It’s that time of year again. Cubs season ticket holders got their annual love letter from Tom Ricketts, where he thanks them for supporting them through thin and thin and reminds them that things won’t always this be this bad and asks them if they need help finding their checkbooks.
Dear Cubs Fans –
Over the past few years, the Chicago Cubs have embarked on a journey unlike any other in sports.
But a lot like the one Gilligan and the Skipper were in charge of.
With the support of our loyal fans and partners, we intend to build the best organization in baseball. I believe the 2014 season will be viewed as a critical turning point for the franchise and am excited to share an update on our progress.
It will be long remembered as the year the Cubs went from hapless and hopeless to not completely unwatchable.
Talent acquisition. Player development. Facility improvements.
“These are six words. I know many others. Several of which I can pronounce correctly.”
The 2014 season has served as an inflection point for each of these crucial elements toward our primary goal of winning a World Series. Our baseball operations department has assembled a farm system recently ranked as the best in the league by Baseball America, ESPN and others.
Come on out and watch some of the players we haven’t’ yet given the chance to prove they can’t play.
That system is led by three of the top seven prospects in baseball, according to Baseball America and Baseball Prospectus, including Kris Bryant, who was selected as this season’s Minor League Player of the Year by Baseball America, MLB.com, USA Today, Yahoo Sports and others.
Kris was also named player of the year by Dreamy Eyes Quarterly, Townstonefinancial.com, and Peter Francis Geraci’s infotapes.com.
Of course, these prospect rankings aren’t the end game.
“But if they were, we’d be spraying champagne down each other’s pants.”
However, this national validation suggests our plan to acquire and develop young, talented players who can make a long-term impact is coming together.
“We’re going for national validation because the local assholes are too dense to grasp anything as complex as “good young players are cheaper and more productive than old guys.”
You’ve seen several of these prospects gain valuable experience in the majors this season, joining players like All-Stars Starlin Castro and Anthony Rizzo, who have been among the best at their positions in the National League.
You might remember these guys as the prospects you used to obsess over until newer, shiny-er ones came around.
From the day a player walks into this organization until they step onto Wrigley Field, our family has committed to delivering the best facilities in baseball.
If you think the troughs for the fans are shiny, you should see the ones the players piss in! First class!
Our new Spring Training facility, Cubs Park, debuted in Mesa this spring and broke the all-time Cactus League Spring Training attendance record.
Because nobody has more practice attending games that don’t really matter than Cubs fans.
We’re thankful to everyone who helped set that record and invite you to join us next year if you haven’t had a chance to see the ballpark. In addition to Cubs Park, we now operate a state-of-the-art baseball academy in the Dominican Republic that is the largest in baseball.
“We invite you to come down to the Dominican. I’d join you, but when I go down there I never leave the yacht. Maybe you could park your yacht near mine and we could wave at each other?”
And recently, we transitioned three of our Minor League affiliate player development contracts to Myrtle Beach (S.C.), South Bend (Ind.) and Eugene (Ore.) to ensure our Minor Leaguers are training and playing in world-class facilities.
“South Bend just got a brand new Qdoba burrito place. That sealed the deal for us.”
After celebrating Wrigley Field’s 100th birthday this season, we’re excited to move forward with our $575 million restoration and expansion project that will save and improve this century-old landmark while developing the surrounding neighborhood.
“Everybody I’ve talked to is very supportive of this project. We’re going to break ground tomorrow, dig a big hole and kick Beth Murphy into it. Oh, it’s going to be great.”
Construction is underway and we plan to complete the Budweiser Bleacher expansion for the 2015 season.
“The prices you saps will pay to sit on a plank of laminated wood 450 feet away from the action is amazing. What a bunch of rubes. Never change.”
The elements of Wrigley Field you know and love will remain, while much-needed improvements will make the ballpark a better place to play and watch baseball.
“We know how much you love the troughs, so we’re keeping those and in 2015 any cement that falls off the upper deck can be yours for only $125 an ounce.”
For periodic updates on the status of Wrigley Field’s restoration and expansion, please register at www.wrigleyfield.com.
You can subscribe to those updates for only $39.95 per month, and if you upgrade to the Platinum Package, you get a special monthly construction progress blog from Todd. It’s the only blog on the Internet written entirely in crayon.
In addition to winning a World Series and saving Wrigley Field, our third ownership goal is to be a good neighbor.
We pretty much suck at all three.
Cubs associates successfully spearheaded 100 Gifts of Service to integrate our community activities into Wrigley Field’s 100th birthday celebration. The team committed $250,000 to the City of Chicago’s overall $6.5 million investment in youth baseball fields and programming, as well as $1 million toward a new playlot on School Street near Wrigley Field, to be named after pioneer Cubs executive Margaret Donahue.
“She’s not Phil Donahue’s wife, that’s actually Marlo Thomas. When I was a teenager I loved “That Girl.” I mean, I “loved” That Girl, if you know what I mean. I had a poster of her in a sundress wearing a stocking cap, and after a few months that thing could stand up by itself. When I finally went to college, Laura hung it up in her room.”
Cubs Charities also took tremendous steps in 2014, continuing the Cubs Scholars and Cubs on the Move Fitness Trolley signature programs while launching the Diamond Project, which awarded more than $330,000 in grants to improve the quality and safety of local baseball fields. Your support of these programs through attending Cubs Charities events, 50/50 raffle ticket purchases and personal donations helped Cubs Charities donate a record $4 million this year.
Because nothing says fitness quite like sitting on a trolley. Why walk when you can hang out of a half-assed train car?
It has been an encouraging year as we progress on our long-term plan, but there is still much work to be done.
Really? I thought winning 73 games was enough.
We feel and appreciate your shared enthusiasm.
Don’t get used to it, Squiggy.
We also realize this exciting journey wouldn’t be possible without your support. We’re building something special from top to bottom and the plan is starting to unfold at the Major League level.
Wait for it…
Competitive baseball is back on the North Side.
Wow, “competitive?” Not winning? Nice to see your goals are so lofty.
Let’s Go Cubs,
Would it really be “Let us go Cubs?” I don’t think you need “Let’s.”
Tom Ricketts
Give him credit. There is nothing this man can’t throw a freshly hosed blanket over.
