http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/ne...p&type=lgns

Hendry/Pinella will stay in 2010. 

What else do you expect him to say: "We're going to try to crawl out of the doldrums of mediocrity with the 3rd largest payroll in baseball?"

I'm happy the ownership issue is resolved, but the actual impact will come from action, not sentiments at a pre-press conference press conference.

Liking the fact that they're interested in investing more into player development.

I'm encouraged by it if it translates into action. I am cautiously optimistic at this point. Again, at the risk of sounding a touch cynical, the Ricketts family HAD TO say they encourage and support more attention to player development. Anything else and they sound like the resurrection of King Steinbrenner.  Greater attention to player development is also transparent code for, "We're not going to increase payroll."  It's a wonderful sentiment, and it's really the key to winning baseball (where would the Yankees be without Posada, Jeter, Cano, Cabrera, Gardner, Wang, Hughes, Rivera, Coke, Robertson, and Chamberlain, after all?!?); however, as a life-long Cubs fan dating back to the Herman Franks days, I reserve judgement until I see some action in November & December with player movement and sound decision-making.

mindbodyspirit wrote: Greater attention to player development is also transparent code for, "We're not going to increase payroll." 

http://www.chicagobreakingspor...icago-cubs.html

"The family will raise ticket prices and increase the team's payroll but said they've never considered personal seat licenses."

I think Ricketts will be one of the owners who are smart when it comes to payroll IE look at his team and see where we are yet..then makes a final budget. For example, if we have a good team...he will put be willing to put more money into payroll in order to go after the players that could put us over the hump. But our team is medicore he will be more hestiant to do that which is good thing because most times it leads to bad contracts and doesn't workout.

Ricketts will not hire a baseball president to help run the team. He is keeping the same basic structure.

Crane Kenney will be president and handle the business side - build the triangle building, look for new spring training site, improve the ballpark, look for additional revenue, eventually rin the Cubs baseball TV network.

Jim Hendry will continue to make baseball decisions - He has a slight increase in payroll and will need to be creative this offseason. The sooner he trades Bradley the sooner the Cubs can move forward filling other needs.

Hopefully they build the minor league system and put more dollars into player development.

Next year look like some clean up and maybe new food additions at Wrigley. Then the following year I think you will start to see bigger changes to both the team and park.

KatieCubFan wrote:

“I’ll be honest.  I think we have a team that can do it next year.”

 

That's being honest?  Sounds like he's gone to the Jim Hendry school of platitudes.  Oh well, at least he and his family are Cubs fans.

There is nothing with that statement. Their nucleus is the same that won 97 games last year and has had three winning seasons in a row. The team needs a bit of a facelift yes but doesn't need to be rebuilt. The Cubs last year came out and said their window to win the WS was 2-3 years. Nothing happened last year to make you feel as though you had to go out and blow up the team while eating tons in salary. And Ricketts said the payroll will be increase a bit next year. Were going to get some new guys that we need. Just don't expect wasting millions on someone like Jon Lackey which some (Moron Kaplan) want us to do. I get the feeling Ricketts doesn't want to waste big money on Tier 2 FA. If we get them at a reasonable price, fine. But if were going to really overspend for someone..it better be for someone damn good like the Yankees did with CC and Tex.

SomeDayWay wrote:

There is nothing with that statement. Their nucleus is the same that won 97 games last year and has had three winning seasons in a row.

After the 97 win season 2 years ago they changed 10 players.

The team needs a bit of a facelift yes but doesn't need to be rebuilt. The Cubs last year came out and said their window to win the WS was 2-3 years. Nothing happened last year to make you feel as though you had to go out and blow up the team while eating tons in salary.

No need to blow up but need to trade Bradley, get CF, get 2b and a veteran starter to replace Harden and / or 1 month of Liily missing in April.

And Ricketts said the payroll will be increase a bit next year. Were going to get some new guys that we need. Just don't expect wasting millions on someone like Jon Lackey which some (Moron Kaplan) want us to do.

We have enough wasted payroll in Soriano, Fukudome, Zambrano, Miles, etc

I get the feeling Ricketts doesn't want to waste big money on Tier 2 FA. If we get them at a reasonable price, fine. But if were going to really overspend for someone..it better be for someone damn good like the Yankees did with CC and Tex.

He has already stated he wants to stay the 3rd highest payroll team in the league. It is time to spend smarter on the right players.

After the 97 win season 2 years ago they changed 10 players.

Yeah but most of those players were minor players besides DeRosa, Edmonds, and they thought they would be better off with Bradley, Fontenot/Miles and Gregg. Looking back Hendry was smart to wanna replace DeRosa, Wood and Edmonds. Since DeRosa/Wood were alot less productive in 09 and nobody even wanted to sign Edmonds. The problem was Hendry picked the wrong players to replace those guys and they were even worse then guys we replaced.

No need to blow up but need to trade Bradley, get CF, get 2b and a veteran starter to replace Harden and / or 1 month of Liily missing in April

Thats kinda alot to ask considering the payroll the way it is, I say we get a outfield(could be RF) and either a SP or 2b, but not both. So I have a feeling that either 2b or the rotation will have to be filled from young guys we already have. But who knows maybe Jim Hendry will be able to pull off some great trade to fill a postions. There's not a doubt in my mind that this team can be in the playoffs again next year though. They just need  decent luck health wise, and good players like Soriano and Soto to hit like there capable of. Plus a few guys like Gorzelanny/Marshall, maybe Baker or some young guys in the pen to perform well. If even half of those things happen and we add a few good players this team will be right back were they were in 08. Going into the year I'm pretty sure we will have some question marks and how those question marks work out will make or break the season.

great, now do it.

aocsc wrote:

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/ne...p&type=lgns

 

Hendry/Pinella will stay in 2010.

SomeDayWay wrote:

cubs2007 wrote:

 

 

Jason Marquis was on of the top 4 starters that year and would have led the team in wins this year.

Moving Fukudome to CF led to a much worse outfield defensively

DeRosa was a core player leading the team in  runs scored

Letting Wood walk ended up costing the team a number of losses due to his replacement

Wuertz went on to have a very good year out of the bullpen

Should have replaced Edmonds with another CF and left Fukudome in RF

 

DeRosa would have been key in replacing Ramirez at 3b

 

Wood over Gregg would have added to a few more wins

 Not a fan of Howry but pointed out some facts to you

 

The players are all 2 years older and performance is not on the rise for most

When you sat in on negotiations did you overhear Ramirez's agent say he needed the opt out clause

I pointed out five moves that cost the team. They are probably 5 good moves from being back on top.

Wow. Maybe the dumbest post I seen on here for quite a while. We win 83 games last year and yet you think guys like DeRosa, Wuertz, Marquis and even Wood would have made the difference. Yeah, those guys were worth easily 10 more wins and put us right in the chase. That maybe is one of the sillest arguments I ever heard. If combined all those guys and they have very good seasons, we MAYBE win 5 more games next year. Maybe. You are a moron. You do realize that according to Sabermetrics, Ramirez who imo is the Cubs best player is worth 4-5 more wins a season if you replace him with a medicore backup. That's all. Yet guys like Wuertz and Marquis are going to turn a medicore team into a contender. Geez, you are honestly getting worse by the post and right now..your posting like it's the week of Christmas!!

BTW, Ramirez at the end of the season stated that one of the main reasons we resigned here was because of the opt clause so he could test via FA if the ballclub wasn't improving.

http://archives.chicagotribune...s-chicago-sep23

"But Ramirez agreed to take less money only if the Cubs included an opt-out clause, which kicks in next November."

If you ever did any research or had a clue, you would know this stuff. The Cubs only got him at the hometown discount because of the opt clause which I am sure you were screaming for at the time because of his injury plague. But now, your shrewing Jimbo because your a revionist historian (which I doubt you know the meaning) who doesn't know crap. Either start doing some fact checking/buy a clue before posting one of your pathetic posts (or thread starts which are always the same thought..your only thought..Jim Hendry sucks..let me run the team because I play fantasy baseball) blah blah blah.

Jason Marquis was on of the top 4 starters that year and would have led the team in wins this year

Not with the Cubs offense and bullpen behind him. Also Jason Marquis in the rotation equals Randy Wells not getting his chance, which would have hurt the team overall because he was better then Marquis last season.

SomeDayWay wrote:

Wow. Maybe the dumbest post I seen on here for quite a while. We win 83 games last year and yet you think guys like DeRosa, Wuertz, Marquis and even Wood would have made the difference. Yeah, those guys were worth easily 10 more wins and put us right in the chase. That maybe is one of the sillest arguments I ever heard. If combined all those guys and they have very good seasons, we MAYBE win 5 more games next year. Maybe. You are a moron. You do realize that according to Sabermetrics, Ramirez who imo is the Cubs best player is worth 4-5 more wins a season if you replace him with a medicore backup. That's all. Yet guys like Wuertz and Marquis are going to turn a medicore team into a contender. Geez, you are honestly getting worse by the post and right now..your posting like it's the week of Christmas!!

If you look at wins against replacent players -

Wuertz - +2

Wood vs Gregg - +1

Marquis - +4

DeRosa - +2

CF (like Edmonds) instead of Fukudome - +1

Add up the win totals and you have 10 games

Baseball needs contributions from the entire roster - These players would have made a difference

cubs2007 wrote:

 

 

 

If you look at wins against replacent players -

Wuertz - +2

Wood vs Gregg - +1

Marquis - +4

DeRosa - +2

CF (like Edmonds) instead of Fukudome - +1

 

Add up the win totals and you have 10 games

Baseball needs contributions from the entire roster - These players would have made a difference

Wow. Cubbie math is back folks! Yeah Marquis was worth 4 more wins alone.

And I kind like Marquis. I think he is solid 5th starter. But to say he is worth automatically 4 more wins is just garbage and honestly stuff you make up..one of your favorite tricks. The players you listed MIGHT have made us win 4-5 more games ..at most. Honestly, we would won 84-86 games with them. That's it. This team wasn't going to win 90+ games because of guys like Wuertz and Wood. The mere argument  would be funny if it wasn't so stupid. The team didn't win 90+ games last year and compete because their "core" players like Big Z, Soriano, Soto, Dempster, Ramirez, Bradley etc didn't put up the numbers they were expected to do because of either injury, lousy play or a combination of both. They didn't win last year because of those players not because of a combination of scrubs/solid but not great players. And if they don't win next year it will because those same core players had another lousy season collectively.

SomeDayWay wrote:

Wow. Cubbie math is back folks! Yeah Marquis was worth 4 more wins alone.

I just took the stat from Wins against replacement player. It is a puplished stat - so look it up before you make a complete ass of yourself. I'm citing facts not hurling insults like yourself.

And I kind like Marquis. I think he is solid 5th starter. But to say he is worth automatically 4 more wins is just garbage and honestly stuff you make up..one of your favorite tricks. The players you listed MIGHT have made us win 4-5 more games ..at most. Honestly, we would won 84-86 games with them. That's it. This team wasn't going to win 90+ games because of guys like Wuertz and Wood. The mere argument  would be funny if it wasn't so stupid. The team didn't win 90+ games last year and compete because their "core" players like Big Z, Soriano, Soto, Dempster, Ramirez, Bradley etc didn't put up the numbers they were expected to do because of either injury, lousy play or a combination of both. They didn't win last year because of those players not because of a combination of scrubs/solid but not great players. And if they don't win next year it will because those same core players had another lousy season collectively.

Every team has some of its core players underperform or get injured. It is how the other players step up and perform. It is great to have stars but you need contributions from all areas to win.

Marquis - +4

How is that possible???

Randy Wells-27 starts -12-10, 3.05 era, 1.28 WHIP in 165.1 IP

Sean Marshall-5 starts(in April and early May)-1-2, 4.20 era in  30 IP

Thats  13-12(due to crappy run support), 3.23 era in 195.1 IP in 32 starts

Marquis numbers 15-13, 4.04 era,1.38 WHIP in 216 IP in 33 starts

So getting rid of Marquis and going with young guys ended up being a very good move actually.

cubswinworldseries22 wrote:

How is that possible???

Randy Wells-27 starts -12-10, 3.05 era, 1.28 WHIP in 165.1 IP

Sean Marshall-5 starts(in April and early May)-1-2, 4.20 era in  30 IP

Thats  13-12(due to crappy run support), 3.23 era in 195.1 IP in 32 starts

Marquis numbers 15-13, 4.04 era,1.38 WHIP in 216 IP in 33 starts

So getting rid of Marquis and going with young guys ended up being a very good move actually.

Wells had a WAR of 3 and Marshall had a .9

So it was a wash between Marquis 3.8 and Wells/Marshall 3.9

Biggest problems - Soriano -.7 & Gregg -.3, Miles - 1.3