This exact article could be written about White Sox situation

[caulfield12]

https://www.royalsreview.com/2022/5/31/23142348/five-years-no-progress-its-time-to-clean-house
 

…but hasn’t yet been put down on paper since there are still (some/fleeting) hopes for 2022.

The only differences are the Royals have already been rebuilding for five seasons, and are seven years removed from their World Series win in 2015, the relative payrolls/market sizes and the destructive influence of TLR.

But everything else pretty much fits the White Sox situation to a tee.

(Of course, Devil’s Advocate here, Witt, Jr. has been one of the most impressive young players in baseball during the month of May.)

 

Please take the time to read it and discuss within the context of the current White Sox dilemma and note many of the commonly-shared issues that overlap between the two organizations.

It seems incredible to me that we are talking a retooling/reconstruction/rebranding for a third time with the same front office and now TLR.

KC had two WS seasons and their fans are already getting fed up again.  The Sox haven’t even managed to win a single playoff series, let alone five in a two year span.  And then there’s that 12 year gap between playoff appearances and trading away Tatis Jr. to boot.

Edited June 3, 2022 by caulfield12

[Sarava]

Thanks for posting that. While there are some differences, both good and bad, there are  a lot of eerie similarities.

The White Sox need a house cleaning IMO. We all know the problems TLR has brought. And the utter failure to draft and develop even at a mediocre level should get Hahn and KW axed.

[caulfield12]

3 minutes ago, Sarava said:

Thanks for posting that. While there are some differences, both good and bad, there are  a lot of eerie similarities.

The White Sox need a house cleaning IMO. We all know the problems TLR has brought. And the utter failure to draft and develop even at a mediocre level should get Hahn and KW axed.

When you peel away the pieces of onion, you’re essentially left with TA7, Robert, Vaughn, Kopech and Cease.

Yes, the payroll has roughly doubled from those 2011-2016 attempts to compete on the fly, but the results for the present aren’t very dissimilar.

And arguably, you’d be doing extremely well with how wary GM’s recently have been about trading massive prospect packages to get the equivalent back in 2022 compared to Sale, Eaton and Quintana in 2016-17.

Now is the time they really need a vision for exactly what they can realistically do to compete this year until there’s no choice to fold…but also to, at the very least, be able to compete exactly like the Twins are just one year after collapsing altogether.

[Highland]

I've been a Sox fan for a hell of a long time and have seen many low points with this team. This is one of the lowest, maybe the lowest in the last 50 years. I don't think that much can be done in the short term. Trades are hard to make even under the best circumstances, and right now the team has little leverage. You can only hope that injured players play well when they return.

The current disappointment of this team is symbolic of the how it is run. Starting with the insane way of hiring a manager, things are done in the same old way. I have little faith in things getting better.

Most other teams would have fired the manager by now. That doesn't solve everything by a long shot, but sometimes change like this sometimes is a catalyst for other things. But then again, most other teams would never have hired LaRussa in the first place. Instead, they would have done a wide search for an important hire like this. The White Sox did nothing like that. They chose to hire a pal.

I don't know if anyone in the organization sees how bad things are now. If the Sox finish under .500, you are going to alienate an already diminishing fan base. But maybe they don't care about that.

[caulfield12]

35 minutes ago, Highland said:

I've been a Sox fan for a hell of a long time and have seen many low points with this team. This is one of the lowest, maybe the lowest in the last 50 years. I don't think that much can be done in the short term. Trades are hard to make even under the best circumstances, and right now the team has little leverage. You can only hope that injured players play well when they return.

The current disappointment of this team is symbolic of the how it is run. Starting with the insane way of hiring a manager, things are done in the same old way. I have little faith in things getting better.

Most other teams would have fired the manager by now. That doesn't solve everything by a long shot, but sometimes change like this sometimes is a catalyst for other things. But then again, most other teams would never have hired LaRussa in the first place. Instead, they would have done a wide search for an important hire like this. The White Sox did nothing like that. They chose to hire a pal.

I don't know if anyone in the organization sees how bad things are now. If the Sox finish under .500, you are going to alienate an already diminishing fan base. But maybe they don't care about that.

Let’s just put it this way.  In the middle of our contention window we’re 18th in attendance at roughly 23000 per game wheras the Cubs, other than adding Suzuki and Stroman, are pretty much in the process of dumping all their remaining players with value like Contreras to go into at least a 2-3 year if not longer rebuilding period.  But they’re ranked 8th at 32,000.  Better RS/RA allowed ratio, not even close as they’re almost at even and the Brewers and Cardinals are both better teams than the Twins…partially explaining why they’re at -7 games under .500 vs. the Sox at -3 and falling.  And the Dodgers’ home series will be one of their last premium opponent draws for quite some time.

That doesn’t come close to touching how bleak things will be if they have to do another teardown.  At that point, the only glimmer of hope will be the AL Central itself being the worst division in baseball unless the Tigers can turn things around and ALSO bring back Ilitch Sr. level budgets (Baez has been a bust of Semien-level proportions almost.)

 

Edited June 3, 2022 by caulfield12

[hankchifan]

5 hours ago, Highland said:

I've been a Sox fan for a hell of a long time and have seen many low points with this team. This is one of the lowest, maybe the lowest in the last 50 years. I don't think that much can be done in the short term. Trades are hard to make even under the best circumstances, and right now the team has little leverage. You can only hope that injured players play well when they return.

The current disappointment of this team is symbolic of the how it is run. Starting with the insane way of hiring a manager, things are done in the same old way. I have little faith in things getting better.

Most other teams would have fired the manager by now. That doesn't solve everything by a long shot, but sometimes change like this sometimes is a catalyst for other things. But then again, most other teams would never have hired LaRussa in the first place. Instead, they would have done a wide search for an important hire like this. The White Sox did nothing like that. They chose to hire a pal.

I don't know if anyone in the organization sees how bad things are now. If the Sox finish under .500, you are going to alienate an already diminishing fan base. But maybe they don't care about that.

Phillies just fired Girardi for many of the same reasons that we also have here with TLR.  We could probably have had Cora or Hinch as managers, albeit a little tainted, but we would have had a much better record today than with TLR.

[zisk]

 Gotta agree. This might be the most depressed I've ever been as a Sox fan. Only the ouster of TLR can save this season. Only

new ownership and a new front office can turn this around long term.

[CeaseAndExist]

10 hours ago, zisk said:

 Gotta agree. This might be the most depressed I've ever been as a Sox fan. Only the ouster of TLR can save this season. Only

new ownership and a new front office can turn this around long term.

I cant imagine being depressed over a MLB team.

It's disturbing how many posters on here have lost touch with reality. It's a failure of a season, there are far worse things going on

[Spumoni]

Just now, CeaseAndExist said:

I cant imagine being depressed over a MLB team.

 It's disturbing how many posters on here have lost touch with reality. It's a failure of a season, there are far worse things going on

I've just stopped watching the games on TV.  I have my ticket package and will go to the games.  I'm not going to torture myself 3-4 hours a night all summer long.

[Sarava]

7 minutes ago, CeaseAndExist said:

I cant imagine being depressed over a MLB team.

It's disturbing how many posters on here have lost touch with reality. It's a failure of a season, there are far worse things going on

I think you're taking his post a little too literally

[Ducksnort]

4 hours ago, Spumoni said:

I've just stopped watching the games on TV.  I have my ticket package and will go to the games.  I'm not going to torture myself 3-4 hours a night all summer long.

I hopped on board the rebuild train back in 2016. It sucked knowing the team was going to lose for at least 3-4 years, but at least there was a purpose for it and a plan. And quite frankly a promise of a future that was going to bring multiple championships. It was fun to follow the rebuild in hopes that those same players that were developing in the minors would bring a dynasty to the southside. It seemed like the beginning to an amazing story that was being written. And I couldn't wait to be apart of the climax. This was supposed to be that climax...that contending window. Well, the more they lose, the more disinterested I will become. I gave many years following the rebuild in hopes of championshipS. I am not going to continue to choose entertainment that doesn't bring me joy...because that's what entertainment is supposed to be. As much as I love the Sox...sorry, I have my own life to live. If they pull off a 2nd half miracle, I'll become interested again. Until then, game day score check it is. I might sound like a bandwagon fan saying this but I don't really care. I've given them enough of my money, time and attention.

Edited June 4, 2022 by ScooterMcGuire

[pettie4sox]

This organization has totally catfished the fans.  We expected some smokin' hot individual to show up at the restaurant but instead we got someone who posted out of date photos.

[zisk]

7 hours ago, CeaseAndExist said:

I cant imagine being depressed over a MLB team.

It's disturbing how many posters on here have lost touch with reality. It's a failure of a season, there are far worse things going on

you misunderstood. i'm not depressed. my white sox me is depressed. i use my white sox me to keep my mind off the far worse things of which you speak.

[The Kids Can Play]

On 6/3/2022 at 7:04 AM, Sarava said:

Thanks for posting that. While there are some differences, both good and bad, there are  a lot of eerie similarities.

The White Sox need a house cleaning IMO. We all know the problems TLR has brought. And the utter failure to draft and develop even at a mediocre level should get Hahn and KW axed.

I totally agree. As much as I would hate to do another rebuild, its time to clean house and keep only TA, Robert, Vaughn, Cease, Kopech, Burger and Crochet. Especially overhaling and getting rid of KW and Hahn, along with the entire scouting dept, coaches and managers in the minors. It's a great idea, but until POS Reinsdorf dies or sells, I guess as Sox fans, we will continue our Sox fandom accepting a sports masochistic lifestyle.