All together now!

[ironman]

There's only one change that can be made that will actually matter, and that's changing ownership. Until that happens, changing around the personnel in the GM, Manager and all other front office positions is pretty much meaningless.

I'm not even sure exactly what the hell McFail does, but the Tribune absolutely loves it.

Funny you should mention that...

(CBS) CHICAGO The Cubs need all the help they can get these days and one well-known sports figure is talking about the potential of buying the team.

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban says he'd make a pitch for the team if it went on the market.

CBS 2's Kristyn Hartman reports one e-mail response generated a lot of talk and led to a picture of Cuban on the back page of the Chicago Sun Times with the headline "Eyeing the Cubs."

The Cubs' abysmal game play and speculation in the last year the team could go on the block prompted Chicago newspaper columnist Jay Mariotti to fire off an e-mail to the Dallas Mavericks owner and billionaire.

He asked Cuban if he'd be interested in Cubs ownership and reported Cuban very quickly responded that he might be.

Mariotti says Cuban wrote "if they produce a book, I certainly would take a look at it."

On the Cubs and Wrigley Field, he apparently told Mariotti, "I've been there a bunch of times and had a blast every time. It's attractive because (the Cubs) are an institution in Chicago."

Cuban took time to respond even as his Dallas Mavericks work their way toward the NBA finals.

"I think he's done a really good job especially with the Dallas Mavericks. You remember how awful they were. So maybe he can turn it around here," said Cubs fan Matthew Levi.

According to Mariotti, Cuban has gotten e-mail from Cubs fans asking him to buy the team.

This is just idle chatter at this point, but it's a tantalizing thought. Lord knows he couldn't do any worse than the Trib.

Yeah I just read a less than favorable response to that Mariotti piece on Bleed Cubbie Blue.

http://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/story/20 ... 102017/312

I'm not a big Mariotti fan. He has a tendency to make big stories out of virtually nothing. After the Jacque Jones-baseball throwing incident, he suddenly likened Chicago to Philly fans. That's a bit extreme don't you think?

[knapplc]

All I know about Mariotti is what I've seen of him on that ESPN show with the other reporters. He's a goofball on that show. I've never read any of his articles that I know of.

[WittyC]

Count me as being on the fence with Dusty, but I think he deserves at least two more years.

On the one hand, he did bring the Cubs to their first appearance in the NLCS in nearly two decades. He actually improved on their record in the following season, as well, giving the Cubs their first back-to-back winning seasons in over three decades. He had a hand in Derek Lee breaking out last year by playing him more during ST (I'd link if I could find it, but before '05 there was a story on this). He's been a great figure-head and is reportedly very well liked by his players.

However, the Cubs brought him in for one primary reason: they needed someone who could help contain Sosa's big head (pun intended) the way he did with Barry. Baker only managed to do this for one season (although it turned out to be for the best). He makes questionable decisions during the game, and prior to '06 he had a reputation as being anti-prospects and sticking to veterens while not giving young players a chance to grow. Plus his kid is still annoyingly cute.

I'll admit he has his faults, but I like Dusty. He's very Chicago too me, and I think he needs a couple more years there. The Tribune has finally been giving Hendry some money to work with, and he's clearly just been wasting it (ummmm... Jacque Jones anyone?). Hendry should get canned, and Dusty should get two more years. If they fail to make the playoffs, can Dusty as well.

[ironman]

Count me as being on the fence with Dusty, but I think he deserves at least two more years.

On the one hand, he did bring the Cubs to their first appearance in the NLCS in nearly two decades. He actually improved on their record in the following season, as well, giving the Cubs their first back-to-back winning seasons in over three decades. He had a hand in Derek Lee breaking out last year by playing him more during ST (I'd link if I could find it, but before '05 there was a story on this). He's been a great figure-head and is reportedly very well liked by his players.

However, the Cubs brought him in for one primary reason: they needed someone who could help contain Sosa's big head (pun intended) the way he did with Barry. Baker only managed to do this for one season (although it turned out to be for the best). He makes questionable decisions during the game, and prior to '06 he had a reputation as being anti-prospects and sticking to veterens while not giving young players a chance to grow. Plus his kid is still annoyingly cute.

I'll admit he has his faults, but I like Dusty. He's very Chicago too me, and I think he needs a couple more years there. The Tribune has finally been giving Hendry some money to work with, and he's clearly just been wasting it (ummmm... Jacque Jones anyone?). Hendry should get canned, and Dusty should get two more years. If they fail to make the playoffs, can Dusty as well.

So you're comfortable with a couple more 70 win seasons? This team has gone downhill since '03. He destroyed our best pitchers, he's starting Murton and Cedeno only because he knows darn well he has no other remotely decent options. I mean look what he did with Theriot. They called him up to possibly fill in for the incredibly bad Neifi Perez and Jerry Hairston duo at 2B. Does Dusty even give him a chance? Nope. Ryan rides the pine for two weeks until an old codger named Tony Womack emerges (I can't complain too much since Womack is still better than Neifi). And his constant tinkering with the lineup is ridiculous. Can he keep a batting order for more than two days? I keep hearing that he's shaking things up to find the right order given the injuries he has. Injuries? Why are we pluralizing it? He's got one positional starter hurt and that's Lee. Why does every player except Juan Pierre pretty much get shuffled daily like an iPod tune?

And Hendry hasn't been much better. Fine Corey needed to go but its clear that Juan Pierre is not the answer. The guy never walks, so when he's not hitting, guess what? He's not getting on base. Kind of important when you're the lead-off guy. He then goes to replace Jeromy Burnitz in RF with someone who plays like....Jeromy Burnitz. The bench is quite possibly the most atrocious in all of baseball. Mabry, Bynum, Hairston, Perez, Blanco are horrible. Heaven forbid we have to rely on a pinch-hitter late in the game. Plus the Cubs are looking relatively thin in their farm system, most notably at positional players. Aside from Felix Pie, name one position player in their farm system that is highly touted. Theriot was their callup for the middle infield and he's a mediocre 27-year old at best. But we got plenty of pitchers. Guzman and Hill looked real sharp didn't they? And don't forget Bobby Brownlie who's been less than impressive in the minors thus far.

Hey at least their not as bad as the Marlins and Pirates right? Wrong. Sure the records might not show it, but look at their current Pythagorean W-L and you'll see the Cubs trailing both those teams. And if you're counting at home. The Pirates payroll is 1/2 of the Cubs, and the Marlins is 1/6.

$95 million and not a whole hell of a lot to show for it. Its time for a change.