Club Analysis: Rebuilding

Reconstructing the North

By Tony Rusch

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The Cubs fell 1-0 to the Dodgers yesterday afternoon, helping Los Angeles to its 14th straight road win and dropping Chicago to a bitter 49-62.

The past two series (Milwaukee and Los Angeles) have brought the Cubs back down to earth after finishing the first half of the season on the upswing. As of late the club has only tallied one win in its last seven games, four of those losses coming from a series sweep at Wrigley that helped the white-hot Dodgers improve to 14-2 since the All-Star Break. The club has recently made several moves in the international market in hopes of rebuilding its farm system under the direction of Theo Epstein, but the Cubs continue to struggle on-the-field in the meantime (watch Sveum's reaction to the loss here).

Chicago is undoubtedly in a state of reconstruction, which, as opposed to other major American sports, will likely take multiple years to complete. As a fan, it's difficult to watch the team struggle season in and season out, creating tons of empty seats at the Friendly Confines. Baseball, however, doesn't have the profit-sharing that football has, teams are left to fend for themselves. This is especially devastating to a Chicago team that finds it difficult to fiscally compete with other clubs because it lacks an electronic scoreboard, which proves to be a major source of advertising revenue for almost every other organization.

Epstein has pushed for major renovations to Wrigley Field that would include the construction of an electronic scoreboard in the outfield and a pedestrian walkway that leads to the stadium, but the plans, which must be approved by several parties, have been met by opposition on multiple fronts. It seems that the largest road-block for Epstein's plan is, surprisingly, the tradition of Wrigley Field itself. The proprietors of the rooftop buildings that overlook the field have veto power for plans that propose renovations to the stadium, especially those that propose to put large, obstructive signs in the view of their customers.

The two sides have attempted to find common ground on the issue which threatens to slash both parties. If the Cubs can't find extra revenue they won't be able to pony up competitive offers to big free agents when the club is finally in a position to compete (like the $125 million contract given to Josh Hamilton when he was a free agent in the off-season). Instead, the team makes up the difference by over-charging for seats, which keeps fans from attending the game, especially when the club is a mere two games from the bottom of the NL central and 18 games back from the MLB-leading Pirates. And still, there are just some people who do not want to see the Wrigley Field tradition of a hand-operated scoreboard give way to the future of electronic signage.

Baseball is also unique from other sports in regards to its draft. In sports like basketball and football players who are drafted from college, or even high school, are often seen on the field the following season. America's favorite past-time, however, operates differently. Players who are drafted from college or high school rarely make their big league debuts the following season; rather, they are expected to grow in the minor league system until they are ready. This makes it incredibly difficult to rebuild a team over night, making the Cubs' "next year" another rung on the ladder rather than the solution that many fans hope for.

The moral of the story here is that the Cubs have a long road ahead of them before we can expect them to be competitive again. On a lighter note, the past few seasons of rebuilding under Epstein have yielded some bright spots. First baseman Anthony Rizzo, who has shown the club that he can provide power from the left-side of the plate, will most likely be in a Cubs uniform for a long time with Epstein at the helm. Similarly, Starlin Castro, who was a Cub before the Epstein era, was given a long contract under the new management and will likely be a central part of the club's plans moving forward. Other young players, such as shortstop/outfielder Junior Lake, give fans hope that the club is headed in the right direction.