Lip Man 1

From Paul Sullivan's column today of what Chicago sports fans have to look forward to until the Bears season opener next September: Vanishing White Sox fans The biggest difference between the Blackhawks and the White Sox is Hawks fans will come out to watch an awful team if they have someone like Bedard to focus on. The Sox have no such player on the current roster, and the minimal spending this offseason by general manager Chris Getz suggests they don’t intend to obtain one any time soon. Top prospect Colson Montgomery is considered the next big thing, but the Sox don’t want to rush the shortstop, even on a rebuilding team that could use a gate attraction. Luis Robert Jr. is a superstar in the making, but he’s not good enough yet to convince Sox fans to buy tickets just to watch him play on a losing team. In short, it could be a lonely season in the bleachers at Sox Park, which at least would make it more difficult to get hit by a wayward bullet. By August the Sox could be playing out the string and Pedro Grifol could be on the hot seat.

Correct. Those deals are already signed and the money is already in the bank earning interest I might ad. That revenue for now won't change regardless if the Sox win 100 games or lose 100 games. However with the NBC Sports Chicago deal expiring after this year, you'd think the Sox would want to show progress in order to get the best new TV deal possible for the Chicago-area.

Never saw the doc with Mike

Never had.

For the record Graveman was responsible for losing the lead in four of those 19 games: March 31 (along with Diekman) June 11 July 9 July 23 (along with Banks)

I think that's Bend, Oregon. I live in Idaho and never heard of Bend, Idaho.

Unless new ownership is in place before his deal expires and given how Boras, the vast majority of the time, takes his players to free agency, you can assume his days with the Sox will be numbered.

19 times last season the Sox took a lead into the 7th inning or later...and wound up losing the game.

Martin like Santos is basically an unknown right now until shown otherwise given his TJ surgery.

Didn't see this one coming.

Colas somehow, someway appears to have pissed off someone or a few people in the organization. Very strange.

https://chicago.suntimes.com/white-sox/2024/1/9/24032064/dealin-cease-chris-getz-updates-ongoing-talks-to-trade-white-sox-ace

Nothing to lose by trying I guess but it is hard to see how he holds up and what his inning limit is going to be.

He was good at what he did but JR didn't care for him and that's that.

SSHM: My comment wasn't based on helping or not helping the Sox directly. I was simply saying he's a highly qualified broadcaster that I liked listening to, his preparation and the way he called games. Given everything that has gone on in this dysfunctional, incompetent and inept organization I can't think of much else that would alienate what's left of the fan base. And frankly since when has JR ever given a damn about what the fan base or the media thinks?

Quin: In this case I agree with it! ?

Snopek: I'm not excusing what he said in any way. I'm saying everyone has made mistakes, period. If someone is going to be condemned for something they said then a lot of people shouldn't be around much longer should they?

Balta: You do make some very valid points.

Kyyle: You are correct in what you wrote, the issue then becomes does outside pressure cause him to never be able to get a job again? Isn't that cancel culture in a way?

SS2K: Again I respect your opinion and comments. I am far from ignorant of the events going on in the world or this country. I don't believe in cancel culture since every single person on Earth has made mistakes. You have the right to your beliefs as do I. Now the question is do we get along? Or is this another division in a divided country?

Balta: I respect the views of everyone who has a different opinion on this matter, that is their right. Part of the problems in this nation today are because folks turn a blind eye or ear to opposing views. I try not to do that. I simply disagree with cancel culture and will let it go at that.

Since I don't want this to devolve into a political free for all (there is far to much of this already going on in this country) all I'll say is that I'm Polish and grew up in the Back of the Yards in Chicago. I've heard every Polish joke growing up as a kid, been insulted and even gotten into a few fights. If that makes me "privileged" that's news to me. There's good and bad everywhere, life isn't fair...deal with it... as my dad used to tell me.

Speaking of minor league sales Mike Veeck and Bill Murray just bought controlling interest in the Joliet club. Mike's son Night Train (yes that is his real name) will be in charge of the day to day operations.

The reason JR will not sell while he is alive is because of the capital gains tax hit, which if the team went for around two billion dollars, would be about 200 million dollars according to a tax person that was consulted in a story I did in August 2022. THEN he'd be responsible for the state of Illinois tax hit. JR got his start working for the IRS remember. When it comes to his money he's not stupid. We are stuck with him until nature decides that it is time.

As a broadcaster myself I always found Brennaman to be a tremendous broadcaster. The guy screwed up and said something he shouldn't have. He apologized. Everyone has said or done something that they regret, so should everyone get the rest of their life destroyed because of a mistake? He didn't murder someone, commit treason or pull off a pyramid scheme. Talk about going overboard with a vendetta. The guy was good enough to work national games for Fox in different sports and to be a Major League broadcaster for a few teams. That's a better resume than most of the recent Sox broadcasters including Benetti when he was hired. (and I liked him personally and professionally) In my opinion the Sox could do a hell of a lot worse.