Lip Man 1

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ May 31, 2016 -> 11:17 AM) The Dodgers and Yankees are having trouble getting the cable companies to pay the carrying fees associated with their networks. With Comcast being the company they are leaving, I can't see things being nearly as easy for the Cubs as you think. In fact, for someone who follows history as much as you do, the parallels to White Sox leaving for SportsVision are pretty impressive. The Cubs are going to leave an existing network which is carried on every single cable and satellite company for one that doesn't yet exist, and will need to fight to get those networks to pay extra for them. Seeing how hard that has been for Houston, LA, and even the Yankees, I don't see your level of optimism. Simply because over the past 30 years the town has turned completely on to the Cubs. Those fans (some call them lemmings) will pay any amount of money to watch "their Cubbies..." And if they happen to get to or win a World Series in the next few years, cable companies will be breaking down their doors to put them on. The Cubs aren't totally stupid they took the gamble on Heyward for a reason Kenney came right out and said why. Time will tell of course, but I'm willing to put up a few dollars that when all is said and done my scenario will be closer to reality. SportsVision was a huge gamble, the idea was brilliant but ahead of its time. History has shown that since RSN's dominate the market now, the Cubs aren't dealing with the same landscape from many areas and standpoints. Mark

QUOTE (Thad Bosley @ May 31, 2016 -> 10:39 AM) The Cubs were a dormant, slumbering giant of a franchise for a very long time, fully capable of realizing the potential of which you speak but had not. And for over three decades the current ownership group had a chance to get out in front of this and take steps to cement and maximize the Sox' place in the market, but did not. The level of relevancy that Jerry Reinsdorf's White Sox have in the market both locally and nationally today is the same as it was when he took over the team in late 1980. And it is this level of relevancy that Eddie Einhorn mocked on the first day of the current regime's ownership when he started spouting off about turning the Sox into a "first class organization". How has that turned out, now nearly 36 years later? It's pretty obvious. As a wise man once said, "Actions speak louder than words". Just FYI, Mike Veeck's take on that comment. From my interview with him: ML: That group made the first in a long line of faux paux's when Eddie Einhorn made a statement the day they bought the club along the lines of ‘we’re going to start running a first class operation.’ Many Sox fans and reportedly your dad were shocked and insulted by that comment. Making it worse was that your dad was right there when it was said. How did your dad and the Veeck family feel about that comment? MV: “We have never equated money with class. Just because we didn’t wear two hundred dollar shirts and three thousand dollar suits didn’t mean we didn’t have manners or didn’t respect other people. The one thing that my family has always done first and foremost was respect the fans of baseball and the game of baseball.” ML: I have heard that supposedly, Eddie Einhorn over the years privately apologized to your dad and tried to mend fences with him to no avail. Is that true? MV: “No Eddie Einhorn never apologized for that remark, Jerry Reinsdorf did, and there is a difference between those two men.” ML: Mike you’ve followed the Sox in various forms and capacities for forty years. You were here when the Sox owned Chicago, won on the field seemingly every season, and got the lion’s share of the media coverage. Today it’s completely opposite. The Sox have been ignored starting around the mid 80's. How did this happen, what in your opinion has gone wrong with the marketing / PR / on field approach that this ownership group has taken? MV: “When you veer from your history you take chances. We were proud of the ‘blue collar / working class’ nature of our fans. Our fans worked for a living, that’s why we played night games. Being a Sox fan isn’t for the faint. We were the team of “Jungle” Jim Rivera, Earl Torgeson and Early Wynn. Day baseball is for the Cubs. The club has gone away from their history.” “Old Comiskey Park was destroyed and it didn’t need to be, it could have been fixed for a modest amount of money... that hurt many fans. When the Sox announced the formation of ‘Golden Box Seats,’ I had to laugh...’Golden Box Seats’... just exactly what is that outside of a way to raise ticket prices? Eddie Einhorn said that the Sox would never have rock and roll concerts at Comiskey Park like we did, like it was distasteful. Three years later Michael Jackson played at Comiskey Park..” “The Sox owned every underdog in Chicago. The Sox were much more comfortable to them. If I had a part of this club I’d have so much fun at the Cubs’ expense. I would not be ‘politically correct.’ Chicagoans expect that, they embrace honesty. ‘Disco Demolition’ was ridiculed, but it got the Sox into Rolling Stone magazine.” Mark

QUOTE (SpankyEaton @ May 31, 2016 -> 06:40 AM) How so? I'm not familiar with TV deals outside of the fact that they create revenue. Considering Seattle, Arizona and St. Louis recently got deals in excess of multiple Billion dollars, should the Cubs continue to do well on the field they will probably get the most amount of money in history for a TV deal. Crain Kenney already told the media this off season of their plans and because of the expected windfall they took the gamble and signed Heyward to that mega contract. Meaning they know what's coming. They'll be able to basically sign everyone and anyone they wish because of the TV money they'll be getting. Plus advertising and marketing companies will be falling all over themselves and willing to pay just about anything to advertise with them. In short, they'll have more money than God and suck up a lot of the potential advertising / marketing / PR deals for themselves. There won't be much left for the Sox. Plus if the Sox continue to embarrass themselves and make themselves irrelevant in their own market when their TV deal expires (unfortunately for them at the same time as the Cubs basically) they won't even sniff what teams like Seattle and Arizona got...it simply will not be there. Not a good situation at all. Mark

QUOTE (greg775 @ May 30, 2016 -> 10:32 PM) You think that because you are the best fan in Sox history. I used to be like you, but I can't take it anymore. Maybe, but it made more sense not to bunt cause of the fact the team can't hit in the clutch and everybody knows it. Giving up one out just to move the runners is kind of insane. Gary Peters forever! Is Pete Ward living? What does he do for a living? Amazing how those guys that played in that era had to get careers after baseball cause they didn't make enough $$$. I am assuming they get a nice pension now though. Pete is alive and well and living in a suburb of Portland. Visit him every year when Idaho State plays there. Have been to his house and seen the memorabilia he has of his career including his Sox jersey. Very nice guy. Owned a travel agency for almost 40 years before selling it and retiring. Mark

Out of all the columns today the paragraph that got my attention was in David Haugh's piece where basically he said that Ventura should be fired and explains why but then concludes by saying the issue is that with Jerry Reinsdorf he rarely sees the obvious: Here is the paragraph though that pretty well expresses my feelings: "The Sox have no identity under Ventura. He has proved nothing as a manager in four-plus seasons, beyond the fact he's likable. He has done nothing to instill confidence that things will improve quickly. If Ventura stays, this looks like more than a "rough patch,'' as Sale called it. Barring something dramatic, this feels like the beginning of the end." Well said. Mark

QUOTE (SpankyEaton @ May 30, 2016 -> 07:09 PM) I guess we will have to wait until the end of the year to see the changes. I would love to see Renteria get a chance now but I don't think that's going to solve anything. Kenny Williams getting fired and JR selling the team would help, but I honestly think the Sox will move in the next ten years. I went to the Cubs game today because of my fiancé and can't see the Sox competing and staying afloat financially even though deep down I hope they do and get families to the park since that's where I think they can compete with the Cubs. Do you guys think we need to worry about a move? If you think the situation is bad now (and it is) just wait till the Cubs start their own TV network in three years. Mark

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ May 30, 2016 -> 08:09 PM) Yeah, my first baseball card was Topps 1979 Claudell Washington, lol. First autograph, too. Sent it off in a SASE envelope and received it back the same week. I vaguely remember hearing about the South Side Hitmen. First game was ironically enough at Wrigley (Cards/Cubs) that same year, but that was one of only two times in my life attending a Cubs' game in Chicago. Just have a general idea about Chuck Tanner, Goose Gossage, Dick Allen, Forster, Wilbur Wood...some of the bigger names of that time. Time to learn a little history... some of my interviews: http://www.whitesoxinteractive.com/rwas/in...=11&id=3056 http://www.whitesoxinteractive.com/rwas/in...=11&id=1998 http://www.whitesoxinteractive.com/rwas/in...=11&id=2285 http://www.whitesoxinteractive.com/rwas/in...=11&id=3008 mark

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ May 30, 2016 -> 05:22 PM) Outside of 1977, there wasn't really a competitive team in there. You must be to young to remember 1972. Mark

QUOTE (sin city sox fan @ May 30, 2016 -> 01:36 PM) Bring back Ozzie and I'll be back to help create Hell in the Cell for other AL teams. Sorry. This organizations has many problems. Bringing Ozzie who quit on them before, would only add more of them as soon as he opened his drunken big mouth. I'll pass thank you. Mark

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ May 30, 2016 -> 04:59 PM) Does Hahn think he'll still have a job in 2020 or 2021 at this rate? Guess so. If JR is still the owner he very well might. Mark

QUOTE (TitoMB @ May 30, 2016 -> 02:28 PM) Are we in the worst era of White Sox history? Impossible for me to say, but it sure feels like it. I don't even remember the last time we made the playoffs. Historically based on what is happening on the field it's the worst period since 1968-1980. Mark

Back in the day... Newspapers had cartoonists on staff and they weren't just for political commentary, often they did sports too. I was thinking this afternoon while working outside about the old Chicago American and its "Horsehide Theater" where every few days sometimes every day they'd have a cartoon talking about something going on with the Sox or Cubs. If they still had this today I thought of the perfect cartoon to describe the Sox situation. It's JR fiddling in a Roman toga while behind him U.S. Cellular Field burns to the ground. The caption would read, "This Century's Nero..." Much like Nero did nothing while Rome burned to the ground so JR is doing nothing while his franchise every day becomes a bigger laughing stock and more meaningless and irrelevant in their own home market. Really a shame. Mark

QUOTE (SCCWS @ May 30, 2016 -> 02:11 PM) I agree but nor right away. I was not a fan of the Robin hiring but firing him would not solve the problem. I think the roster is a .500 team. But first step I think Robin should go quickly so they can give Renteria a chance to show what he can do over the rest of the season. Second step w Renteria's input is to clean out some dead wood like the group you mention. That way he gets some input on his roster. Third step is to add a LH bat and a SP but again w some input from Renteria. Everyone is blaming Robin and he gets some blame. But Hahn does as well since the bench is awful and there are still holes in the everyday lineup and bullpen. There is certainly a lot of truth in what you say but there still appears to be questions in the minds of a lot of Sox fans how much real power Hahn has. He takes his orders too remember. I'd be more willing to put more "blame" on Rick if Kenny and his ego weren't around. Since they still are I simply don't know if it is totally fair to put a lot of blame on him yet. Mark

Seven in a row...and no end in sight. When the team is hitting and scoring runs the pitching is s***. When the team gets great pitching the hitting is s***. What a f***ed up organization. And it starts from the very top down. Someone posted that Harvey who had an ERA of over six would get well against the Sox a few days ago. They were right on the money. Yet Robin remains the manager. LOL! Mark

QUOTE (klaus kinski @ May 30, 2016 -> 06:57 AM) I recall that being a more talented team than this. But that team had some budding future stars about to hit stride. Don't see that on this year's version True on both counts in my opinion. Mark

QUOTE (mataipaepae @ May 30, 2016 -> 08:28 AM) Id like to see more hard throwers in our bullpen. Too many lollipop guys. In 2007 Kenny decided to rebuild the bullpen with guys who all threw 95+. How did that work out? The issue was they fell behind regularly in counts and when they brought that 95+ straight fast ball, it usually went out at about 105+ MPH. Speed without movement is a killer. Big league hitters will catch up to straight fastballs. Mark

For right or wrong JR has never cared what the media thinks, what the agents think or what the fans think. And some of that is certainly good, as a business he has to look at it this way. But historically under this ownership there has always been a streak of arrogance, 'we're smarter than all of you...' 'we know what we're doing, you don't'. It goes all the way back to EE and his comments about 'building a first class organization' on the press conference the day they took over insulting the Veeck family. History again shows they really haven't built a 'first class organization' based on the on-field record. Plus Kenny is about as arrogant as they come. The former PR / marketing director Rob Gallas was as arrogant and taciturn as they come. This can't really be called a 'fan-friendly' organization not based on the record and comments about said fan base over the year particularly from Kenny and Cooper. Mark

QUOTE (elrockinMT @ May 29, 2016 -> 08:19 PM) B**ch and gripe and moan and point fingers. Maybe we can blame the bar boy too,,? b****ing and moaning and pointing fingers generally happens when you have a dysfunctional organization that has posted the worst stretch of Sox baseball historically since the era from 1968 through 1980. Mark

QUOTE (SoxPride18 @ May 29, 2016 -> 07:03 PM) Anymore threads of negativity? I can't say, depends if they ever decide to start winning actual baseball games again. Mark

Someone at another Sox site figured this out. Unbelievable. On Friday, when the Sox led 5-1 with 2 outs in the bottom of the 6th, they had a 93.8% chance of winning the game. On Saturday, when the Sox led 7-1 with 1 out in the bottom of the 9th, they had a 99.9% chance of winning the game. On Sunday, when the Sox led 4-2 with 1 out in the bottom of the 8th, they had an 88.4% chance of winning the game. The probability of losing all 3 of those games is .0007%, or about 1 in 142,857. Simply incredible....and pathetic. Mark

Given this dramatic collapse after playing so well for a stretch immediately brought my thoughts back to 1991. On August 12, 1991 the Sox were one game behind the Twins. Wilson Alvarez the day before had just no-hit the Orioles in Baltimore and the Sox had won 19 of 23. That night Bobby Thigpen gave up the game tying home run in the 9th inning, Donn Pall game up the game winning home run in the 11th inning. The Sox lost 15 of their next 17 games. They were nine games out on August 28 after getting swept three games in K.C. This year of course they started 23-10 and have now lost 14 of their last 18. Amazing isn't it? Mark

Given what's happened the past three seasons the organization / team has very little credibility or gets the benefit of the doubt on things. That is probably very unfair but that's also reality. No one expected them to run away with the division. Most thought though given the areas of weakness on the team that they were playing far over their heads and that it was only a matter of time. That time has apparently come. Mark

QUOTE (ChiSoxFanMike @ May 15, 2016 -> 10:15 AM) As long as the Sox can handle Cleveland, KC, Detroit, and Minnesota, the division is theirs IMO. The Sox haven't been able to consistently beat teams in their division for years. Looks like that's not changing. 2-8 in last 10 games against division opponents. Mark

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ May 29, 2016 -> 05:31 PM) What a terrible comp to bring up seeing how Bevington replaced Lemont. No more lightning please "By that I mean that JR will approve of a managerial dismissal during the season." You must have missed that part. Mark

That lightening will strike twice: June 2, 1995 - With the Sox having blown four straight games to the Indians, and off to an 11-20 start, manager Gene Lamont was fired and replaced by abrasive, taciturn third base coach Terry Bevington. Bevington would turn out to be a disaster on the field and in the clubhouse and the long term effects of the way Lamont was dismissed would cause his mentor and former Sox coach Jim Leyland to turn down overtures by owner Jerry Reinsdorf to take over after Bevington was removed. By that I mean that JR will approve of a managerial dismissal during the season Mark