Hanley: Clock is ticking on Ricketts...

Here's hoping Tom Ricketts is in Oklahoma City
today.

Ditto, Theo Epstein.

Or some other outpost, where neither man would be recognized as
they talked about teaming to lead the Cubs to their first championship in more
than a century.

Such a conversation couldn't take place in Copley
Square of Boston. Or anywhere near the
Friendly Confines.

Ricketts,
the Cubs earnest chairman, declined to address rumors Monday that Epstein, the
Boston Red Sox general manager, may be interested in leaving for the Cubs' GM
vacancy.

``I don't know; there's a lot of good candidates out there,''
Ricketts told Fox Business Network when asked if Epstein was leaving for the
Cubs. ``We're going to talk to a handful of them and I'm sure we'll come up
with the right fit for the team. Ultimately it will be the decision of myself
and my family. Obviously we didn't get it done on the field this year. It was a
disappointing season for everyone, but, we're going to get some new
leadership."

There are a lot of good candidates out there. For my money,
Andrew Friedman, the Tampa Rays' GM is the best
of the bunch. But Epstein is a close second.

Hope you can join  Mully and me when we talk all things Chicago
sports, including the Cubs GM vacancy, between 5 a.m.
and 9 a.m. Tuesday.

As always, thanks for listening.

--Hanley