Bruce Levine apologizes to Cubs executives after criticizing them in accidental X post

Longtime Chicago Cubs reporter Bruce Levine made waves on Monday night by publishing an X post that he surely meant to be a direct message or text message.

Levine, an MLB insider for the Cubs’ flagship radio station 104.3 The Score, posted the following message to X:

I am never deleting this app. Truly generational stuff. What a time to be alive. Go Cubs pic.twitter.com/iNL8bMXoCn

— Jacob Zanolla (@jacobzanolla) July 14, 2026

“You and the other coaches have been the stars of the team being 12 games over .500. Let’s Hope twinkle dee and twinkle dum don’t sell you guys out like the 2025. Enjoy the t the family time pal.”

Levine deleted the X post, but not before it was up long enough to quickly go viral.

It was assumed that Levine’s message was meant for manager Craig Counsell or someone on the Cubs’ coaching staff, and that the “twinkle dee and twinkle dum” were referring to Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer (the primary decision-maker) and general manager Carter Hawkins.

The “don’t sell you guys out like the 2025” line seemingly referred to the Cubs’ 2025 trade deadline, which was viewed as a letdown after the team was expected to acquire a frontline starting pitcher and failed to do so. Chicago went on to win 92 games before an exit in Game 5 of the NLDS to the NL Central champion Milwaukee Brewers.

Well, according to Jeff Agrest of the Chicago Sun-Times, Levine apologized to Hoyer and Hawkins on Tuesday for the accidental X post.

“Bruce has apologized to Jed and Carter, and they’ve accepted his apology. We’ve moved on, and we’re focused on an exciting second half of the season,” a Cubs spokesperson told the Chicago Sun-Times, per Agrest.

So, that apology would seem to confirm that the “twinkle dee and twinkle dum” line was meant for Hoyer and Hawkins.

There’s a good chance that Hoyer and Hawkins laughed off the gaffe, and professional sports executives — especially those in a major market — are very used to dealing with criticism. Hoyer has been the organization’s president of baseball operations since November 2020, when he took over after Theo Epstein resigned. Before that, he was in the role Hawkins currently has, serving as the general manager and right-hand man to Epstein, beginning in October 2011.

In addition to his work for 104.3 The Score, Levine also makes frequent in-studio appearances on Marquee Sports Network, the Cubs’ television home that is operated and jointly owned by the organization (with Sinclair Broadcast Group).

Agrest reports that Levine “did not return a request for comment.”