Mariotti challenges us

[knightni]

Red-hot start exposes Sox' weak fan base

 

May 15, 2005

 

BY JAY MARIOTTI SUN-TIMES COLUMNIST 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Whether they're a tease for gullible souls or an overdue reward for generations of woe, the White Sox live in a hermetically sealed cocoon right now. They are a joy to watch most nights, issue-free and not at all zingable. Ozzie Guillen has washed his potty mouth with a Brillo pad, a media-phobic owner is doing charity radiothons -- live and in person! -- and the Sox undeniably have forged a new, proud Chicago identity.

 

 

 

Know how imposing their 27-10 start has become? Seems the Baltimore Orioles were delving into imaginary conspiracies this weekend, wondering if the pitcher's mound was too high and asking the umps to measure it. Hell, they can look for steroids, corked bats, the ghost of Shoeless Joe -- it's all clean, all good. What you have on the South Side is a fun, efficient, clever, airtight, pitching-driven, rally-happy and (here's a novel concept) likeable club well worth the price of admission.

 

"I think 100 percent of it is lucky,'' said the Blizzard of Oz, who can't actually believe that. "I'd rather be lucky than good.''

 

So tell me, Sox fans: Why is it still easy to buy a ticket at U.S. Cellular Field?

 

Ken Williams has trimmed the fat to play Lean Ball. Incredibly, even on a night when Freddy Garcia was harpooned by the Orioles, the Sox became the first team in major-league history to assume a lead in their first 37 games while crafting the best overall start since the 1984 Detroit Tigers. They have the sweetest rotation in the sport, with Quality Start Night replacing Hooligan Night as the featured attraction. And while I'm not about to predict they'll be the first local team in 187 collective seasons to win a World Series, they are built to last deep into September. If the Sox regressed and played only .500 ball from this point on, they'd win 90 games.

 

Where is everybody?

 

 

 

So tell me, Sox fans: Why can't you sell out the ballmall? Why can't a mere 40,615 people in a metropolis of 9 million show up for each of four games against the first-place Orioles, especially after thousands of tickets were pre-sold for a Sammy Sosa appearance now grounded in an abscessed foot? Why does this county-fair, second-team mode still exist?

 

It's your loss, folks. In a town that complains about sporting futility, this team is a springtime revelation. While realizing Sox fans are Sox fans, Cubs fans are Cubs fans and anyone who likes both either doesn't live here or hasn't lived here long enough, I was silly enough to expect full houses all weekend. If ever the seeds were ripe for a Sox revolution in town, it would be now, with the Sox aglow and the Cubs amiss. You just assumed these vocal Sox fans who've lived with an inferiority complex would turn the Orioles series into a ha-ha, hoo-hoo, nah-nah-nah-nah, hey-hey, thumb-noses-at-Cubdom, fill-the-park bash.

 

It's a Cubs town

 

 

 

But an announced crowd of 29,031 (or 71.3 percent capacity) on Thursday night was followed by an announced crowd of 28,188 (or 69.4 percent capacity) on Friday night. Those would be, by far, the two smallest crowds in Wrigley Field this season -- which is all you need to know about Chicago baseball, ingrained sociology and why this city is overwhelmingly tilted toward Cubdom. More seats were occupied on a gorgeous Saturday night. Yet not even the traditional fireworks promotion could pack the joint, with the total announced at 37,311.

 

The place should be sold out regularly. Why wait for fireworks in the sky when they happen on the field every night? Even when the Sox rule the sport, they remain the second team in their own town, as the Tribune Co's snoozepaper curiously points out in not one, not two but three different pieces in today's editions. Apparently, as I've long suspected, the Sox lack the fan base to execute any sort of civic coup. It's absurd to think a team off to a record start, facing a high-flying opponent, has so much trouble filling a stadium that had its top eight rows lopped off last year. Truth is, the Sox don't have enough fans in the region to sell out more than a few times a summer.

 

Call me negative, as I'm sure the media homers and management crybabies will. But it speaks volumes about Chicago habits that the Sox are barely averaging 22,000 butts, among the lower attendance figures in the majors. The brain trust blames the volatile spring weather, as always, with Guillen interjecting hyperbole in saying: ''It's too cold in Chicago. I don't blame them. It's 20 degrees below zero when we play some games. But when we win, they will show up. There's no doubt in my mind.'' Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf has been telling people the same thing, that cold conditions are to blame.

 

Wrong, boys.

 

If it's too cold to watch good baseball, why are the struggling Cubs -- who do play outdoors, I believe, in a park a few miles to the north -- continuing to jam Wrigley this spring at an amazing 97.2 percent capacity? Same town, same weather, as Tom Skilling says. I understand the Cubs are nearly sold out for the season, but that doesn't mean fans have to show up on nasty days. But there was the usual throng Wednesday, amid grayish skies and swirling winds, huddled under blankets to watch a benign matinee. Meanwhile, on a beautiful, 71-degree afternoon the previous week, the Sox barely cracked an announced 15,000.

 

Oh, I forgot. Reinsdorf doesn't think he's competing against the Cubs, which, in the denial game, is code for the obvious: The Sox lost the public-relations battle years ago. ''The Cubs are the Cubs. We compete against ourselves,'' he said last week in the New York Times, once again avoiding Chicago reporters. If he's competing against himself, Reinsdorf is still trying to overcome a devastating, self-inflicted defeat in the 1990s. Remember: When the ballmall opened in 1991, people saw a young, talented club and flocked to the new yard, viewing the place as a novelty instead of the Worst Park Built in the Decade. For a three-year period until August 1994, the Sox were a bigger deal around here than the Cubs, wedging a division title around the double MVPs of Frank Thomas. But then came one p.r. blunder after another -- Reinsdorf prioritizing the labor impasse over a possible World Series, the hiring of Terry Bevington, the White Flag trade. Across town, Sosa was making history, meeting the Pope and leading the Cubs to the playoffs and into a new zone of national popularity that brings endless streams of tour buses to Wrigleyville.

 

A challenge to Sox fans

 

 

 

With the competitive arrow finally pointing southward again, it would be wise of J.R. and his minions to take the competition with the Cubs seriously. Thousands of kids are discovering baseball every year in our population-bloated market, and if the Sox are winning consistently, they'll win fresh, new fans for life. For now, a team worthy of whopper crowds is surrounded by too many empty blue seats.

 

"When you are in first place and you never were there, there are going to be a lot of ifs, ifs, ifs. I don't blame people for thinking that way,'' said Guillen, who knows the Sox have won one division title in 11 years. "Hopefully, we prove them wrong.''

 

Today, I want a sellout. Kids 13 and under get in for $1 with an adult ticket purchase. The first 10,000 fans receive free caps. Prove me wrong, Sox Nation.

 

Or would that be Sox Subdivision?

 

 

Jay Mariotti is a regular on ''Around the Horn'' at 4 p.m. on ESPN. Send e-mail to [email protected] with name, hometown and daytime phone number (letters run Sunday).

 

Mariotti to Sox fans: Get out to the games!

 

I hate to admit it, but he's right.

[T R U]

They have the sweetest rotation in the sport, with Quality Start Night replacing Hooligan Night as the featured attraction.

 

 

That was the best part

[GoodAsGould]

he makes this article a day that attendence was 37,000 and the 2 games b4 that both close to 30,000..... Yeah maybe he was right before the baltimore series but fans obviously have been showing up now so the article is rather pointless.

[mmmmmbeeer]

he makes this article a day that attendence was 37,000 and the 2 games b4 that both close to 30,000..... Yeah maybe he was right before the baltimore series but fans obviously have been showing up now so the article is rather pointless.

 

His point, and I'd have to agree, is that 30,000 is still 10K short of a sellout. A team with the best record in baseball, playing at home in a city of millions, should be selling out. Granted, I live in OK so I haven't been to a game yet so I usually try to stay out of these debates, but there's no question that there are plenty of people in Chicago to make up for my 2-3 tkts each night.

[Nokona]

Well whaddya know, Jay finally writes something about us.

 

After a loss.

[GoodAsGould]

His point, and I'd have to agree, is that 30,000 is still 10K short of a sellout.  A team with the best record in baseball, playing at home in a city of millions, should be selling out. Granted, I live in OK so I haven't been to a game yet so I usually try to stay out of these debates, but there's no question that there are plenty of people in Chicago to make up for my 2-3 tkts each night.

 

 

 

Well its been cold for the whole series yesterday it was extremely windy so i think 37,000 on a real windy day is just fine, its time for people to figure we arent the cubs and arent going to sell out this early into the season unless we are facing the yanks, red sox, or cubs.

[Gene Honda Civic]

Challenge to Douchebag:

 

STFU.

[TLAK]

I don't read him and I don't care what he thinks about the White Sox, their fans or anything else. He does not exist in my world, he's irrelevant. Skip him and go to the crossword.

[mmmmmbeeer]

Well its been cold for the whole series yesterday it was extremely windy so i think 37,000 on a real windy day is just fine, its time for people to figure we arent the cubs and arent going to sell out this early into the season unless we are facing the yanks, red sox, or cubs.

 

 

Best starting record since the '84 Tigers...they shoulda sold out. As an out-of-town fan, I can't describe how frustrating it is NOT to be able to go to these games. The fact that there are millions of people up there who can drive an hour or two and be sitting inside the Cell watching an awesome team yet don't is f***ing frustrating. I'll finally get up there for the CLE series next month. Hopefully I'll be sitting in the midst of a sellout being the weather excuse will no longer be running rampant by that time.

 

Incidentally, as I've said before, I'm not dogging folks on this board who live in Chicago. We're the diehards and I know that each of you gets to every game you can. Don't take my comments personally.

[NUKE_CLEVELAND]

Well whaddya know, Jay finally writes something about us.

 

After a loss.

 

 

Yeah, but this time it was overwhelmingly positive.

[NUKE_CLEVELAND]

Best starting record since the '84 Tigers...they shoulda sold out.  As an out-of-town fan, I can't describe how frustrating it is NOT to be able to go to these games.  The fact that there are millions of people up there who can drive an hour or two and be sitting inside the Cell watching an awesome team yet don't is f***ing frustrating.  I'll finally get up there for the CLE series next month.  Hopefully I'll be sitting in the midst of a sellout being the weather excuse will no longer be running rampant by that time.

 

Incidentally, as I've said before, I'm not dogging folks on this board who live in Chicago.  We're the diehards and I know that each of you gets to every game you can.  Don't take my comments personally.

 

 

If I didn't live in Arizona I'd be a season ticket holder. I will, however, make it to all 6 games that come up during my vacation at the end of this month into early June.

[3E8]

f***ing idiot.

 

You don't go from twenty-something in attendance to selling out every home game, hot start or not. I will be quite pleased with a healthy, but reasonable increase in ticket sales.

[NUKE_CLEVELAND]

f***ing idiot.

 

You don't go from twenty-something in attendance to selling out every home game, hot start or not.  I will be quite pleased with a healthy, but reasonable increase in ticket sales.

 

 

If we keep up this hot play all season I bet you we have a nice 25% increase in attendance this year.

[3E8]

And that would be considered a major success, almost half a million more seats sold. A very noticable increase in revenue.

[NUKE_CLEVELAND]

And that would be considered a major success, almost half a million more seats sold.  A very noticable increase in revenue.

 

 

We're gonna need it. If I'm not mistaken we have a few contracts to renew in the very near future. (Garland, Konerko)

[elrockinMT]

I am going to drive down to Denver in early June to take in the Sox series at Coors Field. If I can do that I woud hope some more Chicago area fans would go to Comiskey. Support the Sox!

[southsideirish71]

I am sick and tired of this boob routine. Has he said anything that is not a backhanded stab at the sox. How this guy is a paid journalist is beyond me, more like shock jock of writing. I cancelled my Suntimes subscription over a year ago because of this douchebag. I still wish I could get the Southtown, but I moved out of its subscription area. Just because we dont import the elderly of Iowa every week doesnt mean that our fans our any less.

 

 

f*** YOU KOTEX BOY, AND f*** YOU SUNTIMES FOR PAYING THIS DOUCHE[/size] :fyou :fyou :fyou :fyou

 

 

:finger :finger :finger :finger :finger :finger :finger :finger :finger

 

 

:puke :puke :puke :puke

[KevHead0881]

Right or wrong, there has to be something else to write about other than our attendance. I wish that I was in Mariotti's world, where the only thing to be worried about at the moment is how many people are showing up to the games.

[WilliamTell]

Best starting record since the '84 Tigers...they shoulda sold out.  As an out-of-town fan, I can't describe how frustrating it is NOT to be able to go to these games.  The fact that there are millions of people up there who can drive an hour or two and be sitting inside the Cell watching an awesome team yet don't is f***ing frustrating.  I'll finally get up there for the CLE series next month.  Hopefully I'll be sitting in the midst of a sellout being the weather excuse will no longer be running rampant by that time.

 

Incidentally, as I've said before, I'm not dogging folks on this board who live in Chicago.  We're the diehards and I know that each of you gets to every game you can.  Don't take my comments personally.

 

 

Oh I know what you mean, I'm 19 and don't have a whole lot of money, but I'd be going to 15-20 games a year if I was in the area.

[DukeNukeEm]

Mariotti hasnt been that much of a douche this year, he's been too busy with the Bulls, Bears and Cubs.

[Flash Tizzle]

I'll never admit Moronotti is right about any topic. EVER.

 

Is there a correlation between attendance and winning baseball? No, I suppose he rather write about our struggling attendance then discuss winning baseball.

 

I can't stand comparisons to the Cubs on this regurgitated subject. It goes beyond simple fan devotion to their favorite ballclub. Wrigley Field, in addition to its serene setting, is an outdoor beer-garden attracting affluent adults with disposable incomes. Location, WGN, Harey Caray, Sammy Sosa, 2003 NLCS have all combined themselves into a national phenemenom. Quit the baseless comparisons, Moron.

Edited May 15, 2005 by Flash Tizzle

[greasywheels121]

I can't stand comparisons to the Cubs on this regurgitated subject. It goes beyond simple fan devotion to their favorite ballclub. Wrigley Field, in addition to its serene setting, is an outdoor beer-garden attracting affluent adults with disposable incomes. Location, WGN, Harey Caray, Sammy Sosa, 2003 NLCS have all combined themselves into a national phenemenom. Quit the baseless comparisons, Moron.

 

Agreed. I don't think there's any doubt fans will be at the Cell this summer in big numbers.

 

And the Cubs draw more, good for them. That's gotten them how far in the past 97 years?

[NUKE_CLEVELAND]

Agreed.  I don't think there's any doubt fans will be at the Cell this summer in big numbers. 

 

And the Cubs draw more, good for them.  That's gotten them how far in the past 97 years?

 

 

The fact the the Flubbs draw big numbers is attributed mostly to the fact that its somehow cool to go there, get drunk and act stupid. I'm willing to bet that 75% of the people who go to Flubbs games can't name their starting 5 and a good portion dont even know who's starting that day.

[nitetrain8601]

Still. He brings up a good point. I hate Mariotti as much as the next guy, but in this article he praises the White Sox and basically says, we're the best team to watch in all of baseball, but yet we are at the bottom of attendance. There's a difference between simply bashing and making sense. In this article he's making perfect sense. This series should've been a sellout. Two best teams in baseball(us being the best team) off to a record start and even the mayor shows up(today at least) on a weekend and we still can't sell out any of the games. That's extremely dissapointing.

[greg775]

Old Comiskey would have been sold out for all 4 O's games.

But that's living in the past.

It's true, though. Any old timers who went to games there would back me on this: In mid May, old Comiksey woulda been sold out all 4 games for the first place Sammy-less O's.

And crowds would be up from now on out, until the moment we start to suck, not that we are going to start to suck.