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A few off the field items that may or may not be related:

1. According to the Bright One’s Lewis Lazare the Cubs have hired a marketing guru to finally replace the position that became open when Jay Blunk left the Cubs to join the Hawks. (I know the title is different and all of that but basically the Cubs have been going at it without a marketing guy since.)

The Cubs will announce today that Wally Hayward has been named executive vice president and chief sales and marketing officer, a new position within the baseball organization and one of the team’s first major hires since the Ricketts family took control of the Cubs. Hayward will report to Cubs President Crane Kenney.

A veteran of more than 20 years in the sports marketing industry, Chicago native Hayward, 41, most recently was a senior adviser to the Chicago 2016 organization that attempted to bring the Summer Olympics to Chicago. Hayward helped develop the 2016 organization’s corporate sponsorship model and was the strategic adviser and liaison between Chicago 2016 and the United States Olympic Committee’s sales and marketing team.

Why does this role matter?

Hayward said he will work to maximize opportunities for the team’s sponsors to benefit from their marketing partnerships. Hayward also said he will work to boost revenue the team pulls in from sponsorships.

Ed Sherman of Crain’s Chicago Business interviewed Hayward. Hayward seems to think he’s part of some sort of startup business.

The Cubs have been in existence since 1876 and drew more than 3 million fans last year.

Yet Wally Hayward likens his new employer to being “a start-up” operation.

“It’s a great brand and it’s been around for a long time, but to me it has a start-up feel,” Mr. Hayward said.

Mr. Hayward became a central figure at Clark and Addison Monday when he was named as the Cubs’ new executive vice president, chief sales and marketing officer. He will have a profound effect on shaping new owner Tom Ricketts’ vision for the team. Much like the moves made by long-time Cubs marketing chief John McDonough, his decisions will impact the fan experience in Wrigley Field and what you see in and around the ballpark.

Mr. Hayward didn’t lay out his step-by-step plans, but from an interview it seems likely he will be the architect of some major changes.

When he talks of the Cubs being a “start-up,” he is referring to new enterprises that loom on the horizon (the much-discussed Triangle Building, a new spring training facility) and what he perceives to be untapped opportunities from a marketing standpoint. When Mr. Hayward speaks repeatedly of “enhancing the fan experience,” is it code for a new Jumbotron board and other modern stadium features?

“Look, we’re going to make sure we keep (Wrigley Field) pure,” Mr. Hayward said, “but we will add elements that strategically make sense and add value for the club. As long as we are enhancing the fan experience, I think it will be received extremely well.”

Don’t you love the way these guys talk? Hayward just got one of the best gigs in all of sports. John McDonough poised this team for business success for a long long time to come. The best suggestion for Mr. Hayward is simply: “Don’t fuck it up.”

2. Hayward’s hiring comes on the heels of the news that the Cubs are at war with the northwest Indiana casino that has the signage atop the Budweiser or WGN building in leftfield on Waveland Ave. This from the Tribune’s Paul Sullivan:

The Cubs have fired the opening salvo in a dispute against a local casino, erecting two sign boards in the back of the left-field bleachers at Wrigley Field.

The potential signage would obscure a prominent casino ad in most TV camera shots.

The two large, green, wooden sign boards were erected in the bleachers last week without fanfare. There is no advertising on them, but they’re expected to be ready for the 2010 season.

“The signage is in place as we evaluate marketing opportunities,” Cubs spokesman Peter Chase said. “Given our partnerships and agreements with the other rooftops, that particular location in the bleachers would work out.”

A likely sponsor is Bud Light, which bought naming rights to the bleachers during the reconstruction project before the 2006 season. The only building directly affected by the sign is the one at the corner of Sheffield and Kenmore Avenues, commonly referred to as the “Budweiser building” after the beer company that advertised on its roof for years.

Looks like it’s time for the rooftop owner or the casino to pony up if they want fans to see their message come opening day.