Merkin talks winter meetings and other possibilities

[caulfield12]

or to get premiere exciting hispanic base players. now it will be the Cuban factor as i was

always mentioning.

 

 

Except we're not in South Florida or NYC, so that has less of an impact economically.

 

 

Or the Pacific Coast, where the M's (also Nintendo-owned) and Dodgers have spent a lot of money on Japanese and Korean players (Chan Ho Park, now Ryu).

 

 

Now if MLB would allow an agreement for the White Sox to play 10-15 home games per season (especially April/May/September) in Havana and we had Abreu, Ramirez, Viciedo and Rodon....THEN, and only THEN, would you have something quite interesting economically.

 

Edited December 4, 2014 by caulfield12

[ptatc]

All the last eight years has done is reinforce what we saw in the first 26 years of this ownership group: making it to the playoffs just once every eight years or so and coming away from those rare appearances with practically nothing to show for it is going to result in dwindling attendance. It's that simple, and should be expected. It's not because Sox fans are "miserable people" (not a nice thing to say, btw). There should be no expectation of unconditional love here, that the 2.9 million plus who walked through the turnstiles in '06 should have done so in 2011 and 2013, or else be dismissed as "bandwagon". They are consumers, and unfortunately when Sox product isn't up to snuff, they choose not to consume as much of it.

 

Only one year in the 34 this ownership group has been running things worthy of mention. Just one! Only four playoff appearances in the other 33 years, with just four wins across all four of those appearances. THAT record is what is MISERABLE, not the fans.

How does compare to otger teams in the league? How many games have other teams won? How many teams have a world series win or as many playoff victories?

 

This ownership group has outperformed many and definitely out performed any other in Chicago.

[Thad Bosley]

How does compare to otger teams in the league? How many games have other teams won? How many teams have a world series win or as many playoff victories?

 

This ownership group has outperformed many and definitely out performed any other in Chicago.

Fair questions, and I'll see to compile the exact records for you. But as a teaser of sorts, let me say that the small market Minnesota Twins have twice as many World Series appearances and World Series championships as our Sox since the Sox' current ownership group took over 34 years ago, and the small market Kansas City Royals also have twice as many WS appearances during that time period, and just as many WS trophies as the Sox.

 

Small market Oakland has been to the WS three times in this same time since '81, with one WS championship to show for it. We are, however, tied with the Marlins and Diamondbacks, the two 90s expansion teams, with WS appearances and championships, so we have that going for us. The Tigers and Rangers, although without any WS trophies, have made it to the Series more often than the Sox have over the last 34 years.

 

I could go on, but I think you get the point: we have NOT outperformed "many", not even by a long shot.

Edited December 4, 2014 by Thad Bosley

[thxfrthmmrs]

It might not have quite the multitude of options that wrigleyville has, but there is plenty to do around the Cell.

 

For every spot you name around the Cell, I can name 5 for the Wrigley area. The walkable options you have around the Cell is extremely limited. You wouldn't want to walk far south in that neighborhood. And no one wants to hangout at Chinatown after the game.

[LDF]

Except we're not in South Florida or NYC, so that has less of an impact economically.

 

 

Or the Pacific Coast, where the M's (also Nintendo-owned) and Dodgers have spent a lot of money on Japanese and Korean players (Chan Ho Park, now Ryu).

 

 

Now if MLB would allow an agreement for the White Sox to play 10-15 home games per season (especially April/May/September) in Havana and we had Abreu, Ramirez, Viciedo and Rodon....THEN, and only THEN, would you have something quite interesting economically.

 

i was wrong on how i said about the Cuban factor. the point i was trying to make, is

if there was a possibility of signing an exciting player of any nationality, that is the way

to go. get the hype of a player, whether it is an elite pitcher, a base stealing outfielder,

this will let the fans from all over to identify and then they will be getting the fans back.

 

the sox, esp this yr will need some sort of a personality, an exciting element. that will

help in the sales of tickets.

 

does anyone remember the Big Frank, the Bo Jackson, Vince Coleman, Ricky Henderson and

Tim Raines kind of excitement. the sox only have 1 player, Jose A. they need more.

[Boopa1219]

That's a pitiful payroll for a large market team. If that's correct and if it's mandated, it finally makes sense why the Sox would even entertain trading scarce prospects for 1 year players in areas of secondary need (although I still wouldn't do it).

 

What's wrong with a $92M payroll. You don't have to shell out a large payroll to put a good team on the field, look at the Oakland, Tampa Bay and Kansas City.

[Dunt]

For every spot you name around the Cell, I can name 5 for the Wrigley area. The walkable options you have around the Cell is extremely limited. You wouldn't want to walk far south in that neighborhood. And no one wants to hangout at Chinatown after the game.

 

I go to Chinatown pretty frequently after games...

[Boopa1219]

Does Brandon Moss make sense? Put him in LF, bats left but he's more than a power hitter than a contact guy.

[SCCWS]

Does Brandon Moss make sense? Put him in LF, bats left but he's more than a power hitter than a contact guy.

 

I am a long time White Sox fan living in New England during baseball season. I have posted on this site numerous times that I think one of the main problems with White Sox attendance is corporate season tickets. In New England , thousands of companies have season tickets. When I was working, vendors were always offering tickets to Red Sox games. When I travelled to Chicago in 2002 as part of an acquisition team of a large Chicago company, I was offered a coprorate ticket to a Cubs game.

These tickets provide free passes to fans which help generate interest in a team and also creates a demand for getting tickets in advance since game day tickets are hard to find w/o scalping.

 

[Texsox]

I believe . . .

 

Both the Sox and the Cubs have an equal group of knowledgeable, avid fans who regularly attend games no matter how the team is playing. The battle then is for the occasional fan and the once a year, suburban, take the family to a game, crowd. The Cubs have crushed that demographic for a lot of the reasons mentioned.

 

The Cubs have always played the TV game better. Most of the posters here grew up with cable/sat TV. A few of us remembers crappy UHF channels full of snow and twisting antennae around to get a signal and pay for view schemes. The Cubs blasted a signal across the midwest while the Sox were hiding.

 

Wrigley was projected as family friendly versus the worlds largest beer garden on the south side. The Cubs got more out of losing in '69 than the Sox did in winning in '05.

 

Now the only time the Sox can pass the Cubs in attendance is when the team is winning big.

[RockRaines]

For every spot you name around the Cell, I can name 5 for the Wrigley area. The walkable options you have around the Cell is extremely limited. You wouldn't want to walk far south in that neighborhood. And no one wants to hangout at Chinatown after the game.

Probably 20. But that's not the reason I gave up my season tickets after a decade. Going to a game is pricey and sometimes annoying as hell. You will drop 50 bucks on food and beer at least these days and the game experience is ok for the price. However, sitting in front of my or a bars giant HD TV is sometimes just as nice if not better.

[LDF]

What's wrong with a $92M payroll. You don't have to shell out a large payroll to put a good team on the field, look at the Oakland, Tampa Bay and Kansas City.

and oak made it to the playoff. but with that, oak always seems to flip

their players.

 

the sox have a great core to build from, JR need to spend a little

more. again, i am not talking Bos, Yanks, or even Dodgers salary.

[LDF]

I am a long time White Sox fan living in New England during baseball season. I have posted on this site numerous times that I think one of the main problems with White Sox attendance is corporate season tickets. In New England , thousands of companies have season tickets. When I was working, vendors were always offering tickets to Red Sox games. When I travelled to Chicago in 2002 as part of an acquisition team of a large Chicago company, I was offered a coprorate ticket to a Cubs game.

These tickets provide free passes to fans which help generate interest in a team and also creates a demand for getting tickets in advance since game day tickets are hard to find w/o scalping.

 

i understand what you are saying. my thinking is as i said the sox had

a chance to own chi, but the sox raised their tickets, to max the profit.

i remember reading in the newspaper how someone from the sox FO

trying to justify the ticket prices. the other part was the team basically

imploded and a lot of that has to do with Ozzie and his kids.

 

taking Ozzie out of the discussion, if the sox instead of raising prices, what

would happen if they lower then a little. make them like a mlb avg

prices. give out more package deals. they have a team who just

won the WS and are offering lower tickets and packages. give discounts

to season ticket holders if they brought a 2 or 3 yr season ticket

package.

[LDF]

Probably 20. But that's not the reason I gave up my season tickets after a decade. Going to a game is pricey and sometimes annoying as hell. You will drop 50 bucks on food and beer at least these days and the game experience is ok for the price. However, sitting in front of my or a bars giant HD TV is sometimes just as nice if not better.

 

i agree with the bolded. the new question and it is rhetorical, how

is the sox to deal with this??

[hogan873]

Probably 20. But that's not the reason I gave up my season tickets after a decade. Going to a game is pricey and sometimes annoying as hell. You will drop 50 bucks on food and beer at least these days and the game experience is ok for the price. However, sitting in front of my or a bars giant HD TV is sometimes just as nice if not better.

I agree. I know this topic has been brought up many times in the past and has incited arguments. But, there's no arguing that it's just too damn expensive to go to many baseball games. I like to get to at least one Sox game a year, and we'll try to hit a ballgame while on vacation (regardless of who's playing). It's a cool experience to see a game live. But watching a game on my HDTV, kicked back in my chair with a 6-pack of Sam Adams that cost about the same as one beer at the park...that's cool, too.

[Eminor3rd]

Probably 20. But that's not the reason I gave up my season tickets after a decade. Going to a game is pricey and sometimes annoying as hell. You will drop 50 bucks on food and beer at least these days and the game experience is ok for the price. However, sitting in front of my or a bars giant HD TV is sometimes just as nice if not better.

 

And it's not like the Sox don't get paid a lot for their TV rights for this specific reason. And as long as people continue to prefer to watch that way, the compensation the Sox receive will continue to rise.

[glangon]

Jon Heyman

improving chisox need righty SP & have contacted all, from Max down. MS a long shot but many choices http://t.co/UqodjfYYIc

https://twitter.com/JonHeymanCBS/status/540526188582948864

 

Scherzer would be an outstanding pick up.

 

Rotation of

 

Sale

Scherzer

Q

Noesi

Danks

 

With Rodon and Bassitt in the wings.

 

That would rock my world.

[thxfrthmmrs]

Probably 20. But that's not the reason I gave up my season tickets after a decade. Going to a game is pricey and sometimes annoying as hell. You will drop 50 bucks on food and beer at least these days and the game experience is ok for the price. However, sitting in front of my or a bars giant HD TV is sometimes just as nice if not better.

 

 

I agree. I know this topic has been brought up many times in the past and has incited arguments. But, there's no arguing that it's just too damn expensive to go to many baseball games. I like to get to at least one Sox game a year, and we'll try to hit a ballgame while on vacation (regardless of who's playing). It's a cool experience to see a game live. But watching a game on my HDTV, kicked back in my chair with a 6-pack of Sam Adams that cost about the same as one beer at the park...that's cool, too.

 

This is a valid dilemma for most Sox fans, and I will quote my previous post on this issue:

 

P.S. The average cost of tickets and concessions is only slightly above league average, and the cost is way above league average for Cubs games.

 

Of the metropolitan area that features 2 teams, the Sox revenue/attendance situation is similar to Oakland's. This probably has been said many times, attending games isn't a priority for Sox fans unless team is doing well, and for an extended period of time. Cubs fans would attend games if they have nothing better to do, being in a neighborhood full of recent college grads and young single people helps. Attending games is considered a treat for many Sox fans, as most of the fans come in from the suburbs or areas that are not close to the park. Most people living around the park are retired, low income, or don't care for baseball. With the Cubs taking away most of the well off, single, and upper echelon income level fans, it's hard for the Sox to consistently draw a large crowd. The revelation of the Blackhawks in recent years isn't helping either.

 

I assume that we don't draw as well as other smaller market teams because they have more high income level fans than us, and their stadium is located in areas more accessible and around fans that are more interested in baseball, i.e. downtown, or an area where single people lives.

 

Oakland stadium is also located in the less prosperous part of their metropolis, and the Bay area is one of the larger metropolitan areas in US. They had average attendance as little as 19,000 in 2011. Even though they were the team to beat for most of this year, they only averaged 25,000 a game this year. Then you can also take into account that average Sox ticket cost $26, vs $23 for Oakland, while premium ticket for Sox averages $85, and $48 for them.

 

The Sox can consistently pull in larger crowd if they turn themselves into a perennial contender, or if they relocate their stadium and associate themselves with higher income level folks. But both of those can't be easily achieved. So we will discuss this same s***ty problem year in and year out.

 

[LDF]

And it's not like the Sox don't get paid a lot for their TV rights for this specific reason. And as long as people continue to prefer to watch that way, the compensation the Sox receive will continue to rise.

sorry, its prob me, but i don;t understand.

 

[flavum]

When you consider the team-friendly deals the Sox have with Abreu, Quintana, and Sale, it's almost like free money to play with.

 

Sign Scherzer and trade for Kemp, the Sox would have a nice 5-year window to win.

[Balta1701]

And it's not like the Sox don't get paid a lot for their TV rights for this specific reason. And as long as people continue to prefer to watch that way, the compensation the Sox receive will continue to rise.

On the other hand...when the team is terrible, it also is much easier to change the channel.

[dayan024]

@MLBBruceLevine: White Sox more likely too go trade route rather than free agent upper tier starter( Scherzer -Shields) Samardzija trade still in mix .

[LDF]

 

this brings up the vicious catch 22.

 

the sox says, they need to raise prices b/c the cost of players

salary, low attendance, the sox will need to find a way to break

even.

 

(however no mention of the commercial revenue)

 

however, if they lower the cost, more people will show up, if

the sox field a team that can compete via, fa's, the majority

more of fans will show up.

 

which came first the egg or the bird??

[LDF]

When you consider the team-friendly deals the Sox have with Abreu, Quintana, and Sale, it's almost like free money to play with.

 

Sign Scherzer and trade for Kemp, the Sox would have a nice 5-year window to win.

 

bingo, the trickle down syndrome. improve 1 part and the rest

of the situation will improve.

[LDF]

On the other hand...when the team is terrible, it also is much easier to change the channel.

 

lol good point.