Dear Cubs Fans -

Over the past few years, the Chicago Cubs have embarked on a journey unlike any other in sports. With the support of our loyal fans and partners, we intend to build the best organization in baseball. I believe the 2014 season will be viewed as a critical turning point for the franchise and am excited to share an update on our progress.

Talent acquisition. Player development. Facility improvements. The 2014 season has served as an inflection point for each of these crucial elements toward our primary goal of winning a World Series. Our baseball operations department has assembled a farm system recently ranked as the best in the league by Baseball America, ESPN and others. That system is led by three of the top seven prospects in baseball, according to Baseball America and Baseball Prospectus, including Kris Bryant, who was selected as this season's Minor League Player of the Year by Baseball America, MLB.com, USA Today, Yahoo Sports and others.

Of course, these prospect rankings aren't the end game. However, this national validation suggests our plan to acquire and develop young, talented players who can make a long-term impact is coming together. You've seen several of these prospects gain valuable experience in the majors this season, joining players like All-Stars Starlin Castro and Anthony Rizzo, who have been among the best at their positions in the National League.

From the day a player walks into this organization until they step onto Wrigley Field, our family has committed to delivering the best facilities in baseball. Our new Spring Training facility, Cubs Park, debuted in Mesa this spring and broke the all-time Cactus League Spring Training attendance record. We're thankful to everyone who helped set that record and invite you to join us next year if you haven't had a chance to see the ballpark. In addition to Cubs Park, we now operate a state-of-the-art baseball academy in the Dominican Republic that is the largest in baseball. And recently, we transitioned three of our Minor League affiliate player development contracts to Myrtle Beach (S.C.), South Bend (Ind.) and Eugene (Ore.) to ensure our Minor Leaguers are training and playing in world-class facilities.

After celebrating Wrigley Field's 100th birthday this season, we're excited to move forward with our $575 million restoration and expansion project that will save and improve this century-old landmark while developing the surrounding neighborhood. Construction is underway and we plan to complete the Budweiser Bleacher expansion for the 2015 season. The elements of Wrigley Field you know and love will remain, while much-needed improvements will make the ballpark a better place to play and watch baseball. For periodic updates on the status of Wrigley Field's restoration and expansion, please register at www.wrigleyfield.com.

In addition to winning a World Series and saving Wrigley Field, our third ownership goal is to be a good neighbor. Cubs associates successfully spearheaded 100 Gifts of Service to integrate our community activities into Wrigley Field's 100th birthday celebration. The team committed $250,000 to the City of Chicago's overall $6.5 million investment in youth baseball fields and programming, as well as $1 million toward a new playlot on School Street near Wrigley Field, to be named after pioneer Cubs executive Margaret Donahue.

Cubs Charities also took tremendous steps in 2014, continuing the Cubs Scholars and Cubs on the Move Fitness Trolley signature programs while launching the Diamond Project, which awarded more than $330,000 in grants to improve the quality and safety of local baseball fields. Your support of these programs through attending Cubs Charities events, 50/50 raffle ticket purchases and personal donations helped Cubs Charities donate a record $4 million this year.

It has been an encouraging year as we progress on our long-term plan, but there is still much work to be done. We feel and appreciate your shared enthusiasm. We also realize this exciting journey wouldn't be possible without your support. We're building something special from top to bottom and the plan is starting to unfold at the Major League level. Competitive baseball is back on the North Side.

Let's Go Cubs,
and here is the THANK YOU VIDEO

http://m.mlb.com/video/v36768739/thank-you-cubs-fans/?partnerId=ed-8740616-741401703

Tom Ricketts

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

Thank God Theo has found the inflection point!

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General Jim wears Fort Bragg down to get it!

I knew you would love it.

At least you see he is working in a shitty little cube.

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

I can't wait for the season recap video -

THE 2014 CHICAGO CUBS: INFLECTION POINT

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My Maserati does 186.

No need now, money due friday for tickets!

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

Did you pony up?

dropped off check today, I look forward to it being cashed by 9 AM tomorrow.

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

What, the biggest tank job of all time?

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See, I really do believe these douchebags think they are doing something unique

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

Reading that makes me sick to my stomach.

Ricketts makes Mike McCaskey look like Dick Butkus.

What a blueblood little nerd!

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favrefan said:"Chris Coghlan isn't gonna pay your rent, Jimmy."

If Jerry Reinsdorf put out a letter like this, he would absolutely be crucified. I would take it as a total and complete slap in the face.
Edit- would take it as a slap in the face after the 4 straight years of constant losing.


Put out a thank you video, thats fine. There is positively no need or reason to put out a letter like that. Especially 48 hours before the NL/AL CS starts.

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how is what the cubs did (stockpiling high draft picks, ending up with david dejesus) radically different from what the rays did? and didn't you hire theo to technically do what boston did? if you're bringing theo in for $4mil/yr for strictly baseball reasons and not as an excuse to slash 25-50mil/yr in payroll, would the whole "plan" have gone tits up if he was picking at #10-15 as opposed to #1-5? do i need to shutup until i see babe bryant on a daily basis?

and didn't the islanders have a john spano experience already? oh yeah i forgot that your dad can cover your ass in case of emergency and you're decidedly not-mark-cuban. that combination is definitely unlike any other in sports.

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He probably should have had a grammar teacher review the letter before it was mailed.

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

Knew about the park on school. Easy street to find parking later in the evening!

Didn't realize the large sum of money given to charity. Very impressive.

..

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That almost pisses me off. That's the ultimate bribe for a community leader "Jennifer Dedes nowakbergenstein" or whatever her name is, is also a communty board member and also works for Cub charities, she played shill for them and got this "exclusive" park for the children that have nowhere to go...besides the huge park at Hawthrone school which is almost 1 FULL BLOCK away!

I am just guessing the Cubs are inculding this in their "work" and counting it just as a "donation", for a small park, they have a serious crew working on it. The local moms have been working on fundraising for this for 5+ years.

It gets the cubs much closer to winning

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

Did you get this info from Bernstein?

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Dear Tom Ricketts,

Over the past few years, the Chicago Cubs' fan base has embarked on a journey, wherein we've been shoved onto a leaky slave ship that we've more or less had to power ourselves while being told we're going somewhere we've never been before in a language we don't understand. Fine, we're rowing Tom. Row, row, row our boat gently by the lake shore. I believe the 2014 season will be viewed as a critical turning point for the franchise as it's the last one you get before we dress Ronny Woo Woo up like Nat Turner and march on Uncle Tom's Cabin.

It has been an encouraging year only insomuch as it finally fucking ended, and it's a few months without having to see you and your creepy family trot out some idiot message or mascot or some other mundane masturbatory machination meant to placate only the basest of the common clay of Cubdom.

If you think you can feel and appreciate our shared enthusiasm, rest assured the various Picts and Gaels of Wrigleyville will be happy to acquaint you with the newest incarnation of the Arthurian legend of the Night of Long Knives should we have to endure just one more futile, rudderless, and losing season without verifiable and demonstrable progress towards the cusp of a trend of World Series appearances.

Let's Go Cubs indeed.

Your baseball pal,

Don Tiny

PS - if you in any way, accidentally or otherwise, prove jimmypasta correct, I'll personally find you and know you 'biblically' with a cucumber and replay it ad infinitum on that new video board of yours.

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Power is always in the hands of the masses of men. What oppresses the masses is their own ignorance, their own short-sighted selfishness.
- Henry George

Love that park. Toss around the football Sunday mornings before kick. Better turf than Soldier Field!

Outside of the Turf they have more than enough stuff for kids in the way of equipment for them. Didnt need a newer park 1 block from it.

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

I take it you're a member of the 80%.

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General Jim wears Fort Bragg down to get it!

This 80% ?

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Power is always in the hands of the masses of men. What oppresses the masses is their own ignorance, their own short-sighted selfishness.
- Henry George

Amen.

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That is just fucking awful, what a clown show.

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2018
#ExtendLafleur
10 More Wins

The Chicago Cubs have embarked on a journey unlike any other in sports

-Cubs have a plan just like every other team in sports
-Most of those plans don't work

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

The Pirates fourth plan in a row is finally working. They have received two successive one and outs in WC games as a result.

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Elections have consequences.

correct, eventually it can work, see the Royals.

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

I only now recall the circular reasoning vs pretzel logic idiotfest argument from last week, or was it a couple weeks ago, you're probably referring to. That said, iirc RPBs point was more correct than yours, if not at least more consistent.

My stance has been clear ... this was my last year of accepting the dogshit. Next year it's time for something clearly and attributively meaningful, if not entirely outright championship-level. After that, it's 6th gear pedal-to-the-metal for a decade, give or take. For one reason or another it's time for shit to be lit on fire directly attributable to the Cubs' performance.

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Power is always in the hands of the masses of men. What oppresses the masses is their own ignorance, their own short-sighted selfishness.
- Henry George