Rick Morrisey Article

[DBAHO]

Here it is,

There is a forlornness to the White Sox, and although some people believe it has to do with being No. 2 in town, I believe it's due to a strand of DNA that carries the genetic message, "We are, like, so doomed."

 

Where there should be a feistiness to the franchise, there's a heaviness. Where there should be an energy, there's a look that says 14 hours of sleep just isn't going to cut it.

But it's more than that. It's that things don't go right for the Sox. Even when their intentions are good, as they seemed to be in the recent Magglio Ordonez-for-Nomar Garciaparra trade-that-wasn't, they get a lump of nothing for their efforts.

 

Trading for David Wells was a great move two years ago, but it turned into a catastrophe. Billy Koch was a nice acquisition last year until he turned into a fraction of the closer he used to be. The Sox gave Paul Konerko a big contract extension after the 2002 season and he responded with a career year, the only problem being that it was Mike Caruso's career year.

 

Is all this misfortune a function of not being shrewd enough or is it simply that fate has decided the Sox have been put on earth to be kicked around? A little of both, with a lethal dose of cheapness added. If you prefer that your losers be loveable, the team on the North Side is a magnet for people drawn to three-legged puppies. There is nothing loveable about these Sox, unless you're into bruised shins.

 

They are beyond the concept of "whatever can go wrong will go wrong." Everything already has gone wrong. Now it's all reruns.

 

Maybe that's why this feels so much like the White Flag trade of 1997. Say goodbye to Bartolo Colon, Carl Everett and Tony Graffanino. And say hello to subtraction by subtraction.

 

The Sox believe Ordonez, who is scheduled to make $14 million next season, is too expensive. Then again, it was the Sox who gave him that contract and the Sox who decided on a middling $57 million payroll for 2004.

 

There doesn't seem to be a long-term plan here, other than to dump contracts. Right now, the Sox have four players (Frank Thomas, Ordonez, Koch and Konerko) on the line for $34 million of that $57 million. You won't be surprised to learn the Sox were willing to move all of them.

 

The only way the Ordonez trade would have worked is if general manager Ken Williams had planned on trading Garciaparra to the Dodgers for pitchers. Otherwise, the Sox were trading one guy who would play one season in Chicago for another, and that made absolutely no sense. We'll give Williams the benefit of the doubt that he was trying to make something out of nothing. He was trying to get pitching.

 

These are the Sox, so of course the Alex Rodriguez trade that would have sent Garciaparra to Chicago on Thursday didn't happen.

 

Allow me to wander for a moment, though the wandering will lead us back to the problem with the Sox, which is their inherent cheapness. This is the franchise that got a ballpark built with public funds and then, after finally acknowledging years later that the design it picked was poor, auctioned off some of its history to pay for renovations. They dumped the name Comiskey Park in favor of U.S. Cellular Field for $68 million over 20 years. Jerry Reinsdorf fix the park with his own money? Are you nuts?

 

(The renovations, by the way, don't solve the upper-deck problem. The Sox are lopping off the top eight rows of the deck, but the remaining 21 rows still have the same 35-degree slope. It's just as steep, folks. Welcome to the renovated optical illusion.)

 

Reinsdorf's message to the fans always has been the same: or else. Either show up at the park in large numbers or else he's not going to spend large numbers on better players. The thinking is so backward that it beeps like a truck in reverse.

 

Consistently field a playoff-caliber team, Jerry, and people will come. Field an underachieving group, as you did last season, and the discerning fan will realize it's more of the same. Go cheap, as you are now while prettying up the stadium, and fed-up fans will stay away.

 

They would have come to the park next season if the Sox, say, had gotten into the bidding for Miguel Tejada, the way resurrected Baltimore did. Then again, that would have cost money, the non-taxpayer kind of money, the kind of money Reinsdorf hates to spend. His own.

[JoshPR]

Morrisey is a dick

[YASNY]

Sounds like Morrisey hit it right on the nose, to me. Certainly, with this remark:

 

Is all this misfortune a function of not being shrewd enough or is it simply that fate has decided the Sox have been put on earth to be kicked around? A little of both, with a lethal dose of cheapness added.

[SoxFanForever]

Best part of the article...

 

Reinsdorf's message to the fans always has been the same: or else. Either show up at the park in large numbers or else he's not going to spend large numbers on better players. The thinking is so backward that it beeps like a truck in reverse.

 

Consistently field a playoff-caliber team, Jerry, and people will come. Field an underachieving group, as you did last season, and the discerning fan will realize it's more of the same. Go cheap, as you are now while prettying up the stadium, and fed-up fans will stay away.

 

They would have come to the park next season if the Sox, say, had gotten into the bidding for Miguel Tejada, the way resurrected Baltimore did. Then again, that would have cost money, the non-taxpayer kind of money, the kind of money Reinsdorf hates to spend. His own.

 

This is so dead on, I think it was a pretty good article.

[JoshPR]

It's not bad it's just i don't Like Morrisey much. Rozner had a great Article yesterday too. In other Words he called Reinsdork CHeap. I hope the Media give Reinsdork hell

[southsideirish]

I hate this article because it makes us, white sox fans, seem like dopes. Seem like we like to be kicked around. Like we are the little red headed stepchild. I don't feel like whatever can go wrong will go wrong. Isn't this the Cub way? Wehn they were in the playoffs 5 outs away from the World Series, don't you think most fans were thinking about the curse? Then BOOM! Mr. Bartman, Alou, and A. Gonzalez helped them out and the curse lives. I don't ever hear White Sox fans talk or think that way. Isn't this how they felt when Steve Garvey homered in 84? When McGriff first turned them down? When Palmiero turned them down last year? This is not White Sox fan thinking, this is Cubbie thinking. I understand we are not the most optimistic people in the world, however we don't think whatever can go wrong will go wrong. That is just absurd. He has the wrong side of town.

 

This article made me sick. I don't know why it makes more sense to try to get pitching later for Maggs or Nomar. If, as he says, trade Maggs, Frank, Konerko, and Valentin for pitching. Then please tell me where the offense is coming from? How the hell do we even field a team if we just get pitching in return? Isn't that the heart of our order minus Carlos? I really don't understand this logic. We don't have to trade Nomar. We keep him here and try to trade away Konerko, Frank, and Valentin for pitching and a CF'r for at least this year until our minor league guys develop. We supposedly have some nice CF talent in the minors. This should free up payroll to throw some money Garciaparra's way. Who knows, maybe he will love Chicago. 12 - 14 million for 5 years should do it. That is what Tejada signed for. For a superstar shortstop, on a team with no other shortstop in the system, it is money well spent. For a right fielder that wants to test free agency and wants to go to SD and that has Borchard and Reed chomping at the bit to start soon, it is not money well spent. SS is a scarce position. RF is not! Maggs is much easier to replace than Nomar. Nomar is the 2nd best SS in the game today. Do you people realize that? The only SS better is AROD. THAT IS IT! GET THAT THROUGH YOUR DAMN HEADS!! I know we definately need a superstar with his type of marketing potential. You trade him away we are all the way back to Cleveland/Detroit and you are starting all over again. Sickening people, sickening.

[BrandoFan]

Sounds like Morrisey hit it right on the nose, to me. Certainly, with this remark:

 

 

QUOTE 

Is all this misfortune a function of not being shrewd enough or is it simply that fate has decided the Sox have been put on earth to be kicked around? A little of both, with a lethal dose of cheapness added.

 

 

Oh please, spare me the self-conscious fatalistic pathos, will ya?

 

Sox fans do NOT attend, Sox fans NOT consume....And they DON'T get a winning team as punishment. Period. Jerry Reinsdorf will not budge. The fate of the franchise rests ENTIRELY in Sox fans' hands and always has.

 

There is no need to involve morals or meta-physics or spiritual mumbo-jumbo here. It's as clear as Thandie Newton's forehead.

 

PS I admire people like cwsox, Steff, JimH, DickAllen and many others on this board who put their wallet where their mouth is. THEY deserve a winning team and great awesome memories/emotions that come with being a true fan. The other 70% of Sox fans deserve only heartbreak and a bad case of clap.

[BrandoFan]

They would have come to the park next season if the Sox, say, had gotten into the bidding for Miguel Tejada, the way resurrected Baltimore did. Then again, that would have cost money, the non-taxpayer kind of money, the kind of money Reinsdorf hates to spend. His own.

 

Hey Rick, when was the last time you tipped a single-mother waitress over 10% or paid for your newspaper groupie's abortion in full?

 

I thought so.

[BrandoFan]

Nomar is the 2nd best SS in the game today. Do you people realize that?

 

Especially after the surgery, I'll take Angel Berroa at 300K over Nomar at almost 13 (with defered) Mill.

 

But that's just me.

[Capn12]

Piss and moan all you want, but what Morissey says is unfortunately true. Its something that most of us Sox fans have known anyways, but nice to see it in a heavy rotation newspaper.

[southsideirish]

Piss and moan all you want, but what Morissey says is unfortunately true. Its something that most of us Sox fans have known anyways, but nice to see it in a heavy rotation newspaper.

 

MY ASS!

[southsideirish]

Especially after the surgery, I'll take Angel Berroa at 300K over Nomar at almost 13 (with defered) Mill.

 

But that's just me.

 

If you add money into the equation then money/performance berroa is the better deal. I think that is obvious. However, he is no where near being the 2nd best ss in the game. Good luck at getting a player like Berroa away from a team that has him. Sounds like all the idiotic Cub fans calling in trying to make trades for Miguel Cabrera after he ripped them apart in the playoffs.

[winninguglyin83]

Rick Mo speaks mostly truth.

 

the mojo of this team is all negative.

 

You think it's just a coincidence that guys like Graff and Sully leave Chicago to go to freakin KC?

 

Not Boston. Not L.A. Not Atlanta. Not SF. Not even somewhere closer to home, a place they used to play or somewhere with nice weather.

 

Kansas City? Think about that.

 

Me thinks the players, like the fans, don't care for management either.

 

Fisk, Ventura, Black Jack, Foulke and once upon a time even Ozzie -- how many have left with parting shots at management?

 

Until JR sells the team, we're only going to be running in place.

[YASNY]

Oh please, spare me the self-conscious fatalistic pathos, will ya?

 

Sox fans do NOT attend, Sox fans NOT consume....And they DON'T get a winning team as punishment.  Period. Jerry Reinsdorf will not budge. The fate of the franchise rests ENTIRELY in Sox fans' hands and always has.

 

There is no need to involve morals or meta-physics or spiritual mumbo-jumbo here.  It's as clear as Thandie Newton's forehead.

 

PS  I admire people like cwsox, Steff, JimH, DickAllen and many others on this board who put their wallet where their mouth is. THEY deserve a winning team and great awesome memories/emotions that come with being a true fan.  The other 70% of Sox fans deserve only heartbreak and a bad case of clap.

Again, we have a difference of opinion. I am of the opinion that JR is reaping the benefits of being in a large market, but acting like he's in a small market.

 

And you, sir, can spare me the all knowing, never mistaken attitude you present, at times. I've always tried to treat you with respect, and have considered your viewpoints respectfully, even if I didn't happen to agree with them.

[israel4ever]

BrandoFan...you are such a Reinsdorf apologist that it makes me sick. It seems that if JR was walking and stopped suddenly, your head would be buried in his ass up to your chest!

 

I go to 15-20 games a year; as many as my work schedule/budget will allow. It would be nice to know that the team is dedicated to fielding a consistantly competitive team...but they are not! Why should I as a life long (31 years) Sox fan shell out hard earned money for a mediocre, non-competitive team.

 

Don't fall for JR's bulls***! If the Sox didn't make a healthy profit for him and the other investors, they'd have sold a long time ago!

 

"SELL THE TEAM, JERRY, AND THEY WILL COME!!!"

[israel4ever]

YASNY...you are 100% right on the money!

 

 

The Morrissey Article was PERFECT!

[israel4ever]

Winninguglyin83...great posting!

 

Right on!

 

[Soxfest]

The article is 100% correct about a cheap owner ( see OG ) and payroll for 04

[Gene Honda Civic]

My favorite part of the article

 

Reinsdorf's message to the fans always has been the same: or else. Either show up at the park in large numbers or else he's not going to spend large numbers on better players. The thinking is so backward that it beeps like a truck in reverse.

 

Good article, almost universally true.

[Ozzietheairedale]

Unfortunately, I gotta agree too, the article is dead on.

 

Southside - you're basically the only person left on this board (and maybe the world) who thinks the Sox should keep Nomar.

 

There's a reason. Your argument about star power attracting fans is goofy. It simply hasn't happened on the South Side. And nobody who knows anything about baseball thinks Nomar is a better player than Maggs. I don't care which position he plays.

 

Typing in caps doesn't make your argument any more intelligent.

[Wise Master Buehrle]

To whoever posted the comment about not fielding a winning team the past few seasons- We have. We're always picked to win the central division. Last years team should have run away with the division, even before Everett adn Alomar, but they're just underachieving losers.

[The_Godfather]

I really think this article sums it up real good. I have been a sox fan my whole life and get to about 30 games a year myself. The problem with this team is that they have been overly cocky the last few years taking things for granted thus the underachieving the last few years. I think even with the team we have right now that we will be able to compete in our division and will win. The thing that upsets me though is the fact that were so close to having a really good team and then mangement puts this BS budget out there of 58 million which is a joke when your in a big market such as chicago. The budget that has been put on this team is the reason why KW hasnt been able to do anything when we have 34 million tied up in 4 players thats pretty bad leaving only 24 million to work with for the other 21 guys on the team. We need to hope and pray that reinsdork sells this team soon until then we will always be close but woont win unless he starts to spend some of his money ..... but that will never happen cause we have an owner who is only interested in the bottom line!!

[BrandoFan]

BrandoFan...you are such a Reinsdorf apologist that it makes me sick

 

No, I know he is an El Cheapo Grande (like most everybody else in this world...wake up), but that doesn't excuse Sox fans' sins.

 

They are not "shrewd"; they are "self-entitled self-styled victims". And, um, "unwise" as hell.

 

The last part has to do with doing the same thing and expecting for different outcome. JR won't budge, so a (casual) fan's part of the equation becomes all that more pronounced.

 

Who you they/you end up hurting with boycott nonsense are NOT JR, Eddie, investor panel, but THEMSELVES/YOURSELF (no winning team in sight, looking in both past and future direction), and.......what's worse, people who ARE loyal and committed and who deserve better.

 

And you know what? Rex Hundler and cwsox went over this ad nauseum, read up on it.

 

EDIT: Israel4ever, if Sox were to draw near 3 Mill fans AND JR refused to up the payroll to 70-75 Mill, THEN you'd have a point and one would have to consider fans' wrath justified......But as things are now, some major STFU is in order.