Ricketts family walking an interesting line

The Cubs' 2010 ad campaign for Year One of new ownership states the bland as if it were catchy: "Year One."

Sorry, this might be the Ricketts family's first season as owners, but a snappy slogan doesn't obscure the fact that it's the 102nd since the Cubs last won a World Series.

"Year One" sounds too much like the "New Tradition" gimmick the Tribune Company foisted on the public after it took control.

How did that work out for you, fans?

Still, slogan aside, the initial impression of the Ricketts is that they're an interesting mix of warm and fuzzy with cold and cunning.

Chairman Tom Ricketts especially is sort of a witty, friendly, smiling assassin, which is exactly what's required to sanitize the stench left behind by Tribune Company.

From playing Florida against Arizona as the Cubs' spring home, to beating shortstop Ryan Theriot at arbitration, to raising ticket prices - well, this new regime isn't afraid to offend.

Remember, these are the big leagues where they play hardball, not softball. Tough decisions have to be made by tough people.

After only four months with the keys to the club, indications are the Ricketts are strong enough to fire a manager or general manager or anybody else if necessary.

Last autumn Tom Ricketts, who visited spring camp Tuesday in Mesa, said that he doesn't want the Cubs to become a corporate experience.

Apparently that applied only to the Wrigley Field stands. Some of his business moves already have a corporate tone.

Thank goodness. One fear was that the Ricketts family would buy into the nicey-nice romance of Wrigley.

All that concept reaped is a failure to win a World Series since 1908 or even play in one since 1945.

The Ricketts family walked a fascinating line recently by raising ticket prices and then distributing doughnuts to fans in line to pay them.

It always seemed inevitable that to be competitive the Cubs would have to institute one of the majors' highest average ticket prices, like their role model Red Sox have.

So what, though? Many Cubs fans don't care that they have to pay dearly for the Cubs to finally win a World Series sometime in their lifetime.

Charge what the market bears. Treat players as resources rather than relatives. Create revenue streams at Wrigley Field even at the expense of ambience.

If the Ricketts' next move is to sell personal seat licenses at Wrigley Field, so be it. Doing so makes too much financial sense not to.

Just win this century, baby.

About a decade ago the Tribune Company began the process of dragging the Cubs into its corporate world by trying to turn every Wrigley Field cranny into cash.

The Ricketts are expanding the policy with a series of revenue-generating ideas. Maybe they'll compromise the old ballpark. Then again maybe they'll save it.

The difference in ownership seems to be that the Trib's objective was to pocket profits and the Ricketts' is to invest them back into the team.

The latter is a pretty good way for "Year One" to evolve into "Year Zero," as in how long since the Cubs last won a World Series.

mimrem@dailyherald.com