Piniella heads new hires for Cubs' Marquee Sports Network, no deal yet with Comcast
Chairman Tom Ricketts didn't waste any time plugging the Cubs' new Marquee Sports Network.
Addressing the crowd during opening ceremonies at the Cubs Convention Friday, Ricketts laid out his vision.
“Our promise for the next 10 years is to continue to have the best relationship with our fans of any professional sports team in the world,” Ricketts said. “And that starts with the Marquee Network.”
The crowd booed, somewhat stunning Ricketts.
“What do you have against the Marquee Network?” Ricketts said. “Believe me, you won't be booing about that in a year.”
That remains to be seen, especially if the Cubs still don't have a deal with Comcast, the area's largest cable network.
On WSCR 670-AM, the Cubs' flagship radio station, Ricketts said he's “pretty confident” of reaching a deal with Comcast.
At the Cubs Convention Saturday, 13 hires were officially announced for the Marquee Network.
Len Kasper and Jim Deshaies will be back in the broadcast booth for the eighth year, and former Cubs manager Lou Piniella is joining the station as a part-time analyst.
Former players Ryan Dempster, Mark DeRosa, Dan Plesac, Rick Sutcliffe, Carlos Pena, Doug Glanville and Jason Hammel will also appear as analysts.