Does Tribune Co. really want a World Series contender, a winner with the Cubs and all the spoils that come with that? Or is it content with filling seats, selling beer and concessions, etc., knowing full well they can do that at Wrigley Field with a team of American Legion players–or, in this case, the current team?
If the latter is true, and it seems to be, the Cubs are no more than a nice profit center for Tribune Co. primarily because of Wrigley Field. Regardless of the level of talent, the Cubs will never get into a World Series, let alone win it, with the current ownership. With free agency it’s obvious owners can pretty much go out and buy a World Series winner–Arizona, Yankees–if they know whom to sign. Yet the Cubs continue to acquire players who are aging and/or past their prime for lots of money (McGriff, Alou, Girardi, Hundley).
They’d be better off trading Sammy Sosa for prospects and start playing the vast array of talented minor-leaguers they supposedly have and develop a plan for the future using young players. How can they do any worse than this current group?
The continuous patchwork system of plugging holes with mostly mediocre, aging players and ending up with the occasional winning season is a failure. But then, does Tribune Co. care as long as the seats are filled?
