April 01--Cubs president Theo Epstein compared this year's team to the Royals of four years ago in a cover story on the organization for Bloomberg Businessweek, downplaying expectations that this finally is "the year."
"There is a broad band of potential outcomes this season," Epstein told the magazine in comparing the Cubs to the 2011 Royals. "Is it going to take that long for our guys? It very well could. Young players deserve patience."
The article in the business magazine features a jumping Starlin Castro on the cover with the phrase "Cubs Win!" repeated over and over. The story is headlined, "Holy Cow! The Chicago Cubs Finally Have a Winning Business Plan," and features interviews with Epstein, business president Crane Kenney and other team executives.
Kenney told the magazine: "Basically, my job is fill a wheelbarrow with money, take it to Theo's office, and dump it."
Kenney admits to making a mistake when he authorized "the Noodle," the giant Kraft macaroni noodle display that stood next to the Ernie Banks statue a few years ago.
"That was one where I made the call at the end of the day, and I was wrong," Kenney said. "So my threshold is: 'Is this a noodle?'"
