Tom Ricketts’ held a press conference today on the heels of his purchase of the Chicago Cubs this week.  From what I’ve heard, he is a true fan and a really good guy.  I actually met someone that is relatively close with him on a personal level and he told me the family are die-hard Cubs fans and they acknowledge that the Cubs are a public trust and not just a business to try to make money off of.  In fact, based on the ridiculous price they paid for the Cubs, it is unlikely they would even make that much money on the team.

That being said, here are some observations on Ricketts’ press conference:

On payroll: He made clear that he will not be raising the payroll that much this season.  He said it might go up a little bit, but don’t expect any huge signings.  He kept reiterating that there is no “silver bullet” that will automatically win the World Series.

On management of the team: Ricketts says he will not be a hands-on owner like Steinbrenner, but he also won’t fade into the background.  He wants to be “seen but not heard” around the field.  He is also going to keep the current structure of the team in place, meaning Jim Hendry will run the team and report to Crane Kenney, who will report to Ricketts.

On creating a winner: Ricketts was adamant that there is no free agent that will save the team.  Instead, he focused a lot on player development, scouting, and drafting.  For now it seems like he will keep the current scouting system in place, but they are looking to improve greatly in that area.

On Milton Bradley: He is not going to be involved in personnel.  He insisted that this will be Hendry and other management’s job.

On Wrigley Field: Wrigley Field will not change.  He will not be tearing out seats or adding luxury boxes.  He seems to be strongly in favor of preserving the tradition of the field.  He also said he has no plans for a jumbotron now.  And don’t worry, he reassured the media and fans that the troughs in the men’s bathrooms aren’t going anywhere.

On the Wrigleyville neighborhood: He wants that triangle building across the street.  Bad.  You could tell by his answers to questions about it.  Hopefully he is able to establish a good relationship with the neighborhood, unlike his predecessor, but this is not a good start.  Only time will tell how the community reacts to his push for the new building.

All in all he seemed to have a very good attitude about everything.  He clearly respects the tradition of Wrigley and wants to put a winning ballclub on the field consistently.  So far so good with this new ownership group.