captain54

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Oct 23, 2015 -> 01:09 PM) At least he has a batting average for exciting seasons. Look at Ricketts, he's like 0-6. The press was praising him yesterday. Don't they realize not ever having a lead in the NLCS makes your entire season dull. He should sell. Damn. You're right. ... wait. Holy Crap! Reiney just played a Jedi Mind Game on me in that interview..He subliminally reminded me that the Cubs suck cause they haven't won squat, and the Sox are cool cause of 05.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Oct 23, 2015 -> 12:04 PM) http://www.thereporteronline.net/newsx/loc...ears-super-bowl I disagree that a White Sox World Series was bigger than a Bears Super Bowl winner… Maybe it was for Sox fans, but not in the picture of how it impacted the city.. Those of us 65 and under..(the vast majority of those who follow Chicago sports)…as opposed to Reineys' age group…certainly remember following the Bears…those of us in our 60s remember the 1963 Championship, the days of Butkus, Gale Sayers, etc… a roller coaster week in Chicago sports.. on the plus side, the North Side Halloween freak show is over, and the down side.. Reinsdorf wants to keep going with the Sox into his 90s, and he's confirmed he's involved in day to day operations…. I need a little dose of fake condescending delusional Rongey type optimism to snap me out of my Sox funk..NOT

QUOTE (TaylorStSox @ Oct 17, 2015 -> 11:02 AM) Sports. Entertainment. Journalistic integrity. I think Reinsdorf should count his blessings that the media coverage is sparse… it could be a real eye opener for the fans, and for citizens of Illinois I don't remember much of this mentioned in the media… Reinsdorf being sued by an ISFA official for pulling strings to have her removed, for trying to re-negotiate the deal not only with the stadium but with the then to be build Bacardi in the Park On April 25, 2011, Irmer arrived to work and "discovered that she had been locked out of her office and denied access to her computer and personal property," her suit alleges. "She saw that [Thompson and an aide] were waiting for her and the former governor summoned her into a conference room." Thompson gave her "the choice of resigning or waiting to be fired, and he added that if she refused to resign and they 'had to' fire her, that her reputation would be ruined," according to the suit. She was fired two days later, the suit says. "In no uncertain terms, Perri Irmer was terminated as the direct and proximate result of Jerry Reinsdorf's exercise of undue influence over former Governor Thompson," says the suit. too bad Reinsdorf's legendary loyalty doesn't extend to the taxpayers of the state of Illinois, for footing the bill in order for he and the legion of very wealthy investors and their families to become even wealthier

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Oct 14, 2015 -> 03:59 PM) So essentially the same group that most thought had assembled a borderline playoff team six months ago, now is incapable of doing anything right. Seems about right. With 2015 in the books, the Sox brain trust gets a pass because we all thought it work out, even though it didn't. Despite the reality of the season which brought us a record marginally improved from 2014, horrible offensive and defensive numbers, and no real sign of any solid fundamental baseball on the horizon. Got it so to be fair, here's my top ten list for why fans have no right to be pissed off or complain/be negative 1) 2005 2) playoff appearances in 2008, 2000, 1993, and 1983 3) seat color changed from blue to green 4) good churros 5) concert from a Journey cover band after a game this summer at no extra charge 6) Sale and Abreu 7) Hawk relieved of GM duties after only one season 8) silver and black uniforms with the traditional logo in the early 90s 9) Frank Thomas 8) Carlton Fisk

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Oct 14, 2015 -> 02:21 PM) They did sell more tickets than last season, and an overwhelming majority of posters here thought the moves they made last winter made them a contender if you look at the prediction thread. Okay.. can we officially let go of what the majority of posters thought pre 2015? It didn't work out.. Moving forward, what reason is there for fans to believe that 2015 was an anomaly, or that the franchise magically figured out how to correct what didn't work in 2015? I believe that this franchises' best efforts in 2016, with Robin coming back, Hahn coming back, KW coming back.. a reshuffling of the roster by the "brain trust" (and I use that term loosely) will result in and around a .500 record…and yes, that's an improvement over 2015, but I can't see myself bowing at the shrine of Kenny Williams and the shrine of the 2005 WS trophy over a mediocre, tired franchise… The ONLY factor directly related to my interest in the Sox is come the day, their cage gets seriously rattled, people are held accountable.. and I can watch a game without the thought of what the hell happened to my favorite team

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Oct 14, 2015 -> 10:40 AM) What, put up a record well below .500 for 5 straight seasons and miss the playoffs constantly for nearly a decade? Too. Late. Already did that. Yeah, tiny bit different, 4 losing seasons out of 5 instead of 5 straight, but with a longer playoff drought. If the White Sox did something like that it would totally destroy the franchise. the missing ingredient in this equation is that the Cubs addressed their suckage…as did the Bears.. as did the BlackHawks… the White Sox? they will continue to ride 2005…it's an embarrassment…. There can't be a franchise is sports that is more out of touch with it's fan base than the White Sox… Ive gotten a good half dozen mass marketing emails from the Sox pimping their party suites, or this and that.. and I always respond with.. "you guys figure out a way to put a better product on the field and I'll be happy to come to park and spend my money" ..their response? more generic marketing emails… The entire franchise needs to be re invented.. that's the only hope of the Sox maintaining any relevancy in this town….in reality the chances of that are slim to none.. intstead, Reinsdorf and his band of crusty old investors will try to trot out the same old same old with Kenny Williams and Hahn tap dancing their way into spinning positive in the media with some psycho babble about this or that convoluted plan… Bottom line..Going back now to the end of 2012.. things have not worked out.. and the Sox have no answers.. do they really believe that surrounding Abreu and Sale with a cavalcade of scrubs is gonna bring people to the park…?

QUOTE (CaliSoxFanViaSWside @ Oct 6, 2015 -> 11:00 AM) If the Sox tried using top people at top dollar and it all blew up on them it might wreck profits for years and that's why they never take the risk. Reinsdorf is an expert at risk management. You make great points.. But I'm not so sure about that last statement..…The checkbook was opened after the 2005 season.. Kenny Williams ran with it and stumbled…Now back to the middling approach and it has officially blown up on him…. The franchise is now in disarray and with record low viewership and relevancy in Chicago.. I guess he's not such an expert after all

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Oct 6, 2015 -> 08:53 AM) The White Sox have a long term sweetheart lease and have been one of the most profitable teams in baseball the last 25 years. THEY AREN'T GOING TO MOVE. One of the terms of the Stadium deal is that the team doesn't get moved. ..which makes absolutely no sense because if Reinsdorf decided to move the team, he wouldn't need the frikkin stadium. Right? I'm not sure if the stadium deal applies in perpetuity, or just as long as Reinsdorf and the investors own the franchise

QUOTE (LDF @ Oct 5, 2015 -> 10:38 PM) after they get the pieces to improve .... and it is positive , the season tickets will sell and mark my words, if the offseason is good. the fans will start watching next yr. I don't think you are going to see any significant increase in viewership or attendance, unless the Sox come up with a strong April and May of 2016, and play without the bonehead mistakes, miserable defense, and non existent offense..I think the FO is deluding themselves if they think a roster reshuffling in the offseason is gonna bring fans back like it did in 2015

The TV numbers are in and they aren't pretty http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago/jon-greenb...ox-lowest-rated Numbers this bad are pretty remarkable for the third largest metro area in the country….Keep in mind, CSN covers SW Michigan and NW Indiana… So to all those that have Sox fans pegged as "whiners and complainers"…. I suggest Reinsdorf pay a lot more attention to making his franchise relevant to all those whiners and complainers.. as it slips further into irrelevancy… Also, the handwriting is on the wall for Reinsdorf and the his majority ownership of CSN.. only a matter of time before the Cubs get the wheels moving in developing their own network, similar to the Yankees.. YES Network… Right now here's the split with CSN NBC 20% Cubs 20% Hawks 20% Bulls/Sox 40% The Sox and Cubs both receive equal shares per game.. around $450K… all of this while the Cubs ratings have doubled and White Sox are watched by only the die hards of die hards Down the road, with the Cubs out of the CSN picture, that leaves Hawks, Sox and Bulls, and NBC contributing other forms of programming.. You'd have to wonder if Wirtz, as well, would consider a separate Hawk network.. Leaving Reinsdorf holding the bag on this shell of a TV sports network.. Now the deal with the Cubs runs till 2019, so the ownership of the Sox could change by then, but something tells me it stays in the Reinsdorf family...

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Oct 5, 2015 -> 12:03 PM) . Accountability. If they don't make changes, you have a point, but I find that highly unlikely. You aren't really addressing the real issue here… As the Sox drift further away from their last winning season, and even further away from their last playoff appearance. the fans, season ticket holders, etc.. are left scratching their heads and saying, more or less.. "fine and dandy there are roster changes made, but the same people, for a while now, are responsible for making those roster changes, and the same field manager is responsible for squeezing, collectively.. the whole recipe into a winner. it doesn't add up" So in essence, you are holding players accountable for sub par performances by shipping them out.. Why isn't the same standard held for managerial or front office personnel…? Bottom line…good luck convincing the fans that offseason moves in 2016 are gonna come out any differently than previous disappointing years.. Reinsdorf and Co has simply lowered the standard of accountability vs performance in the organization...

QUOTE (flavum @ Oct 5, 2015 -> 11:38 AM) I think some people take the side of ownership/management and what happens, or doesn't happen in this case, to make themselves feel like they're on the right side of things. Some things in baseball happen that can't be explained. We'll never know how this team would have played under a different manager and coaching staff. What I do know is the teams under Ventura have played sloppy, and under-perfomed for their expectations...not ours. Two teams. #1. Nationals. #2 white Sox Teams #1 and #2 played below expectations. Team #1 decimated by injuries, but finishes above .500. Team #2 healthy all year, finishes below .500 #1 and #2 played crappy defense Team #1 fires their manager. #2 retains their manager I'm not saying RV should or shouldn't have been let go. However, the organization loses all credibility when there is no standard for accountability vs performance. The notion that they are trying to do the best they can to put a winner on the field, holds no water

QUOTE (Lip Man 1 @ Sep 29, 2015 -> 10:44 AM) From Tuesday's Sun-Times: http://chicago.suntimes.com/baseball/7/71/...-sox-nowhere-go Mark Depressing but realistic assessment of where things stand.. I think this ownership is in way over it's head in any possible fixes to even remotely compete for a playoff spot next year… But yet, there will be the typical BS and denial ….like how they were in contention for a playoff spot most of the year, so things aren't really that bad...

I think bottom line, what is keeping the fans away and what will continue to keep the fans away is the staid, unmoving, inability to change the approach and higher level personnel year after year, despite the same crappy results.. The Sox are 67 games and counting under .500 since late 2012, a one game improvement so far from 2014, and yet.. chance are high that the same bunch of mopes in the front office, Cooper, Ventura, etc. will all be back.. it just shows a lack of progressive thinking and stubbornness to stick to an approach that isn't working… and they wonder why people don't show up

White Sox on a path to have their relevancy surpassed in this town by the Chicago Wolves Way to go Jerry Reinsdorf and the entire Sox organization! Awesome job! !

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Sep 25, 2015 -> 09:08 AM) Let's be honest. The Blackhawks are where they are today because they completely sucked for a very long time. That's only a small part of the picture.. Pure speculation, but highly doubtful $$$ Bill would have signed Hossa and Keith to 12 and 13yrs deals, respectively… Another perspective.. Rocky stepped in and brought back Bobby Hull, Mikita, and Tony O as ambassadors.. Reinsdorf's version of that would have been to make Bobby Hull the head coach, Mikita the GM, and Tony O the goaltender coach...

QUOTE (elrockinMT @ Sep 24, 2015 -> 03:13 PM) There are some improvements that can be made certainly and I am waiting for the off season. I have faith in the Sox organization and look forward to 2016 There were improvements that needed to be made after the 2012 season, for instance. "How did we blow a 3 game lead with 2weeks to play". " how can we fix it"? Instead the Sox proceeded to have one of the worst seasons in modern history. The numbers don't lie. 67 games BELOW AVERAGE since late 2012. Think about it. That's a lot games to make up over 3 yrs to be even mediocre. If the Sox FO were serious about turning things around, we would see a makeover ala Chicago Blackhawks. A fan favorite loyal member of that organization (Savard) was let go in favor of a bonafide solid hockey man. The status quo wasn't working One more thing. If it would have been me, I would have launched both KW and Ozzie late in the 2011 for carrying on how they did and turning this franchise into a children's playground and laughingstock. And Cooper would have been launched this year for chiding the fans on attendance. In essence, insulting the paying customer So go for it. Have faith in an organization that is attempting to turn things around with the same rum dums that produced a 67 game under .500 record over the last three years

Since the Sox fade down the stretch in 2012, (where they went 4-11, from 9-19 till the end of the season).. a terrible offensive slump and starters ERA in the 5's was their doom.. Combined record to date over the course of roughly three seasons: 212-279… 67 games under .500 Understood that the win pct. has gone up since the end of 2012, but comparing 2014 to 2015, we are only taking about 3 wins… the nightmarish 2013 record will skew this, but we have an average seasonal record over 3 seasons of roughly 70-92 Now I challenge anyone to name me one organization that puts this type of product on the field, and makes NO major changes concerning the powers that be that have engineered this mess over three seasons…. Underperforming players? (By the way, Rongey's favorite catch phrase).. Somepne in authority has put these under performers on the roster, on a consistent basis for a while now.. yet.. no responsibility.. no accountability..

QUOTE (Soxfest @ Sep 15, 2015 -> 09:03 PM) Hope JR, KW and Hahn are enjoying the game man this is awful. 1) JR. Time to retire to Arizona buddy, bye bye now. 2) KW. Time to look for a new line of work. I hear they are looking for busboys at a couple of joints in Logan Square 3) Hahn. Time to bail from this godawful organization while your professional reputation is still in tact

QUOTE (Boogua @ Aug 30, 2015 -> 12:51 AM) I feel like KW is looked at similarly to Krause was with the Bulls. Great when they were succeeding, but chastised when they were losing. The fact of the matter is that they brought us rings. Sustained success?? Give me a ring any day of the week. Krause brought rings to the Bulls? Once MJ was gone the rings stopped, and the party was over for Krause.. Its not even a matter of sustained success. this WS franchise is being plunged into complete and total irrelevancy in this town..

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Aug 30, 2015 -> 12:33 AM) Not to mention the most depressing fact of all...we need to have good teams in 2017-19 in order to get the most beneficial new broadcast rights package. If we play like we've been playing for another three seasons, the White Sox might simply cease to exist except in the hearts and minds of a few die hards. The most depressing fact of all is that as long as this is a Reinsdorf led franchise, there will be no accountability of failure from any of the decision makers both on and off the field.. The franchise will continue to be run like some company softball pickup league team..

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Aug 21, 2015 -> 12:07 PM) Actually, if they won 7 that they lost, they would be 7 over .500. correct, my bad.. thanks for the heads up...

Someone had a stat somewhere.. ( Maybe it was Lip) the Sox have lost 15 games this year where the the pitching staff has given up three runs or less over 9 inn… If this is accurate.. with any kind of even average offense and the Sox grabbing 7 of those games.. .they are @.500 and realistically in the hunt for WC 2… I think it's more or less a no brainer… no big news flash, Rick.. the FA approach to plug holes coupled with no young productive position players on the horizon has plunged this franchise into the dark ages… interesting to see if the Chicago Wolves top the White Sox in ST numbers in 2016...

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Aug 6, 2015 -> 02:29 PM) That's a rough prediction. It's still baseball. Even poorly put together teams can still get to that 2nd wild card or win a weak division or just get lucky. I'm assuming KW is calling the shots as long as Reinsdorf and Co own the team, and Reinsdorf retains ownership for 5 yrs maximum

QUOTE (Julius @ Aug 6, 2015 -> 01:53 PM) The sox brass are at fault. People who think that it makes sense to go from Mark Kotsay->Adam Dunn->Adam LaRoche deserved to be canned. Specifically, KW..the guy that had all kinds of cash to spend after 2005 , and ran things into the ground. and , is the chief architect for this train wreck. Never ceases to amaze me that the powers that be of the Sox continue to give the wheel to the dude that ran the bus off the road I hope I'm wrong, but I predict that the Sox will fail to the playoffs as long as Reinsdorf retains ownership