After limping out of the All-Star break, Lou Piniella has his team back on track. They have won 8 of 10 and have many thinking about games in October with only 47 games left on the schedule. While things could change between now and the final series of the season in Milwaukee, one thing is certain....Piniella will keep his team focused down the stretch.
The Cubs are clicking on the field and with Alfonso Soriano and Kerry Wood back from the DL, they have a healthy team for the first time since June and the results are showing. The bats have come alive and the pitching, for the most part, has been very solid....especially the starting five. The Cubs have an important three game set starting on Friday against their biggest rival, the St. Louis Cardinals, and the results could lead to Buzz Bissinger writing a sequel to his masterpiece from a few years back.
So while the Cubs enjoy a well-deserved day off, there is a topic that has not been discussed much on the CCO....the future ownership of the Chicago Cubs and one Mark Cuban.
The owner of the Dallas Mavericks appears to be the front-runner to purchase the Cubs and his reported bid of $1.3 billion, again, appears to be the leader in the clubhouse. Cuban made an appearance in the bleachers last season and after enjoying a game from the Tribune seats earlier this season and singing 'Take Me Out to the Ballgame', Cuban showed up at Kerry Wood's Celebrity Bowling Tournament, Strike Zone, on Wednesday night. When asked about his interest in buying the Chicago Cubs, Cuban responded with:
"Right now I'm just a fan supporting a great organization."
David Stern has endorsed Cuban, as well as John Henry of the Red Sox. According to a report in the New York Times, Henry said via an email when asked about Cuban being the owner of the Cubs:
"The commissioner's office abhors owners who speak their minds and fight for the rights of their respective franchises. He added he could think 'of no one better suited to reverse the fortunes of the Cubs for the long term' than Cuban."
With the long wait before the first pitch against the Cardinals and the 20th Anniversary of the First Night Game at Wrigley Field, what are the thoughts of the Faithful concerning Mark Cuban being the owner of the Chicago Cubs?
....and as always, Stay Classy Cubs Fans!
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I really want this to happen.
I've heard others praise the likes of Don Levin and John Canning. They're saying that those bidders will bring the same money to the table as Cuban, and they will do it without the flash and self-promotion.
Well, you know what. I want that.
Cuban is the image of what the Cubs are. A hardworking self-made sports fan. He is going to be a guy who sits in the bleachers and gets opinions from the fans. Very hands on.
Secondly. The Cubs are a historic franchise. Full of great stories and hall of fame names. Mark Cuban adds just another page to the great Cub story.
Lastly, Cuban makes the Cubs important. Cuban is hip and people relate to his opinionated persona. They like the guy. All of the old fogeys Selig would like to own the clubs are just that.
Fogeys.
Cuban has the smarts and the bucks to make the Cubs a global phenomenom. Its starts with Kosuke. Add the multi-media entertainment saavy of Cuban and you get a hipper global CUB NATION.
I'm talking on the same level as Red Sox and Yankees Nations. These foreign stars that wannt to come to the US and play as Yankees or Sox will also start to consider Chicago as destinations.
Finally. Notice that Boston and New York RULE the foreign memorbilia market? I think Cuban brings the Cubs worldwide and makes it a team the world roots for.
I know, you must think I'm rediculous for making such a long post about it. But I really believe Cuban is our guy.
Thoughts?
Well said Matt. I agree completely. I just want someone who wants us to win as badly as I do, and Cuban never comes up short in that department.
A few thoughts......
* I was going over my pre-season picks for the playoffs, for what it is worth:
Al Central: Detroit (Oops)
East : Boston
West: Angels
Wild Card: Seattle (Yikes)
NL Central: Cubs
East: Phillies
West: Dodgers
Wild Card Mets
* Also at the begining of the year, I think that we all would have agreed that Ryan Dempster would not be an all star.
* All though a young boy in 1969, This is by far and
away the most talented Cub team that I have ever witnessed.
*
I am with you both.
One reason I want Cuban to buy our beloved Cubs is, we had a guy named Evan Eschmeyer graduate from my high school and he ended up playing in the NBA (also attended and played at Northwestern). Anywho, he played for the Dallas Mavericks under Cuban. After hearing Cuban was in the running for the Cubs, we got to talking about that. He said he loved playing for Cuban, he treats his players great and most important he wants to win, he would be great for our team.
Another is, he is not one of your typical owners who wears a suit and sits in his suites during the game. He interacts with the fans, and would rather sit in the stands with a beer, and like Matt said looks and acts like one of us.
The problem with Cuban is that he meddles. His insistence on getting Jason Kidd this past season (while losing a youngster like Devin Harris), has set the Mavs back BIG TIME.
As an owner, he's great, and he would surely do great things for Cub players and fans alike. If he ends up getting the bid, I just hope he stays in that role, letting Hendry and Co. tend to the roster...
REVISION of Allowable non-Cubs-topics on CCO
Thanks to Jason B. from AZ for getting us started
1. Guns N Roses (c'mon...Olympics are in China..."Chinese Democracy" album coming out...man!)
2. ripping on Aaron (*not kidding, he can take it)
*3. Movie trivia, esspecially involving sports movies.
Since we have an off day, let's look at this list and try to add something to it.
REVISION of Allowable non-Cubs-topics on CCO
Thanks to Jason B. from AZ for getting us started
1. Guns N Roses (c'mon...Olympics are in China..."Chinese Democracy" album coming out...man!)
2. ripping on Aaron (*not kidding, he can take it)
*3. Movie trivia, esspecially involving sports movies.
Since we have an off day, let's look at this list and try to add something to it.
I agree Cuban would be a great owner. He would be the Stienbrener of the National league. I think the Cubs fans deserve a owner that can afford and would be wiling to bring talent here that could give us 4-10 WS wins in a decade. You can argue that we deserve more then that. Money doesn't guarantee anything but it sure makes it easier.
By the way, when I say 4-10 I mean 4 out of 10, not 4 thru 10 World Series wins. Even that is a high number but so is 100 years.
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G'n'R(mainly Axel) can take his chinese democracy album and stick it where the sun don't sign.
Already been duped once by buying concert tickets for them only for the concert to be canceled. Will not happen again.
Axel Rose knows he is washed up and is scared to put anything out.
Here's a good sport's movie trivia question for ya.
What was the Bad News Bears record over the three movies? The remake of the first movie doesn't count.
Cuban would suck as the owner of the Cubs. Like their 100 years of losing isn't embarrassing enough to us fans, but with him as the owner, we would have to endure the ridicule of being associated with some crack pot that backed a conspiracy theorist movie, like Loose Change. It's a documentary style movie that theorized 9/11 was an inside job.
Looks like we acquired a A relief prospect for Scotty Ire this afternoon.
A quick check reveals that 22 year-old Brian Schlitter is 6' 5" 240 lbs. and a right handed reliever at Clearwater (Hi A). He is not on a top 30 prospect list that I could find. His line reads 4-3, 2.22, 49 IP, 39 H, 1 HR, 21 BB, 58 SO and a 1.23 WHIP. That's encouraging.
I understand that Agustin may have seen Schlitter pitch, and that Agustin reported that "Schlitter got the hitter with a Schlitter splitter."
I don't wish Eyre any bad luck, except against the Cubs, but my take would be that the Phils are hoping that a real long shot pays off in a couple of key situations this year.
I posted my positive views on Mark Cuban on Aug. 2nd. I think the key for the fun-loving Cuban is that he was smart enough to avoid the tech stock bubble bust of 2001--02 by selling the billion dollar plus of highly inflated stock he personally got for his share of the company for a billion dollars plus of cash. He now says that he's playing with "house money" and enjoying his indulgences mightily. The Indiana U grad started his company to have an internet way to follow the I.U. basketball team, and the company turned out to be a bonanza.
The problem with anyone paying $1.3 billion for a sports team is that any buyer may be paying interest on loans for half that amount. That takes a lot of cash that might otherwise go into contracts or player development.
I agree with Tim, as far as accepting Cuban as owner, but letting Hendry and Co. remain to be the decision makers about trades, etc. The other thing about Cuban that scares me as owner is that if his only role (assuming Hendry's role stays intact) is stadium operations and marketing moves, I fear he may try to "modernize" our stadium and franchise to a degree that would be deemed sacrilege to those of us that love our nostalgic ballpark and traditions.
Is Cuban going to sell the naming rights? Is he going to want to renovate Wrigley to the point where it becomes one of the many "mall-parks" that our competitors play in? Those are the kind of things that a young, hip owner might do that sour me on his potential ownership.
As a charter member of KeepItWrigley.org, I cannot get behind an owner who might mess with our image and traditions. It gives me a glimmer of hope that Cuban seems to be in-touch with the voice of Cubs Nation, but is he just the young, hip "Barack Obama"
of this contest? Young and flashy and popular, but lacking in susbstance?
Eric,
I was thinking the same thing but was avoiding posting it because I haven't made up my mind.
Cuban could be the death of Wrigley field as we know it.
I dont know how much of a fan Cuban was when he ws growing up, whether he was a die-hard or occasional fan or not-at-all and is just saying he is because its a good investment for him(political jargon). But if he grew up a fan which is possible if he when to Indiana U, he would have some sense of the tradition of wrigley field and the Cubs organization.
But to be honest with you, as much as I dont want to admit it, and I'm still debating, to save wrigley field, they may have to do just that. Make it into a "mall-park" and renovate the stands.
Take a step back for a second. Wrigley is what, 80 years old, just a few years ago, pieces were breaking away, it only can sit about 40,000. How much longer can it last the way it is. With escalated payroll and 40,000 capacity. Either seat prices are going to be outragous or they are going to have to do something. They have been adding seat where they can but there has to be a limit of how many they can put in there.
They may have to do a soldier's field renovation to it.
If it saves Wrigley, I say do it. Keep the field, Keep the Vines, keep the view of the buildings, keep the scoreboard but renovate everything else with a classic style, not a spaceship design like soldiers. But keep the modern stores and whatever else they want to put in there out of site. Keep the feel of the classic wrigley field intact. If they could do that, I would be happy. Better then them tearing it down and building a whole knew ballpark.
or the real sacrilige, move the team. Which would also be a possibility,but unlikely, with a owner like Cuban. If anybody would do it, he would. Even though the league would never let it happen.
jerljr and eric....I think your concerns about whether Cuban would make a lot of changes and change the character of Wrigley Field would apply more to other owners. Most of them likely would have to milk every dollar out of the ball park and surrounding real estate to cover their costs--and Cuban may be less concerned about return on investment. I can see him doing some development outside Wrigley as well some updating inside. I also think that the Wrigley/Mars company would pay an acceptable amount to Cuban for naming rights.
Since Cuban grew up in the Pittsburgh area (or at least in PA), he probably wasn't a Cubs fan then. All indications are that he would be an ardent Cubs fan if he owned the team. I think he is enamored of sports generally and would be a lot more interested in the Cubs' traditions than most anyone else.
I respectfully disagree JimK. Cuban is a megalomaniac that just can't help meddling. He would be the first to put pink Flamingos in his front yard, just to be different and annoy the neighbors. He fancies himself a cutting edge maverick and feels that tradition is for losers stuck in the past.
I agree with JimK and against Gary. Sorry, but everything I've seen and heard about Cuban suggests that he is a fan's owner and would not go against the might of Cubs Nation. He is one that would realize a lot of fans are tied to Wrigley and moving the team or destroying the field would lose some fans. Not all , but some. Once I heard the Cubs were being sold I thought for sure they would be moved, but if Cuban gets it I can rest at ease, least a little bit. I want an owner that prefers the bleachers to the booths. That fact that he went to IU and I went to Purdue should turn me against him, but the other possible owners scare me a lot more. Especially that Channing group......isn't he the one that already has a piece of the Brewers and ties to Selig. I definately wouldn't wish that upon the cubbies.
Everyone.
Cuban has been on the Dan Patrick show. (Dan is a Cub fan) And everytime he gets on, he mentions he wants to buy the Cubs AND Wrigley.
And everytime Dan mentions the naming rights issue, Cuban adamantly says he would NEVER sell the naming rights and wouldnt do anything to tarnish the feel of Wrigley. (He likens his plan to John Henry's Red Sox purchase)
Cuban was never a Cub fan. He was Pirates fan and tried to purchase that team but MLB quickly ousted him. (Thank God! I wouldnt want to compete against Cuban)
However, Cuban has visited Wrigley tons of times and he says the right things.
"Wrigley is growing on me"
"Im rooting for the Cubs.."
And so forth.
roguesqr09 , just to ease your worry a bit, Canning's group already lost out and cannot re-bid. So no worries on that front.