Note to Mr. Ricketts. Please Stop Being a Fan!

Since the news first came out, the person that I wanted to be the new owner of the Chicago Cubs, was Tom Ricketts. I wanted him as the owner, because he is a Cubs fan, and knows of the pain and torture we have been through over the past hundred years. I felt that he was the right choice, because we would finally have a face to the ownership team, and someone who would be passionate about what happened on the field, and would not just be about the bottom line. I will hold off judgment on how he has handled things in his first year until a later date, but if you have been following my blog this whole year, you know that there have been financial restraints, which I have mentioned a few times in earlier blogs.

For now though, I want to address one thing with him. Mr. Ricketts, please do not let your Cubs Fandom overtake your business smarts. Do not let that little kid inside of you tell you how to run your ball club. These thoughts are coming straight from the Chicago Businessman lunch that recently took place this past week, where a major player from each of the Chicagoland teams held a Town Hall meeting of sorts. Your description of what you want your new manager to be shows me that you are letting your fandom overtake your business smarts.

For those who missed what he said about what he is looking for in a new manager, allow me to fill you in on what was said. Directly from his mouth (as reported by Chicagobreakingsports.com) Ricketts said the following “We have to have a manager who really understands … the scrutiny you get and (must) be able to handle those periods in June when you lose three games in a row and people start talking about Year 103 of the curse,” Ricketts said. “We have to someone who understands what they’re getting into.”

Going off that quote, one would absolutely have to assume he wants either Joe Girardi or Ryne Sandberg to take over the role of manager of the Cubs in 2011. Personally, I would love to see either one of these two men wearing Cubbie Blue, leading the Cubs into the future.

The problem I have though, is the thought that he believes the Cubs need a manager who “understands the scrutiny” that comes from being the Cubs manager or being able to handle things when “people start talking about Year 103 of the curse” Those are not the qualifications I would be looking for when selecting the next manager of the team. The Cubs do not, I repeat do not need a manager who understands the Cubs culture to be successful. The Cubs do not need someone who knows what it would mean to Chicago and the fans of the Cubs to win a championship here. Personally, I would much rather have someone who is the best available candidate than someone who “knows the Cubs culture”.

Who knows, perhaps Sandberg or Girardi are the best two candidates available. If they are, then great; sign them up to lead the Cubs in the coming years. Just do not hire either of them to be the manager just because they understand the pressures of playing for and winning with the Cubs.

Mr. Ricketts, you are a very smart business man. Too smart too allow your heart to overtake your head. Do not pander to the group of Cub fans who truly believe that we need someone who knows about the past to be successful. That is just not true and you know that. However, from your words of what you are looking for, I wonder if that is truly what you feel or if you are just giving that group of fans what they want.

If that is truly how you feel, and what you think we need in a manager to win, then I am afraid that the wrong man bought the Cubs. I am glad a Cubs fan owns the team, but I don’t want a fan to run things. That is not how you win a championship. You don’t win by letting your heart control things. Find the best man for the job Mr. Ricketts, and don’t select him just because he happened to play for the Cubs.

Again, if that best man is either Sandberg or Girardi then great, there would be no finer end to the long drought than seeing an old face lead the way to the promise land. But the taste of champaign will taste just as sweet with someone else at the helm.