Lip Man 1

https://chicago.suntimes.com/white-sox/2024/02/27/white-sox-lose-jesse-scholtens-to-ucl-tear-acquire-lefty-bailey-horn-in-trade-with-cubs

That deal revitalized the franchise and directly led to back-to-back-to-back years with 90+ wins. Ward, Hansen, Nicholson and Wilhelm for Aparicio (who had worn out his welcome at the time) and Al Smith.

The man "Hawk" Harrelson traded a young Bobby Bonilla for: https://chicago.suntimes.com/obituaries/2024/02/26/jose-deleon-former-white-sox-and-cardinals-pitcher-dies-at-age-63

This is a good move, it only took them how many years? The Sox will have a mental performance coach, Cristian Guzman, in uniform and traveling with the team this season. Director of Sports Performance Geoff Head said the Sox also have a full-time dietician for the first time, welcoming both upgrades in areas he said were past due. “We had a mental skills department (in Kansas City),” manager Pedro Grifol said. “You know what? This is a very tough game and there is a lot of interference in this game, and you need resources and tools in your tool box to navigate 162 [games]. Whatever it takes. “It’s our responsibility to provide these guys resources and tools that can help navigate whatever interference they’ve got going on.” Guzman previously held mental health and performance positions with the Mariners and Mets. Jeffrey Fishbein, in his 13th season as the Sox’ team psychologist, is also part of that support team.

https://chicago.suntimes.com/white-sox/2024/02/26/its-time-to-stop-the-stadium-money-train-bears-sox-reinsdorf-mccaskey-sports-telander

What matters is what he did for the White Sox. Bobby Knoop never came close to doing this. From my interview with him: "Hansen was Cal Ripken before Cal Ripken, combining physical size, defensive ability and long ball power, traits which weren’t usually seen in Major League baseball in those days at the shortstop spot. He was 6-3, tall in those days for a shortstop (like Ripken), but that didn’t seem to slow him down defensively. In fact Hansen is the third best fielding shortstop in White Sox history. Ozzie Guillen is the all-time leader at .974; Aparicio is second at .97137 and Hansen checks in third at .97126. (Author’s Note: Thanks to Scott Reifert of the White Sox for providing this information.) At the plate, his ability to hit a home run or deliver an extra base hit was practically unheard of for a shortstop to do (like Ripken) back then. In the years from 1963 through 1965, playing half his games at spacious Comiskey Park, Hansen averaged almost 15 home runs a season. The 20 he blasted in 1964 stood as the Sox record for shortstops until it was broken by Jose Valentin in 2000. He averaged 68 RBI’s in that same time period to go along with 76 walks per year. In four of the seven years spent in Chicago Hansen had more walks then strikeouts. He never had Ripken’s ability to hit for a high average but adjusting for the time period, his offensive numbers stack up quite well with him. He missed most of the 1966 season due to injury but came back in 1967 to provide stability and leadership to a team that nearly…..very, very nearly copped the pennant in the greatest race Major League baseball has ever seen."

https://chicago.suntimes.com/white-sox/2024/02/26/trade-surprised-new-white-sox-of-dominic-fletcher-who-knows-it-was-probably-for-the-best

I think your memory is failing you. Between 1963 and 1965 Hansen hit 44 home runs, drove in 201 RBI's, and walked 211 times.

Well thought out post.

Because MLB isn't going to give up the billions they'd charge a city/new ownership for an expansion franchise as opposed to transferring a current team and not getting a dime out of it.

https://chicago.suntimes.com/white-sox/2024/02/26/gov-jb-pritzker-white-sox-stadium-south-loop-public-subsidy

Manfred has been talking about this recently: https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/mlb-expansion-breaking-down-eight-possible-locations-for-new-baseball-teams-from-population-to-local-clubs/ https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/mlb-expansion-what-to-know-about-plans-fees-possible-locations-more-as-league-looks-to-add-two-new-teams/

Alvarado and Knoop never played together with the White Sox and if memory serves Knoop won a Gold Glove as a second baseman.

Nothing will really change until ownership changes and everyone on the baseball side is fired.

Another awful, fall off the cliff start and Grifol will be fired around Memorial Day.

All I can say is stop taking drugs. Just say "no!"

Remember all that matters to the buffoons is having a seat at the table!

And then naturally this happened: January 17, 2002 - After one injury plagued, controversial season with the Sox, pitcher David Wells signed a contract with the Yankees. Wells won only five games in 2001 for the team with 16 starts. Naturally he then turned around and won 61 games over the next four years with New York, San Diego and Boston. The White Sox did get some revenge against him in the 2005 A.L.D.S. as they beat him in game #2 of that series 5-4 when he was pitching for the Red Sox. The big blow was a three-run home run by Tadahito Iguchi

That's your perspective and I respect it. I disagree though with the premise, a 100 loss team is what the record says they are...god awful, doesn't matter if you lose 1-0 or 15-3, it's still a loss.

As has been pointed out by others MLB is not going to move a franchise with a viable stadium in place and making money which would take up a more valuable potential expansion city (and the resulting millions of dollars that would be paid out for the right to get one.) They also would not concede, in my opinion, the third largest market to the National League. I for one, aren't losing a wink of sleep over the threat by JR of the Sox moving. As he said himself publicly, back in 88 the threat was made purely for leverage. He had no intention of moving. And as you say he won't be around in 10 years, new ownership (since he has told his family to sell the Sox) may want a new stadium and won't have to fight the baggage that JR has brought upon himself with his ego and arrogance. The well won't have been poisoned with new ownership making such a request and hopefully clearly saying they intend to at least pay their share instead of coming across as tone-deaf and bullying.

History lesson time: First off the Sox had eight winning seasons (including back-to-back-back seasons from 63-65 with 90+ wins) and a .500 season under their watch. Second John Allyn TWICE saved the franchise from being moved. Art had a handshake agreement with (Proud To Be Your) "Bud" Selig who was moving them to Milwaukee. John insisted that if Art wanted to do this he'd have to bring it up and get approval from the Artnell Company Board of Directors. Art decided not to do that (who knows why) and sold the team to him. Then instead of selling the club to Seattle interests, who were going to move the franchise so that MLB would have the lawsuits settled from Washington State, King County and the city of Seattle over the Pilots move, he kept the club and sold it to Bill Veeck instead. The original MLB plan was for the Sox to move to Seattle and Charlie Finley was bringing the A's to Chicago. The Allyn's had their faults but they were far from the worst owners.

Again very well said.

Absolutely correct, spot on. The fan base that has been dumped on for decades is trying to get some revenge.

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

https://chicago.suntimes.com/2024/02/23/turning-another-page-baseball-games-finally-begin-for-white-sox-pedro-grifol