Ricketts gave a hint
That we might have someone new
Playing in right field
Last week I expressed concern about Tom Ricketts' unjustified confidence in Jim Hendry. But there was something else from Friday's news conference that might be a clue about some good news.
Ricketts did not make any concrete promises but said every decision would be made with the idea of helping the Cubs succeed and improving the ballpark experience, which he calls the "Wrigley vibe.""We're going to invest in the best facilities in baseball -- world-class facilities where every player wants to play and every coach wants to go," he said. "We're going to invest in the best personnel and we're going to hold that to the highest standards of excellence and accountability."
Easier said than done in Chicago, where Ricketts was asked if he believes in curses, just as Piniella was asked about the Billy Goat curse at the end of his introductory news conference three years ago.
"There is no curse, there is no curse, there is no curse," Ricketts repeated for emphasis. "If anybody on our team thinks he's cursed, we'll move him to a less accursed team. We're not going to put up with that. Cubs fans have to look forward, not backward."
The way I see it
That means Bradley could be gone
Here's a quote from Milt:
"And you understand why they haven't won in 100 years here, because it's negative. It's what it is." Asked whether he was talking about the fans, the media or even the Cubs organization, he replied: "It's everything. It's everybody."
If Mr. Ricketts agrees that with such comments Bradley showed he was looking backward, then maybe a deal for the right fielder we love to hate is near the top of the boss's off-season to-do list.
Filed under: Cubs
Tags: Cubs, Haiku, Jim Hendry, Milton Bradley, Tom Ricketts
