The Cubs Convention hangover is real. A great weekend packed with all things Cubs has me dreaming about a sunny 1:20pm game in July. The Sheraton was filled with all of your favorite Cubs super fans. You had Crawley, first in line, asking the hard hitting questions to Tom/Laura Ricketts. Bleacher Jeff drunkenly (presumably) belting Karoeke in the lobby with Danny "SonRanto" Rockett. Ronnie Woo Woo, who doesn't do any woo-ing anymore so might need to rebrand, just kind of being there. Captain Cubbo wheeling around his cubs cart carrying his bat and shield when his arms get tired of lugging his accessories around. Just a fantastically nerdy Cubs weekend to get you amped up for the season to come.
Highlights/Takeways
Fabian is a star
Headlining the Ryan Dempster show Day 1 was Pat Hughes, Dansby Swanson, Cody Bellinger....followed by Fabian. Yes, the Cubs had a letterman style show hosted by Dempster and brought out the left field ball boy as a headliner. If they didn't successfully add talent this offseason, I would be a little embarrassed that Fabian is main stage talent. But, I think it's a hilarious on-going joke/story and Fabian deserves all of the attention. My guy was taking pics, signing autographs, and at one point was recognized while escorting Adrian Sampson by a fan and that fan looked at his Mom and said "Hey that's Fabian!" But didn't notice Adrian Sampson. That fan was definitely not me.
Business Ops - The Ricketts Still Just Suck
Saturday opened with one of the most strategic moves the Ricketts have ever made in Chicago. Purposely starting their session sitting down, not being introduced, and just having Cole Wright immediately start moving with the session. Can't be boo-ed if you're never introduced. Really clever defensive tactic that kind of handcuffed the fans. They then spent about 20 minutes talking about Laura Ricketts prolific softball career and how much they donate to charity...again, trying to disarm the fans and come across as "good people". They finally started talking about the baseball team they own and a few things were said that stuck with me:
I guess buying a soccer team wouldn't take away from the money they spend on the Cubs because it comes from a different investment fund. I don't get this and maybe that's because I don't have millions of dollars but it seems like a lie.
It doesn't sound like Sammy will be coming back anytime soon. Multiple fans asked about bringing Sammy back and Tom was pretty blunt in that there's been no progress and that there are 2 sides to this story. There was one fan behind me who kept muttering that he's a cheater and he shouldn't be allowed back. You can probably picture what this 1 fan looked like because that's what all of the "Don't let Sammy back" fans look like. In 2024, Sammy will be eligible to be voted into the Cubs Hall of Fame by fellow inductees as well as a group of sports writers. Hopefully he'll be voted in and can bypass the "invitation" needed from the Ricketts.
The Sportsbook will be "cool" - says Tom, the very "cool" guy. A lot of questions were asked all weekend about the Sportsbook and look, I have no problem with upgrading a ballpark/stadium to move with the times. Gambling is becoming bigger and bigger and they insisted that all revenue generated from the Sportsbook will go into a fund that feeds into the team. On-field, player development, resources, etc. That sounds fine...more money = better team. However, it's not about that. It's about the fact that the Sportsbook is a glass box that just doesn't fit in with the rest of the renovations that they've made. The rest of the renovations really blend in well with the natural beauty of Wrigley Field. The sportsbook looks like it should be at SoFi stadium in LA and not next to a historic landmark...
Springsteen is FOR SURE coming to Wrigley this Summer
Baseball Ops - Jed/Carter Trying To Find Competitive Advantages
I think the big takeaway from everything that Jed and Carter had to say was that they've really worked to think outside of the box and find some competitive advantages over other teams. I think the way they've added and constructed this team really reflects that. Everyone has the same advanced saber metrics and data department so how can the Cubs win in the offseason if they cant't just spend the most money? I think not being able to spend the most money is a problem but see above section marked "The Ricketts Still Just Suck." With the shift being banned, they seemed to really prioritize defense to try to gain an advantage there. They've also shown that player development at the major league level might be a place to gain an advantage by going after a few players (Bellinger, Hosmer, Mancini) that might need a little help to get back to all-star/MVP form. Combine this thinking of unique competitive advantages with big spending at the right time and sprinkle in continued development of young stars at the minor league level and you might just have a nice little recipe here for a jungle juice that's going to get me banged up all Summer long.
The Future Is So Bright
The Cubs have a top 10 farm system and it was on display at the convention this year. They brought 15 total prospects at various levels to the Sheraton to remind us that there is a lot to be excited about. They should enter the 2023 season with 4 prospects in the Top 100 list which should include Brennen Davis, PCA, Kevin Alcantara, and Cade Horton/Jordan Wicks. I won't just sit here and list out all the guys I'm excited for but a few things that stood out to me...
PCA could be the face of the franchise. The dude is so smooth and well spoken. Mature beyond his years and showed 0 nerves up there on stage in front of everyone. I also think we could be best friends but only time will tell.
Ed Howard looks like a BEAST and has clearly been in the weight room since being drafted out of Mt. Carmel High School
Kevin Alcantara is a monster...listed at 6' 6" but stands closer to 7' when you see him in person
Were there some complaints with the Cubs Convention this year? Absolutely. But because most people reading this aren't CubsCon nerds, I'll keep those thoughts to myself/the post convention survey that I'll be filling out. All that matters is that baseball is 72 days away and this convention, whether you went to it or not, should be getting you jacked up. The team is going to be competitive. There's a bright future. And baseball is always fun at Wrigley Field.
Since you made it this far in a very nerdy blog, you get a video of captain cubbo filming one of those 360 things...
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