Dear Sox fans

[WhiteSox2023]

1 hour ago, Dick Allen said:

I am going to measure how serious they are about getting better using Gavin Sheets as the barometer. He sucks. He'll be 29 next year, his HR rate has gone down 3 straight seasons. He doesn't get on base much, doesn't hit for a lot of power, isn't a plus defensively. If they are still trying to fit him in as a 4 or 5 hitter next season, they are full of s%*#. I'm sure he's a nice guy, but he had his chance. Move on.

He was drafted in the 2nd round, he’s lefty, and the Sox apparently think he’s a power bat.  He should be gone but the Sox seem to think he’s worth playing for some reason.

[southsider2k5]

4 hours ago, Kyyle23 said:

I remember when you yourself used to be funny and sarcastic, and now you just tell us all that there is nothing that can be done nothing will change, suck it up everyone this is how it is. 
 

we all get older Jimbo

I too miss when everyone agreed with me.  That was fun. 

[southsider2k5]

And honestly THIS is my favorite part.  I am now up to 5 EMAILS from the sales department asking me if I want more information, but zero chances to ask for more information from the upper management who puts this product together.  This franchise just continues to amaze me.  We continue to be completely tone deaf.

[Rounding_Third]

"Chris is rebuilding the foundation of our baseball operations department, with key personnel changes already happening in player development"

Yeah, JR/Chris, who was that bum in charge of player development?  What happened to him?

[WhiteSox2023]

21 minutes ago, southsider2k5 said:

And honestly THIS is my favorite part.  I am now up to 5 EMAILS from the sales department asking me if I want more information, but zero chances to ask for more information from the upper management who puts this product together.  This franchise just continues to amaze me.  We continue to be completely tone deaf.

Sara is relentless.

[almagest]

19 minutes ago, Rounding_Third said:

"Chris is rebuilding the foundation of our baseball operations department, with key personnel changes already happening in player development"

Yeah, JR/Chris, who was that bum in charge of player development?  What happened to him?

He got promoted and there's a NEW head of player dev! Exactly what you all wanted!

[Milkman delivers]

I refuse to even read it. My response is as follows:

Suck dicks, Jerry.

[Quin]

Y'all gonna really make me (mostly) agree with Eddy on this one.

We pretty much deride the local media non-stop here. Now, do I think Vinnie Duber or James Fegan would ask actual questions at a press conference? Yeah. But it's not the same as a sit down interview - JR could easily deflect and pivot to a Bruce Levine or a Chuck Garfein and not bother following up. For every Fegan or Duber, there's local media that would just go "eh" and be like "yeah, things will be better now that Moncada and Eloy are gone!"

Should he do a presser? Absolutely, cause even last year, it gave us stuff like "Chris will get it done in a year" and that wack ass David Eckstein quote. But The Athletic isn't sending Brittany Ghiroli and Ken Rosenthal. ESPN isn't sending Olney (who I'm generally pretty meh on) - they might send Rogers. I'm mentioning these reporters cause they did the huge takedowns.

TL;dr - It wouldn't be as satisfying as people want, but also not as useless as Eddy thinks. JR would give canned answers similar to this statement ("Chris is doing what he can to address _____") and then answer a softball.

[WestEddy]

15 minutes ago, Quin said:

Y'all gonna really make me (mostly) agree with Eddy on this one.

We pretty much deride the local media non-stop here. Now, do I think Vinnie Duber or James Fegan would ask actual questions at a press conference? Yeah. But it's not the same as a sit down interview - JR could easily deflect and pivot to a Bruce Levine or a Chuck Garfein and not bother following up. For every Fegan or Duber, there's local media that would just go "eh" and be like "yeah, things will be better now that Moncada and Eloy are gone!"

Should he do a presser? Absolutely, cause even last year, it gave us stuff like "Chris will get it done in a year" and that wack ass David Eckstein quote. But The Athletic isn't sending Brittany Ghiroli and Ken Rosenthal. ESPN isn't sending Olney (who I'm generally pretty meh on) - they might send Rogers. I'm mentioning these reporters cause they did the huge takedowns.

TL;dr - It wouldn't be as satisfying as people want, but also not as useless as Eddy thinks. JR would give canned answers similar to this statement ("Chris is doing what he can to address _____") and then answer a softball.

Jim Margalus has a rational reaction to JR's statement. 

https://soxmachine.com/2024/09/jerry-reinsdorf-statement-white-sox/

"Words are easy".

I generally don't care about player interviews unless something happens and they dish. The rest is designed to not inspire follow-ups. JR might have the wrong vision of what the next pennant contender looks like, and I think TLR and Getz will help him shape that. 

I'm married. I've been in those arguments where every word is a tangential argument string. ("So what exactly did you mean when you said..."), and I don't really have any use for the current sports talk daddy pretending to "get answers". Nobody believed JR when he said he was hiring Getz to hasten the process. But now that becomes some horrible betrayal. 

I just feel JR would duck and dodge, he'd say something useless that everyone will scream about until the next incident, and we'll be in the same place, waiting for Getz to announce how he was blown away by Grady Sizemore's interview. 

[Kyyle23]

30 minutes ago, Quin said:

Y'all gonna really make me (mostly) agree with Eddy on this one.

We pretty much deride the local media non-stop here. Now, do I think Vinnie Duber or James Fegan would ask actual questions at a press conference? Yeah. But it's not the same as a sit down interview - JR could easily deflect and pivot to a Bruce Levine or a Chuck Garfein and not bother following up. For every Fegan or Duber, there's local media that would just go "eh" and be like "yeah, things will be better now that Moncada and Eloy are gone!"

Should he do a presser? Absolutely, cause even last year, it gave us stuff like "Chris will get it done in a year" and that wack ass David Eckstein quote. But The Athletic isn't sending Brittany Ghiroli and Ken Rosenthal. ESPN isn't sending Olney (who I'm generally pretty meh on) - they might send Rogers. I'm mentioning these reporters cause they did the huge takedowns.

TL;dr - It wouldn't be as satisfying as people want, but also not as useless as Eddy thinks. JR would give canned answers similar to this statement ("Chris is doing what he can to address _____") and then answer a softball.

I don’t care what we think will happen.  The press conference should happen and he should be pressed with valid questions on the why and how we got here and the how we get out of this nonsensical spot we are all in.   Regardless of how he acts in the press conference it SHOULD happen and that leaves me calling him a clear coward.  
 

you choose to accept that and be ok with that, and that sucks 

[Downtown Brown]

20 hours ago, Harold's Leg Lift said:

I was wondering when this was going to come out though I sure as hell didn't think it would be Reinsdorf who would announce it.  I hope the story of how Hahn hired that goof comes out.  Man it's a doozy.  

Everyone has to work hard for their break. The best minds think creatively. some people might even give away jeeps to execs at the team to help get promoted. @Harold's Leg Lift have you ever heard of that happening? 

[southsider2k5]

9 minutes ago, Kyyle23 said:

I don’t care what we think will happen.  The press conference should happen and he should be pressed with valid questions on the why and how we got here and the how we get out of this nonsensical spot we are all in.   Regardless of how he acts in the press conference it SHOULD happen and that leaves me calling him a clear coward.  
 

you choose to accept that and be ok with that, and that sucks 

Yeah, this is where I am.  There is accountability for a bad season, and then there is accountability for the worst season in major league history.  Someone should stand up in front of a microphone and not only halfheartedly take the blame, while simultaneous trying to blame others, but should be forced to actually articulate something deeper than they are hiring.  Does it make a difference?  Probably not, but that isn't the point.  If the Sox aren't willing to acknowledge the fanbase with any respect, I sure feel no need to treat them as a serious entertainment option.

[Quin]

4 minutes ago, Kyyle23 said:

I don’t care what we think will happen.  The press conference should happen and he should be pressed with valid questions on the why and how we got here and the how we get out of this nonsensical spot we are all in.   Regardless of how he acts in the press conference it SHOULD happen and that leaves me calling him a clear coward.  
 

you choose to accept that and be ok with that, and that sucks 

I agree here as well and clearly sucked at explaining my point, which is that the same people riding every member of the local media all year are the ones calling for it - so what do they think happens? It's not going to be a fire and brimstone judgement day. Just us more frustrated.

I guess this is just me being jaded, because last year's presser let him get away with s%*# - the reason I bring up Bruce is because he randomly dragged Colas, getting his age wrong and all, as if he was last year's primary problem.

You are correct that it should happen, and I realize this makes me look hilariously flip-floppy.

[Tony]

20 minutes ago, WestEddy said:

Jim Margalus has a rational reaction to JR's statement. 

https://soxmachine.com/2024/09/jerry-reinsdorf-statement-white-sox/

"Words are easy".

I generally don't care about player interviews unless something happens and they dish. The rest is designed to not inspire follow-ups. JR might have the wrong vision of what the next pennant contender looks like, and I think TLR and Getz will help him shape that. 

I'm married. I've been in those arguments where every word is a tangential argument string. ("So what exactly did you mean when you said..."), and I don't really have any use for the current sports talk daddy pretending to "get answers". Nobody believed JR when he said he was hiring Getz to hasten the process. But now that becomes some horrible betrayal. 

I just feel JR would duck and dodge, he'd say something useless that everyone will scream about until the next incident, and we'll be in the same place, waiting for Getz to announce how he was blown away by Grady Sizemore's interview. 

I don't think that is true at all. There is a difference between people not believing it would work or be effective, and Jerry actually thinking it's true. 

I believe Jerry thought Getz would know best and he thought 2024 could have been a "bounce back type year" if guys were healthy. I also believe Jerry is lazy and doesn't care much, and part of the decision was that it was simply an easy, right in front of him choice. 

But I don't think Jerry was straight up "lying" with that line, at least not in his eyes. 

[Tony]

4 minutes ago, Quin said:

I agree here as well and clearly sucked at explaining my point, which is that the same people riding every member of the local media all year are the ones calling for it - so what do they think happens? It's not going to be a fire and brimstone judgement day. Just us more frustrated.

I guess this is just me being jaded, because last year's presser let him get away with s%*# - the reason I bring up Bruce is because he randomly dragged Colas, getting his age wrong and all, as if he was last year's primary problem.

You are correct that it should happen, and I realize this makes me look hilariously flip-floppy.

I understand what you are trying to communicate. Jerry should face the music and be forced to answer the questions that need to be answered. Your point (at least as far as I can tell) is that the media isn't going to ask or press him on anything that difficult, so it's not going to accomplish much. 

What should happen is Getz and Jerry should host a town hall at SoxFest, and give fans the opportunity to actually voice their frustration and get answers, but that will NEVER happen, for obvious reasons. 

[Quin]

2 minutes ago, Tony said:

I understand what you are trying to communicate. Jerry should face the music and be forced to answer the questions that need to be answered. Your point (at least as far as I can tell) is that the media isn't going to ask or press him on anything that difficult, so it's not going to accomplish much. 

What should happen is Getz and Jerry should host a town hall at SoxFest, and give fans the opportunity to actually voice their frustration and get answers, but that will NEVER happen, for obvious reasons. 

Yes, essentially.

[Lip Man 1]

https://soxmachine.com/2024/09/white-sox-gave-south-side-a-year-without-a-summer/

[southsider2k5]

16 minutes ago, Tony said:

I understand what you are trying to communicate. Jerry should face the music and be forced to answer the questions that need to be answered. Your point (at least as far as I can tell) is that the media isn't going to ask or press him on anything that difficult, so it's not going to accomplish much. 

What should happen is Getz and Jerry should host a town hall at SoxFest, and give fans the opportunity to actually voice their frustration and get answers, but that will NEVER happen, for obvious reasons. 

I would settle for a true Soxfest Q&A as well.  I know Jerry never would, but at least Getz and company should be up there.

[JoeC]

3 hours ago, Dick Allen said:

I am going to measure how serious they are about getting better using Gavin Sheets as the barometer. He sucks. He'll be 29 next year, his HR rate has gone down 3 straight seasons. He doesn't get on base much, doesn't hit for a lot of power, isn't a plus defensively. If they are still trying to fit him in as a 4 or 5 hitter next season, they are full of s%*#. I'm sure he's a nice guy, but he had his chance. Move on.

Yeah, and the fact that he's putting in so much work in spite of all of these negative on-field results shows how resilient and grindy he is, which is exactly the leadership we need!

</sarc>

[Lip Man 1]

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2024/09/30/chicago-baseball-season-good-riddance/

[Bob Sacamano]

9 minutes ago, Lip Man 1 said:

https://soxmachine.com/2024/09/white-sox-gave-south-side-a-year-without-a-summer/

Actually, one can argue they gave us summer with all the extra time not watching most games.

[WestEddy]

8 minutes ago, Tony said:

I don't think that is true at all. There is a difference between people not believing it would work or be effective, and Jerry actually thinking it's true. 

I believe Jerry thought Getz would know best and he thought 2024 could have been a "bounce back type year" if guys were healthy. I also believe Jerry is lazy and doesn't care much, and part of the decision was that it was simply an easy, right in front of him choice. 

But I don't think Jerry was straight up "lying" with that line, at least not in his eyes. 

The core problem with JR is he believes he has all the answers. If only he pounds *his way* harder into that round hole, it will work, this time. I also believe the White Sox front office is his gentleman's club, where he goes to smoke cigars and commiserate. He's too old to hire the newest, brightest GM candidate who will clean house, and rebuild the "right" way. He doesn't want to spend his final days not recognizing anybody in the office. 

I see no evidence that Reinsdorf thought Getz would have the Sox competitive in 2024. My take is that JR thought Getz could cut out a year of whatever. 

Using this site as a barometer, I don't think there was any buy-in to Getz making a re-tool go faster. People were commenting that we're 5 years away from a winning record, regardless. Sure, maybe most thought JR believed that, but nobody was reassured by that sentence. 

[WhiteSox2023]

24 minutes ago, WestEddy said:

The core problem with JR is he believes he has all the answers. If only he pounds *his way* harder into that round hole, it will work, this time.

Thanks for ruining my lunch with this vision…

[Dick Allen]

28 minutes ago, WestEddy said:

The core problem with JR is he believes he has all the answers. If only he pounds *his way* harder into that round hole, it will work, this time. I also believe the White Sox front office is his gentleman's club, where he goes to smoke cigars and commiserate. He's too old to hire the newest, brightest GM candidate who will clean house, and rebuild the "right" way. He doesn't want to spend his final days not recognizing anybody in the office. 

I see no evidence that Reinsdorf thought Getz would have the Sox competitive in 2024. My take is that JR thought Getz could cut out a year of whatever. 

Using this site as a barometer, I don't think there was any buy-in to Getz making a re-tool go faster. People were commenting that we're 5 years away from a winning record, regardless. Sure, maybe most thought JR believed that, but nobody was reassured by that sentence. 

I agree with at least 95% of this. I think most of us feel, unless the Sox do things the exact opposite of what they have been doing, it's just going to be the same. This rebuild was a spectacular failure. Since they lost to Houston in the playoffs, they have averaged over 100 losses a season. That wasn't what we were told was going to happen. I also think people don't trust Getz because he was here and a part of that epic failure. Once JR got the guts to tell RH and KW to scram, he needed to totally clean house. But he didn't. This can't waste a year, wasted a year and more people, who should have been let go with KW and RH, are shown the door. And we know at this stage, there is zero chance JR will change, so once they do, or if they do get to a point where they need to add a couple of pieces to get over the top, it will fail again. It's like Charlie Brown and the football. 

[Tnetennba]

4 hours ago, Falstaff said:

Hang in there, lots of pissed off Sox fans venting their frustrations. I am already looking forward to the Hot Stove League, watching Future Sox, Locked on White Sox, and Vinny Dubber on YouTube videos. Plus we have a ton of great posters right here on Soxtalk.

KC was 56-106 last year and tomorrow they will be in Baltimore playing the Orioles. (of course they went 12-1 against our Sox to propel themselves into the playoffs )

Bobby Witt emerging as a superstar didn't hurt either. If only the Sox had anyone similar to squint and hope on...

Edited September 30 by Tnetennba