SonofaRoache

QUOTE (Yoda @ Aug 12, 2017 -> 12:01 PM) I'll be in attendance with my brother whose home for 1 more week before he returns to South Korea for the Air Force....let's make this count boys! How am I supposed to cheer for a loss after reading this? Hope you two have a blast.

QUOTE (Jenksy Cat @ Aug 11, 2017 -> 03:12 PM) We've literally had a "top farm system" for about 2-3 months. Some of the expectations you guys have for how fast the turnaround time is going to be are crazy. Notice how I said 5-10? If you take Moncada, Lopez, and a few top guys coming next year, we will fall in the rankings to 5-10. That's not a bad thing as stage two is to get guys up here and experienced. That does not mean we are going to win next year, it means we won't have enough top talent in the farm to be top 3 when next season ends.

We don't want to be the top farm system anymore. What we want is to be 5-10 and have our top guys in Chicago and playing well. While we sucked most of the year beyond belief having the top system got us through stage one. Now we are at the point of seeing some of these guys blossom. If we play our cards right with these next two top picks, we should have a top 5 team in baseball and a top 10 system for years to come.

Also, if we lose out on the number pick and pick 3rd, I wont be mad if it meant our young guys have shown signs of life. We can still draft an all star at 3 or 4.

If we can get some great hitting from Nicky and Yoan, and Tim/Avi/Jose can be .270-.290 hitters, our rebuild will be a glorious one. Yoan's OBP now at .357 with a .182 average. That is absurd.

Moncada is hitting .185 but has a .343 OBP. He is going to be really good.

QUOTE (almagest @ Aug 6, 2017 -> 02:02 PM) Why would you walk a guy to get to a guy who already had a HR and double? For the Tank moral victory.

.176 BA and a .323 OBP. Are you kidding me?

It is YOU!!!

QUOTE (greg775 @ Aug 1, 2017 -> 01:06 AM) Yes but you don't have to spoil my thread with a comment like that. Can't you stay out of a winner's thread assuming those who post in it like winning? Well most of the board wants to lose. So technically your winners thread is spoiling the board... And I speak in jest anyway. I've noticed this season has taken a lot of fun banter from this board. Everyone is so serious these days.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Jul 31, 2017 -> 11:41 PM) I better not say anything cept LOL. Well cept, what compelled you to enter a winners thread and say something like that? Might as well lock the innocent winners thread after that one. Please lock. I wasn't a fan of this rebuild but was convinced and prepared myself for losses and the number 1 pick. I can't go back now.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Jul 31, 2017 -> 12:44 PM) Totally, but my comment was directed at the fans. Whether or not the team was running on fumes, there was zero excitement in that ball park, other than the Tigers fans. The Sox were in still first place and it felt like a September 2016 game. I have looked at the fanbase differently since then. The Sox are habitual chokers and it even happened in our world series year. Our best season in the last 100 years resulted in us nearly blowing a 15 game lead in August. Then, we followed up the next season with another collapse. Like I've been saying all day, if this team can put together 2 solid seasons in a row their fortunes will change. But we just can't seem to do that. If this rebuild goes well attendance wont be a problem for 10 years.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jul 31, 2017 -> 10:47 PM) I know wins aren't ideal, but I love that this group of kids isn't mailing it in. The habits you learn now can be the habits you carry forward. Except none of these guys are gonna be a part of our plans. No need for all these meaningless walkoffs.

QUOTE (Iwritecode @ Jul 31, 2017 -> 02:04 PM) We didn't show up in 2012 because the team didn't do anything in 2010 or 2011 to make us believe that 2012 would be any different. The big attendance jumps don't really happen during the season. They happen in the prior off-season. That's why the 2006 attendance was higher than 2005. And really, the loss of fans from 2011 - 2012 was pretty small compared to the year-to-year losses 5 years before and 5 years after. That's really the good news in all of this. Give the fans something to believe in with a stated goal in mind and they'll actually support the effort. If only they would've done this 10 years ago. That's also why attendance was almost 37k when we sucked in 2007. Had the Sox put together another solid season that 37k may have been sustainable. There problem is they have one good years and then 5-10 years that are forgettable.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jul 31, 2017 -> 11:01 AM) The fanbases that show up even when things are bad versus the ones that completely dessert a franchise makes a huge difference in the resources a franchise has. It is the reason that places like Cleveland stay bad so much longer than others. I don't know if I buy this. I go to at least 10 games a year, but I can't question why a man wouldn't pay $200-$400 to take his team to watch the Sox suck and then go home. There are much better ways to spend time and money. Fans don't owe the organization anything to be honest. Fans are customers and the onus is on the team to draw their interest. People don't spend money to not enjoy themselves, if Wrigleyville wasn't the scene it is fans wouldn't gladly attend games in down years. That being said, if there was only one baseball team in Chicago I still think both stadiums sell out no matter what.

QUOTE (ewokpelts @ Jul 31, 2017 -> 01:10 PM) The Cubs had tickets sold, but massive no shows before the rebuild. That actually costs more because they staff the day of game employees based on tix sold. Yep, no shows is the key here. I was surprised with this, but then again they play a lot of day games. People could just go to work and spend time with their families instead of watching horrendous baseball. The Cubs have actually fielded some good teams since the '98 season.

QUOTE (ewokpelts @ Jul 31, 2017 -> 09:42 AM) Kansas City plays in a parking lot. Look at thier numbers If the Sox were the only team in town they'd sell out every game.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jul 31, 2017 -> 09:13 AM) Exactly what was/is around that Roosevelt location that would bring people in early and have them stay late? The Target? That is just another White Sox fan excuse. The ChiSox bar and grill has half priced apps after every game. After every game it is empty. That area is coming along nicely and is on the up. It's also close by downtown, at the Chicago River, a short walk to Grant Park, hotels are nearby, lou malnatis, 4 cta trains will take you there, theaters close by, etc.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jul 31, 2017 -> 11:03 AM) You can look at it this way. If the Sox had a more loyal fan base, they probably attempt a real rebuild years ago instead of being afraid of another white flag style revolt. That is 100% the reason that JR wouldn't authorize this before now. I can see this point. But in all honesty, why would a fan pay 200-400 bucks to take their family to a game if they team sucks? Players used to call out JR and the Sox for not being loyal and being cheap, so why would fans show some passionate loyalty? If the Sox want fans to show up, they need to give them a reason to be at the Park. If it's not the winning, then there better be activities to do outside the Park.

QUOTE (Tony @ Jul 31, 2017 -> 11:00 AM) If we are simply talking "quality" of a fan base, I think that's a pretty awful measurement tool. Everyone loves (or loved) to make fun of Cubs fans for packing Wrigley every day when the team was terrible. Did they have the best fans in the world or did they enjoy Wrigley Field? As been proven many times before, the White Sox have been one of the worst franchises in sports the last 20 years, certainly the last 10. I have a hard time denigrating the Sox fan base because they aren't shelling out their money to support a franchise that has given them very little the last decade. True. Also I'll add that Cubs attendance started tanking and forced them to make the moves they did.

QUOTE (Quin @ Jul 31, 2017 -> 05:32 AM) Please, someone explain why the White Sox need a new stadium, what The Cell can't provide to necessitate the change, where the new stadium would be and who is paying for it? While I haven't been to all of the stadiums in major league baseball, the The Cell's concourse level is phenomenal. The upper deck sucks, but whenever I'm at the Cell I'll probably spend two or three innings walking the concourse and enjoying the game from various areas. http://afterburnham.com/armour-field/ I'd love for the above field to be something they'd look at when The Cell actually begins to fall apart - build it on top of the old Comiskey site and try to blend the best aspects of The Cell and Comiskey. Why- Because fans wont show up to the Rate unless the Sox are a consistent playoff contender, which they haven't been since the 1910's. What- The Cell does not provide a spot where fans can come early to the game and go home late. There is nothing to do outside of watching baseball. Not hotels, bars, stores, tourist attractions, etc within the scope of the park. There also isn't much foot traffic around the Park unless there is a Sox game going on. Where- Roosevelt was a proposed location and that would be great. There are always people walking around that area and it could turn into a Sox community so to speak. People can spend their day or night in the area and close by. Families from the burbs or out of town can be tourisy or even stay at a hotel nearby if they have a little too much fun. Who will pay- The same folks who always do sadly. But if they make that move I would turn the stadium into an entertainment center for all types of events.

QUOTE (Quin @ Jul 29, 2017 -> 09:55 AM) Pick the 2 guys? Okay one of the two guys.

Yeah I think there are 6 guys that can all be really good. Naturally 3 or 4 of those guys will bust and range from average players to scrubs. Hopefully, we pick the 2 guys that will be stars. And having pick number doesn't guarantee we will make the right choice. They have to be careful not to draft on hype.

Moving the Sox would suck because they'd no longer have that Chicago and southside feel but it would help with attendance in a way. But..... they could also modernize the area so that far away fans can have something to do when they come to the game. They'd also need to put some hotels in the area so that people traveling from the south burbs can stay the night if they have to much fun. That area is much better than it used to be and has a lot of land that needs to be taken advantage of.

QUOTE (JPR @ Jul 28, 2017 -> 05:11 PM) Still think they should build a bigger ball park by the Tweeter Center in Tinley Park. I bet it would be sold out every night and they could add more seats to make the capacity 50,000+. The cell or whatever it's called till the next corporate contract comes up, is in a horrible location. And as you all know water is also wet unless its frozen and the sky is blue unless it's night. I really wish they'd build a new ball park in the Orland/Tinley area. $$$$$ The Sox are fine where they are. Two things will give them huge attendance boosts. 1. Winning consistently and not once a decade on average. 2. Putting things around the stadium that persuades fans to come to the park early and to stay late. The little restaraunt/pub they have across the street is a great start and I enjoy going over there after the game. They need to give people a reason to waste their time traveling to the park if they aren't going to win games consistently. No one is paying 200-400 bucks to take their family to a game just to see the team lose and then immediately go home after.