Sox fans' patience through a rebuild

[TaylorStSox]

Look, nobody likes a loser. Nobody's going to go to the ballpark to see a last-place team. I mean some folks who love prospects will go, maybe a couple thousand die hards, but considering how much it costs to go to a game, once the Sox are buried in the standings the Cell will be a morgue.

If the rebuild works and someday they start winning, of course the fans will return.

 

But if the Sox suck next season and are 8 out on May 1, forget it. The park will be empty and those who love prospects will be able to spread out and watch games in comfort. The park will be empty.

The park has been a morgue for years.

[Bob Sacamano]

Look, nobody likes a loser. Nobody's going to go to the ballpark to see a last-place team. I mean some folks who love prospects will go, maybe a couple thousand die hards, but considering how much it costs to go to a game, once the Sox are buried in the standings the Cell will be a morgue.

If the rebuild works and someday they start winning, of course the fans will return.

 

But if the Sox suck next season and are 8 out on May 1, forget it. The park will be empty and those who love prospects will be able to spread out and watch games in comfort. The park will be empty.

 

I still plan on enjoying a Friday night game after work (take the Metra to the ballpark from the city) or a Saturday day or night game throughout the season. Something to do and cheap. I was on a solid pace of one game every home weekend last season so that will likely continue next year.

Edited December 8, 2016 by soxfan2014

[Dam8610]

Look, nobody likes a loser. Nobody's going to go to the ballpark to see a last-place team. I mean some folks who love prospects will go, maybe a couple thousand die hards, but considering how much it costs to go to a game, once the Sox are buried in the standings the Cell will be a morgue.

If the rebuild works and someday they start winning, of course the fans will return.

 

But if the Sox suck next season and are 8 out on May 1, forget it. The park will be empty and those who love prospects will be able to spread out and watch games in comfort. The park will be empty.

 

As opposed to how jam packed it was last year?

[greg775]

this is my biggest concern with White Sox fans. will they have the patience to see this all the way through? because this isn't going to be (realistically) good again for at least 2-3 more years, maybe 4 depending on how the development comes along. if the scouts are right and let's say a little more than 1/2 of the prospects we get in return after all is said and done, we'll be in MUCH better shape than we would have been with the same roster as last season en route to winning 75 games.

Sorry for the consecutive posts, but fans are fans. No, they will not have patience. They will not come to games during the summer if the Sox get off to 10-25 start and they will come back when the Sox start winning. The average fan doesn't give a bleep about watching some top prospect if that prospect is on a horses*** team. Going to a game or two through the course of a season, sure that's possible for the average Sox fan. But you can bet the park will be empty the next few seasons.

[TaylorStSox]

Here's the reality, the vast majority of people at a baseball game aren't there for the game. They're there for the attraction. You can still attract fans by making it reasonably priced and fun. It's not rocket science.

[Dam8610]

Here's the reality, the vast majority of people at a baseball game aren't there for the game. They're there for the attraction. You can still attract fans by making it reasonably priced and fun. It's not rocket science.

 

The Bill Veeck method of selling baseball tickets.

 

[TaylorStSox]

Sorry for the consecutive posts, but fans are fans. No, they will not have patience. They will not come to games during the summer if the Sox get off to 10-25 start and they will come back when the Sox start winning. The average fan doesn't give a bleep about watching some top prospect if that prospect is on a horses*** team. Going to a game or two through the course of a season, sure that's possible for the average Sox fan. But you can bet the park will be empty the next few seasons.

If only we had Adam Eaton to fill the place up.

 

Greg, you understand the park is already empty, right?

[Dick Allen]

Here's the reality, the vast majority of people at a baseball game aren't there for the game. They're there for the attraction. You can still attract fans by making it reasonably priced and fun. It's not rocket science.

Then why haven't they drawn more, and why would putting a better team out there make things better if the game didn't matter?

 

 

The last time the Sox did a total rebuild was 1987

 

attendance

1987 1,208,060

1988 1,115,749

1989 1,045,951

 

Then they won 94 games and drew 2 million in 1990.

[Buehrle>Wood]

Attendance can, and will get a lot lot worse for all the how bad can it get people in this thread. Same goes for tv. That is unless they make tickets significantly cheaper.

[southsider2k5]

The Sox have never done a full tear down and rebuild in the time I've been a Sox fan (early 90s as a kid) and while there has been an obvious, overt resistance to the idea from Reinsdorf and Kenny Williams, I always sensed from other Sox fans that they felt the fanbase wouldn't want to bother with it either. But so far in the past 48 hours I've seen mostly excitement, people are ready to get this started and see it through properly. What do y'all think? Am I off base here?

 

You just put "Sox fans'" and "patience" right next to each other, without it being a joke? Sox fans won't have five years worth of patience. That I know.

[Dick Allen]

You just put "Sox fans'" and "patience" right next to each other, without it being a joke? Sox fans won't have five years worth of patience. That I know.

Yep. It didn't take long for Carson Fulmer to be a reliever at best around here. About a month.

[southsider2k5]

Then why haven't they drawn more, and why would putting a better team out there make things better if the game didn't matter?

 

 

The last time the Sox did a total rebuild was 1987

 

attendance

1987 1,208,060

1988 1,115,749

1989 1,045,951

 

Then they won 94 games and drew 2 million in 1990.

 

There is also White Flag where we went from 1.9 million to 1.4 million in one year. My guess is that we see a pretty similar drop off this year to next, and then further in 18 and 19.

[TaylorStSox]

Then why haven't they drawn more, and why would putting a better team out there make things better if the game didn't matter?

 

 

The last time the Sox did a total rebuild was 1987

 

attendance

1987 1,208,060

1988 1,115,749

1989 1,045,951

 

Then they won 94 games and drew 2 million in 1990.

They haven't drawn more because going to the Cell is expensive and not all that fun. Obviously a good team is going to draw more because "winning is fun." Of course I didn't say it didn't matter, but typical Dick Allen, putting words in poster's mouths and creating gross mischaracterizations.

[KMule2545]

No they won't. They barely showed up for Chris Sale starts despite lower level seats with free t-shirts for $15 or $20.

 

I appreciate all the people who are thinking about or actually buying tickets, but as a whole, it isn't going to happen. Attendance will be way off. All this talk was like the talk right after 9/11 how people were going to buy stocks for America, so the stock market didn't crash. The stock market crashed. Those that bought stocks to be patriotic got burned.

 

Its one thing to sit through 3 or 4 of those, but you buy a season ticket package, you are going to wonder why you just didn't go to Stubhub.

 

Okay, you nitpicked about 3 words I said there. I said the ballpark is going to be EMPTY when 2017 starts and that fans will GRADUALLY start to come back more over the next few years.

[TaylorStSox]

Okay, you nitpicked about 3 words I said there. I said the ballpark is going to be EMPTY when 2017 starts and that fans will GRADUALLY start to come back more over the next few years.

He's 2 for 2 in this thread.

[greg775]

If only we had Adam Eaton to fill the place up.

 

Greg, you understand the park is already empty, right?

Yes, attendance last year was 26th of 30 teams. Sox drew 1,746,293 for an average of 21,828.

Next season? I'd say it'll be about 1,300,000 and they'll only beat out Tampa for 29th of 30 teams overall. That's probably not a big hit at all. The following season, year two of the rebuild, I'd suspect it'll be about 1,100,000 good for last place. You are right. It's not that big a hit from 1.7 million. One thing is certain. When the Sox play the Cubs in the Cell the next couple seasons, Sox fans better stay away. It's gonna be one big Cub party with 30,000 to 35,000 Cub fans in the Cell.

[Dick Allen]

They haven't drawn more because going to the Cell is expensive and not all that fun. Obviously a good team is going to draw more because "winning is fun." Of course I didn't say it didn't matter, but typical Dick Allen, putting words in poster's mouths and creating gross mischaracterizations.

You said they aren't there for the game.

 

 

Here's the reality, the vast majority of people at a baseball game aren't there for the game.

 

 

That's your quote. So why would winning be fun?

 

 

BTW, Sox games can be really cheap. Like cheaper than the Schaumburg Boomers if you go on Sunday.

[TaylorStSox]

You said they aren't there for the game.

 

 

Here's the reality, the vast majority of people at a baseball game aren't there for the game.

 

 

That's your quote. So why would winning be fun?

 

 

BTW, Sox games can be really cheap. Like cheaper than the Schaumburg Boomers if you go on Sunday.

Winning creates a fun atmosphere. There are other ways to create a fun atmosphere. You know this. You're just doing that really boring thing you do in every thread.

[Thad Bosley]

Then why haven't they drawn more, and why would putting a better team out there make things better if the game didn't matter?

 

 

The last time the Sox did a total rebuild was 1987

 

attendance

1987 1,208,060

1988 1,115,749

1989 1,045,951

 

Then they won 94 games and drew 2 million in 1990.

Well, don't forget a key contributor to the low attendance figures in years '87-'89 was the infamous owner casting a pall over the ballpark with his threats to move the club to Florida and the blackmailing tactics he employed to secure his sweetheart lease deal from the state.

Edited December 8, 2016 by Thad Bosley

[Dick Allen]

Winning creates a fun atmosphere. There are other ways to create a fun atmosphere. You know this. You're just doing that really boring thing you do in every thread.

No, you just realized you went a little too far and are trying to change the focus. You can't say they aren't there for the game, and then say what happens in the game matters. Besides, if it did, the team was 45-36 at home this season. Why was it a morgue?

 

 

And you said Sox games are expensive. You are wrong again.

[Bob Sacamano]

You said they aren't there for the game.

 

 

Here's the reality, the vast majority of people at a baseball game aren't there for the game.

 

 

That's your quote. So why would winning be fun?

 

 

BTW, Sox games can be really cheap. Like cheaper than the Schaumburg Boomers if you go on Sunday.

 

Weekdays too. They let fans down in the lower level if expected attendance is under 25,000. So pay $7 for outfield corners and then just sit anywhere you seat empty seats. Too many times past few years I've bought $7 tickets only to end up behind the dugout.

[Dick Allen]

Well, don't forget a key contributor to the low attendance figures in years '87-'89 was due in large part to the infamous owner casting a pall over the ballpark with his threats to move the club to Florida and the blackmailing tactics he employed to secure his sweetheart lease deal from the state.

They broke ground on the new park in 1989 when attendance was at it's lowest. And the evil JR drew 2 million in 1990.

 

The difference was the team was good in 1990.

 

 

You don't really believe White Sox fans are going to rally behind this rebuild and come to games in droves do you?

[greg775]

You don't really believe White Sox fans are going to rally behind this rebuild and come to games in droves do you?

I'm not doubting this "total rebuild" thing ... but until they make the next wave of moves (Robertson, Quintana, Frazier, Melky, Lawrie, Abreu) they haven't committed themselves to a total rebuild yet.

Right now, you've got two new starting pitchers for the rotation to replace Sale next season and you've got a new second baseman. Again, I'm EXPECTING those guys all to be traded soon, but again, as of now, the rebuild is not completely underway. s***, three of the guys we've acquired will be contributing next season (the two Nats pitchers and the new second baseman).

[TaylorStSox]

No, you just realized you went a little too far and are trying to change the focus. You can't say they aren't there for the game, and then say what happens in the game matters. Besides, if it did, the team was 45-36 at home this season. Why was it a morgue?

 

 

And you said Sox games are expensive. You are wrong again.

Sure I can. Both things matter. How do you think teams like the Cubs draw when they suck? They draw because Wrigley is really fun. Why is it fun? They cultivated a fun atmosphere. Winning is the icing on the cake that takes it to a new level. Life is nuanced Dick Allen, not everything is as black and white as you'd like it to be.

 

Yes, you can find cheap tickets, but the entire package is expensive. The Sox need to think of creative ways to attract attendance. It's been done before.

Edited December 8, 2016 by TaylorStSox

[Dick Allen]

I'm not doubting this "total rebuild" thing ... but until they make the next wave of moves (Robertson, Quintana, Frazier, Melky, Lawrie, Abreu) they haven't committed themselves to a total rebuild yet.

Right now, you've got two new starting pitchers for the rotation to replace Sale next season and you've got a new second baseman. Again, I'm EXPECTING those guys all to be traded soon, but again, as of now, the rebuild is not completely underway. s***, three of the guys we've acquired will be contributing next season (the two Nats pitchers and the new second baseman).

Whether you like it or hate it, they traded Sale and Eaton. Not to finish it off cannot happen and will not happen. They may keep Abreu or Jones, Hahn mentioned Lawrie can play 3B or something, but anybody else that can get them anything are gone. We haven't heard anything about Melky. I bet he is one guy the Sox throw a little money in to get something decent.