With the brand brand brand new goal engendered to Cubs fans after the Ricketts family was introduced as brand brand brand new owners yesterday, maybe we can be forgiven if we mental condition — usually a bit — about the intensity for the Cubs to be in the World Series a year from now.

Meanwhile, there’s a possibility of sleet in the Philadelphia area this evening — as if there haven’t been sufficient continue problems with the postseason already this year. The Good Phight wonders if this will shift the Philly rotation.

And in further to the World Series going on at Citizens Bank Park, Pearl Jam is looming at the circuitously Spectrum (in the last eventuality at which locus which hosted the Flyers and 76ers for decades), with their show scheduled to proceed at the same time as the game. Not usually that, there’s still a possibility which Philadelphia movement workers will go on set upon tonight at 6 pm.

Meanwhile, here’s an essay seeking at the Cubs’ tenure shift from a commercial operation standpoint which gives us a initial thought on how most Wrigley Field restoration and debt use competence cost:

Thomas Ricketts outlayed $845 million for, between alternative assets, a ball group which in a great year will jot down a distinction of around $30 million.

The brand brand brand new owners of the Chicago Cubs will have to pay off loans of $425 million he performed for the purchase. That’s an responsibility the Cubs’ seller, Tribune Co., never had.

He’ll have to demeanour at costs of Wrigley Field restoration to comforts which sorely need alleviation — and to emanate revenue. Ricketts pronounced he’s seeking at work widespread over 5 to 7 years and costing “significantly less” than $200 million.

Jeff Passan at Yahoo keeps the vigour on, job again for replay examination to be instituted. Couldn’t determine more, after dual more bad calls on Thursday night.

Finally, do not dont think about to spin your clocks behind one hour prior to you go to nap tonight. Daylight Saving Time ends at 2 am in your internal time section (if you have been in the USA or Canada, solely for Arizona, Hawaii, Saskatchewan and a handful of alternative areas).

Yankees at Phillies, 6:57 pm CDT. Series scored equally 1-1. TV: Fox. Announcers: Joe Buck and Tim McCarver.

MLB.com Gameday

Baseball-reference.com diversion preview

SB Nation diversion preview

Please revisit the SB Nation Phillies site The Good Phight and Yankees site Pinstripe Alley.

Discuss amongst yourselves.

Here’s a book created by Joe DiMaggio, patrician “”Baseball for Everyone”. It was initial published in 1948, but reissued in 2002.
Let me begin with the Bio from the inside behind coupler cover:
- “Joe DiMaggio (1914-1999) played for the Yankees from 1936 to 1951, with time out for troops use in…



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The Toronto Sun reports this sunrise on a intensity Milton Bradley for Vernon Wells swap:

The Chicago Cubs would similar to to — have to — understanding discontented outfielder Milton Bradley. And one player they have been eyeing as a aim end is the Blue Jays, with centre fielder Vernon Wells going to the Cubs in return.

“It’s early on, but we think this one has a little legs,” pronounced one Cubs official. “But they aren’t the usually group we have been articulate with.”

Yes, “centre” is correct. Remember, the quote’s from a Canadian paper. Vernon Wells sealed an outrageous stipulate with the Blue Jays prior to the 2008 deteriorate and there have been 6 years left on the deal. How would the Cubs understanding with that outrageous volume of money, given Tom Ricketts’ matter yesterday that payroll would go up “slightly” subsequent year, as great as Alfonso Soriano’s superfluous deal?

The Cubs’ thought is to separate the disproportion on monies due — Wells’ $107 million and Bradley’s $21 million for a disproportion of $86 million. Each group soaks up $43 million.

I was told there would be no math here, but if I have distributed this right — and scold me, please, if I haven’t — that puts the Cubs on the offshoot for (approximately) $10.67 million for any of the 6 superfluous years of Wells’ deal. According to Cot’s Baseball Contracts, Wells has a full no-trade proviso that would have to be waived, and he can opt out of the understanding after 2011.

Since the depart of Milton Bradley was usually going to be done probable by receiving on someone else’s bad contract, this competence be a probable “best of the worst”. Wells is about 6 months younger than Bradley and had a big descent deteriorate as not long ago as 2006. He can fool around core field, that would concede the Cubs to move Kosuke Fukudome behind to right field, a improved on all sides for him. I’m not utterly sole on this deal, but remember, the Cubs aren’t just in the most appropriate negotiate position, either. The essay concludes:

The Cubs have to understanding Bradley. Other probable alighting spots: The San Francisco Giants for lefty Barry Zito, who has 4 years superfluous at $83 million; the Indians for Travis Hafner, 3 years for $40.25 million, Giants’ Aaron Rowand, 3 years at $36 million, the Dodgers for Juan Pierre, dual years at $18.5 million, and Tampa Bay’s Pat Burrell, one year at $7 million.

Well. There’s no approach the Cubs ever, ever, EVER take Juan Pierre back. The Burrell probability has been rumored before; Burrell’s a bad outfielder, but at slightest the Cubs would usually be stranded with his understanding for one year; we’ve discussed the Rowand probability also, I disbelief the Giants have been traffic Zito right away given he had such a great second half, and there would be positively no indicate in appropriation Hafner, who hasn’t played a diversion in the margin given 2007 and can usually fool around initial bottom — the Cubs already have one of those.

We, as ever, await developments.

Years from now, competence be we can contend which “next year” arrived on Oct 30, 2009.

Tom Ricketts is the brand brand brand brand brand brand brand new authority of the Cubs, and with his dual brothers and sister, will enclose the house of directors of the team. But it’s some-more than usually a couple of names you’ve listened of — the Ricketts unequivocally have been a large lengthened family; their relatives Joe and Marlene and utterly a series of small young kids were in assemblage at today’s press conference. Even some-more so than the Wrigley “family” tenure (which was unequivocally usually one chairman at a time, William Wrigley Jr., afterwards P.K. Wrigley after his father’s death, and afterwards William Wrigley III for the final couple of years), this group unequivocally is owned by a family, not usually one person.

And during today’s headlines conference, they not usually emphasized their own family, but the Cubs family — a family you and I have been partial of as Cubs fans. For miss of a improved term, they “bleed Cubbie blue” usually as all of us do. Each one of them told the story of carrying come to Chicago from Omaha for college and, at assorted times, descending in love with the city, the Wrigleyville area (where multiform of them lived) and the Cubs. The story you’ve listened about Tom assembly his mother in the bleachers — true, advanced with smiles from all 3 siblings, who were there on which day. They used to nap out for bleacher tickets in the early 80’s, went to scarcely all the week end games, and pronounced which being a Cubs air blower is “a special feeling”, and which “we know owning the Cubs is an honor, and we intend to apply oneself it”.

Tom’s sister Laura maybe put it best: “The Cubs have been bigger than us as owners, bigger than Wrigley itself. It’s a have a difference of family honour for us.”

But that’s not what you guys wish to know about. You wish to know what these brand brand brand brand brand brand brand new owners have been going to do to have the group — their team, and I indeed reason which they have been “one of us” — a winner.

The many critical thing Tom Ricketts said, I believe, about his truth of tenure is this:

We’re going to sinecure people we trust, give them the event to succeed, and reason them accountable.

Now isn’t which refreshing? Isn’t which what we’ve longed for to hear? No Steinbrennerian overlord strategy from Tom Ricketts (although when asked either he would be an “active owner”, the reply was, “Todd will manager initial bottom and I’ll manager third”. Wow — a clarity of humor!). He — and Crane Kenney, who has the brand brand brand brand brand brand brand new pretension of group boss — will move in the most appropriate people and let them do their jobs. If they don’t, they’ll be replaced. For the short term, which equates to withdrawal Jim Hendry and Lou Piniella in their place. Tom Ricketts pronounced which he thinks Lou is one of the most appropriate managers in ball and the right man for 2010. From my standpoint, I goal Lou gets a little rest this winter and earnings in Mar re-energized, given as we all know, Lou seemed infrequently only at times in 2009.

I didn’t get a possibility to ask any questions — but that’s given scarcely all of the questions you posted here yesterday in the destiny did get answered. (Well, all solely the blue jersey question. I figured which could wait for for compartment later.)

Ricketts initial thanked fans for promulgation emails and letters of await for their bid to take the group and afterwards gave this three-pronged message:

First, to essay to be the most appropriate in ball each singular year and to win the World Series. To get ahead that, deposit in world-class comforts and the most appropriate personnel, and (as remarkable above) reason them to a tall customary of accountability.

Second, they love Wrigley Field and will do all they can to urge the Wrigley Field knowledge for destiny generations.

Third, they love Chicago and intend to be great neighbors, giving behind to the city and neighborhood.

The key to winning the World Series, Ricketts said, is to “make the playoffs each year”, and to illustrate to set up an classification that’s “playoff estimable each singular year”. He called which “very doable”.

For miss of a improved term, I’d contend Tom Ricketts “gets it”.

For the short term, Ricketts pronounced there competence be “slight” sheet cost increases in 2010. Personally, if he asked me, in this manage to buy and entrance off the difficult year the Cubs had, I’d suggest him to reason the line for one year. He additionally pronounced payroll would be “slightly” increased, but didn’t name a specific figure. Other things which he pronounced he’d demeanour at right divided would be improvements in the Wrigley Field concourse, restrooms, and food options. He done it transparent which the Triangle Building is a tip priority, “the key to bringing Wrigley to complicated standards”, and I reason he meant this not usually for the air blower comforts it competence contain, but for the brand brand brand brand brand brand brand new and upgraded player comforts (workout rooms, batting cages, etc.) it is expected to have.

Ricketts was asked because he was going to attain where alternative owners have failed. His response, again, had 3 parts:

First, there have been no mixed agendas. The usually bulletin is to win.

Second, they have been going to reinvest in the team, the stadium, and the organization.

Third, there have been no “quarterly results”, they’re in it for the prolonged term: “Our shareholders have been the fans.”

They mentioned, as has been settled by Kenney before, which they demeanour to the Red Sox as a indication of how a group both renovated an old ballpark to be a abounding brand brand brand brand brand brand brand new track (and combined which the Red Sox did this but ever relocating out, and there has never been any contention about relocating out when renovations begin. There have additionally been “no discussions” about offered fixing rights and he “hasn’t deliberate it”. When asked what the calendar was for removing to the World Series, he pronounced (not unexpectedly) which he suspicion this group could have it subsequent year, but done no promises, and pronounced it would be up to Jim Hendry to have the group better; he wouldn’t answer a specific subject about eating salary.

Only one player — Ryan Dempster, who is vital here in Chicago all winter — attended the headlines conference. For his part, Dempster seemed tender with Ricketts and his joining to Chicago, the group and the ballpark. Dempster himself — one of the couple of Cubs in new years to live year-round in Chicago — additionally “gets it”. If you’re seeking for a hall personality for 2010, Dempster competence usually be the guy.

There’s a lot some-more — and I will post the complete twin of the headlines contention here early subsequent week — but the bottom line is this: after twenty-eight years of tenure which was on arise great (getting the Cubs twice to inside of a couple of outs of the World Series), on arise bad (seven 90+ detriment seasons), and mostly frustrating, cheaping out for bottom-line corporate reasons when groups were there for the receiving and removing absolved of people (Dallas Green, for one) who could have led us to the betrothed land, we at final have an owners who lives and dies with this group usually similar to we do. We haven’t had such an owners given 1932, when William Wrigley Jr., the initial of the Wrigleys to own the team, died. Incidentally, there will be a half-hour special with the 4 siblings on CSN Chicago tonight at eleven pm CDT.

Go get ‘em, Tom. Build us a winner, and you’ll applaud along with the rest of us. There will be much rejoicing. I, for one, can’t wait.

By right away you’ve possibly seen, heard, or at slightest listened about this morning’s press discussion featuring the Ricketts family. What have been your thoughts? Are you enthused? Do you feel assured in the brand new ownership? Are you vehement about things to come? Or have been you more…



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I’m off to Wrigley Field shortly, but longed for to share with you multiform quotes which I only perceived in an email from NPR — there is going to be a full-length talk with Tom Ricketts on NPR News’ Weekend Edition tomorrow at 9 am CDT.

You can find out some-more here and subsequent the fold.

I’ll have a full story posted late this afternoon after the headlines conference, which can be seen live on CSN Chicago at eleven am CDT. Some of the questions you longed for me to ask have been at slightest partly answered in the quotes he gave NPR.

On because he wants Piniella to stay on as manager, Ricketts says: “We think Lou is one of the most appropriate managers in baseball. He has an choice to lapse subsequent year, and from what I understand, I think he is formulation to.”

Asked about the destiny of Wrigley Field, he states: “First of all, we wish this to be the most appropriate authorization in baseball, and you can’t be a world-class authorization and have third-class facilities.” He goes on to contend which “there is land which is only diagonally opposite to the stadium, along Clark Street, which the group owns and we intend to rise which in to a partial of the stadium, which will give fans some-more options on diversion day, but as importantly giveaway up space inside of the track to set up in a little of the hall functionality which alternative teams enjoy.”

Even if play ground improvements means aloft sheet prices, Ricketts says one thing fans “should keep in thoughts is which with family tenure now, we intend to reinvest all the increase which we can get on the group and put which behind in to preserving Wrigley Field and to putting a improved group on the field. So it’s not similar to it’s going divided to a little kind of house and never will be seen again.”

On how he wants to set up the team, Ricketts says: “Undoubtedly the approach to set up the long-term leader is by player development. You got to breeze the right people and you got to have scouts and coaches which have been concurrent and operative together to spin the right players in to genuine producers at the vital joining level. Free agency, I think, is something you demeanour at when you got a hole to fill or when you haven’t been means to furnish a player from your own system. The genuine key for unchanging opening and perplexing to win the multiplication each singular year is building the own players.”

Asked either any alternative sports authorization is a indication for the Cubs, he responds: “I think patently what they’ve finished with Fenway is a great thing for us to demeanour at in conditions of how to urge the stadium. Because we unequivocally do wish to safety and keep mending the special knowledge which Wrigley Field is. On the margin we additionally wouldn’t thoughts duplicating the Red Sox. I think it’s time for the group to pull brazen and to win a World Series.”

I hadn’t finished anything with the Arizona Fall League so far.  I suspicion which the fanposts you all were you do was doing the incident flattering well.  But the AFL is a small over dual weeks old now, so it’s substantially time for an update.

Just a small couple of simple report to start.  The Arizona Fall League is a post-season joining for teenager leaguers. often from AA and AAA teams.  The 6 teams fool around in the Spring Training complexes in the Cactus League.  The Cub prospects have been on the Mesa Solar Sox, a group that  is additionally stocked with players from the Angels, Red Sox, Marlins and Twins.

Generally, the AFL is deliberate a hitters league.  Usually teams do not send their tip pitching prospects to Arizona, preferring to let them rest their arms.  This year the pitching is a small better, with hurlers such as the Yankees‘ Ian Kennedy, the Reds‘ Mike Leake, the Rangers‘ Tanner Schleppers, the Andrew Cashner and a small man who plays for the Nationals declared Stephen Strasburg.  Still, the joining continues to preference offense by a large margin, so take which in to comment when seeking at the stats.

Also, do not dont think about which the Mesa Solar Sox have 37 players from 6 teams (they’ve got one sole Blue Jay for a small reason) on their roster.  So if it doesn’t appear similar to a Cub player is personification most or personification out of position, do not dont think about which alternative teams wish to get their players in to the diversion as well.

So carrying pronounced that, the Cubs prospects have been often carrying a clever Autumn down in the Valley of the Sun. I’ll promulgate all 7 players’ deteriorate after the jump.

Starlin Castro: twelve Games.  18-43 .419 AVE.  2 2B. 2 SB 3 BB 3 SO.

Castro is creation it difficult to establish who the tip awaiting in the Cubs complement right now.  He’s branch the heads of a lot of scouts down in Arizona.  Even some-more important, he’s usually done one blunder in Arizona after creation a bucketload of them in the minors this past season.  There is unequivocally small disbelief right away which he’ll fool around SS in the majors one day soon.  No, not this April. The usually subject is possibly he’ll rise possibly the energy or the OBP skills to be an all-star.

Josh Vitters: 9 Games. 13-37 .351 AVE 3 2B. 2 BB 5 SO.

While Castro is display a small considerable talents in Mesa, Josh Vitters is display which the wrist problems which hindered him in the second half of the deteriorate have been at the back of him.  He still isn’t on foot much, which is troubling, but he is there to work on his pitch and contrast his wrists.  If Castro has upheld him as the #1 awaiting in the system, it’s not since Vitters is unsatisfactory any one in Arizona.

Welington Castillo: 4 Games. 5-14 .357 AVE 1 HR. 2 BB 5 SO.

Castillo hasn’t played much, but he’s been excellent when he gets in to the game.

Andrew Cashner: 3 starts. 1-2 jot down 3.72 ERA. 9.2 IP 6 Hits. 3 BB 7 K.

Cashner has done 3 starts. In the initial one, he got rocked for 3 runs in dual innings, together with a home run. In the second game, he authorised usually one run in 3.2 innings and didn’t travel anyone.  In the third diversion this past Wednesday, Cashner threw 4 no-hit innings, on foot dual and distinguished out four. He reportedly strike a tall of 96 mph on his fastball and was throwing a disagreeable slider.  Someone is going to call Cashner the tip awaiting in the complement this off-season, too.

James Russell: 5 Games 0-1 2.57 ERA.  7 IP 8 Hits. 2 BB 6 K

The lefty has been pitching out of the bullpen in the AFL and has been effective. After his initial coming when he gave up thre runs in dual innings, he’s thrown 5 shutout innings.

Blake Parker:  5 Games. 1-1 5.40 ERA.  5 IP 7 Hits. 2 BB 3 K

Parker’s been going in the conflicting citation of Russell, carrying proposed out the deteriorate clever but he’s since up 3 runs sum in his final dual service appearances. He gave up dual piece for one person home runs final Saturday in the one inning he pitched.

John Gaub:  5 Games. 1-1 14.40 ERA. 5 IP 10 Hits. 1 BB 8 K

Gaub is the one Cub carrying a unequivocally miserable AFL experience. He’s since up at slightest one run in 4 of the 5 games he’s pitched, together with one diversion where he authorised 4 runs on 4 hits in his one inning.  At slightest the strikeout-to-walk comparative measure is nice.

If any one essentially cares, the Mesa Solar Sox have been 5-10, which is the misfortune jot down in the AFL.  All I can contend is which it’s not the Cub players fault.

Jayson Werth should unequivocally do something about which squirrel unresolved out on his chin. Just a thought. The New York Yankees’ bats eventually woke up for Game 2 of the World Series Thursday night with a 3-1 win over the reigning universe hold up Philadelphia Phillies.

Continue celebration of the mass this story at Sports Untapped.

Well, not really. But the New York Yankees shortstop and 2009 Roberto Clemente Award target appeared on NBC’s The Biggest Loser this week in an bid to siphon up the contestants.

We’ll see who the greatest losers have been after Game 2 of the World Series at 7:57pm ET tonight, where old schooler Pedro Martinez takes the mountain for the Philadelphia Phillies opposite Yankees righty A.J. Burnett. Enjoy!

Chris DeLuca in today’s Sun-Times tells us what the Yankees have been up against in perplexing to win the World Series:

The final 6 teams to win Game 1 — and 10 of the final eleven — all went on to win the Series.

The final group to win Game 1 and not win the Series? Dusty Baker’s Giants in 2002.

More history: as you expected know from examination the diversion final night, Cliff Lee was on target, prior to Jimmy Rollins‘ bad throw, to throw the initial CG shutout in a World Series given Josh Beckett’s clinching shutout in Game 6 of the 2003 World Series. That was additionally the final CG of any kind in a World Series; to show you how singular such events right away are, given the multiplication array turn was combined to the playoffs in 1995, there have been usually dual alternative finish games thrown in a World Series: by Randy Johnson in Game 2 of the 2001 World Series and by Greg Maddux in Game 1 of the 1995 World Series, in that he gave the Indians usually dual singles and both runs he authorised were unearned.

So the Yankees have an ascending climb, and I think Pedro Martinez is an desirous preference to begin tonight for the Phillies; a identical preference was done by Connie Mack in the 1929 World Series opposite the Cubs for an additional Philadelphia team, with glorious formula (for Mack’s team, not for the Cubs).

Phillies at Yankees, 6:57 pm CDT. Phillies lead array 1-0. TV: Fox. Announcers: Joe Buck and Tim McCarver.

MLB.com Gameday

Baseball-reference.com diversion preview

SB Nation diversion preview

Please revisit the SB Nation Phillies site The Good Phight and Yankees site Pinstripe Alley.

Discuss amongst yourselves.