CHICAGO (670 The Score) -- Welcoming fans to the Cubs Convention took a different turn for team chairman Tom Ricketts on Friday night.
Although warmly greeted by many of the fans at the Sheraton Hotel, Ricketts was also booed when he brought up the new Marquee Network that will carry 150 Cubs games in 2020 and beyond.
That comes after a 2019 season in which the Cubs failed to fulfill high hopes and a listless offseason by the team's front office so far. The main concern is getting Comcast to agree with Marquee on picking up the games for the Chicago and suburban areas.
"I am not sure I was booed," Ricketts said on Inside the Clubhouse on 670 The Score on Saturday morning. "I think a lot of people out there really don't know what (Marquee) is yet. I think they are worried about the change. Ultimately, I think it's the best thing we can do for fans. Getting all the games on one channel will be great.
"The content will be all Cubs, all the time. We will bring back our old great players and the programming will be great. I don't think anyone will boo in a year. I think it is great for the fans and the organization."
Ricketts spoke prior to the convention's opening ceremonies Friday night, then turned it over to Cubs radio voice Pat Hughes, the emcee of the festivities.
But for a second straight year, Ricketts and his family didn't participate in a panel as they had in years past.
"We did it for many, many years," Ricketts said. "Honestly, we felt it was losing momentum and it was rated very poorly by the people doing their surveys. We honestly felt it was kind of played out. I am always happy to answer questions and as you know I am very, very accessible. I walk around the convention and ballpark talking to fans. There is really nothing for us not to talk about. We thought we would fill that gap with more baseball-oriented things. If people want it back, fill out the surveys and we will bring it back."
The Cubs are coming off an 84-win season and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2014. The team hasn't signed a player to a major league contract this offseason, leading to questions over the baseball budget.
"We had the second-highest payroll baseball, but we were the No. 1 in money spent in the game last year," Ricketts said. "Ultimately, in baseball, you generate revenue, you pay your expenses and give your dollars after that to the baseball guys. After the ballpark restoration being done, we are now at the point where we will be amongst the top teams every year in baseball resources. There will never be a season where the money is the real object for us.
"We will always be among the top spenders. The correlation between how much you spend and how much you win is not nearly as perfect as you would like it to be. The top two spenders in payroll last year (the Cubs and Red Sox) did not make the playoffs. There were two teams combined that were in the playoffs that had less payroll than us. We have spent a lot of money away from the field of new technology. This is to drive the new player development strategies the best we can.
"That is very expensive. We are building a multi-million dollar pitch lab in Arizona. There are ways of spending the fans don't see. We are investing in our future. But it's not as obvious as getting a free agent."
Ricketts stands confident in the Cubs' direction despite the uncertainty that looms.
"The players are all very excited about 2020," Ricketts said. "They are excited about playing for David Ross, and that will bring new energy. If we stay healthy, we are as good as anybody in our division. Finally, we can trust Theo (Epstein) and Jed (Hoyer). They are smart guys and they know what they are doing. They have done it for us before. I know there is a little anxiety because there is no big thing to point to this offseason. Everyone should be comfortable knowing we are going to put a great team on the field. It's going to be another great season."
Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.
