MESA, Ariz. _ Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts addressed the media Monday morning in Mesa, Ariz., and discussed several issues, including Joe Ricketts' controversial emails, the television deal with Sinclair, Addison Russell, free agency and more.
Regarding his father's emails that endorsed racist and Islamophobic jokes and conspiracy theories, Tom Ricketts said: "Those aren't the values our family was raised with. ... I never heard my father say anything that was remotely racist."
Ricketts said he spoke to the team Monday about the email controversy: "I also said, look, sorry about the distraction."
"I wanted to let them know if there was anything that we had done in our organization that ever made them uncomfortable or something we had missed, to let me know," Ricketts said.
Ricketts acknowledged his father's emails, obtained and published by Splinter News, caused "pain."
"But I love him," Ricketts said. "He's my dad. He's a great man. He's helped children all over the world through his charities. He supports 1,700 schools in Africa and all over East Africa, too, and Islamic East Africa. He's done the right things.
"He probably could have been careful about which emails he brought in and a couple he sent."
On the free-agency issue, the Cubs have not been active suitors for Manny Machado, Bryce Harper or any of the other big-money players available.
"We don't have any more (money)," Ricketts said. "The fact is we've been in the top five in baseball spending for the past five to six years. We've put our money back on the field. Unfortunately, you just can't have a high-profile free agent every year. And part of that is how much it costs _ $25 (million) to $30 million (a year), plus a 10-year commitment.
"We're well-positioned to win the division again. And as much as I would love to have a great, new, exciting player every season, it can't happen every year."
Ricketts said giving robust raises to Kris Bryant and Javier Baez through arbitration and picking up the $20 million option on left-hander Cole Hamels was necessary to keep the team competitive now while providing financial flexibility "to keep the players we want to keep in the long run."
Ricketts rejected the idea of delaying some projects around Wrigley Field in order to expand payroll for one season.
"I don't think there's any limitation in baseball on how much money you want to lose," Ricketts said. "There are some guys who tested that, but the most important thing you can do is think not just about this year but think about the future."
Ricketts said the Cubs' previous ownership "made every year a discrete event, trying to look at season ticket and suite sales and sponsorships on a short-term basis."
"In those kind of 'go for it' scenarios, a lot of times they don't work," Ricketts said. "I do think we have the right guys. ... We know where the dollars are."
Ricketts also said he does not think there is any collusion among owners regarding this offseason's free agents.
On the team's TV partnership with conservative-leaning Sinclair Broadcasting, he said: "(Sinclair) will be a great partner. There will be nothing political."
"If there is one thing this organization did historically not well, it's that they didn't handle the big picture and the big problems very well," Ricketts said. "And this is a big thing. (Having) our own channel is the next step in being the best organization in the world."
Ricketts said Russell "did well" Friday in a news conference in which the shortstop said he caused his ex-wife, Melisa Reidy, "hurt" and "pain" that led to a 40-game suspension for violating Major League Baseball's domestic violence policy.
"We came to the conclusion the better path forward was to support Addison and give him a chance as a Cub to get this behind him and become a better person and see if he can live up to it," Ricketts said. "He's taken the challenge."
Ricketts also addressed his relationship with Ald. Tom Tunney, 44th.
"My personal dealings with him have been not good," Ricketts said. "Honestly, I think we can do better."
