.
by Josh Timmers on Jul 22, 2009 2:18 AM CDT reply actions 3 recs
This is the most cogent summary of this post.
Thanks, Josh.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
I hate to break it to you
but your “source” is not as believable as you think it is; therefore, neither is your scoop.
A fanatic is one who can't change his mind and won't change the subject.
--Winston Churchill
I don't think it's that far fetched and I'm sure Ricketts isn't pleased.
Try finding one Cubs fan who IS happy with contracts. If I was looking to buy the Cubs I would be pissed to, but if I had that kind of dough I wouldn’t let a couple years of bad contracts keep me from owning my favorite team.
Contracts aren't a big deal and shouldn't be, in this era
unless you are signing them yourself. You can complain, but so what? Would you rather the Cubs be the Padres with a 40 Mil payroll? Kevin Towers says with the injuries the team is suffering, it’s as if they have a 15-mill dollar payrolled team currently on the field.
If that was the case with the Cubs, so many of you would be complaining the team doesn’t spend money.
by San Diego Smooth Jazz Man on Jul 22, 2009 12:30 PM CDT reply actions
Another thing
I actually know some people involved in this. They are actually more friends with my Dad. They are being very tightlipped. Some of the people are actually some of my Dad’s closest friends but they aren’t telling him a darn thing.
I really doubt his attorney is saying anything to anyone even his kids because kids blab.
Anything involving something like this is really tight lipped because things can be blown up in a second with a bad leak.
I had to delete my twitter account. But you can still find me at fanfiction.net under puckish prosecutor.
I don't understand the logic behind stating that payroll won't go up
in the next few years. It has to. Even if you put the backloaded contracts aside, as soon as the economy recovers free agents are going to be out there demanding bigger and bigger contracts, and teams will pay them to compete. I don’t think we have to have a payroll explosion, but the idea that we’d somehow get payroll back to 100 million or less is absurd.
I find it absurd
that it takes 125 million dollars to field 25 players to play a game.
While a person who works their a** off at their job, makes $12 an hour.
by cubsfaninatl on Jul 22, 2009 8:44 PM CDT up reply actions
well
I think teachers should get what sports figures make, and sports figures should get what teachers make. But if you stick within the context of “MLB baseball”, you can avoid the conundrum.
Does the Cubs $136 million payroll include the minors and the coaches and staff? I don’t know.
Forget all that other stuff. I gotta believe.
by drewishdrewid on Jul 22, 2009 8:49 PM CDT up reply actions
No, when a payroll number is referenced for a professional sports team, it includes
the salaries of the players on the active roster. Managers, coaches and expenses (minor lagues, staff saleries) are not included inthis number.
"Hats for bats.....keep bats warm." - Pedro Cerrano
"Hey bartender, Jobu needs a refill !!!!!!!" - Eddie Harris
by willie mays hayes' gloves on Jul 23, 2009 9:06 AM CDT up reply actions
that's interesting.
how do they handle an contract’s like Samardzjia’s? It’s large for the minors (I think he makes more then Riot and Fonty) and he bopps up and down…
Forget all that other stuff. I gotta believe.
by drewishdrewid on Jul 23, 2009 10:22 AM CDT up reply actions
The number that is normally quote reflects the salaries of the players
on the 25 man roster. Since the roster changes throughout the season, this number can go up or down based on who is on the roster. It is usually reflects the opening day roster. The number that is quoted is usually wrong or outdated and is often used as a club to beat up on the current management team. The fact that someone would use this number in their signature line tells you a lot about how they feel about the current salary number.
"Hats for bats.....keep bats warm." - Pedro Cerrano
"Hey bartender, Jobu needs a refill !!!!!!!" - Eddie Harris
by willie mays hayes' gloves on Jul 23, 2009 10:36 AM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
lol
Forget all that other stuff. I gotta believe.
by drewishdrewid on Jul 23, 2009 10:50 AM CDT up reply actions
It's not really absurd, because it is entertainment.
You cannot confuse this type of ‘job’ with ordinary jobs. This is an unreal world. When the market value for a corner outfielder, rock star or feature film actor is established by a team owner, record label, or movie studio — that’s what they will be paid. It’s not really what they are worth, it’s their perceived value to the person writing the checks, who is going to make money off their talent.
If we don’t fill the stadiums, the movie theaters, go to the shows and watch the TV shows….then there will be no market for the services from the athlete, musician, or actor.
And you have to remember athletes/actors/musicians who command these dollars are at the absolute top of their professions…. and that is a tiny, tiny, percentage of people. It’s just that their actions are way out of proportion. We don’t hear about the teacher doing their job.
And besides, thousands of good athletes cannot make the majors. There are more out-of-work actors in the Screen Actors Guiild than working actors. Musicians are toiling away in tank towns hoping for a break. If some actually break through — well, that’s really against the odds.
Cops, teachers…more money? Absolutely. However, that comes out of our tax dollars!
And that’s a subject not for discussion here.
by San Diego Smooth Jazz Man on Jul 23, 2009 7:10 PM CDT up reply actions
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