MLB 2014 season thread

Three. But they've sold it really well. Cubs fans are convinced they are going to win 9 division titles in 10 years starting in 2016.

 

It's very easy to sell hope to a fanbase that knows no other way.

 

It isn't. They should be able to spend on free agents and develop their minor league system at the same time.

 

I don't know their financials. I have read they are strapped with the renovations that are coming to the ballpark.

 

The Cubs are not "strapped." They have money spewing out of their ears.

Never ever ever ever believe any story from some billionaire corporation about how poor they are.

 

In a tax avoision scheme, when the Cubs went from the Tribune Co. to the Ricketts family, it technically wasn't a "sale" but a partnership whereby the Ricketts became 95% partners and the Tribune reduced its ownership to 5%.

In order to fit the legal requirements for such a parternship and avoid triggering a large tax bill, the Cubs can't spend at a deficit from their operating revenue for 10 years (that's an oversimplification, it's of course super complicated and there are exceptions). They also had to "borrow" the money from themselves to pay for the club, and pay interest on those loans.

The interest on the loans and the inability to invest in the club have put a tightening on baseball spending, but it's still more than most teams have available.

 

So, they chose to put those financial limits on themselves and sold it to the fans as a youth movement. Lovely.

 

I think that's accurate, yes. I'm just going by what the club and its mouthbreathers have been saying.

 

That's the ownership side.

On the baseball side, Epstein has talked at length about how he felt burnt out with all the pressure to win each year in Boston and he always wanted an opportunity to just focus on developing prospects without having to worry about MLB success. He found an owner who would let him have his project.

 

I can't believe avoision is a real word. When I read it, I was sure it was made up, but I googled it and I guess I'm convoited. Whatever happened to avoidance?

 

How can a guy with your username not get this reference?

 

Totally expected to dispute that, and looked at the numbers, and nope. That's about right. Pat Neshek, Darren O'Day and Dellin Betances might be in the conversation. Nobody else.