Lip Man 1

Another story on what "famous" Sox fans think about this season. Dennis DeYoung (Styx) had some direct comments: https://www.chicagotribune.com/2024/09/21/chicago-white-sox-fans-losses/

Sox are now 3-10 in extra inning games and 11-29 in one run games.

"Luck is the residue of design." -- Branch Rickey

It's called getting a paycheck and if you get fired there is a reasonable chance that you can qualify for unemployment insurance.

I liked Chuck a lot but Paul Richards and Marty Marion were better managers. Regarding Ozzie: September 26, 2011 – He was considered the face of the franchise for eight seasons but on this night after a 4-3 win over Toronto, manager Ozzie Guillen announced he was leaving after owner Jerry Reinsdorf agreed to let him out of the final year of his contract. Guillen, who was the 1985 A.L. Rookie of the Year with the White Sox, won the World Series in 2005 and also got the club into the playoffs in 2008. He had five winning seasons in the eight years as manager and was named Manager of the Year for his work in 2005. In that magical season of 2005, “Ozzie Ball” resulted in the Sox getting off to the best start in their history and with a perfect blend of pitching, speed, power and the ability to execute the fundamentals the Sox were in first place from wire to wire. Then they blitzed through the post season putting together an 11-1 record that was the third best post season record in baseball history. Guillen’s passion and enthusiasm for the franchise was unparalleled but at times he was his own worst enemy. Over his final years in Chicago, he became increasingly thin-skinned and defensive when criticism was directed his way and he lashed out at Sox fans on more than one occasion. Among his famous rants against the fans were one where he said that they could ‘‘Turn off their TVs and stop watching the game if they don’t like the [bleep]ing lineup’’ and another in May 2011 where he claimed Sox fans would not remember him, “As soon as you leave the ballpark, they don’t care about you. They don’t. The monuments, the statues…they pee on them when they get drunk.” On the afternoon of the day he left the team Guillen told reporters that he would not want to return to fulfill his 2012 contract unless he got an extension and more money. Ozzie’s relationship with G.M. Kenny Williams also deteriorated over the final few years because the two men appeared to have different viewpoints over how the roster should be constructed and the style to which the Sox should play. The Jim Thome/DH controversy was an example of the different ideas. Guillen’s family didn’t help the situation with social media comments derogatory to Williams. Many felt when Ozzie was hired in November 2003 that he was the right man for the right team at the right time and for a few years he was. Unfortunately, the manager with the longest tenure since Al Lopez let some personal foibles override a good situation and it was best for all that a parting of the ways took place. Greg: Don't forget the Sox actually were still in the race before a crucial series with Detroit when before the game Ozzie met the press and started talking about not wanting to stay unless he got a raise and a contract extension. He doubled down on that the day he was allowed to leave.

To DVS of the Sun-Times: "But when asked if the Sox can turn things around as is, there was a long pause. “I’ll answer it this way,’' he said. “Pedro Grifol is not the White Sox’ problem anymore. And the White Sox are not Pedro Grifol’s problem anymore.” https://chicago.suntimes.com/white-sox/2024/09/20/as-white-sox-close-in-on-62-mets-record-for-futility-ex-manager-pedro-grifol-hurts-for-former-players

"Billy was starting to slip a little bit. He never complained but I think his arm was bothering him a little bit. Just before we clinched the pennant that year, Billy had pitched against the Yankees in Yankee Stadium and had beaten them 4-3. He pitched a good game. Then he pitched again and hadn't looked good. Now our last series was in Detroit. I stayed in Chicago because the Dodgers were coming in to play the Cubs, so I put Tony Cuccinello in charge of the club. And I said, 'I want you to pitch Billy in Detroit, get him ready for the series." Because it was going to be Wynn, Shaw and Pierce for the series." "I told Tony, 'Let him go seven innings and give me a report on how he looks.' Tony came back and said, 'Al, he wasn't throwing good at all.' So that's one of the reasons we switched to Donovan in the third game."--Al Lopez to the Tribune's Bob Vanderberg. Pierce started the first game of the Detroit series, September 25, 1959. He gave up three runs on five hits in two innings. So that's

Not always, just this year the place was half empty for Oakland. As late as 1983 they were closing the upper deck.

I used to think that would happen, I don't believe that anymore, the Cubs would scream about territorial rights.

Remember JR said the Sox wouldn't get into bidding for him! 😆

From my interview with Billy: ML: Your career continued to roll along culminating with the pennant year of 1959. For the city and the team it was the pinnacle of success, but for you personally, it wasn’t your best season. You missed six weeks with a hip injury and when it came time for the World Series, Manager Al Lopez passed you over for a starting assignment. Older Sox fans still insist, if you start Game #2, instead of Bob Shaw, and win, the Sox take the Series. How difficult was that for you being relegated to only four innings of relief work? BP: "It was very tough. It was a real hard thing. I appeared in three games and pitched well but it was a disappointment. I still wanted the Sox to win, after all, they were my teammates but I was very glad when it was over. Let’s put it this way, I left town pretty quickly to try to forget about it all." ML: Did that affect your relationship with Lopez, and what did you think of him as a manager? BP: "Al was a real good manager. His record shows that. He was a solid percentage baseball guy. I honestly think the controversy affected Al more than me. I wasn’t the culprit; all I could do was what he told me. He had to listen to the fans who wanted me to pitch but I couldn’t do anything about it."

For those who can access, this is fabulous especially in this season of misery: https://www.chicagotribune.com/2024/09/19/vintage-chicago-tribune-remembering-go-go-white-sox/

That and making money.

https://chicago.suntimes.com/white-sox/2024/09/19/fed-up-white-sox-fans-have-seen-enough Got an e-mail this morning from a former member of the front office who said the article by Rosenthal was 100% accurate. The only "regret" they said was that Ken didn't even get into what was happening on the marketing/public relations/broadcasting side of things.

https://chicago.suntimes.com/white-sox/2024/09/19/fed-up-white-sox-fans-have-seen-enough

https://www.audacy.com/670thescore/authors/mully-haugh-show Click on full show Sept. 19 then slide the bar to the second hour.

Simply a stunning story but to be honest I wasn't totally surprised by the incompetence, dysfunction and ineptness. The quote below from the story is the best hope for the franchise: Reinsdorf has said he would advise his family to keep the Bulls and sell the White Sox upon his death.

Today was the 26th time the Sox had a lead in the 7th inning or later...and lost the game. 26 times...that's almost incomprehensible.

Shades of the move to WFLD-TV in 1968!

And on the Bears stadium front: https://www.chicagotribune.com/2024/09/18/chicago-bears-plan-for-new-lakefront-stadium-draws-opposition-from-community-groups/

https://chicago.suntimes.com/white-sox/2024/09/18/worst-team-ever-wants-money-for-new-stadium-lower-2025-payroll-wanna-be-white-sox-fan-jerry-reinsdorf

Very true.

I can't of course tell you who told me that comment but I can say they were part of the field staff when they were in the organization and not actually working in the front office.

Those were main components of them 'taking over' for wont of a better phrase also don't forget John McDonough (who grew up a Sox fan) marketing Wrigley Field as the place to be regardless of how bad the team was on the field.

If JR comes up with a LOT of money it could happen and I would have no objections myself but for him to want a new stadium AGAIN on the public dole simply won't fly in the current environment.