Jake Arrieta's political tweet gets Theo Epstein's attention at GM meetings
Cubs President Theo Epstein hasn't exactly hidden his political views from the public.
Last month he gave a donation to Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign at a fundraiser in Chicago right after signing a five-year, $50 million extension to stay with the Cubs.
But Epstein prefers to separate his political views from his job, and thus was put in a sticky position on Wednesday morning after starter Jake Arrieta tweeted about Donald Trump's election:
"Time for Hollywood to pony up and head for the border #illhelpyoupack #beatit"
The tweet, a reference to celebrities claiming they would move out of the United States if Trump got elected, had more than 14,600 retweets by early Wednesday evening, and Arrieta was being praised and criticized on Twitter for giving the opinion.
At the general managers meetings on Wednesday, Epstein didn't care to comment on the election results, feeling it was too soon.
"I'm still processing," he said.
When I asked him if he was OK with Arrieta trolling Clinton supporters to his nearly 353,000 followers, Epstein paused.
"I'm still processing that, too," he said. "I believe in the First Amendment. But I also believe we should be mindful of how other people feel."
Arrieta's agent, Scott Boras, said Wednesday afternoon he had no issue with any of his players making political statements, pointing out they all have political affiliations "like any other American."
"I'm glad they're all interested in our country," Boras said.
Arrieta obviously wasn't the only player to tweet his views on the election, just the most prominent of the Cubs. Epstein had not seen a series of tweets on election night from Cubs' Double-A pitcher Corey Black, who had fewer than 6,400 followers.
Black retweeted an inflammatory tweet trolling Clinton supporters that read:
"You're not moving to Mexico, you're not moving back to Africa etc.... Clinton lost.... and you still have to go to work tomorrow."
Epstein works for a family that has prominent Trump supporters (father Joe and brothers Pete and Todd Ricketts) and one prominent Clinton supporter (sister Laura Ricketts). He said he has good relationships with all the Rickettses. Before the 2004 season, Epstein acquired ultraconservative pitcher Curt Schilling when he was general manager of the Red Sox, even though the two disagree politically.
So whatever Arrieta or Black thinks of Trump or Clinton is not going to affect their futures negatively in the Cubs organization.
"No, not at all," Epstein said. "Just like our ownership group is as diverse as you can be politically. Tolerance is important, especially in a democracy. The ability to have honest conversations, even if you come from a different place, a difference perspective is fundamentally important."
Teams generally don't mind their players giving their views on Twitter, though most players stick to subjects that aren't as controversial as the 2016 president election.
Arrieta is arbitration-eligible next year and seeking a multi-year deal expected to make him one of the highest-paid starters in the game. Epstein said talks over a long-term deal "haven't come up in a while" between him and Boras.
But if the Cubs plan to re-sign Arrieta, it likely would be before he hits free agency.
"I'm sure I'll talk to Scott at some point this winter over a variety of topics," Epstein said
If the Cubs think they can't re-sign Arrieta, would they consider dealing him?
"The thought hadn't crossed my mind," Epstein said. "The rotation was a big strength of ours in '16, and we plan on competing for a world championship in '17. He's a big part of it. It can go any number of ways, but he's obviously a huge part of our club, and we see him being an important part of our pitching staff next year."
If Arrieta left as a free agent, the Cubs assuredly would make a qualifying offer and get a draft pick in return.
Arrieta isn't known for making political statements on Twitter, though he doesn't mind trolling people, as he did Pirates fans before last year's wild-card game.
Players are given instructions on social media etiquette during spring training every year. Whether they follow the instructions is up to them.
The Cubs have had only one significant Twitter-related episode over Epstein's era. In 2013, third baseman Ian Stewart, who was playing at Triple-A Iowa, whined that manager Dale Sveum "doesn't like me" during a late-night Twitter rant.
Epstein ultimately released Stewart but said Wednesday he never would tell a player to delete a tweet he didn't particularly agree with.
"We've had conversations with guys about being thoughtful, and being empathetic and understanding that other people might see things differently, and try to think about that before you (tweet)," Epstein said. "And they have training."
Epstein once was considered political material himself, back when he was at the peak of his popularity in Boston when the Red Sox won their first championship in 86 years and he subsequently won another ring. Though he also might have a future in a blue state like Illinois after ending the Cubs' 107-year drought, running for office is not something Epstein said he would consider at this point in his life.
"I'm not a very public person," he said. "I don't like the public aspects of this job, let alone that job. There are a lot of ways to make a positive impact on the community without necessarily being a politician.
"My brother (Paul Epstein) is a good example. He's a social worker. There are opportunities for each and every one of us in a democracy to give back to the greater good.
"It's probably more important now than ever, apparently."
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sport...van-gm-meetings-spt-1110-20161109-column.html
Cubs President Theo Epstein hasn't exactly hidden his political views from the public.
Last month he gave a donation to Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign at a fundraiser in Chicago right after signing a five-year, $50 million extension to stay with the Cubs.
But Epstein prefers to separate his political views from his job, and thus was put in a sticky position on Wednesday morning after starter Jake Arrieta tweeted about Donald Trump's election:
"Time for Hollywood to pony up and head for the border #illhelpyoupack #beatit"
The tweet, a reference to celebrities claiming they would move out of the United States if Trump got elected, had more than 14,600 retweets by early Wednesday evening, and Arrieta was being praised and criticized on Twitter for giving the opinion.
At the general managers meetings on Wednesday, Epstein didn't care to comment on the election results, feeling it was too soon.
"I'm still processing," he said.
When I asked him if he was OK with Arrieta trolling Clinton supporters to his nearly 353,000 followers, Epstein paused.
"I'm still processing that, too," he said. "I believe in the First Amendment. But I also believe we should be mindful of how other people feel."
Arrieta's agent, Scott Boras, said Wednesday afternoon he had no issue with any of his players making political statements, pointing out they all have political affiliations "like any other American."
"I'm glad they're all interested in our country," Boras said.
Arrieta obviously wasn't the only player to tweet his views on the election, just the most prominent of the Cubs. Epstein had not seen a series of tweets on election night from Cubs' Double-A pitcher Corey Black, who had fewer than 6,400 followers.
Black retweeted an inflammatory tweet trolling Clinton supporters that read:
"You're not moving to Mexico, you're not moving back to Africa etc.... Clinton lost.... and you still have to go to work tomorrow."
Epstein works for a family that has prominent Trump supporters (father Joe and brothers Pete and Todd Ricketts) and one prominent Clinton supporter (sister Laura Ricketts). He said he has good relationships with all the Rickettses. Before the 2004 season, Epstein acquired ultraconservative pitcher Curt Schilling when he was general manager of the Red Sox, even though the two disagree politically.
So whatever Arrieta or Black thinks of Trump or Clinton is not going to affect their futures negatively in the Cubs organization.
"No, not at all," Epstein said. "Just like our ownership group is as diverse as you can be politically. Tolerance is important, especially in a democracy. The ability to have honest conversations, even if you come from a different place, a difference perspective is fundamentally important."
Teams generally don't mind their players giving their views on Twitter, though most players stick to subjects that aren't as controversial as the 2016 president election.
Arrieta is arbitration-eligible next year and seeking a multi-year deal expected to make him one of the highest-paid starters in the game. Epstein said talks over a long-term deal "haven't come up in a while" between him and Boras.
But if the Cubs plan to re-sign Arrieta, it likely would be before he hits free agency.
"I'm sure I'll talk to Scott at some point this winter over a variety of topics," Epstein said
If the Cubs think they can't re-sign Arrieta, would they consider dealing him?
"The thought hadn't crossed my mind," Epstein said. "The rotation was a big strength of ours in '16, and we plan on competing for a world championship in '17. He's a big part of it. It can go any number of ways, but he's obviously a huge part of our club, and we see him being an important part of our pitching staff next year."
If Arrieta left as a free agent, the Cubs assuredly would make a qualifying offer and get a draft pick in return.
Arrieta isn't known for making political statements on Twitter, though he doesn't mind trolling people, as he did Pirates fans before last year's wild-card game.
Players are given instructions on social media etiquette during spring training every year. Whether they follow the instructions is up to them.
The Cubs have had only one significant Twitter-related episode over Epstein's era. In 2013, third baseman Ian Stewart, who was playing at Triple-A Iowa, whined that manager Dale Sveum "doesn't like me" during a late-night Twitter rant.
Epstein ultimately released Stewart but said Wednesday he never would tell a player to delete a tweet he didn't particularly agree with.
"We've had conversations with guys about being thoughtful, and being empathetic and understanding that other people might see things differently, and try to think about that before you (tweet)," Epstein said. "And they have training."
Epstein once was considered political material himself, back when he was at the peak of his popularity in Boston when the Red Sox won their first championship in 86 years and he subsequently won another ring. Though he also might have a future in a blue state like Illinois after ending the Cubs' 107-year drought, running for office is not something Epstein said he would consider at this point in his life.
"I'm not a very public person," he said. "I don't like the public aspects of this job, let alone that job. There are a lot of ways to make a positive impact on the community without necessarily being a politician.
"My brother (Paul Epstein) is a good example. He's a social worker. There are opportunities for each and every one of us in a democracy to give back to the greater good.
"It's probably more important now than ever, apparently."
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sport...van-gm-meetings-spt-1110-20161109-column.html
Jake Arrieta 
jon greenberg 
