Cub fans are beginning to catch on to the fact that the Tribune Company treats the Cubs like a cash cow fit only to be milked and never improved for future greatness. Here's the initial post in a discussion forum thread entitled "Record attendance 2004 = higher ticket prices, no bullpen!" that kicks off a great discussion of the issues involved in this
subject:

Say what you will about Baker and the Cubs players underachieving this year, but I am still peeved about the way this organization continues to screw over its fan base.

Last year, damn near every game was sold out before the season started. No game two or more seats togther. Fans showed up in record numbers, payed out good money, and cheered this team up until it's dismal collapse at the end of the year.

And how do the tribune execs. repay us? By increasing ticket prices again, and not adding to the payroll. Pathetic.
It's one thing to believe that Burnitz and Hollandsworth could make up for the loss of Alou, and Sosa. But, our bullpen looks like the friggin' Iowa Cubs.

Gone are the likes of Merker, and Farnsworth, and Clement. Say what you will about them, but they were major league pitchers.

Now we have names such as: Bartosh, Wellemeyer, Wuertz, Ohman. What the hell did Hendry do all offseason? It's one thing to give the closer's role to Hawkins, Borowski, or Dempster. It's another to not sign or trade for any reliable bullpen help when the whole baseball world knows that the Cubs needed it.

Your 2005 Chicago Cubs are looking more and more like the 2004 Iowa Cubs. It looks like all the revenue from last year has ended up and stayed at Tribune tower. Makes me want to puke.