southsider2k5 Posted December 13, 2021 Share Posted December 13, 2021 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timmy U Posted December 13, 2021 Share Posted December 13, 2021 That's sad. What a classy guy. Baseball needs more like him. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quin Posted December 13, 2021 Share Posted December 13, 2021 Met Roland in Arizona at a D-Backs-Sox game. Wonderful guy. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NWINFan Posted December 13, 2021 Share Posted December 13, 2021 Great guy and solid baseball man. Always generous with the fans. Rebuilt the early 1970s Sox after the disaster in 1970. Timmy U is right. Baseball could use more people like Roland Hemond. The Sox could use someone with his baseball knowledge now. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chisoxfn Posted December 13, 2021 Share Posted December 13, 2021 A really all around good dude - RIP. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Allen Posted December 13, 2021 Share Posted December 13, 2021 (edited) I sat next to him at a spring training game against the Yankees back in the 80s. He was really nice and was telling me and my dad about failed trades etc. The Sox won and Roland said at the end it was always nice to beat George even in spring training. Every nice thing thar was said about him is probably true based on 3 hours around him. RIP. Edited December 13, 2021 by Dick Allen 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ptatc Posted December 13, 2021 Share Posted December 13, 2021 RIP, a really good guy. He will be missed by many. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pcq Posted December 13, 2021 Share Posted December 13, 2021 I am quite distressed to hear this news. Roland directed the early 70s rebuild and saved the franchise. The A's dynasty kept us out of the headlines. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Mighty Mite Posted December 13, 2021 Share Posted December 13, 2021 One of the classiest guys ever to be associated with the White Sox besides being a very good GM. What an amazing job he did improving the 1971 White Sox by 23 games as the 1970 team lost the most games in Sox history and then almost winning the Division in 1972, if Melton hadn't hurt his back the Sox probably would have won the West. May he rest in peace. 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
South Side Fireworks Man Posted December 13, 2021 Share Posted December 13, 2021 Roland Hemond was a classy guy and a great GM. May he rest in peace and may God comfort his family with peace that surpasses all understanding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NWINFan Posted December 13, 2021 Share Posted December 13, 2021 Hemond was the one who brought Dick Allen to Chicago. When he was GM, it was decided to make Wilbur Wood a starting pitcher and Wood had four twenty-game winning seasons in a row. I think if Hemond had more resources, he could have done even more with the Sox. But both John Allyn and Bill Veeck didn't have enough money to build a real winning tradition. He has to go down as one of the best Sox GMs. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTB Posted December 13, 2021 Share Posted December 13, 2021 My Athletic Director did an internship for the Sox when Hemond was GM. Said that he sat with Hemond virtually every game for at least part of it. Nothing bu great things to say. RIP 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WBWSF Posted December 14, 2021 Share Posted December 14, 2021 I saw him at Soxfest a few years ago. I told him he should write a book about his MLB career. He never did. He told me the worse thing he saw in his career was how Harry Caray and Jimmy Piersall dumped all over Tony Larussa. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
South Side Fireworks Man Posted December 14, 2021 Share Posted December 14, 2021 2 hours ago, WBWSF said: I saw him at Soxfest a few years ago. I told him he should write a book about his MLB career. He never did. He told me the worse thing he saw in his career was how Harry Caray and Jimmy Piersall dumped all over Tony Larussa. I was with Harry & Jimmy on that one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Chappas Posted December 14, 2021 Share Posted December 14, 2021 The outpouring of support for him all over the baseball is rather amazing. He was a cool guy that would spend time to tell baseball stories that you never thought you'd hear. Stuff from the 70s is great to hear. As I read all of that I then circle back to how this franchise couldn't retain the talent they produced off the field. I read a story about how he almost traded Arthur Rhoades for Mark Langston on the final day of the season to pitch one game for Baltimore v Toronto for the division title. Dave Dombrowski was the Montreal GM at the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WBWSF Posted December 14, 2021 Share Posted December 14, 2021 I've always wondered what made JR replace Hemond with Ken Harrelson as the White Sox GM. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texsox Posted December 14, 2021 Share Posted December 14, 2021 I have nothing but great memories about his years. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NWINFan Posted December 14, 2021 Share Posted December 14, 2021 1 hour ago, WBWSF said: I've always wondered what made JR replace Hemond with Ken Harrelson as the White Sox GM. Maybe Hemond needed a change in scenery. Two years after winning the division the Sox didn't seem to be going anywhere. But the choice of Harrelson was an odd one, and I don't think this decision had much thought behind it. It was the first big change the ownership made in the front office, and it was a dumb one. Hemond ended landing on his feet. I think 1986 scarred Harrelson. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Allen Posted December 14, 2021 Share Posted December 14, 2021 15 minutes ago, NWINFan said: Maybe Hemond needed a change in scenery. Two years after winning the division the Sox didn't seem to be going anywhere. But the choice of Harrelson was an odd one, and I don't think this decision had much thought behind it. It was the first big change the ownership made in the front office, and it was a dumb one. Hemond ended landing on his feet. I think 1986 scarred Harrelson. I heard it had to do with the state of the Sox farm system. They had a chance in 1985 but when someone got hurt, everyone they brought up didn't belong in the major leagues. I guess Hawk had a plan and JR bought it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Chappas Posted December 14, 2021 Share Posted December 14, 2021 14 minutes ago, Dick Allen said: I heard it had to do with the state of the Sox farm system. They had a chance in 1985 but when someone got hurt, everyone they brought up didn't belong in the major leagues. I guess Hawk had a plan and JR bought it. Like Bobby Bonilla. Larry Himes rebuilt it nicely after Hemond so there was never really any missing of Hemond in the 90's Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreenSox Posted December 14, 2021 Share Posted December 14, 2021 He was a miracle worker after the 1970 season. May he rest in peace. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreenSox Posted December 14, 2021 Share Posted December 14, 2021 37 minutes ago, Harry Chappas said: Like Bobby Bonilla. Larry Himes rebuilt it nicely after Hemond so there was never really any missing of Hemond in the 90's Hawk drafted Bonilla in Rule 5 after the 1985 season. Hawk giveth and Hawk sendeth away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NWINFan Posted December 14, 2021 Share Posted December 14, 2021 56 minutes ago, Dick Allen said: I heard it had to do with the state of the Sox farm system. They had a chance in 1985 but when someone got hurt, everyone they brought up didn't belong in the major leagues. I guess Hawk had a plan and JR bought it. As I recall, Hawk did have a plan, and it impressed JR. I just think that if the team was going to replace Hemond, the owners should have at least interviewed a few candidates and go from there. Harrelson had no FO experience and was a bull in a China shop. Hiring Harrelson reminds me of them hiring Ventura. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreenSox Posted December 14, 2021 Share Posted December 14, 2021 This is probably the wrong thread, but here's an analysis of Hawk's term as GM. Not that bad. And it included Ivan Calderon, an important transitional player for the 90s teams. http://blackbetsy.blogspot.com/2004_12_01_archive.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WBWSF Posted December 14, 2021 Share Posted December 14, 2021 1 hour ago, Harry Chappas said: Like Bobby Bonilla. Larry Himes rebuilt it nicely after Hemond so there was never really any missing of Hemond in the 90's Larry Himes did a tremendous job with the White Sox. JR showed his appreciation by firing him. After JR fired him he went on every TV and radio station and badmouthed Himes relentlessly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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