Happy New Years

2011 has brought the Chicago Cubs a lot of things. Due in large part to the team’s poor performance during the 2011 season, that forced owner Tom Ricketts to finally emerge from the Wrigley Field shadows and delve into the baseball department. The latter months of 2011 proved that Ricketts does have a clue on how to run a baseball organization. 2o11 marked the final year former general manager Jim Hendry would be running the Cubs’ baseball department. Hendry’s departure cleared way for Theo Epstein to be named the Cubs’ president of baseball operations and Jed Hoyer to be the new Cubs’ general manager. No matter how one tries to spin it, Hendry’s departure and the arrival of Epstein and Hoyer is by far the biggest memory of 2011 for the Cubs. On the field, the Cubs were a disaster on all fronts. The lone bright spot was shortstop Starlin Castro.

Castro’s progression is one of the bigger things to watch in 2012, but most importantly, we are entering the first full year where Epstein will have control over the Cubs’ baseball department. That alone is reason enough for Cubs’ fans to have a happy new year. But before the clock strikes midnight, the entire Cubbies Crib team would like to wish you a Happy New Year.