Family guy

The Cubs are now a family-owned team, and the guy who seems to be driving the family's agenda, Tom Ricketts, said all the things yesterday that Cubs fans wanted to here: The new owners are committed to getting the Cubs a championship; there is no curse on the Cubs; they will stay most out of the way and let baseball people do their jobs.

Ricketts' mere presence suggests a changing of the Cubs from a corporate entity into a family business, but will that really be the case? The club should not be confused with a mom-and-pop store that cares about its customers more than a corporate behemoth. This team was just sold for several hundred million dollars, and at the end of the day, it's a business that will be owned by people who have business success in their blood.

Aside from endorsements for GM Jim Hendry and manager Lou Piniella to continue their work for another year, there was not much real baseball talk at yesterday's coming-out party for the Rickettseseseses... The World Series has barely started, so it may be a while before the real baseball moves begin, but much of the coverage of yesterday's press conference suggested that the Cubs will not be spending much money over the off-season. I can only hope that means they will unload Milton Bradley's salary in favor of Chone Figgins or Bobby Abreu, though more likely it could mean a fairly inactive off-season for the Cubs--not exactly the best way to begin the charge toward a championship.

Cubs file for bankruptcy protection

The Cubs filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, a move that had been expected in order to allow the organization's sale to the Rickettseseses... to move toward completion. All I want to know is if this will get in the way of Cubs' efforts to sign their new right fielder Bobby Abreu, new multi-position stud Chone Figgins and new No. 4 starter John Lackey.

All three of those guys are in the L.A, Angels, who are about the enter the ALCS and give the Yankees a run for their money. So, I guess they won't be available for a while, which is exactly why the Cubs might want them--and why the Sox should want them, too. My guess is the Cubs will take a look at all three, but might be (finally) gun-shy about big free agent contracts.

I like the chances that the Sox might actually end up signing Abreu to take over in right field after Jermaine Dye lost his job with a dreadful late-season slump. Both teams really could use Figgins, though I wonder if both will be part of a group of teams that drive up the bidding before the Red Sox swoop in and sign him.