Please Destroy Your Priceless Cub Souvenirs: TCR Friday Notes

-- Tigers, Diamondbacks, Nationals, Astros; that's your complete list of the teams which ranked lower than the Cubs in Kevin Goldstein's organizational rankings at Baseball Prospectus (subscription required).

Goldstein's comments about the Cubs, who stood 16th in his '08 rankings:

"Josh Vitters is one of the best pure hitters in the minors; 2008 top pick Andrew Cashner's post-draft struggles were a fluke and his stuff will play; Jeff Samardzija finally began figuring things out."

"Other than Vitters, there is really not a single hitter in this system that excites anyone; the weakness in terms of the organization's depth is the key reason that the long-rumored Jake Peavy deal never went down."

"Samardzija is the only player who is likely to lose his prospect status; there's no reason to see (the Cubs) moving up considerably (in the rankings)."

--We all know that spring training numbers mean next to nothing, but since Opening Day is, what, another 11 weeks away?, they're the only numbers we have, so let's enjoy them, dammit!

Micah Hoffpauir leads all NL hitters with 17 RBI and is tied for fourth with 4 HR; Mike Fontenot is hitting .391 with an OPS  of 1190; and new #5 starter Sean Marshall has allowed but 1 ER, 1 BB and zero HR in 14 2/3 IP.

Reality check: former Cub Craig Monroe leads all NLers this spring with 6 HR.

--The Cubs have a new Official Cookie. I have no idea what the previous Official Cookie was, but I do know it didn't help us win any World Championships, so I support the change.

--A publishing company and a local funeral home are behind a promotion called "Cremate the Curse." Cub fans are being invited to "a real cremation ceremony," in which they can incinerate "memorabilia related to the Fred Merkle curse of 1908, the billy goat curse of 1945, the black cat curse of 1969 and the curse of Steve Bartman's 2003 haunting of Wrigley Field."

If you own any authentic 100-year-old Cubs memorabilia and you burn it, you're an idiot. Even if it does afford you an opportunity to shake hands with Tom Dreesen.

(Note: the Cubs won the World Series in the year of the Fred Merkle game, which proves that Merkle was no better at curse-casting than he was at baserunning.)

--Earlier this week, the Cubs announced the retirement of Bobby Ayala's #31.

Congratulations, Bobby!

--As you've probably read, the Cubs are threatening to vacate their spring training base in Mesa following the 2012 Cactus League season unless the city funds major improvements at Fitch Park.

A related story in the East Valley Tribune prompted these colorful reader responses:

Bye, bye. Ingrates. Yeah, you Chicagoites have a lot of class. This is how you show appreciation for the 30 years the city has bent over backwards for you? A$$hole$. Take your losing team and go to Florida. See if I care. Chicago gave us massive, corrupt politics, Acorn, the worst president in my lifetime, and a bunch of whiners who can't field a winning team. Don't let the door hit you on the way out. Good riddance!

I've never been a spectator at a Cubs spring training game. However, I do know they bring $$$$ MILLIONS of dollars to mesa EVERY YEAR. During the late 80's, early 90's, Mesa had to expand the facilities to keep the Cubs. Even then, the city claimed 'financial hardship' and shorted the Cubs over 3000 sq ft of promised facility. The Cubs stayed. If the City again does not live up to promises, the Cubs will likely leave, taking MILLIONS of $$$ with them. The current mesa city manager, brady, is big on telling fibs. I'm sure he will tell the Cubs some more lies. Just hope his acting is convincing enough to keep the Cubs. The city needs the cash!

Don't knock the Cubs. I haven't been to a baseball game in 40 years. I just think baseball is boring. However, other teams have gotten state-of-the art facilities while Mesa sat idly by. Mesa had the money in past years, before the crash, and should have seen this coming. Why not let them move to the "Field of Dreams" facility in Gilbert? From what I hear, it's not doing to well. This is just another case of "p*nis envy". Other teams have new facilities and now the Cubs want one, too. Like I said before, Mesa had the money and should have seen this coming. This is a Mesa problem, not a Cubs problem.

Like a brand new fancy state of the art facility is going to make a difference. Plz go to Florida and take all of your mentally unbalanced die-hard fans with you. I am sick of cub fans....go hang with the yankee fans.

Love the spelling of A$$hole$. We're going to have to use that around here some time.

--Finally, a big TCR Friday Notes Shout-Out to Aaron Miles and Joey Gathright.

No particular reason except loyal readers The Joe and The Real Neal were wondering if this TCR Curse has any teeth to it.