Comments on: Bud Selig could intervene in Theo Epstein talks

By: El Bravo

El Bravo — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 22:45:37 +0000

I think if Ricketts, Theo and the Sox crew sat down and chilled out with some good tunes, refreshments and some Bud it would be therapeutic for all involved.

By: El Bravo

El Bravo — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 22:39:59 +0000

I’m so irritated that I punched a kitten in the nuts.

By: tacklemeelmo

tacklemeelmo — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 22:11:54 +0000

I feel like I just had a colonoscopy.

By: foreverchipper10

foreverchipper10 — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 21:08:02 +0000

HANGING CHADS! AHHHH!!!

By: henryd3rd

henryd3rd — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 19:41:20 +0000

The Cubs have been without a GM ever since the signed Hendry on as GM. When was their last World Series appearance? Talk about long suffering; but this is ridiculous.

By: henryd3rd

henryd3rd — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 19:34:34 +0000

Crazy! Bud must be behind this as well

By: cur68

cur68 — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 18:27:41 +0000

You guys are right; the thumb thing is screwed. I hadn’t used them because I just don’t, but now I can’t change the total on the thumbs at all. Another thing, I’m also getting a “slow script” message when I click on given article. I have to tell Safari to stop running it to get the page to load. If I disable Java script it stops happening but then I can’t even see the thumbs. Its only on this portion of the sports site, too. The others have no problem. I think HBT has a problem….

By: WhenMattStairsIsKing

WhenMattStairsIsKing — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 17:17:37 +0000

I’m so irritated that I’m willing to beg Allan to actually interfere with something to get it done. How’s that for irritated?

By: bigleagues

bigleagues — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 17:05:41 +0000

I have to admit, excellent analysis.

The only thing Selig coudl do that won’t be viewed as favoring one side or the other is to declare Ricketts deal with Epstein null and void and order all future transactions of this nature will have to be negotiated via the Commissioners Office. I don’t imagine that would sit well with the owners.

Ricketts is attempting to lure Epstein away with hefty sum of money – perhaps unprecedented as Lucchino is apparently positing.

If Selig endorses the Ricketts strategy by unilaterally deciding the Red Sox must choose two mid-level prospects from a list, in effect compelling the Red Sox to consent to a deal they would not agree to under normal circumstances – then it’s likely we’ll eventually start hearing about all kinds of team protections being included future executive contracts.

If Selig chooses to side more with the Red Sox view of the matter, in essence supporting your argument that he wants to set a premium on these types of deals and do so by granting them a couple of top prospects or a top prospect and a ML player, there will be owners who are outraged – Ricketts being front and center.

By: kiwicricket

kiwicricket — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 16:31:27 +0000

I would have to agree. That Sir, is most definitely a flatulence face.

By: thinman61

thinman61 — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 16:27:23 +0000

Theo is under contract with the Red Sox through next season. The compensation is for buying out the last year of his contract, regardless of whether the move is lateral or not.

By: bigleagues

bigleagues — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 15:56:02 +0000

Old Gator,

Whenever Florida ’00 needs to be invoked – you know its a serious problem!

LOL

By: Cris E

Cris E — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 15:55:18 +0000

…I could eat a jalapeno and cheese sweetcorn cake.

By: Old Gator

Old Gator — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 15:37:59 +0000

Great opportunity for a Mad Libs contest. Everybody ready? OK -

Gee WhenMattStairsisKing, just how irritated are you?

“I’m so irritated that_______________________________________________________________”

I will bake the winning entry a batch of my world famous jalapeno and cheese sweetcorn cakes.

By: Old Gator

Old Gator — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 15:35:13 +0000

Better yet – Theo announces that he’s had enough of the merry-go-round and has decided to go back to the Beanbags, since after all he does have a contract with them. Now wouldn’t that bring down serious pressure on John Henry’s hammer?

By: Old Gator

Old Gator — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 15:31:54 +0000

Stop making sense, Cris. It has no place here.

By: fouldwimmerlaik

fouldwimmerlaik — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 15:19:09 +0000

I have had that same thing happening for a couple of days. I thought it was my computer or something. Guess not.

By: Old Gator

Old Gator — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 15:18:17 +0000

He’s smiling like that because he knows that nobody else on the dais is going to dare ask who just farted.

Power intoxicates, don’t it?

By: Old Gator

Old Gator — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 15:16:16 +0000

Me too. At first I thought it was Chrome – you know how high-strung this browser can be – so I tried logging on with Explorer and the same thing happened. This is almost as bad as the 2000 election in Florida, though I doubt that the results will be nearly as catastrophic.

By: sknut

sknut — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 15:13:46 +0000

I am confused if Theo is being hired as team President isn’t that a promotion and do the Cubs still need to compensate the Red Sox for this? Or is it because different titles mean different things to the teams and thus they may view this as a lateral move?

By: Cris E

Cris E — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 15:08:42 +0000

I think there’s a role here for Bud to crush a nascent front office talent market cost explosion. Bud’s an owner at heart, and the last thing he wants are the clubs to start jacking up the cost of what’s traditionally been a fairly cheap part of the operation. As it becomes clear that dumping a couple million into operations makes more difference than incrementally improving your sixth inning guy, and as execs start making names for themselves as difference makers, then you’re at risk of throwing away the established gentlemen’s agreement to allow interviewing and creating a marketplace where things used to be free. I can easily see him anxious to settle this behind the scenes and establish some sort of protocol so that teams know what to expect in the future (and to prevent unprofessional dumbness from creeping into this particular situation.)

By: bigleagues

bigleagues — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 15:04:01 +0000

So I’m having a bizarro issue with the Thumbs Up/Down feature. I select a Thumb Up/Down, it momentarily shows my selection, then immediately reverts to the previous total – as if I didn’t select a Thumb Up/Down.

Has anyone else seen this happen?

By: bigleagues

bigleagues — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 14:58:53 +0000

One thing I do know . . . The CEO (Selig) has no business inserting himself into this unless both teams invite him to do so.

If it doesn’t work out, it doesn’t work out and each team will have to deal with the consequences, but Selig’s unilateral involvement would be his usual arbitrary reactionary self.

By: bigleagues

bigleagues — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 14:56:01 +0000

Once the Cubs made it known that they intend to sign Theo to a 5 year/$18.5 Mil deal, they lost what leverage they had. The Red Sox have their next GM, the Cubs do not.

Even worse, the Cubs have obviously been feeding the “deal is imminent” media monster.

Could the Cubs wait a year for Epstein? Yeah, I suppose. But a lot can happen in a year and John Henry could re-evaluate the Lucchino/Epstein dynamic and find a way to keep both. Lucchino is not signed beyond December.

Eventually, the Cubs would have to move on to other targets like Friedman (if he isn’t already off the market) or (ironically) Hoyer.

By: WhenMattStairsIsKing

WhenMattStairsIsKing — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 14:53:48 +0000

After this circus, not getting Theo now would be a PR disaster.

By: WhenMattStairsIsKing

WhenMattStairsIsKing — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 14:53:13 +0000

I can’t put into words how irritated I am at how long this is taking.

By: mornelithe

mornelithe — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 14:47:58 +0000

Yeah from my understanding, the Sox are the only one’s here with leverage. The cubs either give up something, or they go another year w/o a GM/Team President. They’ve got a decent enough payroll to let Epstein sit for a year.

By: Matt Aromando

Matt Aromando — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 14:37:11 +0000

Are the Cubs supposed to go a year without a GM or team president? Do they really want someone with the interim title for a whole year running the club, making key decisions, drafting players, signing free agents?

By: northsidechuck

northsidechuck — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 13:46:32 +0000

It’s not like Boston has any leverage, if worst comes to worst the Cubs will wait a year and get him without giving up anything

By: kiwicricket

kiwicricket — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 13:37:05 +0000

I am struggling to think of a strange old uncle who even makes faces like that. Nice one Bud.