In the 16 years since his family took ownership of the Chicago Cubs, Chairman Tom Ricketts has regularly walked around Wrigley Field interacting with fans during games.
It’s a way to connect with a fan base that lately has been making its feelings known about wanting the organization to re-sign impending free-agent slugger Kyle Tucker.
“l admit it’s been a theme of the summer for the fans here,” a smiling Ricketts told the Tribune on Friday. “But we’ll just pick up that at the end of the season. Kyle’s had a solid season and we’ve had a great year thus far. We’ve got some more guys coming in (from the trade deadline) to help us for the rest of the year, and I’m just really excited about the next two months.”
Friday’s festivities at Wrigley Field were a mix of somber and celebratory.
The Cubs were officially awarded the 2027 All-Star Game before their 1-0 win over the Baltimore Orioles, and throughout the game they honored franchise icon and Hall of Fame second baseman Ryne Sandberg, who died Monday.
Among the many ways the Cubs recognized Sandberg throughout the day: A pregame tribute video of his stellar career played on the video board, followed by 23 seconds of silence in honor of Sandberg’s retired number, while “23” was painted on the field behind home plate.
The Cubs will wear their royal blue road jerseys — all with No. 23 and no name on the back — as another tribute to Sandberg during Saturday’s game.
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred formally announced the All-Star Game will come to Wrigley for the fourth time. Of course, that might require the 2027 season not being affected by a work stoppage after the collective bargaining agreement with the players union expires at the end of the 2026 season.
Manfred has been meeting with every team this year in an effort to build a bridge between the sides. But it hasn’t been a completely smooth process.
Two-time MVP Bryce Harper recently confronted Manfred during the Philadelphia Phillies players meeting with the commissioner, reportedly telling Manfred, “You can get the f––– out of our clubhouse,” if owners want to discuss a salary cap.
“Look, I don’t talk about those player meetings,” Manfred said Friday in Wrigley’s home dugout. “Let me say this: I think more has been made out of this than needs to be made out of it. Bryce expressed his views. At the end of the meeting we shook hands and went our separate ways. Just not all that significant.
“It was an individual picking a particular way to express himself, and I don’t think you need to make more out of that than that.”
As much as Manfred seemingly has downplayed the possibility of a work stoppage in 2027, baseball fans’ concern, and perhaps even resignation, over that looming possibility is undeniable.
“It is natural that when you get to the end of a collective bargaining agreement, people who are glass-half-filled people have trepidation about what’s going to happen,” Manfred said. “I’m optimistic that we’ll find a way to make a deal.”
Friday’s events capped a busy week for the Cubs that started with a pivotal series in Milwaukee, before which the team announced a multiyear extension for president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer, who was in the final year of his contract.
“I’m thankful to be here for a long time,” Hoyer said Thursday. “Obviously I’m really happy to give stability to the staff. You guys always ask me those questions, but I’m not the only person that was wondering about that. So obviously I’m thrilled it got done. I couldn’t imagine a better place to work.”
Hoyer and Ricketts had been discussing an extension three to four weeks before it became official Monday.
“Jed’s done a really nice job over the last few years in increasing our overall organizational health,” Ricketts told the Tribune on Friday. “It’s not just the wins on the field. It’s the quality of our minor-leaguers. It’s the quality of our draft the last handful of years. He and his team are committed to getting better every day, and I just feel confident he’s the right guy to take us forward.”
Hoyer’s extension came three days before Thursday’s trade deadline. While his new deal erased any uncertainty about his future beyond the season, it also created a perception that without the unknown hanging over him, Hoyer would be able to make trades and not worry about their impact on his job security.
Asked whether that was a consideration in the timing of Hoyer’s extension, Ricketts said: “I’m not sure it mattered that much, to be honest. It just seemed like if we know what we’re going to do, let’s just get it over with.”
From Hoyer’s perspective, his decision-making at the deadline wouldn’t have played out differently had he still been working on his expiring deal.
“This isn’t about me, it’s not about my contract and not about those guys,” Hoyer said. “It’s about what we feel like is the right thing to do. For the organization, the goal is to be good every year. That’s the goal. The goal is not to have massive up and down cycles.
“That’s been the focus is to try to build something that’s sustainable, that we can do this year after year. And we can certainly do that. So my contract status didn’t change that. That’s the goal.”