South Side Hit Men

What is unequivocally creepy is speculating on adultery involving Jerry Reinsdorf or anyone else.

Sad, but expected. Cheapen the regular season to the point where it's just a 162 exhibition season. It was bad enough with the addition of a wild card, allowing also rans which couldn't win a four or five team division to be "champion". 16 teams (+ perhaps they'll go to 22 teams like the NHL this year) makes the season a complete farce. With World Series ratings the lowest ever, hard to argue "expanded playoffs" has increased fan interest. Another short term money grab at the expense of long term fan interest and upholding the integrity of the regular season. Several Rotisserie League teams is my primary tie-in to the sport at this point.

The "world has changed", yet the "South Side brain trust" is turning to 1983 for their managerial candidate. Simple concept, though beyond the ability for Reinsdorf / Hahn bots to comprehend. The world has also moved on from MLB. Over 40M average viewers watched the 1980 World Series, the year before Reinsdorf and Einhorn bought the White Sox and began managing league MLB national contracts in the 1980s. Since JR/EE involvement, World Series viewership has cratered by over 80% with to under 10M viewers, despite the Dodgers presence as the second largest television market and profile team. JR's and EE's stewardship of television contracts over the decades has led to this reality. The same type of decisions which lead to the destruction of White Sox fan interest in Chicago, from parity to over 2 to 1 Cubs dominance.

Who is the leading White Sox managerial candidate? https://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/white-sox/report-white-sox-have-interviewed-tony-la-russa-others-manager-job

Laughable. JR and EE were the architects of the pay per view scheme both locally and nationally, steal what you can now scheme be it television or raping taxpayers across the country to pay for their capital expenses. Also destroyed interest by cancelling the 1994 season .When you cut out long term interest and erode your customer base for short term greed, you get flaccid interest in baseball that endless erectile dysfunction and gambling ads cannot remedy. It's how a two team baseball city became a one team city, and how the NFL pwned MLB and continues to pull away like Secretariat.

No other stations exist in Chicago? JR / EE did not destroy the parody Sox and Cubs fans shared here until they nuked it with their On-TV / Sportsvision debacle, and doubling down currently does not impact current viewership or interest in baseball, and continued erosion of the audience?

No. Hiring an actual pitching coach residing mentally and physically in the current millennium should help improve the current staff. Still surprised Kenny’s clubhouse snitch was finally shown the door, must have been a quid pro quo for Renteria or something else.

Sad Reinsdorf and his fellow owners stripped interest in the sport to the point of having the lowest televised interest and ratings in the history of the sport, despite record population. https://www.thewrap.com/world-series-game-1-least-watched-ever-dodgers-rays-fox/ This is what happens when you strip all local over the air broadcasts. White Sox and Cubs both eliminated all local broadcasts in 2020, would expect continued erosion of interest.

Rick Renteria without hesitation. Having trouble coming up with a worse living ex White Sox manager, unless one counts 1-1 Don Cooper. Was more happy he was eradicated than Rick Renteria, who was merely the symptom.

Joe Espada may not be available, but he’s the one candidate I have not seen mentioned but a few times here that I would like to see interviewed. From what I’ve read during the Cubs process last year, he provided their FO with a lot of valuable insight, and was the unexpected final candidate opposite their first choice heading into the process. Joe may already have an informal agreement as the next permanent manager after this season with Houston. Have concerns regarding the inability of Hinch to stop what was going on in Houston despite the fact he allegedly was opposed to it by reports of his destroying the first video monitor. LaRussa is the one candidate I really don’t want.

Also extended Rick Renteria last offseason, after failing to convince another winner (Ventura) to stay, and signing Renteria after an exhaustive 24 hour job search in 2016, because why bother. Perhaps he’ll land LaRussa to ensure the hits just keep on coming on the managerial front. Not to worry, just give Hahn five more years after 2025 for another rebuild if nothing happens, he is an Executive of the Year after all. No doubt his peers want him around forever.

About as logical as Hahn winning this “award”. Sadly the Sox and their AL pier Seattle haven’t won a goddamned thing during Hahn’s tenure, well except for this ridiculous award. Hahn still is a losing GM, even cherry picking the years he was allegedly “trying” to win (2013-2016 & 2020), and dumping players like Tatis.

He’s also the second in all time losses. https://www.baseball-reference.com/managers/ Jerry Reinsdorf is literally the only human being on Earth who believes Tony LaRussa’s coaching days are not over. Give me Norman Dale, please.

Could be your take, but regardless of Gar’s qualifications, he left with a winning overall record during his tenure, something Rick Hahn will almost assuredly never be able to accomplish due to his abominable first seven years. Time will tell whether Hahn will ever have a team advance in the playoffs. Still haven’t seen a valid reason why an executive of a 16 team playoff wild card team bounced immediately is worthy of “executive of the year” honours. Any credit for improvement should be weighed by the fact he was responsible for digging the gargantuan hole in the first place.

2012-2016: F- 2017-2019: B+ 2020: B 2021: A+ (Cooper and Ricky) Will be able to evaluate his tenure at the end, and hope it does include division titles and at least one AL Pennant / World Series win. The next 3-5 years will determine whether he can build a team capable of competing for a title, he has a few years to build a staff capable of competing. His moves his first four years were mostly bad, Keuchel was a good signing, time will tell if Grandal can work well with Giolito and others. His two main avenues to build this team, an open international free agent bidding process (Abreu and Robert) and tanking trades (Eloy, Giolito, Moncada) are not available at this point. Anderson is the one outstanding draft pick so far at the ML level, though his recent picks look promising (Madrigal, Vaughn and Crochet).

Dude, Kenny was GM and built the team, Rick served as Kenny’s George Constanza. Gar Forman’s team went 62-20, won their division and made it to the Conference Finals the year he deservedly won his award. Seattle is the only other AL team over Hahn’s tenure to not win a division or a playoff series. Hahn shouldn’t have been considered for the award until the team crossed this minimal threshold of success. Since Hahn is likely here until Reinsdorf's departure, I hope he does win 1+ championships. That said, I will puke if the Sox raise a 2020 AL Playoff Participant / Wild Card Banner next season. Fun season to watch and hopefully build future success, but not the best executive. I would have voted for Erik Neander.

Didn’t know this magazine still existed. Gar Forman’s award more deserved. Time will tell whether Hahn will be able to match Gar Forman’s accomplishments when he leaves (winning record as GM, postseason success).

LaRussa Duncan is Reinsdorf’s Atari Plan. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9vX2nHBploM

Would rather have an urn of Chuck Tanner or Bob Lemon’s ashes.

“All football comes from Stagg.” -Knute Rockne, on Amos Alonzo Stagg

It’s not about his knowledge, it’s about his ability to work with and for others. Neither does Ozzie.

Over a hundred thousand post either linking or trolling other posters. Seriously get a life.

You left off the highest paid player until the Sox signed fWAR, busted for cheating against the Sox prior to his signing.

Steve Stone says a lot of shit, so I wouldn’t lend credence to Cooper having or not having any further role. There is a reason Steve Stone never had any chance at the front office role he so desperately wanted over the past few decades. While he can be an interesting and entertaining color commentator, that role has no managerial responsibilities. in a front office role, you need to have people wanting to work for you, and for people above to want you to work for them. There is zero evidence Steve Stone has the ability for either in a professional organization. Broadcaster is the only role he is suited for.

I watched the entire zoom conference, the one area of concern is when Rick said a new manger would have “some” level of input regarding his staff. Looking forward to the new manager and staff announcements, and list of players non tender (Hope Parrot and Rodon among those listed). The only speculation I’ll add is Hinch has an advantage over Cora with Jerry Reinsdorf, as Home Depot buckets are much cheaper than Apple watches.