Thad Bosley

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jun 1, 2015 -> 03:53 PM) Because the White Sox could care less what Soxtalk.com thinks, and rightfully so. Anyone who would run their franchise simply off of fan sentiment would be out of a job in a heartbeat. Lol - oh, I don't know. Maybe it's time for the roll of the dice and start running this thing based on Soxtalk poster intelligence. I'd switch out this perennially, non-achieving triumvirate of Jerry, Kenny and Rick with "iamshack", "eminor3rd", and "balta1701" and take my chances with them in a heartbeat. You have to admit - the results couldn't be much worse!

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ May 27, 2015 -> 05:42 PM) It is the schtick. Then there is reality. Reality dictates that a team understands the nature of its fanbase and try to cater to them to some extent. It is the entire reason we have never seen a completely sell of like the Cubs can do because of their fan loyalty. It is why the team was looking for near major league ready talent in most of its deals a few years back, instead of waiting for a process that could take half of a decade or more. Even if it failed, a slow erosion of fans being better than the bandwagon all emptying at once, and stupid stuff like BLACK FLAG coming back into vogue with the more meatball portion of the population. It is why as soon as the rebuild even started to look like it was turning a corner, the team went out and bought a bunch of major leaguers at market prices in an attempt to bring back some of the bandwagon. If Sox fans want to paint themselves as smart, they have to be able to take an honest look at the whole picture, and understand all of the pieces of the puzzle, not just the parts that generate calls on the Score. If you are ignoring parts of the story to paint your narrative, you aren't half as smart as you think. But no, let's go ahead and resume the whining about what a horrible 35 years it has been, and people can't take the horrible pain anymore. WHY ME? WHY DOES OWNERSHIP DO THIS TO ME? I AM ENTITLED TO BETTER! Reality. 35 years, five postseason appearances. Only four of the 25 non-expansion teams with fewer appearances. Outside of 2005, a combined four postseason victories in the other four appearances in '83, '93, '00, and '08. Reality. One division title, one postseason victory in the entire decade since '05. 212 losses since April of '13. Reality. Cumulative effect of Jerry Reinsdorf and his management team's failure to field something even remotely resembling a winning product: a big market team practically last in attendance and TV ratings in all of baseball as we speak. Schtick. All of this is somehow the fans' fault. GMAFB.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ May 27, 2015 -> 03:35 PM) I did a couple of times, but thanks for the non-answer. It tells me that you know the answer. And why are we even talking about bandwagon fans at this point in time, anyway! This team has amassed 212 losses in the past 2 1/4 years now. That's not appealing to any fans, bandwagon or otherwise. Where the debate should be is what we think Moe, Larry, and Curly, a.k.a. Jerry, Kenny, and Rick, should do to reverse these sad fortunes.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ May 27, 2015 -> 03:35 PM) I did a couple of times, but thanks for the non-answer. It tells me that you know the answer. Lol - you asked me to define a bandwagon, did you. Can't believe I didn't rush to fill that request. I know, why don't you take care of that query yourself by looking it up, and meanwhile, the rest of us interested in discussing solutions will further that debate. More winning, less whining!

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ May 27, 2015 -> 07:53 AM) If the idea that the Sox either have to have an ideal fan base, or move isn't hyperbole, I don't know what is. It is taking the debate to a ridiculous extreme that completely ignores reality, but then again, that is what most of this debate has been about. BTW, I don't think I ever saw you actually define what a bandwagon fanbase is. Um, maybe because you never asked me? Or if you did, I missed the request. But even if you did, I don't care to expend the energy to do so. You're the one whining and gnashing your teeth over this notion of bandwagon fans, not me. What I'm interested in is a solution to the attendance problem, which I claim will be solved with more winning, specifically via some exciting play in the offseason - which to date, outside of '05, hasn't happened in our lifetimes. Nothing more, and certainly nothing less.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ May 27, 2015 -> 06:49 AM) WHY DON"T YOU POOR PEOPLE JUST GO GET A JOB THAT PAYS BETTER! Um, yes, Miss? Can I get an order of some grilled hyperbole with a side of sautéed bluster? Thanks! Oh, and a large diet. Thanks!!

QUOTE (harkness @ May 26, 2015 -> 09:28 PM) Walk him... I don't care what bautista has done... I thoughts that what ventura was doing there. Just such a failure And Steve Stone is a dumbarse also soon as his fat face started blowing about Robertson I knew we were done. Put the winning run on in the bottom of the ninth to face Bautista? Ohhhhhhhhkkkkkkkkkk

Swirsky obviously not a big baseball guy.

Don't stop now, Boys!

Good call by the ump seeing Carlos get his hand on the plate.

Vintage Steve Stone, calling out Alexei on a lackluster throw.

That surface just seems to be the worst, with all of that black junk that bounces up after the ball hits it.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ May 26, 2015 -> 06:49 PM) So was anyone other than me listening to Steve Stone's commentary on why the Blue Jays' efforts to "bring in" a team have failed, how you need to develop a team from the inside, how you need to have your catcher or your shortstop be the smartest guy on the team, use that to drive the development of starting pitching, and then fill in some gaps around that and think... "This sounds like Stone criticizing the White Sox in another form" ? He masked it by talking about a conversation he had with Cito Gaston about the Jays, but yes, it seemed like a commentary on the Sox front office approach to things.

QUOTE (fathom @ May 26, 2015 -> 06:25 PM) Hit a blast Jose CALL IT!!

QUOTE (harkness @ May 26, 2015 -> 06:19 PM) You guys thinking this other announcer is go good are just delusional for something different... I like how he said "We had two chances to get the runner to 3rd." Only get once chance for it to matter boss... Nice guy though The pairing reminds me of Stone and Chip Caray, another play-by-play guy short on knowing the nuances of the game. It gives Stone a chance to display his wealth of knowledge.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ May 26, 2015 -> 05:08 PM) I think the most shocking thing here is how many people are opening advocating for the team to move. After living through the true turn back the clock era, when the team was all but gone, it just blows my mind. Oh, come now. You're not still holding a...grudge...about Jerry Reinsdorf threatening to move the Sox to Tampa back in the day, are you!

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ May 26, 2015 -> 02:44 PM) All on the backs of one playoff run in 30 years, without a World Series Championship to show for it, which according to the repeated standards of years and years of winning in a row, falls woefully short. Falls woefully short of what? What are you talking about here? The point I made is Kansas City had a very exciting postseason last year and their fan base responded, hence the nice bump in attendance this year. They are poised to build upon that success and add to and solidify their fan base by making it to the playoffs again this year. They might not make it, and they may slip backwards like we did since we did not sustain our success after the WS run. But if they do make it and have another exciting run at things this fall, it will only help continue their success at the gate. And who knows? Maybe they are about to go on a nice three or four year run of sustained success like every other team in the AL Central team has done at one time or another since the advent of the division. Every other team, that is, except the White Sox. I know, I know - confounded bandwagon fans! They're to blame for all of this!!

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ May 26, 2015 -> 11:53 AM) You can spin it however you want to spin it, but winning games, being in first place, doesn't really help all that much. Getting to the WS where people will buy packages for WS tickets does. It's too bad it takes a WS for White Sox fans to enjoy baseball. Think about it, Thad Bosley said the White Sox have had only 1 exciting season the last 35. So 90+ win seasons aren't fun, winning divisions aren't fun. It's only the WS trophy that is fun. If that is how one thinks, it is time to move on. The Braves won 1 WS and made the playoffs 15 years in a row. 1 exciting season out of 15. Nooooo, now don't do that. Don't put words in my mouth. Thad Bosley has never once suggested that the only thing that equals "exciting" is winning the World Series. What I've said repeatedly is that what is exciting is not only getting to the playoffs, but getting there and playing competitively, and going as deep as you can. That IS exciting! It's exciting in any sport, and that's what fans react most positively towards. My point with the Sox is that the measly other four playoff appearances outside of '05 have been anything but exciting - four total wins between the four series. What a difference it felt in '05 just beating the Red Sox in the first series to anything we had experienced prior, either in '83, '93, or '00. It was on a completely different level. Our fans, experiencing all of that for the first time, loved it and craved for more the following season based on season tickets sold and overall attendance. The problem is the Sox didn't deliver. They didn't deliver in '06, certainly not in '07, made a decent go of it in '08 but were out of the playoffs all too quickly, and then everything since then has been a disaster.

My word! Would you look at those Kansas City Royals! Averaging nearly 32K this year after that splendid run they had through the postseason last year. Their average attendance last year was only 24K, reflective, of course, of the years and years of losing prior to last season. But lo and behold, it turns out that their fan base enjoyed all of the excitement that a solid postseason brings, and have signed up this season in hopes for more. Sounds like another fan base we know from 2006, doesn't it? And to add to the good news for fans of the Royals, their team seems well poised to do the unthinkable - make it to the playoffs in consecutive seasons! Now how about that! And if they do so, and give their fans another thrill, they will continue to build upon and expand their fan base. Yep, yep, yep - that's how it works. That's what a little winning will do for you!

QUOTE (Iwritecode @ May 26, 2015 -> 09:42 AM) There's a huge difference between winning a lot of games and being in first place for "most of the season" and being in first place on the last day of the season. The latter typically draws more fans in. Especially if it's done frequently in a short time period. You can nitpick on a specific number of consecutive post-season experiences all you want. I was just throwing out an example. There are lots of different ways to define success. It can be 2 years in a row. It can be 3 years in a row. It can be 3 times in 5 years. 5 times in 10 years. Something a lot of other teams in the league have done many, many times. If the Sox could manage any one of those scenarios I would bet that attendance would go up at least in the short term. But they never have. Actually, I just checked. The Sox are the only AL team that has never hit any of those scenarios. The Nationals, Marlins and Rockies are the only other teams that haven't either. Agreed. Excellent point of view!

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ May 25, 2015 -> 10:14 PM) It tells me the bandwagon empties very quickly, just like we saw after 2005. So why not let it replenish as quickly as possible? Let's let the bandwagon open far and wide! That's good for both you and me. That means the team we love and support is actually doing something of interest, which the 2015 brand, much like four of its most previous brands, has not. It also means we can pack our already-diminished ballpark to its diminished capacity. Why would you have a problem with that?

QUOTE (Andy the Clown @ May 25, 2015 -> 10:44 PM) ? That makes absolutely no sense. Lol - get used to that in "ss2k5" reasoning on this subject.

Stone putting Noesi's performance into pretty good perspective.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ May 25, 2015 -> 06:33 PM) Then explain 2009 and 2013 Oh, c'mon, Dick. You are one of the smartest posters on this site. This isn't that hard to understand. This team has been so unsuccessful for so long, they are going to need to not only get into the playoffs for a few seasons or so in a row, but also get deep into them and play some good and exciting baseball while there to get people excited about this team. That's where the team's record of futility has left this franchise. The 2008 team went out meekly and quickly against the Rays in '08, and didn't even make it to the playoffs in '12. Again, look at how the base reacted to the '05 team. Look at how the exciting playoff action that year translated into outstanding attendance the following year. We need a run of playoff action similar to that to build up our fan base. It can be done, as proven by the Tigers, Twins and Indians since the advent of the AL Central Division, and it's now looking like the Royals are getting in on the action. The White Sox, meanwhile, don't. That is the problem.

QUOTE (jeffro2525 @ May 25, 2015 -> 06:32 PM) I miss Hawk being pissy/downtrodden with me during a game like this. I know I'm in the extreme minority. +1