I’ve been noticing a number of interesting news items relating to the St. Louis Cardinals National League Central Division rivals from Chicago.
Heavy debt load
There is a segment of Cardinals watchers that never seem to be satisfied with the expenditures ownership allocates to the player payroll. One area often singled out is the over $20 million annual debt service required as a result of the construction of the new Busch Stadium. That is $20 million that could be used to buy free agents, goes one line of thinking.
Generally speaking, I am pretty sure those complainers are from outside St. Louis, apparently preferring to have seen an increase in the local tax burden to build the new stadium instead. Then there are those that have no idea how to pay for anything and just irrationally complain. They are my favorites.
It could be worse, folks. You could be in Chicago.
The good news is that deep-pocketed Ricketts family of the TD Ameritrade fortune bought the Cubs in October. The bad news is that the LLC put in place for the acquisition is $900 million in the hole after the Ricketts loaned themselves $200 million for working capital and improvements to crumbling Wrigley Field.
Forbes notes that the Cubs 2009 payroll of $134 million was third-highest in MLB but “stacked with high-priced players with no-trade clauses.” Their conclusion is that the combination of “high debt and bloated payroll makes it highly unlikely they will be able to improve any time soon.”
It is also worth noting that having a wealthy name-brand family purchase your favorite team isn’t necessarily the ticket to success. Just ask Royals fans how David Glass and his Walmart money have improved the KC clan.
Update: The Cubs have announced the Executive Club, an all-inclusive area on the Suite level, where seats are $300 per game or $24,300 for the season.
2010 roster changes
As Cardinals fans know, their winter roster changes included big steps like keeping Matt Holliday and signing Brad Penny, but also involved allowing a number of lesser players to leave.
The Cubbies made one huge addition by subtraction move when troubled outfielder Milton Bradley and his bad contract were shipped off to Seattle. In return, they took on another ugly deal in pitcher Carlos Silva. At least I have never heard anything negative about Silva’s clubhouse demeanor.
To that end, I have read several reports speculating that the Cubs recent addition of first baseman Kevin Millar was more about chemistry than baseball. The 38-year-old was a part-timer last season in Toronto and over the last couple of years batted .230 with an OPS of barely .700. Yet one of the self-styled “idiots” from the 2004 Red Sox is also known as a fun-loving, free spirited guy – just the opposite of the sullen, explosive Bradley.
I wonder if Sweet Lou Piniella can deal with the other extreme?
Here is a brief summary of the Cubs comings and goings this winter, courtesy of The Sports Xchange.
ARRIVALS: RHP Carlos Silva (trade with Mariners), RHP Jeff Gray (trade with A’s), OF Marlon Byrd (free agent from Rangers), 1B/3B Chad Tracy (minor league free agent from Diamondbacks), OF/1B Xavier Nady (free agent from Yankees), 1B Kevin Millar (minor league free agent from Blue Jays).
DEPARTURES: OF Milton Bradley (traded to Mariners), RHP Rich Harden (free agent, signed with Rangers), INF/OF Jake Fox (traded to A’s), INF Aaron Miles (traded to A’s, then traded to Reds), LHP Neal Cotts (non-tendered, signed minor league deal with Pirates), RHP Aaron Heilman (traded to Diamondbacks), OF So Taguchi (released, signed with Japanese team), OF Reed Johnson (free agent, signed with Dodgers), RHP Kevin Gregg (free agent, signed with Blue Jays).
Lou on Mac and hitting
Speaking of Lou speaking, his recent comments at an awards dinner in the Big Apple were reported in The New York Times. The Cubs manager says he forgives Mark McGwire and thinks the support of Albert Pujols will go a long way for the new Cardinals hitting coach, who he thinks will “do a nice job.”
A former hitting coach himself with the Yankees, Piniella also has some suggestions. He wonders whether McGwire will need to learn how to deal with today’s ballplayers and offered this interesting advice for working with major league hitters:
“You don’t really need to change any mechanics.”
Hmmm.
The Times piece ends with a totally unrealistic view of how McGwire will be greeted at Wrigley this summer.
“I think Cub fans will treat him fine,” Piniella said. “We have a great rivalry. He’ll be accepted well. I think they feel he confessed and it’s over with.”
Yeah, right. McGwire might be wise to investigate whether any of the Wrigley hard hats pictured above are still for sale.
La Russa on Chicago
Like Tony La Russa, Piniella’s current contract ends after the 2010 season and Lou has suggested it might be his last in the Windy City. In the same interview from which I reported his White Sox-related remarks, La Russa also made it very clear he doesn’t ever see himself taking his friend Piniella’s job.
“You’ve got a double-headed whammy there. I have a lot of friends and fans that I’m close to with the White Sox. And you know White Sox and Cubs, they don’t mix. I’ve got friends and fans that I’m close to in St. Louis, and the St. Louis Cardinals and the Cubs don’t mix. So I think if there is one place that I don’t fit, just because of my past, it would be the Chicago Cubs.”
Spring training handout debated
The Cubs made a preliminary decision on their spring training future, opting to stay in Mesa, Arizona rather than move to Naples, Florida. There is just one small problem – how to pay for the replacement for Hohokam Stadium.
The idea on the table is a controversial “Cubs Tax”. Under the proposal, other Arizona spring training teams would be assessed a ticket surcharge to build up a kitty for the Cubbies’ new den. Not surprisingly, cross-town rivals the Chicago White Sox and the Arizona Diamondbacks have already come out against the half-baked idea.
It appears that the next key date is in mid-July, at which time Naples could re-enter the fray if the Arizona folks cannot come up with a more realistic plan.
Follow me on Twitter.
Thanks Brian. I feel better about the Cards now. The Cubs are truly fubar, but not so much as the Mets (I read where Wellemeyer said no thanks Omar). Still, nothing takes the edge off a snowy winter day like contemplating the fiery wreckage on Chicago’s north side. Lou is so perfect for that job. Perhaps the Dodgers and Phillies will burst into flames as well.
MLB rumors site has an editorial type piece on whether Damon and Lopez are getting screwed by Boras. It is critical of his practice of making outrageous demands in November, then holding out. But admits it worked in some cases this year despite the economy.
The continuing lack of any noise about Lopez is baffling, unless Scotty really turned off everyone who enquired earllier. Or unless Lopez’s inability to stick with anybody is due to some issue that nobody will mention to us peons.
Haven’t read the report, bb, but the answer for Damon at least is “yes”. Boras’ heavy-handed tactics work for the big fish but no so well for the smaller fry.
Looper’s agent also doesn’t seem to realize that just being 35 makes you small these days. He’s making noise about how Looper won’t take this and that. Being 35 and leading the league in homers and having off-season arthroscopy.
I like Looper. His gifts aren’t substantial, but he competes hard.
I pick the Cubs for 1st as of May 1st. They don’t have the life to take the division me thinks. Lew’s caution against changing hitters mechanics at this level is provocative indeed. He is seeing what I’m seeing. He recognizes a coming “impediment” to MM’s Rolodex concept..
Westy, I hadn’t realized you fell for Scotty’s excuse for MH’s poor showing in Oakland. Those darn mechanics, that darn McGwire. Waa waaa.
The part about the Cubs on May 1st was a good one.
Agree about Looper. He’s a hoss. Too bad he doesn’t have better stuff.
The Cubs gave up on Jake Fox far too early, especially if they were going to go out and pick up both Chad Tracy and Xavier Nady. Fox had some sparkling minor league numbers. Oakland should be thrilled.
Milton Bradley is a jerk, but Carlos Silva should not be a starting pitcher in major league baseball, much less for that kind of money.
Mo’s comment about Skip’s contract suggested that Skip has settled the question of a leadoff man. That’s against righties I assume.
That’ll be up to TLR…
Boras unsigned players include Damon, Garret Anderson, Hank Blalock, Jarrod Washburn, Lopez, Joe Crede…
Smart move by Skippy to not risk getting DFA’d next year.
So I guess Mo will be sitting on a beach somewhere for a couple weeks. He will be working on Albert’s re-up between mai-tais of course. Skip’s deal seems like a good one for both sides.
Players make agents famous, more than the other way around.
I enjoy these rumors Ricketts and the Cubs are in debt. Spending $900MM on the Cubs does not seem like a clever idea.
They got Wrigley Field and a 25% stake in SportsNet Chicago along with 95% of the Cubs for $845M according to Cot’s. They’ve got a lot of money invested in something that won’t go up in value anytime soon. It’s probably gone down a bit since they made the purchase.
After selling the parking garage, what did the Cards cost? $125MM? So the Cubs cost about 7 times as much, despite being a two team city. The ballpark is old and smallish. If I had $845MM just burning a hole in my pocket and it had to be spent, the Flubs would be about the last toy on earth I would want to buy.
Since the early 80′s the value of MLB teams has shot straight up. You could overpay and it didn’t matter much. The value would literaly double in just a few years, then double again in a few more. A giant pile of equity would materialze, making banks and bondholders happy and making financing anything easy. Nothing can go up like that forever. Bdw got in early enough, his investment has tripled. Ricketts got in right at the top.
More Wrigley changes
Three concerts to be held at Wrigley this summer. Don’t miss the story about the concert bus and the tour boat. It is a must-read classic! Link to Chicago Sun-Times
The realistic view of how Chicagoans will greet McGwire, from the Chicago Tribune:
” Sounds like Piniella’s offseason lobotomy took”