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After a polarizing offseason, Cubs owners decide to skip fan fest

Chris Cwik
·Staff writer
Tom Ricketts attended Cubs Convention in 2018. (AP Photo)
Tom Ricketts attended Cubs Convention in 2018. (AP Photo)

After a tumultuous offseason, Chicago Cubs fans might have some … let’s go with interesting questions for the team’s owners. Unfortunately for those fans, the opportunity to have their voices heard just got taken away.

The Ricketts family will skip the team’s annual fan convention in Chicago over the weekend. A Twitter user called @crawlyscubs first reported the news, which was confirmed by Bruce Miles of the Daily Herald.

The family will instead be on Ryan Dempster’s late night program Friday night. Dempster has done something similar in the past. While the Ricketts are busy Friday night, the convention lasts all weekend. They could have held a panel Saturday or Sunday.

This is a break in tradition for the Ricketts family. Tom Ricketts has appeared at the event over the past couple years. Last winter, the Ricketts family held an hour-long panel for fans. They did the same thing in 2017.

Why skip Cubs Convention now? It might be to avoid having to answer tough questions. The Cubs haven’t had a strong offseason. The team hasn’t pursued elite free agents like Bryce Harper or Patrick Corbin — before Corbin signed with the Washington Nationals. Meanwhile, the Milwaukee Brewers and St. Louis Cardinals made move to get better.

The bigger issue, however, may be Addison Russell’s presence on the roster. Russell received a 40-game suspension from Major League Baseball after violating the league’s domestic violence policy. He’ll serve the last 28 days of that suspension during the 2019 season.

Despite the suspension, the Cubs have held on to Russell during the offseason. The team also agreed to a contract for the 2019 season that allows Russell to recoup the money he will lose during the suspension if he hits certain incentives. During the offseason, Russell’s ex-wife Melisa Reidy shared some details of Russell’s abuse.

The Ricketts’ decision has mostly been met with ire from Cubs fans, who want to know why the team suddenly stopped spending money, and why Russell is still on the roster.

For now, those will remain legitimate questions the Ricketts have no desire to answer.

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