Your annual pen pal, Tom Ricketts

Dear Cubs fans, I never thought this would happen to me...

Your annual pen pal, Tom Ricketts
‘Here’s my IQ buddy!”

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As fans of real teams get ready for the playoffs, Cubs fans are left to lick their wounds, pack away their cup snakes and drool the drool of regret on the pillow of remorse. So over the next couple of weeks, I’ll put the 2023 season into true perspective with a series called simply, The Aftermath.

If you aren’t yet a subscriber you can try to take solace in the Cubs epic three week long wet fart of a season finish with 20% off a new subscription! Hey it’s better than nothing. By like, 80%.

Part five

A letter from Tommy

Every year, when the season is over, some intern has to write a letter from Tom Ricketts to season ticket holders, sponsors, people on the season ticket waiting list, and, apparently, me. And Tom takes a cursory look at it, makes sure it doesn’t make any promises to spend any money and then he signs off on it and it gets emailed out. Tuesday, October 10 was the date of this year’s letter.

I think we should take a look.

Cubs Fans,

Oh, hey, Tom. ‘Sup?

This wasn't the way we wanted the season to end and every year we miss the playoffs is a difficult one.

Well, by that gauge we are very used to difficulties.

However, this season, where we dug ourselves an early hole and then played as well as anyone in the league only to fall just short of our goal, was particularly disappointing.

Was it? I mean sure, it was disappointing, but the nice thing about rooting for a team with gaping holes in the roster is that you know you’re just a few waves from capsizing and drowning. It’s part of the thrill.

That said, we took a major step forward in 2023 and look to build on it for next season.

Yes. Major step forward! I mean, I know it’s hard to follow up on having the fifth best record in the National League in the second half like you did in 2022, but you know what? You did it! You improved all the way to [looks at the second half records of every team in the National League and grabs an abacus], the fifth best record in the National League in the second half! Wow! That kind of progress is, what’s the word I’m looking for, here? Oh, I know. That kind of progress is nonexistent.

Let me start by acknowledging and thanking you and all Cubs fans for the unwavering support you brought to the ballpark this season.

Oh no. I wavered. A lot.

Your energy helped fuel the team's performance and created an incredible atmosphere at Wrigley Field.

You’re welcome. I had no idea you felt that all the way from my house. Happy to help. Sometimes I watched the games on my patio. Maybe those are the times I contributed to the incredible atmosphere?

Baseball was exciting as the team showed historic resilience.

Are you sure you’re not missing a few words there? “Baseball was exciting!”

Brick, are you just naming things you see in the room and adding “was exciting?”

“Baseball was exciting!”

“Shirtless photo of David Ross was exciting!”

“Jar of Nick Madrigal baby teeth was exciting!”

This was the first team in franchise history to reach 10 games over .500 after finding itself 10 games under .500 earlier in the season.

Wow. That is an oddly specific, prestigious mark of spurious importance. Just remind me, though. How many games over .500 did you finish up?

This accomplishment was led by a combination of homegrown talent and veteran players who delivered All-Star caliber performances and fought to the very end.

Ahh yes, “this accomplishment.” And those three All-Stars really helped out in the second half, didn’t they? Justin Steele’s ERA went up by more than a run in the second half, and opponents went from slashing .230/.280/.327 against him in the first half to .272/.312/.416 in the second. And he was far and away the best of that bunch.

In the second half, Marcus Stroman’s ERA went up more than five and a half runs to a cool 8.63 and he managed to pitch just 24 innings.

Dansby Swanson hit .225 with a .306 on base in the second half. He was especially useful down the stretch. From August 15 to the end of the season he hit .213/.301/.335.

But hey, at least we were convincingly scolded for expecting the $177 million man to get some hits.

What also happened for the team this year was the emergence of a new core and a new identity.

It was just rookie hazing, Tom. They didn’t literally make the guys change their identities to Mario Kart characters.

Justin Steele rose as a contender for the N.L. Cy Young Award, anchoring the pitching staff and finishing with 16 wins and a 3.06 ERA, the third-best ERA in the N.L. Seiya Suzuki was second in the N.L. with a .349 average in the season's final two months. Ian Happ posted career marks in RBI (84), runs scored (86) and walks (99). Dansby Swanson and Nico Hoerner proved to be the elite up-the-middle defenders we envisioned entering the year. Swanson's 18 defensive runs saved led all shortstops, while Hoerner's .283 average was second and his 175 hits were third among all second basemen, not to mention his career-high 43 stolen bases. The addition of Cody Bellinger brought power and clutch hitting to the lineup as he finished in the N.L. top-10 in average (.307), slugging (.525) and OPS (.881) while providing outstanding defense in center field and at first base.

How did you guys ever lose a game?

I have a new favorite Ian Happ stat. If it felt like most of his RBI came against Pissburgh and Cincinnati, well it’s because they did. He drove in 19 runs against the Pirates and 14 against the Reds. That’s 33.

Against the other 27 teams (and in the other 136 games) he drove in 51 runs.

In fact, that made we wonder what his overall numbers were against everybody but the Reds and Pirates.

Overall, Happ hit .248/.360/.431/.791 with 21 homers and 84 RBI.
Without the Pirates and Reds, he hit .231/.343/.379/.722 with 15 homers and 51 RBI in 132 games.

Terrific.

Our goal is to win championships.

Sure it is.

While we are encouraged by many of the individual performances this year, almost making the playoffs is not success.

I don’t believe you. You got to sell “contention” all the way to the last home game. And we all know that’s all you really want to do.

As an organization, we need to build on our progress and become a team that can finish the race.

Oh, you finished the race. And you looked like this at the end.

To do that, we will continue to be active this offseason to supplement our roster and look for contributions from our pipeline of elite homegrown talent.

Why does “elite homegrown talent” reek of “Prestige Worldwide?”

Over the long term, the key to winning championships is consistently competing for a place in the postseason. While baseball playoffs are not random events, they do allow all teams a reasonable chance of winning.

Nope. This is bullshit and even you know it. Merely consistently competing for a place in the postseason is a loser mentality. Now that 40 percent of each league makes the playoffs, you’d have to be a complete failure to not at least “compete” for a place in the postseason. You know, like you were in 2022. If you actually want to win a championship you need to have one of the very best teams. Look at your roster compared to the Barves, Phillies and Dodgers. It’s like you’re playing a different sport.

You probably think the success of the D’bags in the playoffs proves you’re close since they only won one more game than the Cubs. But you went 1-6 against them this year. So think again.

To have a team that can play October baseball on a regular basis, it is critical we draft and develop a pipeline of young, talented players.

We get it. Cheap.

Our future is bright.

Yeah, well your manager isn’t.

Recent investments in our player development organization are beginning to pay off and our farm system is ranked among the top five in MLB.

Those rankings and seven dollars will get you your exact haircut down at the barber college.

While the teams in the system were generally successful, including Double-A Tennessee's Southern League championship, what is important is we are producing players who will help us win at the major league level.

Ahh, yes, the prestigious Southern League championship! Whoo!!

Minor league titles prove so much. Why, I was in the park in 2003 when the Cubs’ Lansing Lugnuts won the Midwest League, and it propelled so many of their best young players to greatness. Guys like Felix Pie, Buck Coats, and Donnie Hood really struck it big. You know, one guy with that 2003 Midwest League ring is still playing. Yes, it’s Rich Hill. He started four games for them.

The only other guys who had any kind of big league success from that team were Sean Marshall, Ryan Theriot (yikes), Randy Wells, Hill and Robinson Chirinos. I mean unless you count Casey McGehee, which nobody does.

Let’s hope the 2023 Smokies can produce at least that much impact talent.

After several years where we failed to produce impactful pitching,

We’re aware.

this season's young arms made significant contributions to the team in both starting and relief roles. While we anticipate further success from our current players, we also see a strong pipeline of pitching prospects on the horizon.

This message would be more persuasive if the significant contributions had at all averted a complete bullpen collapse in the final weeks of your season.

With respect to position players, Pete Crow-Armstrong was named the Minor League Defensive Player of the Year by MLB, and the Cubs now have six players in MLB​.​com's top-100 prospect list.

I’m glad Pete can catch flyballs, because so far he doesn’t look like he can hit a fastball.

We respect our past.

Oh, cool. So you’re going to honor Sammy Sosa, finally?

Without question, we have much to look forward to in the future. But as stewards of this organization, we also have a great responsibility to this iconic team. It's why fans from across the world come to Wrigley Field to experience Cubs baseball. And why we will never lose sight of the history, heritage and tradition that make our beloved ballpark such a magical place.

Magical. Like Disney World. There are a lot of similarities. Like a day at the Magic Kingdom, if you bring your family to Wrigley Field you’ll go home exhausted, penniless, inexplicably wet and most of you will be crying.

This season, we were honored to welcome Cubs greats Shawon Dunston and Mark Grace as the newest members of the Cubs Hall of Fame. We were happy to announce Ryne Sandberg would be joining Hall of Famers Ernie Banks, Fergie Jenkins, Ron Santo and Billy Williams on Statue Row.

If you ever start “Statutory Row” you can ask the Reds if it would be OK to put up a Pete Rose statue.

I remember watching Dunston, Grace and Sandberg from the bleachers, and celebrating their accomplishments brought back special memories that I know so many of you cherish as well.

Yes, I have many fond memories of you celebrating Shawon, Mark and Ryne’s accomplishments from the bleachers. Just like the fairy tale about how you met your wife there.

Of course, no recap of the 2023 season would be complete without acknowledging our great broadcaster and the longtime radio voice of the Chicago Cubs, Pat Hughes. As one of the best to ever enter the booth, Pat was the winner of the prestigious Ford C. Frick Award. Now, Pat will forever have his place alongside the other Cubs greats at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.

You know a season was a smashing success when the biggest moment was your radio broadcaster being awarded a plaque that he can’t even take home.

While the pain from our season finish still lingers,

Oh, no, Tom. That sounds serious. Have you seen a urologist?

we know it's time to move forward, and we can say with confidence that the future of the Cubs looks bright.

I didn’t believe you the first time you said this about ten paragraphs ago.

Our experience this season will strengthen the organization,

You know what they say, pain is the best teacher…and the last thing you’ll experience before your death.

and we are positive we'll arrive at Spring Training with an edge and the desire to finish the race in 2024.


Thank you to each and every Cubs fan for your continued support.

You’re welcome, pal. I’m sure you’d be fine with it if most of our support was of the emotional, not financial kind, right?

Tom

Previously on The Aftermath

Stop giving them the benefit of the doubt
As fans of real teams get ready for the playoffs, Cubs fans are left to lick their wounds, pack away their cup snakes and drool the drool of regret on the pillow of remorse. So over the next couple of weeks, I’ll put the 2023 season into true perspective with a series called simply, The Aftermath.
Jed man talkin'
As fans of real teams get ready for the playoffs, Cubs fans are left to lick their wounds, pack away their cup snakes and drool the drool of regret on the pillow of remorse. So over the next couple of weeks, I’ll put the 2023 season into true perspective with a series called simply, The Aftermath.
Wait 'til next year
Podcast: Cubs postmortem and playoff preview
(Here’s an obligatory shot of guys painting the playoff logo on the “grass”)