2013-14 MLB Hot Stove thread

The team's got plenty of money too. Wrigley is still packed at astronomical ticket prices and they're still getting teevee money.


Never ever ever ever ever ever ever ever believe a word of poor-mouthing poverty-pleading bullshit from billionaire professional sports team owners.

It's all part of their public relations long game: a continual monotonous drumbeat of sob stories about how broke they are, designed to subconsciously condition the public into accepting the idea of more massive tax-money giveaways. "We could afford Robinson Cano, if only ... if only ... if only ... if only the taxpayers would give us a new writeoff or kickback (or flat cash handout) worth a couple hunded mill a year. Yeah, that's the ticket!!!"

 

Wrigley attendance is down about 700k from its peak, and the TV deal is pretty stale. Half of it comes in renewal in 2014 and the other half at the end of the decade.

You've got your schtick down pat here, but it's misapplied in this specific situation. The Cubs aren't "poor." They are just owned by people who have taken great pains to make sure that the money they make goes into the ownership's pockets and only a limited amount can be spent on the team itself.

 

SF Chronicle reports that after locking up Pence, the Giants started talking contract with ... Tim Lincecum.

Boy I hope that doesn't happen.

 

In other words, they're using the typical billionaire owners' narrative )) of .... we need taxpayer money to survive!

 

They tried that and got shut down, so now it's "We have to lower payroll to survive, we aren't making any profits!"

(because the "profits" are being counted as interest payments on the debt that they borrowed from themselves to buy the team).

 

Sounds like they could count the interest as a tax writeoff in one book and a profit center in the other, and claim what benefits themselves from either.

If I tried that with my money, the IRS would stick me under Gitmo.

 

There have been rumors that the IRS might look a bit closer at the sale and tell Zell he owes more taxes.

 

Sam Zell had a great life plan -- buy a bunch of stuff with borrowed money, don't pay it back, sell it, don't pay the taxes, hope you die before you have to reconcile it all.

It's genius, really.

 

Let the Joe Girardi to Chicago rumors begin...

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-chicago-cubs-manager-dale-sveum-fired-20130930,0,1975349.story

 

I'm glad the Giants resigned Pence.

As for Lincecum, I'm hopeful because while his velocity is down, he's still in the top 10 of the majors in getting swings and misses on his pitches (only 74% contact rate I believe); that's elite stuff. He's young enough to still learn command and he's given hints that he accepts that now. Hey, its not my money, give him that extra $$ for the past dominance too.

 

Seattle has been rebuilding for the past decade and it doesn't seem to matter who they bring in, veterans or youngsters. Some years they seem to have some pieces, but it never comes together. Managerial graveyard.

 

Lincecum is 29. He is what he is at this point.