Highland

In reality, the product on the field has always been secondary. The Tribune Company used its massive media presence to market and sell this team on a constant basis. Up until about 2015 this team didn't do anything, and they have returned to that form. Some, not many, but some Cub fans have caught on to the scam.

I went to my first Sox game in 1960. Things are tough for long-time fans now. The Rebuild is a last chance to get this franchise truly on its feet, and it isn't working. Switching to another team will never work, but watching this stuff is hard.

True, it is not shocking that JR doesn't understand working class people. I don't regard him as a sociopath. He lives in a different world, and, even after all these years, he still doesn't get certain things. The Yes people around him only make things worse. My point is that he alienates some of the most loyal Sox fans. And people like Hawk, Ed Farmer, and Steve Stone have been his enablers. His supporters say he loves baseball. Might be true. But from day one, he never had any idea what motivated Sox fans, and that has nothing to to do with money or class. He just doesn't get it.

Here are the ages of men sitting on the White Sox Board of Directors: Robert Judelson 83 Judd Malkin 85 Allan Muchin 86 Jay Pinsky 73 Lee Stern 95 Burton Ury 95 Front office man Howard Pizer 82 Don't get me wrong. All of these men have had successful careers. But these ages speak for themselves. It is really hard to expect much from this organization with a situation like this. Change and growth just does not happen. And we cannot expect change in the near future.

TexSox- One thing I will say is that, from the very beginning, JR never understood the White Sox fan. One of the first things that was done after the team was purchased in 1981 was tearing out the center field shower. That shower was a symbol of a loved team and one of the few bright spots during a very bad decade. But out it came. He also had a thing about Bill Veeck. Veeck was not loved by everyone, but many fans felt that Veeck at least understood what fans wanted out of their team and what they wanted when they came to the ball park. He still can't understand how Veeck appealed to fans. Somethings were changing when the JR group bought the team, and he had nothing to do with somethings. Free TV was going to go, the stadium had to be replaced, and the corporate fan became even more important. JR didn't understand human nature in that people are hostile to change at first. Then the wagons circled. If the franchise is ever going to build its fan base, these rebuild has to work. I don't know if JR cares or understands that.

After watching those last two innings, I don't get the feeling the Sox are going on a roll. How about driving in a run or two when getting the bases loaded?

To tell you the truth, I don't care about the All-Star game. The game means nothing. It would be our luck that a Sox player would get hurt. Take the days off.

Cease again showed how great he is. On the post-game show, they were saying the offense showed up today. I didn't see the early part of the game. In the last innings, I saw two bloop hits and no runs scored with bases loaded. (as usual) The offense didn't exactly wow me. Robert still hobbling out there. Glad he was able to get to the ninth inning drive.

I don't know what the mindset of the FO is right now but blaming the fans for this mess is not the answer. They've done that over 40 seasons, and it hasn't worked. They can save face by letting LaRussa finish out this season, but he can't be back for the 2023 season. They cannot remain in denial about this. I have a real concern with Robert and Eloy, two young and talented players that can't stay on the field. Eloy is on another extended stay on the IL. In the third Baltimore game, Robert should have caught that bases clearing double but he physically couldn't get to it. He looked like he was hobbling when he chased the ball by the wall. Credibility is a big issue now. The FO sold the tanking and the rebuild. It has now stalled. The franchise must show it recognizes the problem and take steps to fix it. Recognizing there is a real problem would be a great start. Arguing with fans on Twitter is a waste of time.

Baltimore isn't half as bad as some thought. Sox have a chance with Cease but still have to bring some kind of offense. If Cease leaves after six, and the game is tight, things will look bad for the home team. Although I don't know if the outcome will make any difference.

This sums up things well. At the moment, I don't have faith that this organization can turn things around. It started with the LaRussa hiring and has snowballed. Some big things will have to happen this upcoming off season, and I am not counting on those big things happening.

At the moment JR is a recluse, and that is a big concern. He is closer to 90 than 80, and we really don't know if he is in sound enough mind to run a major league baseball franchise. The rest of the ownership group cashed it in a long time ago. Their basic philosophy is to let Jerry handle everything. Well, he is handling everything, and we have to wonder if he knows what day of the week it is. Or maybe Stoney keeps him informed.

Greg, don't you realize that Stoney is speaking for JR? He is allowing himself to be a mouthpiece. That is on the degrading side.

Someone who has absolutely no past connection to the White Sox. No AJ or any other dumb shit. And tell Darryl Boston it's time to play shuffle board.

I would like to know how people connected to the organization feel right now. Is lashing out at the fans their only answer? Firing Tony will not solve a lot of things. But if that was done, at least you would show you have a pulse. Insulting the people who pay to come out to see this mess is about as dumb as it gets.

You are so right. The same people making the same decisions. They won't have many fans left unless they understand the urgency. They have to do something different, anything different.

That was not a competitive lineup. I don't know when they will have one. You can't tell me this team is that much better than Cleveland or Minnesota.

If Stone is such a genius, why is he acting so stupid? The worst thing he can do at this moment is lash out at the fans, no matter how pissed he is. Maybe he should get off of Twitter and do his job. Or maybe something or someone connected to the White Sox should do their damn job. If LaRussa can't be fired, maybe Stone can be fired.

This is so true, and any Sox fan who thinks this team is a serious WS contender this season is delusional. We are nearing the halfway point of the season, and the White Sox are still struggling to get over .500. LaRussa is more a symptom than the problem. He shouldn't have been hired in the first place just as Robin Ventura should not have been hired in the first place. The team has floundered for the most part since 2008, and the 2008 team was just an average club. Talk about rebuild. The team has been rebuilding since '08 with little success.

The real firing needs to come at the top. But JR has controlling interest, so many in the organization are old and feeble and don't care, and so there can be no way JR can be wrested from the CEO position. LaRussa was his stupid idea. And he's a recluse who watches as the franchise loses credibility. Suddenly, the rebuild doesn't look so hot.

I'm with you. I have been a fan for a long time and have seen some real bad Sox teams and had some real disappointments. But this year is the worst.

Darryl Boston has grayed right in front of our eyes. I have no idea what he brings to the table,

Some forget that Hoyt, Bannister, and Dotson were unhittable the second half of the season. And these guys were able to throw complete games, especially Hoyt. If Hoyt was ahead by one in the ninth, the game was over. To top this off there was Britt Burns and the veteran Jerry Koosman. There is no comparison between 1983 and 2022. The 1983 team won 99 games. The 2022 team is not going to get near that.

It would be nice for the Sox to make a move, but I don't think there is a tradeable piece that another team would want.

That was the trouble with the hire in the first place. Most managers don't leave on their own accord; they are fired. But JR would never be able to pull the trigger for all the reasons you stated. We are truly stuck with this guy. Another dumb managerial hire by the White Sox.